St-Viateur is headlining New York BagelFest — We asked organizers if they're admitting defeat

Ah, the age-old question: Which bagels reign supreme — Montreal-style bagels or New York-style bagels... that is, if you can even call New York's pieces of bread with holes in them "bagels." (Yep, this is one topic that MTL Blog is transparently taking an editorial stance on).

While many of the world's great debates may never come to a universally-accepted, objective resolution — from cats versus dogs to free speech versus censorship — the Montreal versus New York bagel battle seemingly just moved one step forward in Montreal's favour.

Local institution St-Viateur Bagel is set to headline New York BagelFest next month — and if that's not an official admission of defeat, we don't know what is.

But do the organizers see it that way? We asked them.

"The New York bagel obviously still reigns supreme," said Sam Silverman, founder of BagelUp, a trade organization for the global bagel industry that puts on New York's annual BagelFest.

In an email response, Silverman directed MTL Blog to an Instagram post captioned "Hot Takes" in which he divulges some of his reasons for giving "the nod" to New York bagels.

"New York bagels are more versatile. They're bigger, fluffier, easier to use as sandwiches, but can also be eaten on their own," he says in the video, as he hoverboards through NYC in a bagel-patterned shirt.

"Whereas a Montreal-style, it's denser, smaller and sweeter and it's really intended to be eaten on its own or ripped and dipped in cream cheese — not so much for sandwiches."

However, he continues, "That being said, a fresh Montreal bagel, hot out of the oven, is a transcendent experience [...] With each passing trip to St-Viateur, the bagels just got better and better and better and became something that I continue to crave."

Hmm, we're not sure we'd take "easier to use as sandwiches" over "transcendent experience," but, hey, Silverman has a reputation as "New York's Bagel Ambassador" to uphold.

Whether folks prefer the sweeter, wood-fired appeal of a Montreal bagel or the chewy adaptability of a New York bagel, Montreal's bagel prowess will be on full display at New York BagelFest on September 28, as St-Viateur joins a lineup of 50 esteemed bagel makers from around the world, including Australia and Portugal.

In addition to allowing attendees to taste iconic Montreal bagels, St-Viateur owner Vince Morena is scheduled to participate in the World Bagel Rolling Championship, a competition that saw him tie for first place last year. St-Viateur also took home the 2023 award for Best International Bagel.

When asked if New York has admitted defeat by selecting Montreal icons as BagelFest headliners, St-Viateur's general manager Nicolo Piazza replied with the following comment:

"We are proud to be participating at BagelFest for the 2nd year in a row. It’s a great initiative and we had a great time last year. We are happy that there is such a passion for bagels that an event like this can be successful."

Sounds like the quiet confidence of a winner! We told you we're taking an editorial stance on this one.

For more details on New York BagelFest, check out bagelfest.com.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.