by Iain Illich
Love bagels? Edmonton has lots of options—overnight from Montreal or baked fresh.
On Wednesday afternoons, there’s a good chance nearly every flat surface in the tiny interior of the Coffee Bureau will be covered with bags and bags of bagels.
Plains, sesames, tout-garni, poppyseeds and cinnamon-raisins will have just arrived in the shop, direct from an overnight flight from Montreal—baked fresh on Tuesday afternoon at the legendary St-Viateur Bagel Shop.
Even in a downtown drained of office workers, the weekly arrival of bagels has brought in a steady stream of customers to the coffee shop, a little taste-bud tourism from the locked-down world outside our city.
“I’d been trying to get them well before the pandemic, but they only had so much availability for wholesale situations,” says Peter West, owner of Coffee Bureau. When Covid hit, St-Viateur got in touch and West signed up to bring a little bit of Montréal to Edmonton.
“It’s been a very good relationship ever since,” says West. “We sell a few pastries, but the reality is that we slam out a lot of coffee every morning here. There was a persistent request for something that was a bit more breakfast- or lunch-worthy that wasn’t a sweet pastry or a buttery croissant. Bagels filled a nice kind of void.”
Compared to their garden-variety New York cousins, Montréal bagels are typically smaller and less puffy, with a distinct hand-rolled look and a large hole in the centre. Their texture is both dense and chewy, with a hint of sweetness and a whiff of smoke that come from being boiled in honey water, then baked in a wood-fired oven. How serious are Montréalers about their bagel heritage? Try Googling stories about Montréal pollution bylaws and wood-fired bagel bakeries.
According to West, the history and longevity of St-Viataur is also a selling point for him and his customers, who come in looking for something unique, or who have fond memories of St-Viateur from their own time in Montréal as a resident, student or visitor.
“It’s part of the mythology of Montréal,” says West. “They’ve been around since 1957. No day off, 24/7, constant operation. And just the fact that that exists and exists close enough that it’s one airplane ride away, it’s awesome. So, through the pandemic, it was just a natural. You could travel by just buying a bag of bagels.”
In a modern twist for an old-world treat, their weekly arrival at Coffee Bureau is announced on Instagram, and from there a steady mob of hungry bagel fans will wander in over the next couple of days to grab their haul.
“The sesame bagels outsell the other types by roughly five to one,” says West. “In general, they’re gone by Thursday morning. We try to move them all by Thursday just because nobody wants a stale bagel.”
If you’re looking for a specific type, you don’t have to leave it to chance.
“The best way to get them, apart from just walking in and grabbing a bag, is to pre-order online through our website,” says West.
And if you miss your chance, relax. There’s always next week.
Coffee Bureau, 10505 Jasper Avenue, coffeebureau.square.site.
Looking for your bagel fix in Edmonton? Here are some spots to check out if you’ve got a hankering for gluten-packed goodness.
Bagel Bar, 10207 63 Avenue (west door, Vienna Bakery), bagelbar.ca.
Plenty of Edmontonians have eaten Bagel Bar bagels without even knowing it, as they supply multiple cafés (and Meuwly’s) around town. However, they also sell direct to customers through their website provided you’re willing to order a minimum of $20 worth of bagels. There are multiple pick-up options available (including a hand-off in a brown paper bag from a side door in an alley) and delivery can be arranged for an extra charge. Of note, they a make lightly sweet Earl Grey bagel. Who knew that was a thing?
Beb’s Bagels, bebsbagels.ca, Thursday 124 Street Grand Market.
Musicians Lindon Carter and Luke Breiteneder started their side gig Beb’s Bagels mid-summer. It’s taken off quite spectacularly. “It’s been great, we had to hire someone and we just moved into a bigger kitchen,” said Luke. The duo’s efforts are legit. The flour comes from a grain farmer in Saskatchewan and the honey from northern Alberta. Inspired by what they experienced in Montreal, Beb’s have a terrific chewy yet soft texture, are not too sweet and have good colouration. Available in sesame, poppy and a poppy sesame blend. “We like to rip and dip,” says Luke. Tear off a chunk and dip into their pungently delicious green onion cream cheese. Good bagels from Beb’s.
Bliss Baked Goods, 10710 142 Street, blissbakedgoods.ca.
Bliss bagels are made in a kosher, nut-free, dairy-free bakery, ideal for dietary restrictions. Along with white, whole wheat, multigrain and all-dressed (a.k.a. everything), they also make harder-to-find pumpernickel and black Russian pumpernickel. Even more interesting: all their bagels are vegan.
Bonjour Bakery, 8608 99 Street, yvanchartrand.com.
This bakery, best known for exquisite traditional pain au levain, also makes bagels on Wednesdays. Unlike Montréal bagels, which have a very short rise time before boiling and baking, Bonjour puts their bagel dough through an overnight ferment to up the game on flavour and texture. There’s an online order form on the website if you want to get your hands on some plain, white sesame or mixed (white and black) sesame bagels without fear of them running out.
Bon Ton Bakery, 8720 149 Street, bonton.ca.
In addition to their renowned breads and pastries, the folks at Bon Ton make a classic range of bagels they roll by hand, boil and bake. Not all are available every day of the week, so check the website for details before you head over.
Green Onion Cake Man, 9132 118 Avenue, greenonioncakeman.com/strong>
In addition to the original green onion cake, noodle dishes and dumplings, the Green Onion Cake Man offers frozen bagels (four per pack) via their web site and in-person to go.
Kitchen by Brad, 10130 105 Street, kitchenbybrad.ca.
Chef Brad Smoliak often has pick-up lunches featuring his delicious fresh baked bagels, with smoked salmon and other delish toppings. The bagel dough undergo two eight-hour rises. The result? Lovely texture and more complex flavours. Follow along on Facebook and Instagram to find out when available.
June’s Delicatessen, 6427 112 Avenue, junesdelicatessen.ca.
June’s specializes in traditional deli fare, which includes sesame, everything, cheddar and multigrain bagels made by Bagel Bar, but tweaked to their own recipe. As well, on Fridays, they sell a half-dozen day-old bagels for $6.
New York Bagel Café, 8430 Gateway Boulevard
You can’t talk about bagels in Edmonton without mentioning New York Bagel Cafe, a breakfast and brunch institution in Old Strathcona. Their bagels are from Bliss Baked Goods (and a custom cheddar bagel by Artistic Bake Shop), but their gorgeous presentation is what sets them apart. It’s a premium experience, and as long as you’re willing to pay for the privilege, it’s a lovely location to escape the hustle-bustle of Whyte, whether it’s in the warm wood-finished interior or on the quiet, leafy patio outside.
Bagel Tips
Bagels tend to dry out quickly, so use what you can on the day you buy them, then freeze the rest if you don’t plan to eat them right away. To make your life easier, slice your bagels before freezing so they’re ready to pop into the toaster without thawing. Bonus pro tip: If you value your fingers, don’t try to slice a frozen bagel.