If you've never had a real Montreal bagel before, you are seriously missing out on the good things in life. SERIOUSLY. They are the absolutely best, especially when you eat one that's hot, fresh from their glorious wood burning oven. I'm team St. Viateur but Fairmount is also just as good (don't even try to argue about which is better, it's a lost cause).
Anyways, I've had a hankering for some Montreal bagels lately and was contemplating ordering them straight from Montreal via the amazing thing we call the Internet. Unfortunately, I couldn't justify paying the hefty shipping fees so I bowed out. Lucky for me, I found out (albeit randomly) that there is a spot in Calgary that sells Montreal bagels, or at least the closest thing you'll find to a Montreal bagel on the west coast of Canada.
My sis (bless her) brought us 3 dozen bagels ($9/dozen) - a mixture of sesame, plain and multi grain bagels.
Verdict = they are good but not as good as the originals. A bit more chewy, less flavourful - I think it's something in the water in Montreal that just can't be mimicked. Pretty sure that's why they drive 'em to NYC straight from Montreal (for a shop that sells Montreal bagels in NYC). Just ain't the same but it'll do. Cash only!