You NY bagel enthusiasts aren't listening to me, here's another opinion:

Montreal Vs. New York City I: The Bagel
"'Do you want a cinnamon-raisin bagel?' That's not a bagel, that's a doughnut made of bread!" - Lea DeLaria

New York is a great city. It has great theatre (translation: theater), great music, great food, and has at least 99% less French people than Montreal. New York City, however, knows bupkis about bagels.
New York is a great city. It has great theatre(translation: theater), great music, great food, and has at least 99% less French people than Montreal. New York City, however, knows bupkis about bagels. While New York bagels are basically circular bread, Montreal bagels are ethereal rounds of sweet and chewy dough. Montreal bagels contain no salt and are boiled, prior to baking, in honey-sweetened water. Most New York style bagels contain salt, are boiled in plain water, and some can't even claim that. If you've never had a Montreal style bagel, then you've never eaten a bagel. If you're dying to try a real Montreal bagel, then you really need to board a plane and get your butt to Montreal, since there is nothing that compares to getting them right as they come out of the oven, still so warm that they have to be put in paper bags, since plastic bags would melt. Remember to buy a few extra for the car ride home. If that really isn't an option, you can order them online from the best bagel place in all the land, St. Viateur.

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