Fairmount Bagel facts for kids
Fairmount Bagel is a famous bakery in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It's known for making delicious Montreal-style bagels. You can find it in the Mile End area of the Plateau-Mont-Royal part of the city. The bakery first opened its doors on September 7, 1919. It was started by Isadore Shlafman on Saint-Laurent Boulevard. Later, in 1949, the bakery moved to its current spot at 74 Fairmount Avenue West. Fairmount Bagel is still a special family-run business today.
Contents
The Story of Fairmount Bagel
How Bagels Came to Montreal
Bagels have a long and interesting history! They were first brought to North America by Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, especially Poland. In those days, a "beugel" (which is what bagels were called) was often given as a special gift. Sometimes it was given to important people like the King of Poland, John III Sobieski. More often, it was a gift for new mothers. Later, these tasty treats were sold on the streets of Russia, where they were known as "bubliks".
When bagels first arrived in North America in the early 1900s, they were mostly made and sold within the Jewish communities in Montreal. But by the 1970s, Montreal bagels became super popular! People across the Canadian border also wanted them. This led to many more bagels being made to meet the high demand.
The Start of Fairmount Bakery
Fairmount Bagel was the very first bakery of its kind in Montreal to make these special bagels. The founder, Isadore Shlafman, was known as Grandfather Isadore. He moved from Russia to Canada and opened his bakery in 1919. It was first called the Montreal Bagel Bakery and was located on Saint-Laurent Boulevard.
In 1949, Grandfather Isadore moved the bakery to a new spot on Fairmount Avenue. It was in a cozy cottage, with the bakery on the first floor and his family living upstairs. To celebrate the new location, the family changed the name to "The Original Fairmount Bagel Bakery."
Fairmount Bagel has always been a family business. Grandfather Isadore passed it down to his son, Jack Shlafman. Then, Jack passed it on to his son, Irwin Shlafman. This means the bakery has been run by the same family for over 100 years!
What Makes Montreal Bagels Special?
Montreal-style bagels are unique and super tasty! They are usually smaller, a bit less chewy, and sweeter than the New York style bagels you might find. What makes them so sweet? They are made with honey and malt syrup, which gives them their special flavor.
Making these bagels is a fun process! First, the dough is carefully rolled by hand. Then, each bagel is dipped into boiling water for about three minutes. After their hot bath, they are baked in a special wood-fired oven for about 20 minutes. This baking method gives them a distinct crispy outside and soft inside.
At Fairmount Bagel, the most popular choice is the sesame bagel, which makes up 70% of all their sales! But they offer many other fresh products too. You can also buy different "schmears" like cream cheese to spread on your warm bagel.
Fairmount Bagel in the News
Bagels That Went to Space!
Imagine bagels floating in space! In May 2008, an astronaut named Greg Chamitoff did just that. Greg is actually the nephew of the owner of Fairmount Bagel! He took some delicious bagels from the bakery with him on his mission, STS-124. He traveled all the way to the International Space Station and shared them with his fellow astronauts.
Protecting the Special Ovens
The wood-fired ovens are a big part of what makes Montreal bagels so special. For a while, people worried that new environmental rules might stop bakeries from using these traditional ovens. But don't worry! The ovens that were already in use, like Fairmount's, were allowed to continue operating under the new rules. So, the unique taste of Montreal bagels is safe for now!
A Movie About Bagels
Fairmount Bagel is so famous, it even has its own documentary! Filmmakers Jonathan Keijser and Daniel Beresh created a movie called "Bagels in the Blood." They spent time in Montreal and wanted to tell the amazing story of this beloved bakery.
Learn More
- Historic Jewish Quarter, Montreal
- List of Ashkenazi Jewish restaurants
- List of bakeries
- Schwartz's
- Wilensky's
- St-Viateur Bagel
