The debate regarding Montreal vs. New York bagels is about to rear its ugly wood-fired head again! Why? Because B&B Empire—which made quite a few people scratch their heads when it started selling house-made, wood-fired bagels last June—reopens this weekend after a month-long absence.
The revamped B&B now has a slightly revamped look and a new consulting chef, Amy Riolo, working the joint's oven, which they say is the only one in NYC made specifically for bagels—understandable since bagels as god intended them are meant to be boiled and baked!
The big difference between B&B's bagels and the "Montreal Bagels" you see advertised around? These guys are actually made in-house while those are shipped in from the great white north. As for why people dig the Montreal-style so much, the big factor is that people think they are healthier. They are made with no salt and "minimally processed and naturally aged flour with zero additives" and have half the calories of a regular bagel.
But you get what you pay for. Though we haven't tried the new B&B bagels, when the store first opened some of the responses we cataloged regarding their bagel's flavors included: "This bagel is like a party in my mouth. A party that people forget to bring beer to and ends at 9:30" and "It does make a lovely conveyance for toppings, because the flavor is so... subdued?"
200 Clinton Street, Brooklyn // 718-858-6358
