The St-Viateur Experience

Today, my wife and I went to St-Viateur Bagel on Mont-Royal Avenue for lunch. It was packed with people. And I do mean packed: there was a very large queue that ended at the entrance of the restaurant. And this was not counting the people coming to buy bagels at the counter. I don't remember ever being there when it was that busy, even though St-Viateur is one of the most popular café/restaurant on the Plateau. So we waited. I wouldn't have wanted to eat anywhere else. Not today, not any day. When I crave bagels, I cannot consider eating anything else. Anyway, we didn't have to wait long: it certainly rolls fast At St-Viateur. The service is both efficient and friendly, as they always are. So I had the usual: the traditional bagel with smoked salmon, capers and so on. With a soup on the side (beef and barley). Unfortunately I forgot to ask for the bagel to be toasted, but it was delicious nevertheless. The clientèle was mainly French speaking, among them French persons, with a few English speakers, including the odd Brit (brought there by me). This was, in sum, the St-Viateur experience.