First of all, you need to have an opinion. That is If you want to have any local street cred whatsoever. St. Viateur is the more old school of the two and has remained no frills. Fairmount a few blocks to the south has branched out and offers things that purists would find gimmicky – blueberry bagels for example or the oversized “bozo”. In reality they’re both good – great in fact and can blow the poppy seeds off anything other cities have to offer. Yes, that includes New York. Even the venerable New York Times admitted as much. But even after tasting both and thinking they are fairly indistinguishable, pick one. A treat for residents, they’ve become a sort of labour of love for expats who on every trip back home have to allow a bit more room in their carry-ons for a dozen or so packed tightly in airtight plastic. Freeze them, put them in the toaster even months later and it’s (almost) like getting them hot out of the oven.
263 St Viateur; 74 Fairmount West
