Brunch-->Bagel Etc.

We managed to get the number of entries in our "...an endless banquet" Montreal Food Guide up above 100 over the course of the last 6 months or so, when we first started it, but somehow every time I take a look at it our list it seems like I notice one glaring omission or another. This morning, we picked up on another one. We were on our way to meet T. and R., have some breakfast, and deliver them some Moravian gingerbread geese for Christmas



when we realized that Bagel Etc.--our designated brunch destination--wasn't on our list for some strange reason [actually, none of our classic neighborhood breakfast spots--Beauty's, Dusty's, or Bagel Etc.--are on the list as I write this--but, fret not, dear readers, we here at "...an endless banquet" will do everything we can to bring you the best possible service as soon as humanly possible--ed.]. OK, it doesn't have the best name (then again, its name isn't exactly a groaner like, say, Eggspectations), but it's known to be frequented by Mr. Leonard Cohen when he's in town (he keeps an apartment just across the park and around the corner), it's got one of the most stylish interiors of any Montreal restaurant of any stripe, and, let's face it, they serve an excellent brunch (and they know it). You can't go wrong with either Bagel Etc.'s standards or their benedicts (in large part because their homefries are among the city's best), but things get particularly interesting in the "around the world" section of their brunch menu, where you'll find a number of options that you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere else in town, including a Sephardic-style egg dish served with a delicious stewed tomato concoction and, my latest favorite, the "Eastern European" breakfast with eggs, potatoes, your choice of fried pepperette or knockwurst, braised sauerkraut, and a toasted bagel (natch).

In all the years I've been going to Bagel Etc. I've yet to bump into "Laughing Lenny" (as the boys used to call him back at McGill apparently), but, hey, you never know. In the meantime, I'll just keep going back from time to time to admire the decor and savor their outstanding brunches.

Bagel Etc., 4320 St. Laurent Blvd., (514) 845-9462

aj