We took a trip out to Fernie BC after Christmas so Ben could do some skiing and the rest of us could give it a try, or otherwise play in the snow. One of the biggest surprises of the trip was how cool the town of Fernie is. The main street was full of old brick buildings packed full of shops, artisans and restaurants that catered to locals as well as the huge influx of tourists over Christmas.

Our Favourite Place in Fernie BC

Our favourite place, bar none, in downtown Fernie is Big Bang Bagels. This tiny corner bagelry and coffee shop had everything we need to christen it “our place in Fernie

First off, it’s cozy. A small counter with coffee, till, grill for egg bagels, a sandwich station and mountain of bagels. Bakers in behind but in view. Six or seven tables.

Next, it’s warm. Old wood floors. Wood panelling on the walls. A hint of brick. Low ceilings, so everything remains human scale. Pictures on the wall of customers, staff ski trips and famous bagel loving skiers. Local art on the walls as well – nature photographs, as you might expect in such a beautiful locale. A baby moose beside the creek. A black bear cub in a tree.

The shop is also humming. We went three times and there was a line to the door every time. Seekers start coming at 7AM and keep coming in well into the afternoon.

The staff, all young and good looking and with accents from all corners of the world (as you’d expect in a Canadian ski town), were working hard, fast but always cheerfully and with a focus on the people they were serving. Always time for ‘where are you from?’ or ‘have you been on the mountain today?’.

The menu is simple but awesome. Various hot beverages (they even ask how many shots of espresso you want in your latte!), two breakfast bagels and five or six bagel sandwiches written up on a wall sized blackboard. Each sandwich lovingly described. Avocado. Chicken. BLT. Smoked salmon. Smoked meat. I wanted every single sandwich on the menu!

And the bagels are fresh too. Another big signboard lists the available flavours. When the Whole Wheat Everything bagel sells out, the sign comes down. As more White Cheese bagels come out of the oven the sign goes back up. All day long.

Soak Up The Friendly Vibe

Needless to say, Big Bang Bagels was my stay and linger location every time we came into town. I nursed my coffee as long as I dared and just let the warm, friendly vibe soak into me.

I’d watch the young mom feed bagel pieces to a toddler.

I’d watch the old guy with a pony tail dive deep into his novel.

The well dressed Albertans drinking their morning coffee before heading to the hill.

The hungover kiwi couple on New Year’s Day.

Then we picked up our two dozen bagels to take back to Regina. We pre-ordered, of course – we’re bakers too!

The Fernie Bagel

Now here’s the thing: if you’re looking for an authentic, jewish, New York bagel, these are not the bagels for you. They’re too big, too soft, too pale, too squishy. And that’s OK.

The folks at Big Bang admit it. Embrace it even. They say it loud and proud: they make Fernie Bagels. The perfect bagel for a quick, delicious sandwich. The perfect breakfast on your way to the hill or that awesome lunch when you finally take a break from the slopes. Or that perfect accompaniment to a strong coffee when you feel like hanging out and absorbing the atmosphere in town for an afternoon.

So What’s Authentic Anyway?

Big Bang Bagels is a great reminder that, as we travel along in our bread journey, it’s not about finding the One Perfect and True Loaf. It’s about the right thing for right here. I suspect the sesame bagel I’ve got in the toaster at home won’t taste the same as the one I had at my corner table at Big Bang. But it will sure bring me right back to Fernie.

“Authentic” isn’t about making that great thing from another place at home. It’s about making the perfect thing for where you are, right here, right now.

Photo by Mike Mozart

Tracey Muzzolini is my hero. Over time, she’s also become a good friend. You simply must visit her amazing bakery the next time you’re in Saskatoon.

Tracey is co-owner of Christie’s Mayfair Bakery on 33rd Street in Saskatoon and in many ways, Christie’s is the seed that begat Orange Boot Bakery in Regina. Cindy and I have been going to Christie’s for years and for years we dreamed of opening a bakery just like it at home.

Wow, there’s a lot of moxie in that last sentence! How does one even begin to dream of opening a place as great as Christie’s? I mean, Tracey has been working at the bakery her entire life, slowly taking over from her parents along with her brother Blair. She’s competed as part of Team Canada at the Louis LeSaffre Cup (a qualifying competition for the World Cup of Bread Baking) and is a frequent teacher at Bread Baker’s Guild events. She’s even opened an authentic Italian pizza shop on Broadway Avenue that is as awesome as the family bakery. I used to be in serious awe of Tracey. It took me years to get the nerve to even email her, let alone introduce myself in person.

But that’s the thing about bread bakers. The good ones are the most open, friendly and helpful people you could ever hope to meet. They know how hard baking can be, so if you’re serious, they’ll support you any way they can.

I first met Tracey at a Guild course she was teaching in Edmonton in 2008. At a “Guildhall Gathering” (think wine & cheese, and bread of course) after the class I expressed my intentions of opening my own bakery. Maybe it was the wine that did it, but I think it was the first time I told anyone other than Cindy of my dream. Her reaction? Tracey sat me down between her and Nancy Rubiliak (owner of Tree Stone Bakery in Edmonton) and they proceeded to grill me for an hour about whether I was serious or not.

Did I have what it takes? Baking great bread is only one part it, they said. How will I find bakers? How will I maintain my equipment? Where will I get ingredients? What will I do in January when nobody goes to bakeries? Do I really want to leave my cushy desk job for a life of long nights and a small bank account?

For a while I thought they were discouraging me, but it was actually some much needed Tough Love. Better to go into this with my eyes open. Tracey and Nancy added two years to my journey that night, but when we finally opened Cindy and I were much more prepared for what we were getting into. Not completely prepared, but better.

Tracey also reinforced that the best bakers are always learning from each other. When she was first getting interested in artisan bread, Tracey went to California to work with Craig Ponsford (World Cup winner, renowned baker and teacher.) These days, Tracey teaches around a class per year for the Guild in order to share what she’s learned with aspiring bakers. Orange Boot Baker Jennifer Avery will be heading to Calgary for a class Tracey is teaching on Viennoiserie in November – and the cycle continues.

These days, I’m not nervous when I visit Christie’s. Just excited. On Saturday I want an onion baguette and maybe a potato loaf. I want a Country Sourdough to tear into in the car and get crumbs everywhere. I want to taste her croissants, mainly to enjoy them but, in a small way, to compare them to our own. Do we need to improve? We gaze at her sandwiches (named after soccer players – excellent!) and Cindy wonders why we don’t have sandwiches yet at Orange Boot. And as Cindy looks at the tall stools in front of the windows, she starts mentally rearranging things at our place.

And if we’re at Christie’s early, when Tracey is finished baking but still at the bakery, we can shout hello and share a smile and a visit and swap war stories and talk about what we’re doing for Christmas baking and what’s happening at the Guild and a hundred other things. Because we’re all bakers and we’re all friends and we love great bread and we just plain love good bakeries. And Christie’s Mayfair Bakery in Saskatoon is a GREAT bakery. Please go there the next time you head north.

PS – One more thing. Whenever we visit Christie’s in the morning, we almost always drive straight back to Broadway Avenue to Christie’s il Secondo for a pizza for lunch. It is perfectly acceptable to have a croissant and coffee for a late breakfast and a pizza an hour later. Nothing wrong with that at all. Give it a try!