There you go, maybe you'll meet someone...lol...kidding.
Montreal's a great town, everyone always dresses sooooooooo well. I like going there, and wandering around in the shopping districts.
Food, jazz, window-shopping. It's a kind of paradise.
Not as pretty as Quebec City, but a very nice place to spend a vacation.
I'm hoping to be sent there by work for a bit.
My goodness, where are my manners? ehBeth quite properly reminded me that I had failed to report on my trip to Montreal.
First off, thanks again to everyone who offered suggestions. I wish I could have followed up on all of them, but it rained for two of the four days I was there, and I'm easily deterred by bad weather.
So, anyway, let me regale you with a story I like to call: "My Quest for a Smoked Meat Sandwich." I arrived in Montreal late on the afternoon of a Saturday, so there wasn't much to do on that day. On Sunday, following ehBeth's advice, I decided to set out on a trek to find the much-fabled Montreal smoked meat sandwich. Having purchased a three-day mass-transit pass, I was able to put together a subway-bus route that took me to Lester's Deli in Outremont. It was something of a hike, but I was sure it would be worth it. It wasn't -- Lester's was closed (a Jewish deli closed on Sunday?). So, pas de viande fumee pour moi.
On Monday, I decided to try Schwartz's deli, which purportedly had the best smoked meat sandwich in the city. Once more taking the bus, I traveled to the Mont Royal neighborhood. Having heard that Schwartz's was extremely popular, I decided to wait until about 1:30, so as to avoid the lunchtime rush. Also, it was raining heavily, so I figured that might cut down on the crowds. Well, imagine my surprise when I arrived to find a rather solid line of people waiting (in the rain) to get into this tiny restaurant. I figured this must be a great place to attract such a loyal clientele. I also figured that I wasn't loyal enough to stand in the rain with everyone else. Alors, encore pas de viande fumee.
Tuesday, my last full day in Montreal, I decided to make one last stab at Lester's. I was going to the ballgame later that evening, so I decided to have a late-lunch-early-dinner around 3:30, that way avoiding all the crowds. When I arrived, the place was not only open but it was practically empty. At last, success! I finally got my smoked meat sammich!
Now, you're probably asking: was it worth it?
In a word: yes! Truly, a culinary masterpiece. A bit like a corned beef sandwich, but more smoky than peppery. The beef was melt-in-your-mouth tender. Really delicieux. The only disappointment was the bread, which was a rather plain store-bought rye (in the battle between the meat and the bread, the meat emerged victorious).
And, to put a metaphorical cherry atop my gastronomic sundae, the next day I ordered my first-ever poutine (french fries and cheese curds covered in brown gravy). Not bad -- although I think most foods could be improved by covering them in brown gravy, so maybe my opinion shouldn't count for much.
All in all, it was a very enjoyable trip.
I am very sorry to hear about all the rain. It would put rawther a damper <
> on the trip.
and how was the game?
The other wonderful thing about poutine is that the poutine at Burger King is just as good as the poutine at a four-star restaurant. It is hard to either ruin or improve upon fries, curds and brown gravy.
Hey girl, you can't call me tonight. I'll call you at 7:30 p.m.
I won't be there at 7:30.
I'll be out with Longdog ('member her?) and Miss Brenda.
I'm going to Montreal in a few weeks. But it ain't for the sandwiches. Bachelor party.
ehBeth wrote:
I am very sorry to hear about all the rain. It would put rawther a damper <
> on the trip.
and how was the game?
I really enjoy watching baseball in Montreal: it's like a major league game in a minor league park. The two games I saw there had about 8000 people in attendance on each night -- with a surprising number of Cubs fans on hand (believe me, it is much easier to get a ticket to see the Cubs in Montreal than in Wrigley Field). The Cubs won the first game, lost the second. Oh well, you win some, you lose some.
Setanta: I got my poutine at the Eaton Centre food court. I suppose it was as good, or as bad, as poutine gets.
