Articles

Montreal - Sub Categories

  • Québec Cheeses (15)

    Local cheeses, all purchased from Montréal. Related: the [l:albums/travel/montreal/poutine Poutine!] pages contain information about fresh cheese curds. Cheese Shops

    • [l:node/1154 Fromagerie Atwater]
    • [l:node/144 Fromagerie Hamel]
    • [l:node/1162 La Maison du cheddar]
    • In a pinch and after-hours - grocery stores such as IGA, Provigo, Metro, Super C, etc. There is bound to be a good place to buy cheese from where ever you stay in Montreal.
    Note that the US has some very strange, bizarre, and restrictive food import policies - see [l:travel/montreal/schwartzs-jewish-deli#comment-5229 Meat, Cheese and US Border Crossings comment] for details.

  • Jazz Fest (29)

    Summer Jazz Festival. More than just jazz. More details at: [l:travel/montreal/montreal-jazz-festival]

    • 2012 Montreal Jazz Festival (6)

      Writeup, along with some video clips also available: [l:blog/2012-07-06/montreal-jazz-festival-2012]

    • 2013 Montreal Jazz Festival (13)

      Pictures and video clips of some of the final four days at the 34th Edition of the Montreal Jazz Festival which ran from 2013-June 28 through July 7. Also included are some pictures from other events going on at the same time. The best shows for me were as usual at either the Blues stage, or the Tropiques/Groove stages next to it: [l:albums/travel/montreal/jazz-fest/2013-montreal-jazz-festival/fatoumata-diawara] [l:albums/travel/montreal/jazz-fest/2013-montreal-jazz-festival/the-harpoonist-the-axe-murderer] [l:albums/travel/montreal/jazz-fest/2013-montreal-jazz-festival/anthony-joseph-the-spasm-band] The pictures below have more info and some video snippet links too. There is also a [l:http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkd3PNh_1yPTqRqrVEGJaa-9tn8C4xyhN playlist of all snippets on YouTube]. And a few more photos, including full size photos, are at the [l:https://picasaweb.google.com/104075696510996624769/2013MontrealJazzFestival?authuser=0&feat=directlink Google Picasa Album] July 9th saw the start of another festival: [l:albums/travel/montreal/jazz-fest/2013-montreal-jazz-festival/festival-de-percussions-longueuil-2013 Details on Festival de Percussions Longueuil 2013] opening show. [l:http://www.montrealjazzfest.com/default-en.aspx Official Montreal Jazz Festival] site. [l:http://montrealcompletementcirque.com/en/ Montreal Completement Cirque] site. [l:http://internationaldesfeuxloto-quebec.com/en/ International Fireworks Festival] site. [l:http://www.percussions.ca/ Festival de Percussions Longueuil 2013] site.

  • Poutine! (11)

    A dish unique to Quebec. [l:http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20130531-how-the-quebecois-came-to-love-poutine BBC article: How the Quebecois came to love poutine]. Fries, Gravy, and fresh Cheddar Cheese Curds (fromage en grains) make poutine! An exclamation point seems necessary for this dish. The process of making cheese from milk goes through a step that results in curds. These are small chunks of solid cheese that are not yet pressed into molds for the final aging process. Fresh cheese curds only last a day or two, therefore are only available in places where a lot of cheese is manufactured. Cheddar cheese curds are available widely in Montreal, and it is the key ingredient of poutine. Fresh cheese curds are easy to recognize - they will make a squeaking sound when you eat them. From fast food joints to celebrated chefs, there is no shortage of places to get poutine in Montreal. [l:http://www.montrealpoutine.com/ Montreal Poutine] has good information on all poutine places in that city. Poutine fries should at least start crispy, and have sufficient amount of gravy to smother the fries. The run-down looking Poutine Lafleur has pretty good poutine. This is the standalone place on Rue Wellington and not the chain of the same name. Maamm Bolduc was not as good - not enough gravy or cheese - but many consider it one of the best, so worth checking out. Many places that claim to be famous, or are very old diners that should probably have good poutine, do not. French fries may be limp and not crisp, sauce may be tasteless, and they dish may not be warm enough. So for a short visit, just try the known-to-be-good places, do not experiment. La Cantine, closed in 2012. This bistro on Mont Royal had excellent poutine, in very nice surroundings. The fries stay nice and crispy to the last bite. There is a photo provided below, which now serves as a memory only! Surprisingly, some fast food joints have good poutine too - such as La Belle Province. And Frite Alors! has amazing fries, and good poutine too. 2013: Schwartz's has gotten onto the poutine act: [l:albums/travel/montreal/schwartzs-hebrew-delicatessen/schwartzs-poutine]. It is essentially fine as a novelty item, but the basic poutine elsewhere, and the smoked-meat sandwiches at Schwartz's, are both best eaten without anything else added to either dish.

  • STM - Métro and Bus (8)

    Montreal subway and bus system. External link: Photographer [l:https://instagram.com/explore/tags/mtlmetroproject/ Chris Forsyth's #mtlmetroproject]

  • Le Petit Alep (10)

    Great good, awesome ambiance. Near Jean Talon metro station.

  • Marché Adonis (4)

    Excellent middle-eastern grocery store - large selection of fruits, ready-made food, feta cheeses, tzatziki, and sweets. They now have a home page: [l:http://www.adonisproducts.com/pages/accueil_en.asp adonisproducts.com] DISCLAIMER: please note that this web page has no association with the Marché Adonis business. And this site is not in Quebec, so English readers are the majority here, and French may not be understood by most. Thank you!

  • Marché Jean-Talon (8)

    The Jean-Talon market is a couple of blocks east of the intersection of Jean-Talon and St-Laurent, near the the Jean-Talon metro station. Newly refurbished in 2005, visit this place for fresh fruit, groceries, cheeses, bread, fish, desserts. Great food available in the market itself, additionally, surrounding area is Little Italy, which has many good restaurants.

  • Schwartz's - Hebrew Delicatessen (12)

    Absolutely the most addictive food in the world, the best smoked-meat in the world.

Soupe Harrira (with water bottle)

Soupe Harrira (with water bottle)

Some days this soup is available, soupe harrira. Rice, chick-peas, beef. I think the taste varies - it was quite spicy once, and then it was more lemony another time.

The water in the green wine-bottle is a nice touch at Le Petit Alep. Get one as soon as you sit down, and it is such a nice thing - especially today when many restaurants seem to be getting away from serving plain water.

Casserole Beef and Spinash

Casserole Beef and Spinash

One of the weekday lunch specials, available once in a while at Le Petit Alep.
Beef and Spinach Casserole, with nuts, ground beef, rice, vermicelli.

Arouch - Armenian Pizza

Arouch - Armenian Pizza

Boulangerie Arouch , 1600 boul. de Maisonneuve West, near Guy metro.

Flatbread, pita, pizza - Armenian Pizza.

Two of the varieties are outstanding: Lahmajoun (beef, garlic, tomato), and Aleppo (cheese and hot pepper pizza. These are on a thin crust pita-like bread, and are a great snack or have two to three and make it a full dinner.

This is next to Guy-Concordia John Molson School of Business, which is convenient because it has tables where one can watch the stock ticker and it also has restroom facilities - very important to know for tourists.

Arouch home page and a Gazette review.

Bolduc Poutine Poivre

Bolduc Poutine Poivre

The Maamm Bolduc poutine, with sauce au poivre. Good - but could be better - needs far more sauce as well as cheese.

Le Cendrillon - St-Raymond-de-Portneuf

Le Cendrillon - St-Raymond-de-Portneuf

Le Cendrillon is described by the producer as a "vegetable ash-covered, soft surface-ripened soft goat cheese with a semi-strong, slightly sour taste that becomes stronger with age."

This Quebec goat cheese named Cinderella was voted the best cheese in the world at the World Cheese Awards 2009, beating out 2,440 entries from 34 countries. It won in all categories. It is made by La Maison Alexis de Portneuf in St. Raymond de Portneuf which is located about 50 kilometres northwest of Quebec City on the north shore of the St. Lawrence river.

Since winning this award, the cheese has been very hard to find in Montreal! Many shops that stock a lot of cheeses - all were always out. Then I visited Ottawa, there, the shop in Byward Market had this cheese easily available. Looks like Quebecers are far more interested in this cheese than people in other provinces. One Saturday morning, finally found the cheese at La Fromagerie Atwater. Continued checking for one more week - did not find it anywhere except Atwater.

Supposedly, the same cheese maker makes an even better goat's cheese - Barre a Boulard!

Patati Patata Poutine

Patati Patata Poutine

Poutine is quite good, thin fries, and small enough portion to not fill you up. Get the small hamburger, if needed. The poutine is $4, and as is the burger with cheese, etc.

Poutine Lafleur

Poutine Lafleur

Poutine Lafleur +1-514-761-0711
3665 Rue Wellington, Verdun, QC

There is a chain by the same name, but this one is the only Poutine Lafleur, known for its excellent poutine.

The fries are thick, and it is definitely one of the best poutines.

The place is open only during normal hours, and it is certainly more like a low-end fast-food joint in looks, but you go here for the poutine and not for the decor.

The picture shows a large poutine, enough for a whole meal. Just $5.

Poutine!

A dish unique to Quebec. BBC article: How the Quebecois came to love poutine.

Fries, Gravy, and fresh Cheddar Cheese Curds (fromage en grains) make poutine! An exclamation point seems necessary for this dish.

The process of making cheese from milk goes through a step that results in curds. These are small chunks of solid cheese that are not yet pressed into molds for the final aging process. Fresh cheese curds only last a day or two, therefore are only available in places where a lot of cheese is manufactured. Cheddar cheese curds are available widely in Montreal, and it is the key ingredient of poutine. Fresh cheese curds are easy to recognize - they will make a squeaking sound when you eat them.

From fast food joints to celebrated chefs, there is no shortage of places to get poutine in Montreal. Montreal Poutine has good information on all poutine places in that city.

Poutine fries should at least start crispy, and have sufficient amount of gravy to smother the fries.
The run-down looking Poutine Lafleur has pretty good poutine. This is the standalone place on Rue Wellington and not the chain of the same name. Maamm Bolduc was not as good - not enough gravy or cheese - but many consider it one of the best, so worth checking out. Many places that claim to be famous, or are very old diners that should probably have good poutine, do not. French fries may be limp and not crisp, sauce may be tasteless, and they dish may not be warm enough. So for a short visit, just try the known-to-be-good places, do not experiment.
La Cantine, closed in 2012. This bistro on Mont Royal had excellent poutine, in very nice surroundings. The fries stay nice and crispy to the last bite.

Bánh Mì

Bánh Mì

These are bánh mì sandwiches which use french baguettes and are filled with just the right amount (not too much) of meat. The menu is from Cao Thang at 1082 St-Laurent, just below René-Levèsque. There are three or more shops that sell these, right around and across this shop, and they are all excellent. The one across at Hoang Oanh at 1071 St. Laurent is especially good, probably the best of all in this area. The combination of the french bread hard crust and soft interior and the unique fillings invented by the Vietnamese is quite tasty. The green chillies give it an extra bite - ask for it! [2009 prices.]

Inside - Left Side

Inside - Left Side

The left side wall has been removed and a new extension added. Now the Petit Alep area has doubled. [2009].