The deliciousness of Montreal

Twenty -four hours after I arrived home after a three night getaway to Montreal, I was still at risk of gushing about the experience. The accommodations, the live music, the epic walks and numerous bottles of wine enjoyed, the morsels consumed and the Canadian economy supported – all of it.

It was delightful.

None of the meals I ate disappointed, although I have a new awareness of the fact that I don’t particularly care for chow mien. That’s a simple preference, not a judgment, by the way. At that particular restaurant there were plenty of other items served that I very much enjoyed.

So, where to begin…

First, there was Café Replika. I was out early wandering the Plateau, camera at the ready, when I realized nothing would make me happier than coffee. At precisely that moment, Café Replika appeared on the corner to my left and I ducked inside. It was shortly after opening (8:00 am) and quiet with only two other customers. I sussed out the situation, waited for the person in front of me to order and simply enjoyed the peaceful vibe and Lucinda Williams’ tune before taking my large cappuccino to one of the tables to enjoy. Super friendly barista, great playlist and a well made coffee combined to make a great start to Thanksgiving.

My next stop, on my way back to our accommodations on St-Denis, was Mamie Clafoutis for pastry. I’d frequented this small patisserie on our last trip to Montreal and was eager to get back there for croissant and other baked delights. The space has changed significantly since my last visit with an array of renovations, but the pastry remained top notch. Six croissant and a mixed bag of yesterday’s goods set me back about $18, a price that I found remarkably inexpensive. It’s a great little spot to which I will return again.

Midafternoon as I was starting to feel a bit peckish, I walked past Mondavie and paused to check out the menu. We would be eating an early dinner, but a light snack seemed to be in order… Escargot and a glass of Cremant at the bar made for an ideal and excellent nosh. As I assessed the dining rooms to either side of me, I saw that flutes of sparkling wine graced nearly every table. I was in good company and would be interested in getting back here in the future for a more substantial meal, perhaps at a time when they featured live music.

Dinner was Chinese food, something we particularly enjoy indulging in on holidays. The place we tried, Dobe & Andy, on this trip was sorely lacking in ambiance, but the food was very solid and we managed to devour nearly everything we ordered. The dumplings were quite good and the platter of three meats (pork, duck and chicken) was really well prepared. We rounded out the meal with two variations on chow mein and a green vegetable and our dinner for 5 came in at less than $100. That’s a definite deal and we’d happily go back and focus on the meats and dumplings.

The host of the property where we stayed had made a few dining recommendations and he suggested we visit Café Kouign Amann for both their namesake pastry and their croissant. He explained that I should get there early if I was interested in purchasing an entire kouign amann, a statement that puzzled me as I’ve only had individual varieties of this Breton classic, as prepared at Troy’s Placid Baker. What I encountered in Montreal was very different. Instead of a muffin-ish shaped, deeply lacquered tasty treat, their version was more of a shallow, buttery disc designed to be sliced into wedges. The pastry was rich with butter and beautifully layered and absolutely mind blowing. A sliver of this delight, with a croissant, was transcendent.

A few other notable bites I consumed included a buckwheat crepe while browsing the Jean-Talon Market, a wonderful salted caramel latte from Le Club Café, a hybrid bakery/cycling shop and the bag of chocolate covered Rold Gold pretzels that have provided me with yet another reason to be dissatisfied with the country where I reside. Why can’t I buy those here?!

We are so lucky to be as close as we are to Montreal and all that it offers. While the U.S. $ has lost significant value against the € since the current regime came into power, it still has a very favorable exchange rate against the Canadian $, making for a bargain destination. I can’t wait to go back!