We spent Easter weekend in Montreal, thanks to Nick who gave
me the trip as a Christmas gift. Our reason for going was two-fold: To get my
first passport stamp and to eat. Specifically, to eat at Joe Beef. Nick booked
the flights, our hotel room, and made dinner reservations for Friday night. The
rest of the planning was up to me.
I did a lot of research before our trip. I annotated a
travel book, read the Joe Beef cookbook, watched all of the food shows that featured Montreal, spent hours browsing online, and had dinner with some friends
from Montreal to get the scoop. There is so much to do in Montreal, and I knew
we couldn’t fit it all into just three days, so we tried to hit all the
highlights. We didn’t go to any museums or whatnot; our itinerary was full of
eating and drinking.
Day One: On Friday, we walked 2+ miles, uphill, in the snow
(literally) to have breakfast poutine at L'Oeufrier. Nick ordered the “ménage
à trois” (with chorizo, Italian sausage, and pork sausage) because he could
pronounce it in French. Funny guy. I chose the “La du Canard SVP!” (that means s’il vous plaît or “if you please”...thanks
to Nick for teaching me that one) with duck confit, caramelized onions, and
mushrooms.
 |
| A ménage à trois is so sexy. |
Then, we walked a couple blocks over to Dieu Du Ciel for some
local beers. I liked everything we tried (mostly stouts and dark beers) and would highly recommend this microbrewery to
everyone who visits Montreal and wants to try good local beer in a cool,
happening atmosphere. We showed up when they opened, and it was absolutely
packed when we left a few hours later.
Dinner at Joe Beef that night was incredible and worth every bit of the hype it gets. We were
seated at a cozy table in the bay window near the bar. Our server Alexe offered
to choose our menu, tastes and smaller portions of different dishes and wines.
We gladly accepted her offer.
We started with cocktails. Nick ordered the Bloody Caesar that
comes “excessively garnished,” and I had a Gin Gimlet. Dinner began with a half
dozen oysters, followed by smoked sturgeon croquettes breaded in cornflakes and
topped with caviar. Next was a pastrami-style veal tongue topped with escargo
and aioli. This was followed by a roasted quail with sweetbreads and mushrooms
(my favorite of the night).
Then, the éclair arrived: puff pastry stuffed with
ham and seared foie gras all topped with a melty cheese sauce. It was
absolutely over the top. We also tried two pasta dishes, the spaghetti with
lobster (one of their most popular entrees) and Polish braised beef with rye pappardelle and mushrooms. They were both excellent, though the creamy lobster
sauce was so rich. I wish we hadn’t eaten so much before the beef arrived,
because it was damn delicious but at that point I was so full I could only eat
a few bites. We ended with vanilla ice cream swirled with lingonberry sorbet
and topped with meringue pieces.
Day Two: We opted to skip an early breakfast and head to
Schwartz’s when they opened at 10:30 for an
infamous smoked meat sandwich (bread, smoked brisket, yellow mustard).
Surprisingly, there was absolutely no line and few people there, so we sat at
the counter and were served almost immediately. When we left about a half hour
later, the place was filling up. Afterward, we walked directly across the
street to The Main Deli to try their smoked meat sandwich, because we were told it was just as good
(so, if Schwartz’s has a line, go there). We split a sandwich and ordered the potato verenekes (fried pierogies).
Next, we hit a couple other local microbreweries: Le
Saint-Bock and L’amere a boire, which were just a few doors apart. So. Much.
Beer.
Dinner that evening was huîtres (oysters), charcuterie, and
fromage at La Champagnerie. My
favorite was the pickle juice mignonette served with the oysters. Surprisingly
tasty! However, the highlight of the night was getting to saber a bottle of
champagne. It’s much easier than I expected! The saber isn’t at all sharp. In
fact, we were told that you can “saber” a bottle with a butter knife, an iPhone,
or even a metal wristwatch! You simple find the seam that runs up and down the
bottle, face that part up, loosen the cage, and run the saber across the length
of the bottle confidently with one smooth motion. The whole top comes off,
glass and all. I was amazed. “Look at that!”
Watch me whack that bottle!
