3 Days in Montreal, a trip report

[Phoenikia]

I enjoyed 3 days in Montreal.

Thanks to everyone who helped me decide which places to visit.

………

The first night, I was craving some salad, at 9 pm, downtown. I decided to pick up a Wedge at Reuben’s on St Catherine, since it was convenient and I was familiar with it. Reuben’s is a family restaurant and deli that serves smoked meat as well as regular family restaurant- type foods, at roughly the Denny’s / Perkins / Friendly’s level, so I knew what I was getting and this salad did the trick. They’re open until 10 pm on weeknights. Sad tomatoes, but the wedge itself was nice and crispy. Those are crispy fried onions on top.

[Phoenikia]

The next day, I set out towards the Plateau.

First stop, Phin Café, a Vietnamese café recommended by @Jeepyland. They make a very nice iced Vietnamese coffee.

then I walked north to Kahwa Café at 964 Rachel E, where I ordered a Tunisian Tuna sandwich. I really like Tunisian Tuna sandwiches and they’re hard to find in Toronto.

I walked from Kawha Café to the Botanical Garden.

I took the bus and Metro back to my hotel, to charge my phone before APDC!

I enjoyed the raw tuna and scallop tiradito, and chicken and morel Vol au Vent at APDC, as well as the Pouding Chômeur. I left most of the maple caramel from the Pouring in the the bowl because it was a little too much decadence for me. Better to share that one!

[Phoenikia]

The next day, I took the Metro to Griffintown.

Eggs Benny with housemade gravlax, spinach and gruyere at Sunny’s Dinette. Nice brunch place. popular with families and regular people my age, Good value. Not a hipster place and not a chain breakfast. Sunny’s opens at 9 am.

I walked to St Henri, and stopped at Bernice, which specialises in layer cakes, Levain-inspired dense and thick cookies , and over the top lattes

I got a cortado and 3 cookies - either for emergency hunger or people at home. (I tried a bite, they are a little too dense and heavy for me, as are the Levain cookies )

This squirrel found a cookie, and climbed the tree with his cookie

A Joe Fafard sculpture on Sherbrooke. Joe Fafard was an artist based in Pense, Saskatchewan, a small town located between Regina and Moose Jaw.

A Guido Molinari work inside the Simons department store.

I met a friend for a drink and a bite at the Omni Hotel’s lobby bar. I had a credit and didn’t take photos. Everything was okay, but I suppose I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat there. Nice space for a drink.

I decided to splurge on a seafood dinner at Garde Manger.

$130 for the 4 course tasting menu. It was delicious. I would do that again.

The chilled seafood, including whelks, 3 raw oysters, 2 cooked mussels, 1 large shrimp, a bit of lobster and a bit of crab, some salmon tartar, and a fish spread.

porchetta croquette

chicory, Honeycrisp and blue cheese salad . I loved this

octopus , with potato, a bit like Patatas Bravas

Jerusalem artichokes, 3 ways

roasted, chips and poached

BC salmon with squash and a squash purée

blood orange sorbet, white chocolate-covered orange jelly on a cookie

[Phoenikia]

The view of the Mountain from Avenue Parc on a Sunday morning

Brunch at Le Sparrow Bar on the Plateau

Naan breakfast sandwich with bacon, tomato jam, fried egg, hot chile, and coriander. I am going to make this at home

Nice Cardamom latte.

Line-up at Fairmount Bagels at 11 am.

[Jeepyland]

Great report - thanks for sharing! I’m about to post my thoughts on Toronto and you are making me look bad.

[Saregama]

Looks like a lovely weekend, and you’re making me rethink my resolution not to go to Montreal after October

I want the chicken and morel vol au vent at APDC, and that maple caramel!

[Phoenikia]

Aww, thank you!

I can’t wait to come back.

[Phoenikia]

It can be kind magical in the winter. And they sell nice winter boots and coats. LOL.

[Saregama]

Oy I have had enough “magical winters” in Boston for one lifetime

My cousin moved to Minnesota, his dad, my uncle has places in Alaska and Colorado and just told me they are “magical” in the winter too

[Phoenikia]

hahaha.

Colorado is almost balmy compared to Montreal in the winter. LOL

It’s all relative. I’m in a chat with a friend in Arizona and another from California who is visiting Yorkshire right now, and what they’re calling cold just isn’t cold for me. LOL It’s light jacket weather.

It was 45 ⁰F in Montreal this weekend. Some patios were being taken down as I walked past them on Saturday morning, but quite a few coffee shops still had outdoor seating available.

[medgirl]

@Phoenikia

It’s all relative.

Absolutely. On my last day in Hanoi it was a bit cooler in the morning, maybe 20 degrees Celsius - some locals were walking around in puffer jackets, while the UK visitors were like, what lovely weather!