I haven’t been to the Jean Talon market yet but apparently it’s quite big. If you are planning on doing some market shopping before the game you might feel a little rushed so it might be best to go when you have a little more time. The Atwater Market is nice and it’s small and definitely doable before the game. Also there is a Première Moisson bakery on the second floor of the market building so it might be a nice place to start for a pre-shopping breakfast. I would also give a +1 to Adonis. It’s a Middle Eastern grocery store with a cafeteria set up inside the store so you could stop in for lunch or dinner if you choose. And I agree with @Saregama you will need an extra cooler 
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I prefer the vibe and vendors at Atwater as a tourist. I bought some chocolates for my family and friends at a chocolate shop at Atwater on my last visit.
There’s also the Satay Brothers restaurant nearby, and a Satay Brothers take-out stall inside the Atwater market. This place was really popular with visiting Chowhounds for a while.
If I was shopping for groceries and fresh vegetables, and lived closer to St Laurent, Jean Talon is where I would shop for groceries if I was a Montrealer. I have tried a taqueria on the edge of Jean Talon Market. I’ve found it a little frustrating to find the right place to eat lunch at Jean Talon on a couple visits.
Wearing my tourist hat, I like Atwater a little more.
Adonis is certainly worth a trip if you’re seeking out Middle Eastern stuff.
There are now 3 Adonis locations in the Greater Toronto Area and a new location in London, so Adonis won’t be a much of a draw in Montreal for visiting Ontarians. I’m surprised Ottawa doesn’t have a location yet.
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We do have an Adonis - it’s in the east end of Ottawa. I tend not to go to Adonis in Montreal as often since we have one in Ottawa now. But it came in handy when I went to Montreal for homecoming last year. We had a bbq lunch one aftermoon then a football game and there was lots of food involved. So when the festivities were over I stopped into Adonis on my way back to the hotel and bought a salad for dinner.
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Oh okay, good. I didn’t see it on my map.
I haven’t been to the one in London yet because I absolutely hate crowds.
Toronto also has Arz, which is associated with Loblaws and Weston in some way. Some Arz products are sold through Loblaws, No Frills, and other affiliated Weston stores.
I like the Arz in Scarborough a lot. Really nice nuts and baklava selection.
This trip is starting to take shape! Here’s where we are so far:
Weds:
3pm-ish: Check into hotel and freshen up, explore a bit if there’s time
5:45pm: Dinner at Le Serpent
7:45-ish: Bota Bota for the evening
Thurs:
AM: Rent Bixi bikes and ride up Mount Royal via the Olmstead path (seeing other sights and grabbing a snack along the way no doubt); return bikes downtown
Lunch: Open - suggestions for downtown?
PM: Musee des Beaux Arts or Redpath museum, check out the underground shopping if there’s time
7pm: Dinner at Monarque Brasserie
Fri:
AM: Wander around Old Montreal, see Notre Dame and possibly the photo exhibition at Bonsecours, grab an early lunch in Chinatown
12-2: Jet boating with Saute Moutons
PM: Shower and change, head to west to see St. Joseph’s and my parents’ old stomping grounds in NDG, grab a snack at Marche Atwater and/or a beer at Messorem
8:30pm Dinner at Damas
Sat:
AM: Food shopping (St. Viateur/Kouign Amann/Jean Talon/Marche Adonis depending on how early we get going
11am: Brunch at La Binerie
1pm: Alouettes game
-FIN-
Would love some input on how feasible my timings are as I really don’t know how long it takes to get around on foot/by car/by bike.
Also, as I’ve been making these plans and reservations, I’ve realized that quite a bit of what we’re doing is happening in Old Montreal - to the point where I think it probably makes more sense for us to stay there rather than downtown. Thoughts? I have no idea what traffic is like on weekdays nor how difficult it will be to find parking at any of the locations we’ll be visiting. If we stay in Old Montreal, we’d be able to walk back to our hotel after Bota Bota, dinner at Monarque and jet boating, etc., so very little driving required outside of going to NDG/Damas/Alouettes. I booked LHotel on St. Jean at St. Jacques but kept the Omni as well for now. Would definitely appreciate advice from locals or experienced tourists on this!
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For lunch, I would recommend a spot on Laurier West or Mont Royal. Downtown (as in Financial District) doesn’t have as many nicer lunch options. Laurier W in Outremont is a tony neighborhood with nice cafés, bistros, pâtisseries, etc. It’s close to Mount Royal.
Okay, good to know! I guess we’ll be exiting the park on the Plateau-Mont Royal side anyway, so would be easy enough to have lunch there before heading over to the museums for the afternoon. I see that several places on my list (including St. Viateur and Ma Poule Mouillee, etc.) are in that neighborhood, so good chance to pick another off my list!
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Qing Hua (dumplings) on Maisonneuve is a short walk to Beaux Arts, and you can explore the underground after from various access points nearby after. Different dumplings than what we get in NY.
There’s more casual but good Asian nearby on St. Catherine (eg the strangely named Restaurant PM that has surprisingly good food).
The Adonis on St. Catherine isn’t far, though their seating isn’t great – I’d rather go to any casual pizza place around there with lahambajeen and manakish on the menu (half & half is as ubiquitous as the bagel, but lahambajeen is the way to go).
(Re Viateur, I don’t really care much for their bagels, and if you’re not going for the brand but for Montreal-style, I would recommend a neighborhood place called Bagels on Greene that you can drive by to or from NDG; they also make excellent fresh samosas, because: staff.)
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How about Leméac for lunch, L’Express would be my first choice but they’re closed until September 11th
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I like Leméac more than L’Express.
Pete and I disagree on many matters of taste. LOL
So many things, but that’s what makes the world go round.
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I thought about that, but I wasn’t sure we’d be appropriately dressed (or appropriately non-sweaty) for Lemeac after a morning of biking around Mont Royal. Plus, we’ve got Monarque that night, so I didn’t want to do anything too similar. If they take walk-ins we could always play it by ear, though.
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I didn’t see any smoked meat joints on your list, that would be a good lunch on Thursday.
Yes, I was hoping to make it over to Snowdon but it just didn’t fit with any of my other plans. Schwartz’s is right there where we’ll be on Thursday, though. I also saw that La Binerie has it on their menu, so I can always try it there if nothing else works out.
I second this idea for lunch. Maybe Larrys? The food isn’t mindblowing but it’s a solid neighborhood establishment. Lots to explore in that vicinity.
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If you do decide on Schwartz’s, the earlier the better. Last time I was there I got there around 10:30 am and there was no line.
#smokedmeatforbreakfast. 
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A few comments:
Barring any mobility issues, I’d personally use public transportation for most of the stuff you mention in Plateau/Old Port/Downtown. The car will come in handy for NDG, but you really don’t need one in this city. Re downtown vs Old Port, you’ll be fine staying in either neighborhood. Old Port is very pretty but super touristy. I guess I’d compare it to South Street Seaport in NYC, just to give you an idea of the vibe. There are fewer public transportation options over there, but maybe that isn’t the consideration for you that it would be for me.
Re Chinatown, you can skip it if you’re coming from NY. That said, Montreal does do a nice dumpling and, as has been mentioned elsewhere on this thread, different from what you’ll find in NYC. Dobe and Andy is pretty good, too, but I wouldn’t make a special trip to Montreal’s Chinatown.
I love both Atwater and Jean Talon, but tend to take visitors to Jean Talon. It’ll be particularly gorgeous in the fall. And maybe stop in at Fromagerie Hamel. Lots to explore in that part of town in general. Adonis is a supermarket chain with emphasis on Middle Eastern products. I find their food and baked goods consistently disappointing and would recommend against the cafe. If you find yourself there, great, but I wouldn’t make a special trip. But if you do like a large international supermarket (as I do), consider Milano’s as well. I don’t think Milano’s is worth a special trip, but definitely visit if you’re in the area. Emphasis is on Italian products, close to Jean Talon.
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No mobility issues, and we’re definitely planning on walking or taking the Metro when possible, but it doesn’t look like there’s a particularly good direct route to get from the Omni to the Old Port stuff on the Metro (maybe there are buses? I HATE buses in NYC with a passion so I tend not to think in that direction). Not that transferring (or taking the bus) is the end of the world, but now that I see how much time we’ll be spending in Old Port I feel like we might just be better off staying there, rather than having to haul back to the Omni every time we want to change clothes. If we stay in Old Port, basically we can walk to everything except getting back to the hotel/dinner from our Thursday activities and of course our trip out to NDG. If we stay at the Omni, we’ll be making trips between there and Old Port at least once, sometimes twice a day.
ETA: Great tips, thank you! I am an absolute cheese HO so Hamel will be right up my alley.
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I think it is a totally reasonable plan! Looks like the hotel is close to a subway. Just know that that area is filled with pedestrians and narrow streets so driving could be a little challenging. However, I am not the best person to ask about driving. But, yes, staying in old port makes total sense.
It takes me around an hour to walk leisurely across Sherbrooke then north on Parc or St Laurent to the Plateau then further north to Mile End. I rarely take the Metro. The Metro certainly would help pack in more visits to more neighborhoods during your short stay.
I’m a 20 - 25 000 steps a day kind of visitor. LOL.
