I recently returned from a long Labor Day weekend in Montreal. I found the various posts on this site to be very helpful in deciding where to go and what to eat so I thought I would add my 2 cents.

Being a big pastrami and corned beef fan -- 2 of my favorite comfort foods -- there was no question that Schwartz's would be one of my first stops. I ordered my smoked meat sandwich medium fatty and I am sorry to say that I was very disappointed . . . too lean and just not that flavorful. I couldn't believe this because so many people rave about Schwartz's . . . so I returned a couple of days later, this time ordering the sandwich fatty. The result? I liked it quite a bit more, but still found the flavor to be lacking some, in both richness and pepper. Overall, I thought it was decent but I much prefer good corned beef and pastrami. However, based upon the reviews on this site and the throbs of people waiting to get inside, I think I'm in the minority of those less than enthused with Schwartz's.

I also had occasion to try the Montreal bagels at both St. Viateur and Fairmount. Both were very good, although I preferred the variety of flavors offered at Fairmount. This is the first time I tried Montreal bagels and all that I can say is that they're obviously very different than NY bagels, but I can't say that I prefer one to the other.

I was really amazed by the Marché Jean-Talon. I knew it would be large, but this was ridiculous. I made my way around admiring the cheeses and sausages, as well as the wonderful produce. I sampled some fantastic peaches and nectarines. I also noticed the abundance of cerise de terre (Cape Gooseberries) which I don't recall having seen raw at any markets in Chicago. At the same time, I can't help but be disappointed when it hits me again that Chicago still does not have a daily market. What's going on???

We also stopped a few times for bread/pastries at Première Moisson. Everything was excellent, particularly the Olive bread and croissants.

We had two high-end dinners, one of which was at Toqué. We ordered the 7-course tasting menu which was approximately $82 (US). The meal was excellent, but for the dessert - there were 4 of us and we had 2 different desserts, neither of which was good. I can't say that I really enjoyed the setting of Toqué, a very large open and rather sterile dining room that lacked quaintness and reminded me of what you might find in a nice hotel or perhaps in Vegas, but with less glitz.

We had a better meal and enjoyed the overall experience more at Chez L'Épicier which is located in beautiful Old Montreal. After reading the glowing review on this site which compared it to Blackbird, I knew we needed to give this place a try. Again, we ordered the tasting menu, this time $75 for six courses. The meal was fantastic, and but for the absence of pork belly, the comparisons to Blackbird are deserved. The smallish dining room is quite striking with the dark diagonal wood floors, and the dark teal walls. They have a number of shelves of gourmet items for sale in the restaurant, which makes for a nice tour after or before the meal.

I would also highly recommend a visit to the BYO P'tit Plateau. Le P'tit Plateau is a simple bistro much like you might find in Paris. I started with one of the best soups I have ever had, the Mediterranean-style fish soup (Bourride) and I also loved my grilled venison in a port-red wine sauce. The dark chocolate mousse atop a praline crust was outstanding. I wish Chicago had a french bistro this good. It was just under $50 for these three courses, and we saved $$$ by stopping at a wine store in the afternoon and picking up a few bottles.

Le P'tit Plateau
330 Marie-Anne E.
514.282.6342