My 6 Favorite Foods in Montreal
Montreal is a must see destination in the Canadian province of Quebec. It has stunning mountains, hip nightlife, and charming architecture. But the city is also home to my favorite foods in Canada. Although heavily influenced by its French roots, Montreal is home to several of its own culinary creations.
When I travel, I always create a list of must eat foods. So I wanted to help you create your own list. Here are my favorite foods in Montreal:
Poutine
You already knew this would be on my list of favorite foods. Poutine was invented in Quebec and perfected in Montreal. It’s the ideal comfort food. French fries, cheese curds, and brown gravy are the traditional recipe. But restaurants are starting to experiment by adding everything from olives to barbeque pulled pork.
The great thing about poutine in Montreal is you can find it everywhere. So explore the city to find your favorite spot. Mine is La Banquise. They are open 24/7. And yes, they will be busy. I walked through a January snowstorm at 11 pm to get to La Banquise. I thought I would be the only one. But the restaurant was completely full.
Bagels
As a New York native, I always thought of New York City as the best place for bagels. It turns out Montreal has created its own style of bagels to rival New York City’s doughy treats. Montreal bagels are sweeter and crunchier. The sweetness comes from honey, and the crunch comes from their wood-fire ovens.
The most popular place for bagels in Montreal is St-Viateur. They have been in the business since 1957 and found massive success. And listen to this. They ship their bagels throughout North America. You don’t even need to go to Montreal to try them! So what are you waiting for?
Smoked Meat Sandwich
One of my favorite foods in Montreal is a smoked meat sandwich. Similar to a pastrami sandwich, the star of the show is a cured and smoked beef brisket. It’s got a peppery flavor that pairs well with mustard and a pickle.
You can thank Eastern European Jews for this fabulous creation. They brought it to Montreal and have been serving it best in Montreal’s Jewish District. My go-to spot for this sandwich is Schwartz’s Deli. The most popular order is a “medium fat” smoked meat sandwich. It’s literally dripping with flavor.
Pastries
The French are famous for their intricate pastries. It’s only natural that their formal colony Quebec adopted some of their skills. Montreal is a great location to indulge your sweet tooth. I can’t even name one pastry to try because I would gladly try all of them.
Maison Christian Faure is my favorite patisserie in Montreal. Every one of their pastries is a piece of art. When I first went there, I asked to look at their pastries. They brought out a giant platter with all of the possible choices. I nearly cried. It was so beautiful. If I had to choose a favorite pastry, I would choose their eclairs.
Rotisserie Chicken
Montreal is a melting pot of cultures, and cooking in that pot is some rotisserie chicken. The beauty of Montreal’s rotisserie chicken is that each culture puts its own spin on the dish. You can find influences from Portugal to Jamaica.
In my opinion, Chalet Bar-B-Q is the place to go. Their hot chicken is tender and juicy. It’s served with a slice of white bread, fries, and their signature sauce. Although Chalet’s chicken isn’t fancy, it doesn’t try to be. It’s a simple pleasure and well worth the money. You can’t beat it.
Orange Julep
What is an orange julep? Great question! I’m glad you asked. It’s a drink being served up at Gibeau Orange Julep. They describe it as a cross between orange juice and a milkshake. Whatever it is, the orange julep is a refreshing drink perfect for the summer. There’s nowhere else to get it, so you’ll have to stop at Gibeau. The drink is so popular that you can get an entire carton of it.
What are your favorite foods in Montreal? Did I miss something? Or are you looking for more on Canada?
