Lana's perfect day

It is our last full day in Montréal and no big plans for the day. You can divide our day into three events; Lunch at Beautys Luncheonette, Scandinavian Spa and dinner at L'Express. Great meals and a spa treatment is a perfect day for Lana!

OBSERVATIONS:    Not sure the origins, but the Quebecers love having pickles with many dishes and will even eat them as an appetizer. Portion sizes seem to be HUGE!!!  Food comes very quickly once you order. Baguette bread is delicious here.

Overcast day today, but around 12 degrees according to the weather report. Problem we have found in Montréal is when the wind is howling it is much colder than the reported temperature. Most times we are out and about it can be very windy. It is a long walk to Beautys Luncheonette located in the Plateau neighbourhood. I got mixed up with another destination and discovered after a long walk we had gone past it. We decided to grab a taxi to get us to the restaurant before the lunch crowd. First time in a downtown taxi.   ;-)

Beautys Luncheonette is another find courtesy of Anthony Bourdain. Described as a very old diner (1942) with Jewish selections. The owner is more than 90 years old and his bowling nickname is Beauty so that is the origin of the name. The diner has been updated since then and Hymie (Beauty) greets customers as they enter. We notice that he doesn't really show you to your table--but rather points at where he'd like you to go.  But given Hymie is 90 and still works an honest day--it's pretty endearing. There's no jukebox, but definitely still a classic diner. This is the placemat on your table (pic below). It is known for its smoothies that are pretty much milkshakes. Interesting that we found only about three or four selections that would be considered Jewish and those are dishes that are fairly common in non-Jewish places (smoked salmon, chopped liver, bagels, potato latkes).

My order of an Apple Pie Smoothie! You can see the ice cream on top with some cinnamon. Absolutely delicious. We both enjoyed this 'smoothie' and would highly recommend. This could be a meal on its own.

I ordered a salami, egg, cheddar cheese and tomato on challah bread. Wow, what a great taste! Lana confirmed the bread is butter toasted which explains the wonderful taste. For those of you not sure what "butter toasted" is, if you've ever made a grilled cheese sandwich and spread butter on one side of the bread to be toasted while the cheese melts--this is butter toasted.  Of course the butter melts and gets all golden and brown adding a wonderful flavour and crunch to the sandwich.  To be honest, you could probably put a piece of rubber tire between two pieces of butter toasted bread and it would be delicious. Lana grew up eating butter toasted hot cross buns and every April when it's Easter, she goes to Terra Breads to buy the amazing hot crossed buns there. Once home, she butter  toasts them to wonderful warm toasty goodness.  The challah bread was light and the insides were all perfectly cooked.

Lana ordered a grilled salami sandwich comprised of cheddar cheese, salami, pickle, tomato on a caraway seed rye bread. Another huge hit. Lana says "this sandwich is freakin' GOOD!"

This is a Montréal bagel with salmon and lox. We didn't eat it, but next time! We find the Montréal bagels to be denser and chewier.

After lunch, we head to the spa. We decide the walk the 3+ kms downhill (mostly) to the Scandinavian Spa located in Old Montréal and close to the river. 

This building is typical of many buildings we encounter on our walks. Three levels with stairs on the outside. 

We have free passes to Scandinavian Spa and Lana organized a Swedish massage for 2:30 pm. The spa is unique in that it's all about the process of heating the body, then quickly cooling it, then resting.  This cycle is to be repeated at least 3 times in order to be effective.  There are three different options for heating:  hot water pool with waterfall feature, Finnish dry sauna and a steam sauna.  You can try all three of use whichever you prefer.  After you heat up for 10-15 minutes, you are required to quickly cool down you body (shock value and to seal in the heat).  Here you have two options:  a cold water dunk in a small pool or an ice water shower.  We try both and Randy enjoys the dunk tank which proves to be too much for Lana who uses the shower instead. After the 10-15 second cool down, you need to relax for 15 minutes to allow the body to return to a normal temperature.  Then it's time to start all over again.  

The spa asks everyone to be silent during the treatment and other than a few whispers here and there, the only sounds you hear are of trickling water and relaxing spa music.  This is a photo of one of the relaxation areas--note the big comfy lounge chairs where you can spread out to relax.  There is a fresh juice bar and snacks to purchase as well.  

Everyone gets a robe, slippers, towels and an electronic bracelet which opens and secures your locker. No key to carry or attach to your swimsuit.

It's blissful afternoon and we walk back to the hotel in a windy late afternoon downtown. We are both so relaxed from the spa and resting. About a fifteen minute walk to the hotel. More rest and then back out into the elements for another long walk to a restaurant. Our destination is L'Express which is described as a classic French bistro located on Rue St. Denis. Recommended by a few of our friends. As you can see from the picture below, they don't even have a sign. Apparently, they have never felt the need to have a sign.

Interior of L'Express. Note how the servers are dressed. Very old school, but appreciated. What do you know, they have a bar!   ;-)

Lana with the cornichon pickles that arrive as a free appetizer. Lana not usually a pickle fan, but has loved the pickles in Montréal.

Randy enjoying his Muscadet wine.

We decide to forgo ordering any of the main dishes as the appetizers were so intriguing and interesting. This is rare, but when we find a great appetizer list then it can be fun to try more dishes.  Our first appetizer was the "oeuf mayonnaise" which is hard boiled eggs covered in mayonnaise. This is not your usual mayonnaise, but home made with some type of curry. Delicious and different.

Next up is Lana's "potage topinambours" cream of Jerusalem artichoke soup. She loved this hearty soup; creamy, smooth and flavourful.

Next appetizer was our number one priority to order; "os a moelle" which is roasted bone marrow with salt. Comes with decorative cabbage and crustini bread. Yes, a great choice as you gotta love bone marrow. Almost as good as foie gras.   ;-)

I focused then on eating the "chèvre chaud" warm goat cheese salad. Comes with Belgian endives, radicchio and lettuce. The warm goat cheese was smooth and warm. I thoroughly enjoyed the salad.

Lana loved her "pieuvre et lentilles" salad. Octopus with lentils and garnished with olives. Octopus was tender and contrasted texture with the lentils. Yummy!

OK, we have not ordered or eaten dessert yet in five days in Montréal mostly because we have been too damn full after our indulgent dinners. Tonight, we thought let's finally have a dessert. We picked the "ile flottante" another one of Lana's favourite French desserts. The picture doesn't do the size of this dessert justice as it was gigantic. A softball-sized meringue covered with caramelized sugar on a base of creme anglaise with little pieces of butter sliced almond. It was a fantastic end to an excellent dinner. The table next to ours even stared at our dessert when it arrived.  Lana was oohing and ahhing over this one.

The service all night was friendly and timely. A French bistro that rivals anything in Vancouver.

We start walking down Rue St. Denis and it is very cold especially in the fierce winds. We get a few blocks and see a queue of taxis outside a hotel near Sherbrooke Street so jump in and get a ride back to the hotel. 

A wonderful day and great ending to our Montréal holiday.

Au revoir! We fly home to Vancouver tomorrow. What a fantastic vacation in a special Canadian city.

More Pork (Cochon)!

Lana and I watch Anthony Bourdain and in my case I have read all of his books about the restaurant industry. We love his style, wit and insights. In his visit to Montréal he spent some time at a neighbourhood pub called Brassiere Capri. It is a working class old-style pub located across the river on the south side. Bourdain described it as an 'authentic pub.' As well, they serve marinated pig's knuckle (cochon). Yeh!

We used the underground city network to get to McGill College Avenue Métro Station. After five stops, we had arrived and asked another passenger the proper direction. Although, it was slightly windy it was a beautiful night to be walking. No problem finding the pub.

On entry, this is a definitely a typical pub although not a lot of people. For certain, a locals' hangout. After we were seated and despite the two servers seeing we were there it took one of them ten minutes to actually come over to the table. She brought over menus and took our drink order. After we provided the drink order we wanted to give her our food order, but she quickly took off. Another ten minutes, before she decided to take our order. I don't think she could multi-task. Despite the fact she was about a foot from our table, no way she is taking our order. Yikes! Well expectations are low, this slow service was pretty ridiculous.

This is a picture from the internet. Of course, when we attended it was dark and only the neon sign was showing.

Picture of "pig's knuckle" from the internet. The difference with my plate is I ordered fries rather than the potatoes. 

This is our order of the pig's knuckle. The pub is pretty dark.

The pork was delicious and so tender and tasty. Lots of huge bones and smaller bones though. As well, there is a huge amount of fat. In the dark, hard to find the meaty parts sometimes. Sauerkraut comes with the dish in all places. The fries were OK and needed ketchup and salt/pepper. Anyway, the purpose of our visit was to have the experience of a Quebec classic dish in a real pub served by Quebecois. We got it and like any other of these experiences it comes with the good and the bad.

Oh by the way, it is my 60th birthday today. Got a chance in the morning to FaceTime with Renée, Stephen and my granddaughter Georgia. Emails from friends wishing me a happy birthday and opening birthday cards from my Dad/Sandy and two brothers. It was a great birthday and not busy.

The Underground City RESO

You may see this logo at street level in downtown Montréal. It is an indicator of an entrance to Montréal's "underground city." I hadn't heard of this apparent tourist attraction and useful walking, shopping and eating destination for native Montréalers.

On the recommendation of a couple of friends we were trying to get to Jean Talon Market via the Metro subway system. According to Google Maps, you could take "RESO Montréal Souterrain" underground tunnel to Station Bonaventure. Then take the M2 Orange train to Jean Talon Station (Montmorency direction). We found the entrance right beside our hotel and took the escalator down below and voila a number of shops and walkways. We followed the signs to Station Bonaventure. There was the CN train station, hallways and many stores. Lana describes it as "a long, strung out mall." For the inclement weather conditions this is the perfect place. You are out of the cold and rain.

Made it to the subway station and two return subway tickets each totalled $11 so a pretty reasonable deal. The subway is fairly clean and you always know where the doors will open as it is marked on the platform. The train moves very fast. Very unusual configuration of seats within the trains as there is a lot of wasted seating space in the cars.

We did make it to Jean Talon Market which is much larger than Atwater Market. For the first time, we encountered rain in Montréal. About a 300 metre walk from the subway station to Jean Talon Marché. We needed to use Lana's cellphone GPS to find the direction to Jean Talon. Once there, we were pretty hungry. Much less English here as we are not near downtown Montréal. This market seems to specialize in fruits and vegetables--tonnes of apples (we picked up Lana's favourite Honeycrisp to snack on, plus Lana says we're not eating enough fruit on this trip!). One of the stalls has samples of "Belle tomatoes" which look like a special variety for Quebec--Lana says they are delicious. For lunch, we find a meat shop that is selling some cooked sausages so one sausage in a bun each. At another place we had a soup, small baguette and a chausson aux pomme (apple turnover). Just an aside that taxes in the restaurants are around 15% in Montréal.

We decided to use our spa passes Monday afternoon and needed to buy a cheap swimsuit each. Lana had a great idea to get to Winners which is pretty close to the hotel. It was raining pretty good so when we walked back we used the underground city. It took more time than walking above ground, but we were dry and warm.

It was the best of times and the worst of times

Our reservation for Au Pied de Cochon was for 7:30 pm (Saturday) and it was very hard to get. As usual we decide to walk the 3.2 kms northeast to this very well known restaurant. "Pied de Cochon" means pig's foot in case you are wondering.

A beautiful night for a walk and fairly warm. In the lobby we encounter some guys wearing Habs jerseys and Lana suggests I should check and see if I had the wrong game date as we have two tickets to the Rangers/Habs game bought from online scalpers. Nope, I have to believe the game is Sunday night. I see a couple at an intersection (Bell Arena is very close to our hotel) in Habs jerseys and have the urge to ask them, but I don't. Lana mentions to me a couple of more times that maybe it would be a good idea to double-check, but I decide that I can't have the wrong date.

We arrive right on time at the restaurant and the table is ready within about 3 minutes. There is a lineup inside for people we think are waiting for no-shows? Our server is the fellow in the beard asking questions at the counter. We don't get off to a good start as Lana asked whether they had aperitifs, but her pronunciation wasn't a proper French interpretation. There's "AH-peari-teef" and "ah-pear-EE-teef". Apparently the waiter thought she was asking for "apple tea".  To be fair, it was quite noisy in the restaurant and difficult to hear.  We did finally agree on "aperitif" and they had a Pineau des Charentes to start the meal.

As you can see the interior is a combination of old and new. It is long and narrow with lots of wood and a very casual look. Long bar on one side that is filled with patrons. Lots of families and a bustling, busy atmosphere continuously. Wooden floors and a brick oven for making bread. Waiters in tee shirts, casual shirts and blue jeans.

My cocktail was a Maple Syrup Daiquiri. You gotta order a cocktail that involves maple syrup! Made with rum, maple syrup, lime and lots of crushed ice. It was delicious and enjoyed by both of us.

Our server helped with the menu, although we did have an english language menu--it was still difficult to decipher what was what for dishes. We ordered a couple of appetizers. First appetizer was Pickled Tongue. Most people won't order tongue which is too bad as it is tasty and wonderful texture. The mustard paired with the tongue really helped the dish. Definitely, would order again.

Next up is the Foie Gras Poutine. Wow, foie gras and poutine! Is there a more decadent dish than that? I think "over the top" was how Lana described it. The poutine itself was perfect. The french fries and gravy excellent. Three huge pieces of foie gras. I needed to help Lana with the foie gras poutine. Rich and filling meal. A highlight dish, but don't think about the calories! Should have stopped eating after this appetizer!!

On to the main dishes. I ordered a glass of Penedes white wine. It was excellent and a good size pour. As an aside, the brick oven baked bread was delicious! Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and flavourful. Lana says "serious bread."

I ordered the namesake Pied de Cochon. It comes with mashed potatoes and deep fried foie gras - surprise! What a tasty piece of pork that is easy to cut through and choices of lean and fat parts. The gravy was delicious and the dish a huge hit. I couldn't finish the pork. I did finish the deep fried foie gras of course.

Lana orders the famous Duck in a Can. Duck breast with soy, balsamic vinegar, thyme, garlic, carrots, onion and a piece of foie gras. Hard to believe? Sealed in a can and boiled in water for 27 minutes. When brought to the table there is a plate and the can. The server uses a can opener to open it and pours it onto the dish. We took a video, but not sure how to show it. Lana didn't come close to finishing this plate. Interesting way to prepare duck. Not overcooked as they have mastered this technique. Sauce was incredibly flavourful. Poured over mashed turnip which tasted like pure butter. Delicious! Very unique plating experience is an understatement.

Towards the end of our meal and around 9 pm, Lana heads to the ladies room and there is a tv screen in the mirror showing my Habs playing the Rangers. She does a double-take and checks to make sure it is a live telecast of the hockey game.  She returns to the table to inform me the game is on and in the third period!!!!!  D'oh--should have checked the tickets right? Too late for us to rush back to the hotel and then catch the end of the game. I am devastated by missing the game and the expense of both tickets. Not many chances to see the Habs at the Bell Centre in Montréal. Crushing feeling so this is the "worst of times" yet the meal is "the best of times."

Long walk back to the hotel and difficult to avoid thinking about the game and not attending, despite the fantastic meal. Another great walk and when we got back to the room discovered the Habs lost 1-0 to the NY Rangers. At least I didn't miss a victory. Next time in Montréal won't make that mistake again and learned some valuable lessons.

Lucky we don't live in Montréal - we would be obese

Yup, this city has outstanding eating with a focus on fatty, decadent and high calorie food. We were talking about how dangerous it might be living here. Self-discipline when faced with foie gras, poutine, sausages, paté, pastries, duck fat fries? Hmmm, that is a real challenge!

Another beautiful blue sky sunny day around 10 degrees on Saturday. We believe it is warmer here than in Vancouver. Took a while to get mobile, but we did make it out of the hotel before 12 noon. We decide to walk to Atwater Market located 3.2 kms southwest of our location. Not many people walking on a Saturday early afternoon. Easy to find this popular market that has been highly recommended. Kinda like Granville Island market, but not as big and it is located entirely in the building here and on the ground floor. Heavy focus on meats and cheeses. Long and narrow space for the shops. Not as crowded either as our Granville Island Market.

Atwater Market

We located a boulangerie at the far end of the building for lunch. Premiere Moisson was very busy and you queue up of course for your selections. Again, no problem with english language. As you can see from our tray below; Cream of Mushroom soup (Soupe du Jour), Paté Campagne Poivre Noir (rustic pork paté with peppercorns), Salad of roasted beets/raspberry and hearts of palm. My sandwich was capicolla, tomatoes, cheese, cilantro, cucumbers on a chick pea bread. All of this only cost $16.63! Lots of food and all delicious. We comment that food seems to be less expensive here than in Vancouver. My bread tasted like Indian bread.

A shop with many different patés that are about 1/10th the price of Vancouver. So many shops with paté not only in the market, but many other places around Montréal. Lana says "pass the lipitor"!!!

Back outside for the long walk eastward to Old Montréal area. Probably about 3.2 kms, but lots of stops at shops that were interesting to Lana. Starbucks for a chai. Beautiful sunshine and a lack of wind made for perfect walking conditions. Eventually made it to Old Montréal and Lana's destination of the Canadian designer Denis Gagnon located on St. Paul Street West. Very unusual store from the point of view you enter at street level to a  café and walk down the stairs to the basement and the small designer store.  Lana comments afterwards that this isn't your normal shopping experience--the sales clerk was a young guy wearing a bustier and skirt. He was very friendly and told me he was 1/2 Armenian. Lana scored big here as she bought one top and a dress (both on sale!).  Lana, ever on the lookout, sees a poster for a Scandinavian Spa at the shop and mentions we should check it out. The sales clerk then mentions that he has something for the spa and gives us two coupons for free access to the Spa. Definitely going to get there Sunday or Monday if Lana has her way.

Also, the sales clerk provided Lana three other clothing store recommendations that carried designer clothes she might be interested in and all located along St. Paul West. Reborn, Cahier d'Exercises and Ssense were the designer stores. I bring a newspaper and sudoku while waiting for Lana to browse and in some cases purchase. Lana found a chic white blouse at Reborn so even happier.   :-)

Walking back, Lana notices this Montreal Metro station and comments that it is likely a duplicate of the Metropolitan Opera Station in Paris? Apparently a little known fact about Montréal is that there are many buildings/churches/landmarks that are replica's of famous buildings in France. I leave you to decide:

Paris Metro Station picture

Another interesting factoid--in the lobby area of our hotel, we found a picture and detail about John Lennon and Yoko Ono's 'bed-in' of 1969 which they did while on their honeymoon in room 1742.  Just down the hall from where we are staying. I thought they did it in Manhattan. Oh well, wrong again! I figure they might have a new bed in their now -- 44 years later......

Buvette Chez Simone (Friday dinner)

One restaurant/wine bar recommended by our good friend Andrew was Buvette Chez Simone. I checked the online reviews and they were pretty good. It is located 3.2 kms from our Hotel so another opportunity for a long walk before and after dinner. It is still clear skies and a decent temperature for a long walk (40 minutes).

Lots of cyclists on our walking route. Huge park beside us as we walked along Avenue du Parc in a northeast direction. Good exercise and readies our appetites for more good food. We arrived around 6:15 pm and there was a table in the rear of the restaurant that we shared with two couples. We ended up sitting right in front of the pick up station for all the food so had a great look at everything coming out of the kitchen.  Alas, there was a heat lamp that they would turn on to keep hot food warm and every time it was turned on Lana felt like she was under the heat lamp as well.

Another long and narrow restaurant space. In the middle is a u-shaped bar with many seats and on the perimeter are communal tables and smaller tables. There wasn't a lineup yet. Very hip interior and the average diner was in their 20s and 30s.

It is a wine bar that provides small and large plates. They are known for some of the best roast chicken in Montréal. The server was friendly and arrived quickly to take our order. You are provided a pencil for your food choices and hand the small paper to your server. For the wine, beer and cocktails there is a menu. You can purchase wine by 1/2 glass, full glass or the bottle. The 1/2 glass allows you to try more wines, although it goes pretty quickly.  ;-).  I am conflicted over ordering larger glasses of wine that last longer or smaller ones for more taste variety.  You know life is tough when, . . . ???!!!??!!!

We made our choices in pencil and submitted to the server. Again, the food came fairly quickly and fortunately the server missed one of our orders as we were full after finishing our three plates. Lana ordered a Campari (liquer popular in Europe) that she enjoyed. I ordered an Italian white wine (Toscano 2011) 1/2 glass size for $5.50. It was dry and enjoyable. For my next two 1/2 glasses I ordered a French Sancerre 2012 (Vincent Guadry) that was excellent. A Sancerre is a Sauvignon Blanc variety and the French really do it well.

The Cheese plate arrived first. It was a Brie cheese served with bread, crostini, red currant jam, honey dew melon, pomegranate seeds, walnuts and pistachios. What a great start to our meal. The cheese was creamy and delicious. The complementary bits were tasty and the presentation was perfect (Lana wishes she could plate cheese like this!!). The special bread that came with it was almost as good as European breads.

The Salad was comprised of avocado, mango, endive, lettuce, tomatoes in an Asian style dressing. Interesting that the lettuce was found on the bottom of the bowl. The flavours from each of the ingredients was memorable and wouldn't be too hard to make at home.

Apparently, the roast Chicken is ranked as one of the best in the entire city. We ordered the 1/4 size chicken which as you can see below was a pretty good size portion. Not sure how large the 1/2 size and full size chicken orders would be. The chicken comes with potatoes (not quite fully cooked) and roasted carrots and another vegetable. Yup, the chicken was tender and melted in your mouth. The skin was crisp and tasty. By the time we were close to finishing this plate we were much too full.

Friendly expeditor at server pickup counter

We really enjoyed this meal and thanks again to Andrew for his recommendation. While it was noisy, people were having fun and it is a Friday night. The walk back to our hotel was mostly downhill and we took some time walking on Saint Catherine's street. Back to our room around 8:30 pm. Two more excellent meals today.

Smoked Meat Heaven aka Schwartz's Deli (Friday)

Up around 9:45 to a sunny, blue sky day around 10 degrees. Updated the blog for our visit to Joe Beef last night. Out the door around 11:45 am and while the temperatures are advertised at 10 degrees once on the street and in the window it is much cooler. In the absence of a wind, it is a a perfect temperature for walking. We decide to walk the 2.4 kms to Schwartz's Deli located on Boulevard St Laurent.

On the street, we hear both english and french being spoken. Our last exposure to the French language was in France so different to hear english spoken as well. The retail outlets, stores, restaurant employees are completely bilingual and they move effortlessly between the languages. Signage predominately in French of course. In terms of skin colour, dramatically different from our Vancouver. Vast majority are caucasian with some blacks. Very rare to see an Asian and that was more around the campus of McGill University.

We arrived at Schwartz's Deli and discovered a lineup. It is very famous for its meats and sandwiches. Eventually, we got in and had two seats at the counter. As you can see from the picture it is not very large and inside is long and narrow.

The window says it all:

This is our Montréal smoked meat sandwich. 

Our server was a super friendly Indian fellow who asked if we wanted our meat lean or fat, but recommended we get the medium to include both. Their smoked meat is shipped all around North America to delis and restaurants. You order a plate of fries and a plate of a large dill pickle normally with each sandwich. We ordered one plate of each. The sandwich as you can see arrives very thick and some mustard on the bread. The cost is $6.65 per sandwich. The fries (frites) are $2.95 and the dill pickle is $1.95. A can of black cherry pop is $2.10. 

The smoked meat is superb. Full of flavour and the right amount of salt. Thinly sliced (hand-cut of course) and delicious with each bite. You need to tightly squeeze the bread in order to accommodate the amount of meat. For the meat that falls out, slice up some pickle and combine. The fries were OK. The food arrives in less than five minutes. 

Lots of communal tables in addition to seating at the counter. Cash only. Lana purchases two jars of steak spices which we tried before with good results. Great lunch and lots of food. Definitely will be doing lots of walking in Montréal! While walking on St Laurent, Lana saw tins of cassoulet in a window display so in we go to La Vielle Europe. 

Given the name of the shop, no surprise that the goods are from Europe. Germany, France, Spain, Italy, England etc. So many cheeses and chocolate products. You could even sample Stollen (German Christmas cake) imported from Deutschland. Yup, its getting closer to Christmas. We buy a medium size can of Cassoulet that a clerk recommended. This is going home to Vancouver. The tin is good until 2017. Incredible variety of products due to the sourcing in Europe. 

Sun is still shining brightly as we stroll along Sherbrook Street. Lana wanting to shop at Holt Renfrew. Once inside, I find a chair to wait while Lana shops. An opportunity to update our journal. No rush this afternoon to get anywhere. Back to our hotel room around 3ish so Lana can get in her afternoon nap. 

Foie Gras Heaven

We are very excited about our trip to Montréal as our first and last trip was ten years ago. Too much time has passed since we were in this European style city in La Belle Provence.

Our Air Canada direct flight was scheduled for 11:05 am departure. One of our good friends, Jim Marshall, volunteered to give us a ride to the airport! What an unexpected gift. Merci beaucoup Jim!

Our plane lifted off the runway at 11:15 am so we are pretty much on time. Lana got bumped up to First Class so that was another great start to our short vacation. I sat a few rows back in a window seat. During the flight Lana sent me back her dessert of ice cream and a freshly baked cookie feeling bad for me sitting back in "cattle" class. Yummy.

Landed at 6:45 pm Montréal time and given we had only carry on luggage we were quickly queueing up in the taxi stand. Long queue, but it moved quickly. $40 flat fee to downtown and had a good chat with the driver who grew up in nearby Laval, Quebec. About 25 minutes to our hotel. Checked into the Fairmont Le Reine Elizabeth (Queen Elizabeth) and room 1762 with a king size bed and view of Mont Royal.

It is a clear night around 5 degrees Celsius. No snow on the ground. Our room is a decent size and ideally located in the downtown area on René-Lévesque Ouest street. We decide to walk the 2.6 kms to Joe Beef restaurant. This is their link.

In 2012 they were selected as Canada's #1 Restaurant by a couple of panels. The owners are two proud French Canadians; Frederic Morin (on the left) and David McMillan. They like to have fun and their restaurant reflects their irreverent attitude.

Our reservations (you need reservations) are for 9:30 pm, which is late, but we think our stomachs are still on Vancouver time so will be ok.  We arrive after our 35 minute walk mostly along Rue Notre Dame (good chance to check out other restaurants/bars/shops) in the pleasant cold. We are seated in the smaller room that is very busy. It is dark inside with a very eclectic mix of 'things' on the wall such as a stuffed deer head and antique toys. The server is very welcoming and knew immediately we spoke English. My francais is OK, but not good enough to hold a discussion. Lana is not confident in her French language, although she is pretty good about reading the menus. 

There are no hand out menus or lists of drinks/wine/beer/cocktails. There is a huge chalkboard with the menu in French of course and another chalkboard beside it with the drinks. We decide to start with a cocktail and glass of wine. Lana orders a sparkling Gamay and I order their lemon loop cocktail. The cocktail is comprised of Gin, honey, bitters and lemon. Very tart, but delicious. Lana's sparkling Gamay is excellent and it's a wine we have not tried before as a sparkling variety.

The restaurant is very old and they have retained this character with the original wood. The waiter offered to interpret the food menu so that was very helpful. The menu of appetizers and mains is pretty wild with venison, horse meat, rabbit, veal liver etc. as choices. Around us there is English and French spoken. In fact, the table beside us with two young couples switches between French and English so quickly. Lana is reminded of just how weak her french language skills are and feels guilty that as a Canadian--she has not kept some basic french words.  

This is an expensive restaurant and we will provide the costs so you have an idea of the prices. Our cocktail and sparkling Gamay were $13 and $12 each. I order a tasty glass of Cotés du Rhone to go with my "Plat" which means the main dish. The "Entrée" is actually their appetizer. The glass of wine with a generous pour was $14. 

For our appetizer we order their famous "Foie Gras Double Down". This is the definition of Foie Gras; French for "fat liver" is a food product made of the liver of a duck or goose that has been specially fattened. Wow, we quickly understood why this is famous. I don't know if there is a more decadent appetizer ($29) around? Lots of foie gras, bacon, cheese and maple syrup. Great flavours and very rich. Lana loves the maple syrup + foie gras combo and promises to experiment with this when we get back home.  

Very eclectic music playing ranging from Frank Sinatra to rap. TV screen in the far corner playing a hockey game. The portion sizes are huge. We order two slices of bread and a large dill pickle for $2.50. There is a bar that is filled with people sitting on stools and enjoying the food. Our server sees me writing in my journal and offers to tell us a joke to include in the journal: "Two Russian guys in a long lineup (queue) waiting for Vodka during the Perestroika era. Given the long wait, one Russian guy says to his friend "I am going to go murder Gorbachev, this long wait is his fault!!". He leaves and after a long time returns to the lineup. His friend asks did you murder Gorbachev? No, that lineup was much longer."

Now for the 'plats' or what we call entrées. Lana ordered the Veal Paillard dish ($30) which is veal cutlets sautéed with an apple calvados sauce. Again, a large portion serving. Comes with cabbage, brussel sprouts, little apples and onions. Plus, a side dish of mashed potatoes. Lana's description of her main dish was "lovely" with a flavourful sauce and well prepared vegetables.

Perfectly cooked mashed potatoes below:

I order the rabbit Cassoulet ($35). I love cassoulets and had to try this version. Some crunchy texture due to the crispy bread cooked into the dish. The sausage was even comprised of rabbit in addition to the generous pieces of rabbit meat (confit style) on the bone. I was given a separate plate for the bones. Very unique cassoulet and probably the best I have eaten. Cassoulet is a comfort dish from the south of France that takes days to make with beans, meats and other ingredients. Again, too much food, but I had to eat it all. The Cotés du Rhone wine was recommended by the server to pair with the cassoulet and it was a good choice.

Overall, this was an excellent meal and we could see why it is difficult to get reservations and has won its many awards. Apparently, many famous chefs visit the restaurant and hang with the two owners. While expensive, you get huge portion sizes and very unique choices and flavours. Joe Beef definitely lives up to it's moniker of "traditional french food with a twist". It is casual so you don't have to get dressed up and everyone is having a good time. If you get an opportunity to visit Montréal, organize reservations at the earliest opportunity. Bring your credit card. :-)

As we leave, the waiter asks if we had any doggy bags to take home.  With a smile, we reply "nope--we ate EVERYTHING!!" The desserts served to the table next to us looked inviting, but we were too full from the meal.

We walk in the 3 degrees Celsius weather back to our hotel. Yup, 35 minutes walking time and its always good to try and walk off the calories and full stomach after a brilliant meal. Also, good to learn more about Montréal from walking. While we did finish our meal at 11 pm local time, it is more like 8 pm our Pacific time. We are so full from the dinner, but so satisfied as well. A fantastic start to our Montréal trip. Turn off the lights around 12:30 am.