A Foodie's Visit to Montreal

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By Cheryl Thiede

Navigating a new city can be a challenge, but I have found that taking a guided tour on the first day orients me, and a walking food tour is a favorite for learning a neighborhood. I participated in such a tour on my first day in Old Montreal.

I met the guide, Francois, and other tour members at a pre-World War I bank building now inhabited by a cafe and work collective. The architecture was stunning with vaulted, intricately painted ceilings and glass chandeliers dripping down from long cords. We walked past a mailbox that was large, gold and still in use. From behind the intact teller windows baristas served frothy caffeinated beverages to those gathered for breaks or meetings.

At a table in a quiet corner, we tasted Montreal bagels topped with smoked salmon while Francois told us that Jewish immigrants brought this bagel recipe to the city in the early 1900s. Montreal bagels are smaller than those in New York with a larger hole, and they are denser and sweeter as they are made with malt and boiled in honey water before baking. This is exactly the kind of history lesson I am up for any day.

The tour next stopped outside a small specialty grocery store, where we sampled artisan cheeses and smoked meats while discussing local food culture. We strolled past the Notre Dame Cathedral in the Place de Armes, learning a bit about Montreal political and religious history, and then settled into the sunlit atrium of a hotel bar. With a glass of Canadian red wine as the pairing, we enjoyed poutine and heard the origin story of Canada's classic comfort.

I enjoyed a vegetarian version of the dish, which is French fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. The food tour's last stop was a Vietnamese ice cream shop near the St. Lawrence River. There we ate ice cream of a most peculiar color -- a dark lavender reminiscent of Play-Doh. It was made of taro, a starchy root that has a nutty, sweet flavor. It was surprisingly delightful, and just to be sure, I sampled it a few more times during the trip. The walking tour was well worth the time and money, serving up lessons in North American history, Montreal architecture and Canadian culture along with the excellent food.

Additional culinary highlights were two historic Montreal food markets. The Jean-Talon Market, located within Montreal's Little Italy, has vendors selling fresh flowers, lush plants and vibrant produce from open-air stalls. A maple stand sold the local product in many forms -- candy, butter and candles. Indoors were butchers, fromageries, bakeries and specialty food vendors. For lunch I curated my own tasting platter of a spicy empanada, a tiny quiche and a one-bite baklava formed into what looked like Darth Vader's spaceship.

Upstairs is a culinary school, and ringing the market are restaurants and stores drawing customers in with their strategically placed storefronts facing inward to the market as well as outward to the streets. The small road between the perimeter shops and market is colorfully painted with fruits, vegetables and smiley faces.

I rambled the neighborhood in a misty rain and then found rest in a park's covered gazebo before seeking out Little Italy's top-rated restaurant, Ristorante Pizzeria Corneli. Debating the options carefully with my tenured server, I ordered cavatelli fatti in casa, the house-made ricotta pasta, which I paired with a crisp, delicious prosecco.

The following day was less food-focused, giving both my wallet and my waistline a break. As I emerged from the subway on my way to Mount Royal Park, I happened upon a street mural exhibit. It was a moment when, to quote Canadian author Louise Penny, I was "surprised by joy." The exhibit diverted me for a few blocks before I entered the grounds of Mount Royal Park, which was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed New York's Central Park.

The park's 700 acres offer areas for quiet and reflection as well as many activities. That evening I attended a dazzling light show inside Notre Dame Cathedral. The light danced along the purple and gold walls and domed apse to a classical soundtrack for a 25-minute display. Afterward, my wayfinding knowledge from the walking tour led me along the cobbled streets to a nearby vegetarian restaurant for a late dinner.

The following day I ventured to Atwater Market in southeast Montreal, which hosts both outside stalls and shops inside an art deco building. Atwater Market and Jean-Talon Market were both established in 1933. While similarities exist, such as offerings of fresh flowers, produce, cheese, meat and specialty food vendors, they have their own character. Atwater Market felt a bit more upscale, and Jean-Talon felt more accessible to people of any income level. I enjoyed each for its offerings.

At Atwater I relished lunch from a French bistro, a croissant sandwich with goat cheese, pesto and tomato tucked inside its buttery, flaky layers. After strolling the long, upstairs hallway lined with food shops and perusing the downstairs vendors and open-air shops, I was thrilled to find taro ice cream at a stall. Savoring it at a picnic table with great people-watching, I contentedly catalogued the sights, the sounds and, of course, the tastes of Montreal.

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WHEN YOU GO

Experience Montreal: mtl.org/en

Cheryl Thiede is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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