Wet April Weekend in Old Montreal
Apr 17th, 2007, 12:35 PM
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Wet April Weekend in Old Montreal
It was cold and wet and we were there for a family funeral but we still managed to enjoy our wet weekend in Old Montreal.
We knew for a few weeks that we would be making the trip so I had time to do some research but we couldn’t book ahead because we didn’t know the date. It turned out to be a chilly April weekend. We drove to Montreal from Toronto in just over five hours. Snow flurries greeted us as we crossed the border into Quebec. We had brought along a cooler with drinks and snacks so we made our sole pit stop at the Quebec tourist bureau along the highway, picking up a great detailed map of central Montreal to supplement our CAA one. It was very handy to have as we walked and drove around the downtown, plateau neighborhood and old Montreal.
My preference would have been a romantic boutique hotel but we were booking for other family members as well so we ended up choosing the less expensive Marriot Springhill Suites on rue Saint-Jean-Baptiste, just east of rue Saint-Laurent. Although our king-bedded suite wasn’t large it had separate areas for sleeping and sitting and working. There was a small fridge and microwave and high spread internet access, all of which came in handy. The bed was very comfortable and the side street location was very quiet so we slept well both nights.
Breakfast on the mezzanine floor was included and it was more than basic continental, great for my brother and I who are both celiacs and can’t eat regular breads and pastries. We were able to have scrambled eggs and yogurt and fruit and juice while my husband made himself a waffle each morning to smother with maple syrup. The waffle stations were very popular.
We noticed several young children there, staying in suites with two double beds which were larger than ours, and we thought it would be a great hotel for families. There was a even small indoor swimming pool in the hotel.
Here’s a link to our photos: http://tinyurl.com/3yy37t
We knew for a few weeks that we would be making the trip so I had time to do some research but we couldn’t book ahead because we didn’t know the date. It turned out to be a chilly April weekend. We drove to Montreal from Toronto in just over five hours. Snow flurries greeted us as we crossed the border into Quebec. We had brought along a cooler with drinks and snacks so we made our sole pit stop at the Quebec tourist bureau along the highway, picking up a great detailed map of central Montreal to supplement our CAA one. It was very handy to have as we walked and drove around the downtown, plateau neighborhood and old Montreal.
My preference would have been a romantic boutique hotel but we were booking for other family members as well so we ended up choosing the less expensive Marriot Springhill Suites on rue Saint-Jean-Baptiste, just east of rue Saint-Laurent. Although our king-bedded suite wasn’t large it had separate areas for sleeping and sitting and working. There was a small fridge and microwave and high spread internet access, all of which came in handy. The bed was very comfortable and the side street location was very quiet so we slept well both nights.
Breakfast on the mezzanine floor was included and it was more than basic continental, great for my brother and I who are both celiacs and can’t eat regular breads and pastries. We were able to have scrambled eggs and yogurt and fruit and juice while my husband made himself a waffle each morning to smother with maple syrup. The waffle stations were very popular.
We noticed several young children there, staying in suites with two double beds which were larger than ours, and we thought it would be a great hotel for families. There was a even small indoor swimming pool in the hotel.
Here’s a link to our photos: http://tinyurl.com/3yy37t
Apr 18th, 2007, 06:18 AM
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Schwartz’s Delicatessen, 3895 St Laurent Blvd,
We had left Toronto early with the idea of a late lunch at Schwartz’s before checking into our hotel and it was a great plan. There was still a lineup when we arrived at 1:30 Friday afternoon but it didn’t take long for space for two to become available. We even had a choice between eating at the counter or in the middle of a table for six. We chose the table and it was a good move because we had expert advice. I had heard that the waiters were impatient and you need to know exactly what you want when they appear but in fact they were friendly and helpful as were our fellow noshers. Schwartz’s hasn’t changed much over the three decades since we last ate there. There is still a counter along one side and tables for six along the other. The surrounding area has improved, however, and the Plateau was even named the trendiest neighbourhood in Montreal in the April Bon Appetit magazine.
The young man sitting beside me lives in California now but makes a pilgrimage to Schwartz’s every time he comes home for a visit. He and his friend were sharing a large plate of smoked meat for $10 and we decided to do the same. It came with a stack of rye bread and we ordered sides of fries, coleslaw and a dill pickle to share. Everything was excellent. By the time we were full our seatmates had almost demolished their second plate and were lamenting the fate of les Canadiens and were even expressing sorrow that our Leafs had been defeated too. We learned that it isn’t worthwhile to order a small plate because it is only half the size but costs only $1.50 less. Smoked meat comes in lean, medium and fat and is tastiest as the fat content increases but for health concerns don’t go beyond medium, the insider’s choice. We ended up taking our remaining smoked meat with us to enjoy with scrambled eggs at breakfast. That’s where our fridge for storage and microwave to take the chill off came in handy.
Sunday morning we stopped at Schwartz’s again to pick up smoked meat to take back to Ontario. There was no lineup at all at 10am. The friendly staff recommended buying it sliced and cold at $10 a pound rather than a couple of large plates as I had planned. Warm costs slightly more and would have not been ideal for our cooler. I asked where to find authentic Montreal bagels for my husband and we was directed to drive about nine blocks north to Fairmount Street, turn west and watch for a green porch. Fairmount Bagel at 74 Fairmount West turned out to be a bagel factory behind a small storefront offering “over 20 varieties of bagels, rolled by hand and baked in a wood-fired oven, 24 hours a day”. No wonder people double parked their vehicles in front to pick up their bagels and probably supply their neighbours and relatives as well judging by the many bags they lugged away.
Schwartz’s: http://www.schwartzsdeli.com/index2.html
Fairmount Bagel: http://www.fairmountbagel.com/
We had left Toronto early with the idea of a late lunch at Schwartz’s before checking into our hotel and it was a great plan. There was still a lineup when we arrived at 1:30 Friday afternoon but it didn’t take long for space for two to become available. We even had a choice between eating at the counter or in the middle of a table for six. We chose the table and it was a good move because we had expert advice. I had heard that the waiters were impatient and you need to know exactly what you want when they appear but in fact they were friendly and helpful as were our fellow noshers. Schwartz’s hasn’t changed much over the three decades since we last ate there. There is still a counter along one side and tables for six along the other. The surrounding area has improved, however, and the Plateau was even named the trendiest neighbourhood in Montreal in the April Bon Appetit magazine.
The young man sitting beside me lives in California now but makes a pilgrimage to Schwartz’s every time he comes home for a visit. He and his friend were sharing a large plate of smoked meat for $10 and we decided to do the same. It came with a stack of rye bread and we ordered sides of fries, coleslaw and a dill pickle to share. Everything was excellent. By the time we were full our seatmates had almost demolished their second plate and were lamenting the fate of les Canadiens and were even expressing sorrow that our Leafs had been defeated too. We learned that it isn’t worthwhile to order a small plate because it is only half the size but costs only $1.50 less. Smoked meat comes in lean, medium and fat and is tastiest as the fat content increases but for health concerns don’t go beyond medium, the insider’s choice. We ended up taking our remaining smoked meat with us to enjoy with scrambled eggs at breakfast. That’s where our fridge for storage and microwave to take the chill off came in handy.
Sunday morning we stopped at Schwartz’s again to pick up smoked meat to take back to Ontario. There was no lineup at all at 10am. The friendly staff recommended buying it sliced and cold at $10 a pound rather than a couple of large plates as I had planned. Warm costs slightly more and would have not been ideal for our cooler. I asked where to find authentic Montreal bagels for my husband and we was directed to drive about nine blocks north to Fairmount Street, turn west and watch for a green porch. Fairmount Bagel at 74 Fairmount West turned out to be a bagel factory behind a small storefront offering “over 20 varieties of bagels, rolled by hand and baked in a wood-fired oven, 24 hours a day”. No wonder people double parked their vehicles in front to pick up their bagels and probably supply their neighbours and relatives as well judging by the many bags they lugged away.
Schwartz’s: http://www.schwartzsdeli.com/index2.html
Fairmount Bagel: http://www.fairmountbagel.com/
Apr 19th, 2007, 09:12 AM
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Thanks for your kind comments, wow!
The family part of the weekend gave us some unique insights into the juxtaposition of Anglophone and francophone cultures in Quebec. As everywhere else we went in Montreal this visit, people were bilingual and switched fluently between both national languages. Although I studied French for six years in high school and university there isn’t much chance to practice French while living in Toronto so I greatly envy this ability.
It took us only 20 minutes on Saturday morning to drive from our downtown hotel to a large, Protestant church in the suburbs. During the memorial service the mood was upbeat and positive. There were many participants. Some spoke in English and some spoke in French, whichever was most comfortable, and the hymns combined verses of both. Before and afterwards we were greeted by our uncle and cousins in the "bisou-bisou" Québécois double kiss style, first on the right cheek, then on the left.
Googling this to make sure I had the cheek order correctly, I found a lovely photo of a kiss on Mount Royal: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lesec/1...n/set-1456253/
When I get a chance I'll write about our strolls around the old city and our other great meals at Le Steak Frites Saint-Paul and Brunoise.
The family part of the weekend gave us some unique insights into the juxtaposition of Anglophone and francophone cultures in Quebec. As everywhere else we went in Montreal this visit, people were bilingual and switched fluently between both national languages. Although I studied French for six years in high school and university there isn’t much chance to practice French while living in Toronto so I greatly envy this ability.
It took us only 20 minutes on Saturday morning to drive from our downtown hotel to a large, Protestant church in the suburbs. During the memorial service the mood was upbeat and positive. There were many participants. Some spoke in English and some spoke in French, whichever was most comfortable, and the hymns combined verses of both. Before and afterwards we were greeted by our uncle and cousins in the "bisou-bisou" Québécois double kiss style, first on the right cheek, then on the left.
Googling this to make sure I had the cheek order correctly, I found a lovely photo of a kiss on Mount Royal: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lesec/1...n/set-1456253/
When I get a chance I'll write about our strolls around the old city and our other great meals at Le Steak Frites Saint-Paul and Brunoise.
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