Eating out in Montreal
 

PLEASE help me decide where to eat out on my trip to Montreal next week.
I will be staying at the Sofitel and crave simple inexpensive food that is walking distance from the hotel.
Any good smoked meat places close by?
Also, is there a grocery store close to the hotel? I am looking for a Whole Foods and a traditional BIG grocery store so I can get some Ketchup Chips to bring back to Texas.
Thanks and happy Cinco De Mayo from Texas!

Hi Tx, I topped a Montreal Restaurant thread for you.

Surely you're kidding about the ketchup chips. In Quebec, BIG grocery stores are not traditional. Easier to find are depanneurs, little convenience stores; or the really excellent bakeries which are hard to find anywhere in the U.S., including New York. For a real treat, take back a couple dozen Montreal bagels (I think the nearest bakery to the Sofitel would be in the market at the corner of Guy and Ste-Catherine. Or walk west from the Sofitel along rue Sherbrooke to La premiere Moisson, one of the best deli/bakeries in town, just past the corner of Redpath, for baguettes/pate/pastries, etc., etc. For a real treat in food shopping, visit the Atwater Market. Sorry, but the mediocre quality of Whole Foods would never make it in Montreal, where the standards are much higher. Oh, I nearly forgot--Quebec raspberries, in season very soon, are like nothing you've ever tasted. Whole Foods does not carry produce of the quality you can find at a Montreal market.

Hi Txtravel Pro-It's on St. Denis street but you could hop on a bus and sample outstanding crepes & onion soup at Le Triskell(excellent)
and Schwartz' for smoked meat is wonderful but it is on St. Laurent-both inexpensive and delicious but not quite walking distance for the Sofitel(great choice)
La Premiere Moisson is wonderful as well & close to you. We DO have plenty of supermarkets-again if you hop on a bus or take a nice walk to Metro supermarket on Sherbrooke & Victoria you can easily buy your Ketchup chips-no problem or a depanneur may sell them(not that hard to find)

Thanks for the help.
I think I will head to Schwartz ...
Whole Foods may be mediocre but at least they are consistantly mediocre.
I travel every week and I cannot tell you how disappointed I am with most 4 and 5 star restaurants. As a classically trained chef (from Texas, mind you) I crave very simple foods. Whole Foods has a decent variety of cheeses and I can always find my favorite chilled Tazo, Republic of Tea and Honest Teas.
Re the Ketchup chips... I am serious! My daughter loves them and she takes them to school where the kids cannot believe that chips are actually Ketchup flavored! My ex-husband wants me to get St. Hubert gravy mixes (yuk) and my co-workers want 222's. A big grocery store is just the ticket... and I have seen many big stores in Quebec, I am just not certain how far out one would be from the Sofitel.
Crepes... ahhh... I just love them! Are the crepes in Montreal as good as the crepes in Paris? I can't resist regardless!
Any other specialties of Montreal near-by? Any good Tourtiere?
Anything but poutine!

Schwartz Hebrew Delicatessen(842-4813)on 3895 St. Laurent;Laurier Barbecue-381 Laurier West;Le Triskell-3470 St. Denis(281-1012)
You may be near a Provigo(supermarket)at 1953 Ste. Catherine,The big names in grocery chains are Provigo,Metro,IGA & Loblaws-you will find all the chips you want. Are the crepes as good as in Paris-I haven't been to Paris in quite some time but they "are" good.

You aren't that far from these grocery stores and pharmacies sell them as well-i.e. Jean Coutu and Pharmaprix-all near you so don't worry.

You must go to Patisserie Duc De Lorraine-5002 Cote des Neiges(731-4128)-excellent-like in Paris-one of the favourites,try also Patisserie Belge(3485 du Parc,Patisserie De Gascogne-4825 Sherbrooke

Great information... thanks so much for the help.
If anyone comes up with anything else, let me know. I always enjoy travel to Canada, especially Quebec.
I can't wait to go to a Lush store... and escape this incredible heat in Texas!

You will have a wonderful lunch at Patisserie Duc De Lorraine.
Dinner(inexpensive & nice)Le Jardin De Panos 521 Duluth E 521-4206;Restaurant Chez Gautier-3487 duParc(lunch or dinner);Chez Cora(breakfast or lunch)5670 Sherbrooke West or 1425 Stanley

La Premiere Moissan(also very good) another no that is fine(after this one) is Java U(just another idea not like the others but ok) on 1455 Guy-also close to you

Have fun!

For intersting, inexpensive restaurants, the Mt Royal plateau area is the place to go. There are many byob ethnic restaurants on and near Duluth St. and Prince Arthur St., most offer outdoor dining in warm weather.This is a very pleasant area to stroll around in nice weather and just choose a place that strikes you. One of my favorites is Le Jardin de Panos, on Duluth, a very lively byob place that has the best brochettes I've ever had anywhere.

Just don't anyone come back and equate Montreal restaurants with Paris - it's been tried before. Have a nice trip.

La premiere Moisson makes a good tourtiere; there is controversy as to which of the fabulous patisseries in Montreal is the best, but I would vote for patisserie de Gascogne. Worth a trip on the metro go get there. As for poutine, my kids have introduced it to their New York area friends, who all think it's an unbeatable meal. They make me bring cans of poutine gravy back from Montreal. Adults might take a dimmer view of this calorific Quebec specialty. Don't forget to try Quebec raspberries!

Glorychamps-some restaurants listed above

For Itleyen-are you the one who posts on the african section as well???