Montreal in June
 

Hi all....

I'm planning a trip to Montreal, and I'd like to visit before the Jazz Fest (for my first time to the city, I'd rather not share it with many thousands of other people). Is the middle of June a nice time? I definitely want to do the jet boating down the Lachine rapids, so warmer weather is a must.

I live in NY, so Montreal is a hop, skip and a jump away. I don't know why I've waited so long to visit - I'm already anxious to be there. I look forward to trying out my French and to eating my way through the many restaurants. I'm sure I'll have more questions when I complete my research, but if anyone can help me out here, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks!!

I could probably put forward a legitimate argument that June is the best time in Montreal. Before the summer crowds, but wqarm enough for the sidewalk cafes.

Late June is probably better than early June. Warmer.

Plan your eating; Montreal has a long Jewish tradition, which means great bagels and smoked meat. As a new Yorker, this is your chance to compare and contrast. The Jewish population of Montreal was behind the success of many great Chinese restaurants, too.

Your plan should include at least ine Blow-out top of the line no holds barred gourmet meets elegant extravaganza. Perhaps Les Halles or Chex La Mere Michel, or even (one of my favorites) the Beaver Club in the Queen Elizabeth.

Then set up at least three kinds of ethnic; take your choices from Greek, Chinese, Thai, Haitian/West Indian, Italian, assorted Eastern European, and assorted non-French, non-Italian Western European.

After that, one Italian from the range-- Italian restuartnts in Montreal range from red and white checked tablecloths and a woman you are supposed to call Momma, to the most elegant and refined.

And finally, pick you spot, or spots, on the French spectrum. In Montreal, there's French imported from France, and French inspired by the Quebec Heritage (more kinds of Onion soup at the latter) and the Fench-French seem priced middle to high, and the Quebec French priced at all levels.

You might miake a French Fries chart, rating then from really, relly good to wonderful. You can tell by looking in the wondow whioch ones don't have a minimum standard of really, really good.

Montreal is a dressy town; as a new Yorker you'll be fine with this.

YOu might think about having dinner in one restaurant and then going for a walk, and then having dessert in another restaurant.

For a toruist with varied tastes, Montreal cannot be beat as a destination.

BAK

wow, what a great response. Thanks, BAK!

I love planning the food part of my vacations - I have the most fun doing that! I've heard that Montreal smoked meat is quite different from good Jewish pastrami, so I'm looking forward to trying that.

Whenever I travel, I do like to include at least one fine dining choice. I've heard Le Chronique is excellent.....unfortunately, their menu is only in French, and I don't understand enough of the language to see what kind of food I can expect. Have you been there? I hadn't looked at your other choices - I'll definitely check them out.

I was planning, truthfully, to skip Italian food this trip. I love Italian, but I can get plenty of that on Long Island or in NYC. However, I definitely want to try some ethnic places.

So far, this is my list:

Chez L'Epicier
Ferreira Cafe
Au Pied de Cochon
Brunois
Savannah
Stash* I've read good reviews of this in guide books, but I prefer to rely more on locals via message boards, etc. I haven't read too much about Stash on-line. Is this a good choice for a Polish fix?

I'm having a tougher time with the French restaurants, oddly enough. I guess because there are so many of them.

I've heard good things about Lemeac - is that any good?

If there's any restaurants I'm missing, please let me know. I love doing this kind of research.

Thanks!!

June 24 is St. Jean Baptiste holiday; a lot is closed no matter which day it is; I did not like au pied de cochon personally, I would not bother if I were you.

For summer dining, I would bend your rule on italian food and go to Il Cortille on Sherbrooke st. west, near Guy, their outdoor terrace/courtyard is a dream and their food is excellent, very refined italian.

La Mere Michel and Les Halles are very good; so is Guy and Dodo Moralis.

Weather permitting, Cafe Cherrier terrace would bring you in the St. Denis street area
which is a good strolling area full of interesting shops.

I would agree that you would be best off skipping Montreal's Italian restaurants to focus on French and other outstanding cuisines. Instead of, or in addition to, Stash's, for your Polish fix I strongly recommend Mazurka, on Prince Arthur just around the corner from St-Laurent. Prince Arthur is a pedestrian-only street, a lively, fun area to walk around at night, and the food is authentic, cheap, and delicious, with pierogis handmade moments before they're served. June pre-jazz-fest is a good time to visit, because hotels often have good rates before they jack them up to an annual high for the jazz fest. Montreal bagels are infinitely better than the New York version, and are fresh-baked at numerous locations.

Thanks, Mitchdesj and Lois - your tips will come in very handy, especially that about St. Jean Baptiste Day. I'll try to schedule my trip so that it doesn't coincide with the holiday. I really want to be in town on a Saturday so that I can see the fireworks.

I definitely look forward to trying Montreal bagels. I tend to avoid bagels because they are so tough to chew; I normally go for bialys. Actually, Montreal bagels sound a bit like flagels, which are flat bagles (without the dough)..and I love flagels!

I must make a comment on Montreal bagels - I don't like 'em! I LOVE Montreal, it's one of my favorite cities in the world, and the dining is always a high point of our stays there. However, I spent the first 35 years of my life in the shadow of New York, and I do like a good bagel. Montreal bagels have absolutely no salt in them , and are somewhat cakey in texture - very different from the chewy New York bagels. Interestingly, we have friends who grew up in Brooklyn New York who love Montreal bagels. Go figure!

Don't forget that June 12th is the Grand Prix. All hotel rooms for that weekend is probably already booked and pricey.

zootsi, ah! the great bagel debate; ny vs mtl.

Fairmount and st viateur are the best bagel makers in mtl, imo; they are chewy also, certainly not cakey...... flat and uneven.

Where should I sample the best ny bagels, I'll be there a few days next week ?

One of my guide books mentioned that Jean Baptiste day is a pretty big deal, that Quebecers (is that the right term?) celebrate it more than they do Canada Day. I wouldn't mind not being able to go to some attractions if there's a festival going on - are there any special happenings or fun events on that day? Thanks!

I wish I could help re: NY bagels, but I don't eat a lot of them. One thing I think that NY has going for it is that the water is so good. When I go on vacation, I notice that the water in other cities has a strange taste - not in NY. That partially explains why the bagels are so good.

Of the restaurants you list I have been to four. All are good.
Chez L'Epicier: An old favourite for us. I have had nice game dishes here. Nice selection of wines by the glass. Handy for lunch if you are in the old town. Open Sundays.
Cafe Ferreira: Great seafood. Expensive.
Au Pied de Cochon: For meat lovers, not vegetarians!
Brunois: Good food, good value.

Unless your french is fairly good you may have little opportunity to try it out as most people working in service work in Montreal speak English. In my experience taxi drivers are often an exception to the above rule.

Enjoy your trip.