Montreal (page 4)
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Montreal is an island city divided into an ever-shifting number of boroughs
(arrondissements) - a fact that is all but irrelevant for most visitors
because, essentially, only two of them are must-visit destinations.
Montreal The first, the borough of Ville Marie, comprises the neighborhoods of Old Montreal (typically #1 destination for tourists), Downtown Montreal (typically #2) and a host of somewhat lesser-known areas: Cité Multimédia, Chinatown, Shaughnessy Village, Quartier des Spectacles, Quartier International and Quartier Latin. The second borough, Plateau Mont-Royal, although light on attractions, is a must-visit because, for one, it represents more accurately how most Montrealers really live and, second, because it contains a big proportion of the city's restaurants. Confusingly, the name of the main neighborhood in this borough is Le Plateau Mont-Royal, most often abbreviated to Le Plateau. Besides this namesake, the borough includes the neighborhoods of Mile End and McGill Ghetto.  |
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A staggering number of chain cafes and coffee shops in Montreal
haven't yet cornered the market on favoured hangouts. We Montrealers
enjoy our home-grown locales. Café Utopik is such a place that seems
to thrive on its independent situation...
“MMMMMM!" was the exclamation of pleasure from a life-long New Yorker
when first sampling Montreal bagels. This was high praise indeed. This Long-Islander went on to concede that these bagels even rivaled New York's otherwise unrivaled bagels. Montrealers have known for some time that
their bagels were world class. In fact, beyond smoked meat and poutine,
perhaps no food characterizes Montreal more than its bagels. Like their
smoked meat brethren, Montreal bagels are originally a contribution of
the city's sizeable Jewish community. And just as debate might wage
between smoked meat at Shwartz's or The Main, a similar competition
exists between Montreal's top bagel bakeries, Fairmount and St Viateur...
As a Mexican, I am instinctively drawn to anything Latin and even anything
with a Spanish word in the title. I turn my head every time I hear my native language and I am definitely guilty of buying overpriced Mexican groceries
(jalapeños, frijoles, tortillas, etc.) from those little
depanneurs on St-Lawrence. (I am not complaining, though, as
I would die without my jalapeños!...)
I awoke one morning after a night on the town with a desperate craving for a fast, filling, delicious breakfast to indulge my palate and soothe my aching stomach. Fortunately, the decision of where to go was easy: Dusty's, on the corner of du Parc and Mont Royal...
I've met quite a few people in Montreal, and all of them surprised me with the same statement: "I've never been to La Grande Bibliothèque".
Worse, that would happen immediately after I'd answer the most common question, which is: "What have you liked the most in Montreal so far?"
La Grande Bibliothèque is definitely one of the top things on my list
and when I mention it many people seem surprised...
The plaster dust from recent renovations has finally settled at Holt Renfrew, arguably the finest department store in Montreal. The store is shinier than ever, and designer clothing and fine perfumes await your every glance. However, if like me your idea of a good time doesn't usually include shopping, then you are in luck - Holt Renfrew is also home to unarguably some of the best in-store dining in the city. In fact, the basement Cafe Holt is a destination in itself, and not just for weary shoppers as I imagined.
Le Convivial's chef Emmanuel Nozati did his magic again last night
with his delicious five-course meal and a carefully selected list of matching wines.
Traditionally considered to be a classic "outing with the kids," apple picking is fun for really big kids, too (I happen to fall into the second category). The perfect place is only a half hour drive from Montreal, right next to Oka Park (for those of you who are familiar with its pristine beaches).
