Two Countries and Three Cities in Two Weeks

Special to Ferronlandia: Guest Bloggers Viva and Jonathan eat their way down the East Coast, starting in Montreal.

Best place to stay in Montreal, pronounced Mont(insert gurgle sound)eal: Plateau District
Imagine San Francisco’s Mission district if all the locals were bilingual and nice. This is the Plateau neighborhood in Montreal. Here you’ll find yourself surrounded by eerily familiar café and restaurant culture, thrift stores and natural food markets, hip shoes, side parts and vintage spectacles. Yet, the French influence is intrinsic in the rhythm and pace of the city as a whole. We found ourselves settling easily into a very European daily routine.
First things first, a chocolate croissant (or pain au chocolat) is mandatory before even thinking about looking through the travel book and planning the day. There are many boulangerie’s to choose from but the best is always the one that’s closest to your front door. In our case, we frequented ‘Boulangerie Mr. Pinchot’. Address: 4354 Brebeuf (corner Mont-Royal).
After you’ve inhaled your French pastry, you’ll be longing for your precious blue bottle, ritual or four barrel $2.50 light roast espresso. In the Plateau, cafes are pervasive but Flocon is the standout for the coffee snob.

Serving up Redline (Chicago) and Stumptown (Portland, OR) beans and in a long narrow shop with a simple décor, it’s obvious that the coffee is the main attraction. It’s not a study hall or even a hang out, it’s a tasteful and simple way to start your day of sightseeing… and eating. Plus, if you’re a true coffee geek, you know that the machinery behind the counter is a good gauge of how serious a place takes their coffee, and Flocon. Is. Serious.

But don’t think your morning routine is over yet. Walk to the Mile End district to see the old Jewish Quarter. Surprisingly, this is also the home of the best bagels on earth. St. Viateur Bagels is the oldest bagel shop in the whole city. They offer wood oven baked bagels and while you’re trying to decide which flavor to get, you can watch them make the next batch right in front of you. With a touch of honey baked in there’s no need for shmear. Just eat.



If you’re a west coast vegetarian, or are dating one, down the street from St. Viateur is your next stop for sure. Don’t leave this neighborhood without getting your grub on at Aux Vivres. Your vegetarian companion will be thrilled to find that everything on the menu is sans produit animal, and the place takes pride in offering only fresh, locally grown food – a trend gaining more popularity on the east coast. The Burger Aux Vivres was the best veggie burger we’ve ever tasted and came with their horseradish coleslaw (which was amazing) and fries, which were big slices of warm heaven dipped in homemade spicy ketchup. (Burger and the chili pictured below.)

Now you’re ready. Hop on the Metro and go walk around Vieux Montreal, the old part of town. After you’ve toured the cobblestoned streets, seen a few eccentric street performers and awed at the Basilique Notre Dame, go to Pizzédélic and try their cheesy French Onion Soup and a couple slices of the L’infern Pizza. Pizza here has a thin crust reminiscent of matzoh crackers, yet still mouthwatering and comforting. Address: 39 Rue Notre Dame Ouest Montreal (one of three locations).

Just a few blocks from Pizzédélic, next to the Palais de Congrés and within walking distance, is the Chinatown district. A couple of blocks long, closed off to cars and full of great little nick-knacks and eateries. After your pizza dinner, you’ll be ready for a taste of something sweet and Chinatown does not fail in that department. Don’t let the cluster of tourists deter you from trying Dragon’s Beard Candy from the guy behind the counter at the brightly lit stand on the first block of Rue de la Gauchetiere. Looking like sugar coated cotton balls, ‘these unusual candies were once made only for the Emperors of China at state banquets’ according to the explanation written on the counter. There’s a particular way to eat these candies, and for $0.75 it’s well worth the adventure that’s about to take over your entire mouth.



A perfect close to the evening of a perfect day of eating would be to stop by Reservoir on your way back to your place in the Plateau. Located close to the Mont-Royal station at the heart of the Plateau neighborhood, this brasserie artisanale features their own beers served from the barrel or in bottles. The pilsner is delicious as is their dry stout that tastes like black coffee. This is a real treat for the beer enthusiast and a great way to taste the flavor of Montreal (plus, they have great snacks if you’re hungry again). http://brasseriereservoir.ca./

Bon voyage et Bon Appetit!
Next stop: Boston.

Note from Ferron: Aren’t these photos are amazing? That’s because Viva is damn good with a camera, check out her blog here.