We had visited Western Canada on our honeymoon and fell in love with Vancouver (a post for another day). However, we had never considered Quebec despite the obvious connections between Acadians and Cajuns. So, we planned a two week trip that encompassed one week in Montreal and one week in ville de Quebec. Those two weeks transformed our lives. We have become Montreal Junkies!

To compare Montreal to Paris is like comparing carob to chocolate – something you just shouldn’t do! Although chocolate and carob share comments elements, they offer completely different sensations. Carob offers a sweet, earthy flavor while chocolate delivers rich, smooth, and bitter notes. Although Montreal is a French speaking city and has the charm of a European city, Montreal offers a unique and wonderful experience. Montreal’s charm takes over you in a subtle fashion. Without realizing it, you are lured in the Montreal lifestyle, which is engaging and earthy, sweet yet healthy. There is a pace to Montreal that allows you to simply become part of its community.

We have returned almost every summer since our first stay in Montreal. For the first 4 years, we rented a flat in Le Plateau, the really hip and happening hub. Our days were spent exploring the diverse neighborhoods, discovering great food, looking for super-cool Montreal clothes designers, shopping at the incredible Marché Jean Talon, and visiting the many wonderful museums, galleries, parks and gardens that abound in this super-sophisticated, yet down-to-earth, city.

Last summer, we decided to live in a neighborhood that was closer to the Jean Talon market so that we could start everyday with freshly boiled sweet corn-on-the-cob swathed with butter (breakfast of champions). This allowed us to discover new neighborhoods, that were much more working class, but equally as vibrant.

Our last visit simply confirmed my belief that Montreal is a vibrant, emerging city that will always have something new to offer. However, there is also a stability to Montreal, which ensures that certain things will always be there when we return. Montreal reminds me of the corny camp song I use to sing – make new friends but keep the old!

The following links are a few of the best links to get you started with your journey to Montreal. The other posts will feature “1wrongturn” destinations and favorite spots.

General websites: When getting oriented, I use general websites. I like those that allow me to identify activities, restaurants, etc., by neighborhood. Here are a few that I like:
www.tourisme-montreal.org – à la Montréal. The following pages are really helpful:
- Travel Information/Getting Around – GREAT neighborhood maps in PDF
- What to Do – activities, events, attractions by activity type and neighborhood
- Discover – general highlights of Montreal & GREAT ITINERARIES
www.sitebits.com. I really like their choice of attractions and restaurants.

Getting around: The metro lines shut down around 12:30 a.m., after which the system shifts over to night bus lines until around 5:30 a.m. The STM ticketing system uses the Opus smart card and one-trip magnetic cards. A single fare for the bus and metro is $2.75. Bus drivers don’t make change or sell tickets, but all metro stations have manned ticket booths. There is a tourist card that gives full access; day cost – $9 and 3 day cost – $17.
www.stm.info Metro and Bus info.
www.montreal.bixi.com. I have never used this. However, Montreal is very bike friendly and this looks like a great way to get around town.

Festivals: Montreal is the city of festivals.
www.montreal.com/tourism/festivals – This is a calendar of festivals for 2010.

Rue Bernard in Outremont compliments of spacingmontreal.com

Everyday is an adventure in Montreal. Whether you are into museums, shopping, gardening, films, music, food, sports, there is something for you in Montreal. I have cousins who visit Montreal for 3 months to participate in the Montreal World Film Festival. They may see as many as 3 movies in a day!

As I mentioned in Montreal Eating, I have only visited the city in summer when people are biking, hiking, walking, running, swimming – you name it. However, what I have heard is that Montreal transforms itself in Winter into a sportsperson paradise. At lunchtime, people snap on their skies and head for the slopes. The following are my tried & true Summer activities in Montreal:

Neighborhood/streets that I like to explore:
Discover Montreal’s list of neighborhoods.

Le Plateau including Mont Royal, St. Denis, St. Laurent and Rue Prince Arthur (walking tour map): This hip neighborhood has lots of shops, restaurants, and cafes. The best métro stop is the Mont-Royal station. I would recommend just walking up and down St. Denis and St. Laurent and the streets in-between the two. Rue Prince-Arthur is a fun pedestrian street is filled with bars and restaurants. Five short blocks later, rue Prince-Arthur ends at Square St-Louis. This public garden plaza is framed by attractive row houses erected for well-to-do Francophones in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Thanks to TurnhereTravel.com for producing this great video.

Mile End/St. Viateur Street is contained by rue St-Laurent on the east, avenue Du Parc on the west, rue Bernard in the north, and boulevard St-Joseph on the south. St. Viateur Street was once a Polish ghetto. Today, the Mile End is a funky, artsy neighborhood with cafes, restaurants, indie shops and is the home of the famous St. Viateur bagel shop. Welcome to Mile End on urbanphoto.net is a thorough post on the neighborhoods with fantastic photos.

Another great TurnhereTravel.com video. “>

Outremont, located on the western ends of rues Laurier and Bernard, is a tree-lined, elegant neighborhood with great restaurants, galleries, shops and 20 parks dotting the landscape. It is home to Le Bilbouquet, the delicious glacier that I write about in Montreal Eating.

Plaza St. Hubert, close to the Jean Talon Market, is one of the craziest, diverse, interesting shopping malls that you will find (map). It has everything from fancy ball gowns and wedding dresses, hip-hop urban clothes and fetish stockings to candy stores, cafes, and toy stores. The streets are heated in the winter so you can shop all year ’round. I love this place!

Museums:
Montreal has a plethora of museums, from fine art to Montreal history. Musees Montreal presents a complete list of museums. Here are a few of my favorites:

Musée des Beaux-Arts (Museum of Fine Arts) – The modern annex on the left side of Rue Sherbrooke was added in 1991 and is connected to the original stately Beaux Arts building (1912) across the street by an underground tunnel that doubles as a gallery.

Centre Canadien d’Architecture (CCA) is an international research centre and museum on the conviction that architecture is a public concern. Based on its extensive Collection, exhibitions, programs, and research opportunities, the CCA is a leading voice in advancing knowledge, promoting public understanding, and widening thought and debate on architecture, its history, theory, practice, and role in society today. This museum ALWAYS has interesting exhibits that are really well curated!

Musée McCord has an eclectic and often eccentric collection of over a million objects, images, and manuscripts. Folk art, beaded costumes, photographs, fine-china place settings, and more reveal elements of city and rural life from the 18th to the 20th century, and Amerindians are well represented.

Map of Downtown Montreal Museum District Don’t forget to stop by Nocochi for some cookies and coffee to rest your weary feet.

I am an historic house museum junkie and I not ashamed to admit it.

Château Ramezay Museum, located in Old Montreal, offers provides a glimpse of 500 years of Montréal and Québec history through its exhibitions and the Governor’s Garden. The small exhibits are always interesting.

Maison Saint-Gabriel’s 300-year-old house is one of the finest examples of the traditional architecture of New France. Maison Saint-Gabriel portrays the various aspects of rural life in the 17th century and the extraordinary adventure of the King’s Wards. This museum is rather difficult to reach (metro and bus and walking) but well worth the effort. The docents are excellent.

Outdoor Activities:
Jardin Botanique/Montréal Botanical Garden is a wonderful place. What can I say besides – dahlias bigger than your face and cypress bonsai smaller than the dahlias. A must for gardeners and non-gardeners alike!

The Olympic Park complex, a crazy architectural feat, was built to accommodate the 1976 Summer Games. Since then, people visit the facilities, either to admire the magnificent views from the Observatory, located at the top of the world’s tallest inclined tower, to attend a sporting event or trade show at the Stadium or work out at our new Sports Centre. Swimming in the olympic-sized pool is wild.

The Lachine Outdoor Sculpture Museum is a permanent exhibit that includes close to fifty monumental sculptures created by renowned artists, both local and foreign. A visit to this outdoor museum (as well as the historical Lachine Museum) is a great outing. A bit out of the way, here is a link for directions.

Parc la Fontaine is Plateau Mont-Royal’s biggest park. It has ponds, the Théâtre de Verdure open-air venue, sports fields, a dog park, picnic areas and playgrounds, wading pools, several pieces of memorial statuary and many trees including numerous imposingly huge poplars. Bike paths run along the park’s western and northern edges. In wintertime a large section of the pond is cleared for skating with the park chalet functioning as changing room and snack bar; there’s also a hockey rink. If you are going to picnic, stop by La Vieille Europe at 3855, Rue St. Laurent, a gourmet store where you can buy cheese, chocolate, meats, sausages, soups, coffees, breads from all over Europe.

One thing that stands out about the food in Montreal is that there is an incredible freshness, all around. Regardless of the ethnicity, restaurants feature local produce, dairy, and meats, soups and pastas are homemade and pastries are fresh out of the oven. There is tremendous amount of pride in their food, from the local poutine restaurant to the finest dining establishment.

I want to point out that I have only visited Montreal in the summer (I don’t think that my thin, southern blood could handle the winter temperatures). Therefore, my eating experiences are limited to the wonderful summer fruits, outdoor dining, and lovely, sweet summer corn. I would be interested to hear other’s winter eating experiences of cozy restaurants, warm soups and hearty meals.

The following are some of my favorites. Below my favorites is a list of other’s favorites and great websites for Montreal Eating.

Farmers Markets:
Montreals’ Farmers Markets offer a virtual cornucopia of local produce, seafood & meats, fresh pastas, artisanal cheeses, homemade breads, ice creams, maple products and more, as well as restaurants, cafes and stores to buy local/regional products. We like to start our mornings at a market for breakfast and end our day buying food for dinner. Very often, we will purchase a basket or two of fresh raspberries or cerise de terres (the most amazing little fruit, aka ground cherry) and eat them throughout the day. Markets are also great places to put together a picnic when you plan on taking advantage of one of the wonderful parks in Montreal (see Montreal Outdoors).

marchespublics-mtl.com is the official market site but I find it a bit difficult to navigate. About.com has a good, comprehensive listing. There are 4 major markets:
Marché Jean-Talon (map) that is located in Petit Patrie, aka Little Italy.
Marché Atwater (map)
Marché Maisonneuve (map)
Marché Lachine (map)
We have always stayed close to Marché Jean Talon. When you visit, you MUST eat an ear of corn that is dripping with butter. Other than that, it is all wonderful. On the outside corner of Jean Talon market is a great store called Le Marché des Saveurs du Québec, which sells regional foods, products, etc. It is a virtual 1-stop-shop for gifts.

Two favorites in Petite Patrie/Little Italy:
Casa Napoli is the quintessential Italian restaurant – grotto, Venus de Milo statues, singers and great food! 6728, boul. St. Laurent near the corner of Rue St. Zotique.
Restaurant Mary is a corner bistro that does not look like much. But, the food is great and the service is always friendly. 6700, boul. St. Laurent at the corner of St. Zotique.

Le Plateau:

Delicious vegetarian Thai dinner at Chuchi courtesy of Peacockchic.com

Laurier/Outremont:
Pâtisserie de Gascogne. I could eat here everyday. There are several locations – I always go to the shop on Rue Laurier (map). Last summer, my daughter and I had breakfast there and she had tiramisu (WE WERE ON VACATION). She still talks about the chocolate shell. The atmosphere is inviting and the food is fresh and delicious. I can’t get enough of their salad de celeriac. Yum, yum and more yum.
Glacier Bilbouquet in the lovely tree-lined Outremont neighborhood. Ice cream that is yummy, yummy and more yummy. The line of people snakes around the block but it is worth the wait. The locations is 1311, ave Bernard Ouest (map)

Downtown:
Nocochi: This is a charming and elegant cafe at 2156 rue Mackay on the corner of Sherbrooke specializes in light breakfast/lunch fare and offers lovely little, multi-colored Persian cookies.

Lovely little cookies from Nocochi courtesy sitebits.com

Vegetarian throughout Montreal: Commensal is a great vegetarian food buffet, with throughout the city.. You load up your tray but be careful because you pay per kilo. Try the poppyseed cake for dessert.

Recommendations from other blogs and websites:
Well Fed and Socially Conscious in Montreal on www.madatornights.com. Great overall travel site and specific article features a few delicious vegetarian restos.

Pubs on St. Elisabeth. Winter, spring, summer and fall – pubs are the place to be in Montreal. Go Canadian beers!

Santrapol is a charming cafe, very close to Mont Royal (map), which serves great sandwiches, breakfasts, desserts, etc. The ambiance is charming and includes a lush terrace that is open in warmer months.

Bagels – Montreal is famous for its bagels. Most famous are Fairmont Bagel and St. Viateur Bagel.

Poutine is a traditional Montreal delicacy consisting of french fries, cheese curd and gravy. You can have down home poutine or dressed up poutine with fois gras. Montrealpoutine.com has a great review of several poutine restaurants.

Famous Restaurants
Au Pied Cochon
Toqué

Jeans, Jeans, Jeans – There is no type of denim in the world that can’t be found at this store in the in the basement of an office building, just off the beaten path in the Mile End. You can ask for rainbow acid washed jeans with rhinestone butterfly appliques and they will have it! The BEST part is that the prices are great and they will hem your jeans, ON THE SPOT, for free. All because I took 1wrongturn.

Map to Jeans, Jeans, Jeans

5525 de Gaspé Ave.
514-279-3303

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