Megan's Foodie Adventures in Montreal

For spring break, I had the absolute pleasure of spending five days in Montreal with my good friend Madi. While it may not have been the most typical college spring break venture, it was absolutely incredible. One of the best aspects of the trip was the food, so naturally I thought I'd write about it on the blog! Fun fact: Montreal has the most restaurants per capita of any city in North America, so there was not shortage of amazing food to find. This fact was evident as soon as we stepped off the plane, as I have never seen that many different restaurants of that many different cuisines and cultures in such a short distance. Our hotel was situated on a quaint street in Old Montreal that was relatively deserted in Montreal's off-season, but there were still restaurants every couple of feet just waiting to serve us delicious food. Madi and I couldn't believe the various different types of cuisines that could be found all over Montreal. Naturally, we expected to see many French bistros and cafes. However, there was also a number of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and even Portuguese restaurants all over the city! I had never seen a Portuguese restaurant before! One of the most interesting aspects of the trip was all the different kinds of foods that we got to eat. While we did spend plenty of time in cute French cafes and indulging in poutine, I also experienced delicious foods of cultures that were not even remotely Canadian! Below I will post some of the highlights of my wonderful culinary experience in French Canada! Enjoy!

This photo is from our first meal at an adorable cafe in Old Montreal called Olive et Gourmando. All of the travel books and websites say that you simply must get Le Cubain, a cuban sandwich that the cafe is known for. So, of course I did! It was one of the best sandwiches I have ever had. The bread was ridiculously soft and the ham was perfectly tender. Definitely a must-go in Montreal.

This right here is "The Chocolate Medley," a brownie a la mode with rich chocolate sauce on the side for pouring that I got at an adorable chocolate cafe known as Juliette et Chocolat. This was, hands down, the best brownie I have ever tasted in my entire life. As both a foodie and an intense chocolate lover, understand that I do not say these things lightly. The brownie was perfectly soft and each bite was exploding with chocolatey flavor. The most impressive part of the dessert was the ice cream. Even though it was sitting atop a hot brownie, not to mention the hot chocolate sauce that I poured over it, it didn't melt into a puddle of muck! I have never seen ice cream hold its own like this, and it was absolutely delicious. The fact that the ice cream didn't immediately melt gave me extra time to enjoy the whole dish. Hands down the best dessert spot in Montreal.

Pictured here is the London Fog and blueberry scone that I had at the adorable Le Salon Cardinal, a tea shop on Saint-Laurent. Being a major Earl Grey enthusiast, I cannot believe this was my first experience with a London Fog! The drink is essentially a hot Earl Grey latte, with steamed milk and a little bit of vanilla syrup. I am addicted, and now on the search for a comparable London Fog in Chicago. The blueberry scone was also one of the best scones I have ever had, with a perfect dusting of sugar on the outer crust.

Before our trip, Madi and I came across a coupon for a four-course meal and belly dance show at a North African restaurant in the Latin Quarter. The dinner and entertainment ended up being absolutely excellent and one of the highlights of my trip to Montreal. One of the best parts was the baklava dessert, which was the best baklava I have ever had. I have been to numerous Moroccan restaurants that serve baklava, but this was without a doubt the champion. The outer crust was perfectly flaky and the inner filling was exploding with sweet flavor. An excellent random find! 

On Sunday, after a long morning of hiking up Mont Royal, Madi and I opted for some cheap and authentic Middle-Eastern food near McGill University's campus. The place was the perfect family-owned hole-in-the-wall and totally hit the spot after an active morning. I ordered the falafel wrap and potatoes with garlic sauce. The falafel was extremely flavorful and the wrap was perfectly filling. The potatoes were good on their own but after you added the garlic dipping sauce: game over. So delicious. By the time the meal was over I felt completely replenished. It might not have been even remotely French or Canadian, but it was definitely one of my favorite meals in Montreal.

Finally, last but CERTAINLY not least... Montreal's greatest delicacy, poutine. Montreal is known for this amazing dish that traditionally includes a plate of french fries topped with cheese curds and gravy, so Madi and I were determined to find the best poutine around. Most of the tourist blogs seem to agree that La Banquise is the best place for traditional poutine in Montreal, so we decided to go with that. My extremely high expectations were exceeded. The fries were ample and delicious, the cheese curds perfect, and the gravy warm and gooey. The fact that La Banquise is one of the few establishments in Montreal that is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week makes it all the more enjoyable at 1 am after a long night out. No matter what your tastes are, if you are in Montreal you MUST get poutine at some point. There are all kinds of variations for every different palate and I assure you that you are bound to find one that sends you into foodie ecstasy.

All in all, my trip to Montreal was the culinary experience of a lifetime. Since I was only there for five days, I do not even think I touched the tip of the iceberg that is the food that Montreal has to offer, but I was still amazed. No matter what your tastes are, Montreal has something delicious for you. As college students on a budget, Madi and I didn't feel particularly inclined to go to the more upscale French bistros. However, we were still able to find delicious, authentic meals at a complete bargain price. If you have the opportunity to visit Canada, I highly recommend Montreal! Bon appetite!