Smoked Meat and Montreal

I suppose this is one of the culinary treats Montreal is known for.

The definitive place to sample it is Schwartz's. Someone said to me when we walking around Montreal that if you walk by Schwartz's and there is no line up then you go in, even if you're not hungry. Shortly afterward we walked past Schwartz's and there was no line up (it was like 11:30 AM) and we went in. After we sat down and got the sandwich the place started filling up and a lineup was forming outside the door.

This is a place you go to eat and don't worry about the decor. The service is really quick. You ask for what you want and they bring it pretty quick. I ordered a corn beef sandwich with a coke. You could order the meat lean, medium or fat. I got the lean one. The sandwich comes packed with meat. I'm talking about a stack of meet that's like 3 to 4 inches in height, in between a couple of tiny slices of rye bread with some mustard. I haven't seen that much meat in a sandwich since Brother's closed down in Toronto. The tables got this mustard bottle so you can touch it up -- the mustard is a really nice accompaniment to the meat. I wouldn't have minded getting a pastrami sandwich to go, but I was pretty full (I had a big breakfast). I also wanted to sample the home fries and the cole slaw, but I probably would have thrown up if I tried to eat anymore. A sandwich and coke came out to like $7.35 with the taxes in, which is a great price considering how much meat you get.

It goes without saying that Schwartz's is a must visit if you to go to Montreal.

I was really full at lunch because of the big breakfast I had. I went to this place called Rueben's (its on St. Catherine). Has that diner look. I got there around 8:00 am or so. Mixed crowd, some anglo guys in suits, some french office chicks, and some other french guys dressed more casually.

I had the Reuben omelet, which is an omelet stuffed with smoked meat. It comes with home fries (cubes of potatoes), your choice of toast (i picked whole wheat) and a few slices of fruit. I think they asked for some like $7 for it and they throw in the coffee as well. The coffee was freshly brewed. I also tried the cafe au lait there. It comes in like this big bowl. I'll have to admit I liked it a lot more than the latte's I usually have. The omelet was packed with smoked meat. This was a really filling breakfast and it was a really decent price. I'd probably go back here again for breakfast, but I'd probably go lighter in terms of what I eat so I'd have more room at lunch when I hit Schwartz's. I figure I'd go for one of the plates and the high fat meat the next time I visit and try the fries and cole slaw.

Schwartz's Rating: 3 Bunnies
Rueben's Rating: 1 Bunny

Notes on the Bunny Rating System:

• 0 or no Bunnies, it's a waste of time; don't go.
• 1 Bunny, the place is worth checking out.
• 2 Bunnies, you should go out of your way to check out the place; the food is really good and the place is cool.
• 3 Bunnies, you absolutely have to go there; the food is exceptional and the place is really cool