Montreal Jewish Food Tour

FonDip Ekim 23, 2022

This past week we took a little jaunt up to Montreal to see my husband's bubbe and extended family. We hung out, made taiglach with bubbe (watch for a HUGE post on that later this week), but mostly we ate, and ate, and ate.

Our first stop in Montreal -- always -- is the Snowdon Deli, off of Blvd. Decarie. Their smoked meat sandwich is my husband's favorite food in the universe: tender, melt-in-your-mouth pieces of spiced smoked meat between two mustard-schmeared pieces of rye. Smoked meat, if you've never had it, is similar to corned beef. It has a different spice rub from corned beef, however, and is cured, smoked, steamed, then hand-cut to order. We both got our smoked meat "medium" (slightly fatty). Mine is old-fashioned (slightly more spiced), and my husband's is regular. And of course we both got fries. Snowdon's fries with vinegar are amazing. Add a black cherry soda, and you've got a perfect meal.

Our next stop was Moishe's Steakhouse, which is a Montreal institution. My husband's family has been going there for 40+ years (back when Moishe was still around), and it's still their go-to place for special occasions. Of course, this being a steakhouse, I had the most amazing filet mignon there -- probably the best steak I've ever had. But the real highlight at Moishe's is the sides, like their cole slaw, boiled verenikas, and fried onions. I also tried sweetbreads for the first time . . . and they were delicious, so long as I didn't think too much about what they are.

Of course, no one can leave Montreal without tasting a Montreal bagel. Unlike a New York bagel, the Montreal bagel is smaller, less puffy, crunchier, and sweeter. And unlike a New York bagel, the Montreal bagel usually comes in just two varieties: white seed (sesame) and black seed (poppy). Our favorite place for these bagels is REAL Bagel, on Cote St. Luc, where the bagels emerge fresh from the wood oven.