For Easter I went on a roadtrip to Montreal and literally gained five pounds in the space of three days. It was pretty incredible. 

French Canadian cuisine is heavy. I guess something’s gotta counteract the bitter cold. I have this image of fur traders eating tourtiere–an all-spice laced meat pie–and drinking maple syrup during long treks across the Canadian shield…

Anyways, the truth is I don’t really know the history behind Quebecois cuisine. But I do know that I love poutine, one of Quebec’s iconic dishes–and have since I was a kid, when it was my favorite ski-lodge lunch. I don’t understand how anyone can think french fries with cheese curds and gravy sounds “gross.” It’s like…potatoes with cheese are good. Potatoes with gravy are good. What part of this are you missing?

See Ex. A:

Poutine from famous 24 hour joint La Banquise. It’s not just any cheese–it’s fresh cheese curds, which are a little salty and must have a “squeak” to the bite. And its not just any gravy–it has some bbq sauce in it. Also the fries are my favorite kind–thick and squishy and the potatoes have a lovely soft texture that is so satisfying… We had this as a SNACK while waiting for one of the most amazing dining experiences I have had in my entire life…

At Au Pied de Cochon.

A pig with a human foot in its mouth, hanging above the kitchen…

This place is one of a kind. We got so lucky–couldn’t get a reso, so walked in at 8 on a Saturday night and asked if we could get a spot at the bar, and they told us to come back at 11. We came back and got the best seat in the house–right in front of the open kitchen.

A great restaurant is so much more than just the food it serves. It’s about the whole experience, the staff, the service and energy. The word that best characterized our experience at APDC is joy. Everyone was so happy to be there–especially the cooks, these young Canadian guys who were absolutely killing it in the kitchen, making delicious food, based on classic comfort French food but amping it up to a level of absolute ridiculousness, crazy Canuck style.

To prove my point–their pigs head, which we did not order, but which we watched like spectators at a sporting event as it was made in front of us–came with a lobster in its mouth.

It was just so much fun. I kind of feel like it was like that movie with Sarah Michelle Gellar where the magic crab hiding in the kitchen snaps its claws and all of a sudden her emotions are put into the food she makes–it was like that. You could taste the joy.

Also it was absolutely not pretentious at all. I hate pretentious restaurants. The menu–totally simple. Just a list of stuff–“pigs foot.” “Foie gras tart.” No flowery descriptions–just straightforward. They genuinely wanted to get us in there–they weren’t rude about us coming in on a Saturday without a reservation, pilgrims on a journey from the South (this was the single thing I absolutely needed to do that weekend, I was desperate). The whole time I was chatting away with the expediter in the kitchen, asking him questions across the bar, and he was so friendly. They staff also knew their shit cold. They were serious about the food. We had a great discussion with them about the menu, and a great bottle of wine. 

Anyways, without further raving, our order–and again, keep in mind this was two hours after the poutine.

Cromesquis de foie gras - i.e. molten liquid foie gras bites that explode in your mouth

Salade de croustillant de PDC - "Salad" with pork belly, stewed tomatoes, and this delicious fried onion cake. This was a meal in and of itself.

Boudin Maison - Homemade blood sausage. Mmmmm

The special of the night - a roasted game hen with the most INCREDIBLE sauce on top of DELICIOUS puree de pommes and tons of sauteed mushrooms… literally this was so good we were scrambling to get it in our mouths as fast as possible.

Post-carnage:

And of course, can’t forget dessert!

Tarte aux sucres with vanilla ice cream :) - gotta go for the classic maple syrup tart when in Quebec. This is like pecan pie, if there were no pecans in it. With creamed poured on top. With whipped cream. We ate the whole thing. 

BTW, this entire meal, with a great bottle of wine, was not much more than $200 total. I LOVE YOU CANADA.

…

It kind of feels like sacrilege to talk about any food after that meal, but of course when in Montreal you also have to hit up Schwartz’s for the Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwiches, and get Montreal bagels at either Fairmount or St. Viateur.

Montreal Smoked Meat is like the Canadian Jews’ pastrami–and when you order they ask you how much fat you want on it. There’s always a line out the door, but it moves pretty quick.

Yum.

For our last stop/Easter Sunday brunch we stopped by St. Viateur and picked up a bag of bagels for the road. Montreal bagels are smaller and lighter than NY bagels, and in my opinion, so much better. The first one we ate was warm and just out of the oven–it was heavenly.

We also did some other non-eating related stuff in Montreal–like, um, saw some jazz… while waiting for dinner. Walked up the hill to the top of Mount Royal Park… to try and get hungry again. Anyways, all in all, a very good weekend.

Au Revoir, Canada!