Schwartz's Charcuterie de Montréal

Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall there is always a long line up outside of Schwart'z Deli, the world famous smoked meat deli. The deli in Montréal is the oldest in Canada for over 90 years old still keeping the tradition preparing and serving the original smoked meat sandwich and Quebec's poutine which is french fries topped with cheese curd - originally produced in Quebec only and gravy. As the smoked meat was so tender that it just melts in the mouth and served generously on a sandwich. The restaurant is a small place and cannot handle big number of guests but it is worth the wait outside. This place is a food institution in Montréal and there's no other place to be for a smoked meat sandwich.

 

Street Art with a portrait of the legendary Leonard Cohen. 

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Follow Your Senses To The Marche

 We spent the Labour Day weekend in Montreal. Before reaching our final destination, we stopped by at the Marche Jean Talon to have lunch. When we visited there last year, we saw some people eating fried seafood that looked so delicious. On this visit, we vowed to look for it for our lunch. Since we have no idea where we will find it, we used our own senses looking for it. We knew we will find it soon because we just followed the smell  of cooking fried seafood all the way. Luckily, we found it on the other side of the market. It was a busy day that sunny and warm Saturday that I even forgot to take photos of the place. I don't even have the name of the place. We just know the location of this place that cooks fresh fried calamari and fried shrimps with lemon and tartar sauce. There is also fish n chips and any order could come with fries. As you can see from the photo above, the whole plate was full of fried calamari and fried shrimps. Just full of deliciousness. People passing by even stopped to asked us where we got them.  Our visit to the Marche was truly worth it after a long drive from Toronto.

Then I purchased the famous Quebec poutine made with fries topped with gravy and Quebec cheese curds to go along with our fried calamari and fried shrimps.

 

We discovered this fruit called Cerises de Terre which are actually yellow cherries in a leaf covering. You open it which looks a blooming flower and then you eat it. It was sweet. 

 

 

After lunch, we ate and purchased some of these peaches and kiwis. There are always a variety of fresh produce at the Marche Jean Talon. 

Bon Weekend!

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Best Winter Escapes in Canada

Here in Canada, we have some of the best Winter Escapes all the way from the West in Whistler, British Columbia, the Canadian Rockies in Alberta to the Laurentian Mountains in Quebec. We have been honoured here in Canada to host two Winter Olympics in Calgary in 1988 and in Vancouver in 2010. These places boast majestic mountains, some rough and challenging terrain not for the faint of heart but also some spectacular scenery for everyone to appreciate. For the Winter sports enthusiasts, visiting these places are a gem and loads of fun. But for spectators like me, I am thankful to be able to visit some of these beautiful places particularly Whistler, British Columbia and Mont Tremblant in Quebec.

WHISTLER

My best friend, Lorelei and I visited Whistler in British Columbia by driving a few hours from Vancouver. We drove along a scenic route passing by majestic mountains and lakes. One of the best places to stay in Whistler is at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. After visiting all the way to the top to see Blackcomb Glacier, we stopped at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler for some Afternoon Tea. 

Whistler and Blackcomb are two side-by-side mountains which combined offer over 200 marked runs, 8,171 acres of terrain, 16 alpine bowls, three glaciers, receives on average 1,174 centimetres (462 inches) of snow annually, and one of the longest ski seasons in North America. In the summer, Whistler Blackcomb offers a variety of activities, including hiking and biking trails, the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, and sightseeing on the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola.(Whistler Blackcomb)

We spotted some Black Bears on our way down riding the Ski Lift. 

ALBERTA

 I have never been to Banff and Jasper, Alberta but they boast one of the most beautiful skiing places to visit. Even if you are not a skier, like me, I would love to visit Banff and Jasper, Alberta one day. Both cities are known as the Canadian Rockies and are both Resort towns. Banff, is one of the National Parks here in Canada as it is surrounded with majestic mountains, glaciers and lakes. My friends who have visited both Banff and Jasper told me that as they drove along to visit the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, they saw deer, moose and Bears along the Highway. Visitors really get so close to nature and the wildlife when visiting these Resort towns. 

(Photo credits: Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and Fairmont Jasper Lodge)

QUEBEC

Mont Tremblant is a two hours drive North of Montreal in Quebec. The town is located in the Laurentian Mountains and also boasts one of the best skiing places in Canada. The town is also a fun place to visit during the Spring and Summer time as you would see in my photos here. We visited during the Labour Day Weekend and it was still bustling with summer activities. Just imagine during Winter how busy this place is with all of the avid skiers and other Winter Sports enthusiasts. 

To learn more about Summer Adventures at Mont Tremblant, view my post Bienvenue a Mont Tremblant.

The town has a lower village where most of the Major Hotels are located plus restaurants and shops which I featured on my previous post Mont Tremblant Lower Village.

Skiing here at Mont Tremblant is not for the faint of heart. But look at the spectacular views from the top.

The Peak at Mont Tremblant.

Lastly, one of the best Winter Escapes here in Canada is in Quebec City, about two hours drive going East from Montreal. Every Year, the City celebrates the Quebec Winter Carnival from January 31 to February 16 where the whole City comes alive with Winter festivities like parades, outdoor shows, Ice Canoe racing among other events. Quebec City is also a great place to discover the French Food, Architecture, Culture, Art and Entertainment in North America. The best place to stay in Quebec City is at the majestic Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac as shown in the photo above. (Photo credit:  Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac). Then about thirty minutes drive from the City is the spectacular skiing town of Mont Ste Anne.

The best way to beat Winter is to go out and explore these spectacular Canadian Winter Cities.  
Enjoy every moment!

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Say Fromage at Marché Jean Talon

My recipe for a perfect weekend is a visit to a market filled with an abundance of everything that we expect in a market and some, including speaking French, s'il vous plâit. That was the case when we visited the Marché Jean Talon in Montréal last weekend. This Marché is very French offering the best of Québécois gourmand and for the garden. We stopped by here after a long drive from Toronto to discover, to shop and to eat. Come and discover the Marché with its colourful and delicious offerings.

Québec produces the best fromage in Canada. We tried and purchased both the Québec Blue Cheese topped with local Apricot jam and the Cremeux de Jura fromage from France. 

Selection of Quebec fromage. 

Fromage de France. 

After our hunt for fromage, we had to look for our Baguette. 

Can't help to admire these pastries. 

I also purchased some  Portuguese tarts (Natas). 

Of course, I purchased some Macarons. The fleur d'oranger and pistache are my usual favourites. I also purchased the Abricot The Noir, Lavande and Caramel Fleur de Sel.

I haven't eaten tacos for so long. We tried these soft tacos with pulled pork and pickled onions.

Something unique from the Marché were the Bison ribs. Would you like to try some?

Also unique from the Marché is the Canard (Duck) sausage which I haven't seen anywhere else. Here I am trying it.
It was actually delicious, quite sweet, not spicy at all. 

Legumes de Quebec.

Looks at these yellow tomatoes. They look so fresh and delicious.

These look so perfect and yummy to make as a salad with those tomatoes. 

So unique in this Marché are these fruit stands for tasting. We were so full from trying these fruits and vegetables.

I have never seen so many apricots. Both the apricots and strawberries were so sweet. 

The Marché has a huge section of flowers, plants, herbs and vegetables for planting as far as the eye can see.

 Lavande de Québec.

Colourful flowers, all kinds of herbs and tomato plants. 

An abundance of flowers. 

Bonjour Dahlias! 

To cleanse the palette, all from the Marché Jean Talon. 

The Cremeux de Jura fromage from France, baguette and the cherries.


This weekend is dedicated to all the Fathers and to my late Father, who enjoyed shopping for different kinds of Food.


Happy Father's Day!

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