:: Canada ::

 We planned our visit around food as we always do and set the bar incredibly too high. We started by getting smoked meat here at Schwartz’s. I usually don’t like a huge meat sandwich but my dear friend recommended we try it. The meat was not only smoky but moist. There were no tough pieces involved here, it was just smooth moist meat. Having grown up with delicious bbq smoked meat in Texas, this was the best I’ve ever had outside of my hometown.

I love bagels. I have high expectations for  a good bagel as does my fiance.  We took a bit of  a trek out of unfamiliar territory just to find this bagel shop, Boulangerie Bagel Shop on St. Viateur. The bagel was sweeter than a normal New York bagel. The shape is a bit different than I’m used to also. It was slightly more dense and chewey on the inside while being kind of crunchy on the outside. Apparently cream cheese is frowned upon, we asked the owner for some and he said “My bagels don’t need cream cheese but if you must have it, it’s in the cooler over there.” After taking my first bite, I just had to figure out what was different than what I was used to. Note to self: add sugar when making bagels!!

This was about when my mind was blown. We had reservations at Au Pied de Cochon for 2 months at this point. I was anticipating this night as I read and heard about how amazing this place is. Our first dish was the poutine with fois gras.  This poutine was so incredibly amazing that I could have eaten 5 more plates.

For those who don’t know what poutine is, it’s just fries with a rich gravy and cheese curds on top. This was definitely kicked up 10 notches with the fois gras on top. The gravy was salty and slightly sweet with a rich creamy white sauce smothering the fries as well. All of the flavors and textures melted together to create harmony in my mouth. Seriously, nothing compares. The next night I was craving it so much that we stopped at a neighborhood restaurant just to test it out. Gross. Nothing compares to Au Pied de Cochons‘ amazingly delicious poutine.

Why not? When in Rome, right? Immediately when I saw a pic of this canned duck concoction, I knew I had to have it.

So it seems a bit gross to have your meal come out of a can when you’re paying a pretty penny. I can almost expect that they cook everything, seal it immediately then serve.

Before the waiter poured this heavenly duck, there’s a rich potato puree with tons of cream slathered on the plate. It complimented the root veggies, duck, and tangy bold sauce. I was still thinking about another plate of the poutine…. We successfully gorged ourselves to feel sick. I hate that feeling but this time it was worth it.

We took a little trip to the Jean Talon Market where they had tons of fresh vegetables. If only I had a kitchen to cook in. I would love living around the corner from here. Having the freshest ingredients at my finger tips is more than I could ask for.

We saw a crepe stand and immediately ordered one. This is filled with tart apples, salty ham, gooey gruyere and drizzled with sweet maple syrup, nuff said! Salty and sweet is my favorite combo, this  hit the spot. Until next time, Montreal!