While we didn’t get to take full advantage of Montreal’s happening food scene, Husband J, Baby C and I did manage to taste some of Montreal’s greatest hits. I didn’t realize it at first, but a few of Montreal’s celebrated food institutions are in the Jewish Deli genre of food. As a New Yorker, I feel like I know my way around a good knish, bagel and a pastrami sandwich. No one does Jewish deli food like New York does. With French being Montreal’s primary language, shouldn’t this city’s food be about croissants and chocolate? I am here to say that Montreal can definitely keep up with my home in at least one respect: a smoked meat sandwich.
My friends, people come from all over to taste the savory goodness that is the Smoked Meat Sandwich from Schwartz’s Delicatessen.
Smoked Meat at its best
Look, I know it doesn’t look like much, but the devil, or should I say taste, is in the details. As I’ve said before, often it’s about the simplicity of the cooking that can make the most ordinary food into something you can’t resist. Often basic food is really the best because those cooking it take the time to hone their technique. This meat is so moist and beyond tender that yes, it does in fact does actually melt in your mouth. You get so much meat that you actually get three spongy pieces of bread instead of two in order to eat it correctly. Quite frankly, the multiple pieces of bread confused me as to how I should even eat this sandwich, but I was happy to have that extra piece of bread as I finished.
A worker turning and basting all that good meat.
Schwartz’s smoked meat recipe is over 80years old and was brought from Romania with the founder of Schwartz’s. The meat is smoked every day, and you can see the cooks making sure that the meat is fresh and properly cooked.
Now with such a good and popular sandwich, it isn’t going to be easy to get. There is a line at Schwartz’s even during a weekday lunch. If you’re going there for this sandwich, and you don’t care about ambiance, don’t stand on the line for the main restaurant. There is a Schwartz’s To Go (I think that’s the name) next door. This add-on is really for take out orders, and there is seating. It’s not super comfortable, but if you’re okay with just enjoying the sandwich and moving on, it’s so much better than standing in line. Trust me.
This wasn’t the only Montreal gem we’d have. Dressed up french fries (frites?) were in our future….
Schwartz’s Charcuterie Hebraique de Montreal (Montreal Hebrew Delicatessen)
3895 Saint-Laurent Boulevard
Montreal, Quebec