POUTINE ANGST...

by Erkuden Sakai, Company Secretary:
Montréal is a wonderful place to eat terrible foods. Always on the Company agenda when in Montréal are poutine and smoked meat sandwiches.

(photo by Reverend Aitor)

If one's whirlwind weekend doesn't allow time for both, then one can be easily be consoled with the best of both worlds with La Banqise's "poutine obelix." It's poutine with sheds of smoked meat mixed right in. There is no shortage of opinion as to who makes the best poutine in town, but Company consensus leans towards La Banquise. It's open 24 hours.

If sampling these two signature dishes separately, however, be forewarned that , though widely available, not all smoked meat is created equal.

Shwartz's is the unequivocal institution for those seeking the legendary sandwich. They also offer a delectable smoked duck which has to be ordered in advance. Still, lining up in the cold for a table only to be rushed though one's meal by impatient servers isn't for everyone. While we wholeheartedly recommend their goods, you'll most likely find us across the street, at the Main, where seating is usually plentiful, the smoked meat usually comparable, and one is afforded the time to chat and doodle on the place mats. Like their more celebrated neighbour, they smoke their own.

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And let's not forget the bagels. Many cities lay claim to have the better bagel, but the Company has traveled all over and unanimously agrees that New York has nothing on Montréal when it comes to the hand-formed buttery rings of boiled-then-baked dough.

(The mush-mouthed St. Viateur Bagel has got to be one of the greatest
mascots of all time (photo by Cottonwood Fields))

Tradition dictates that the members stop on the way out of town, each picking up a dozen St. Viateur bagels to take home. These prized bags of bread are subsequently frozen and carefully consumed in the hopes of tiding oneself over until the next opportunity to get to Montréal.

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