I want to express appreciation for the helpful Montreal travel suggestions in this thread. We recently took a short trip to Montreal and found them quite handy.
We visited both the St. Viateur and Fairmont bagel shops and enjoyed experiencing the true Montreal bagel. They are definitely different than the bagels we get in the USA. I would say sweeter and less bready (more of a doughy consistency). They were delicious and it was fun to try the unique flavors (coconut, cranberry, rosemary seasalt). It was also neat that they are still made by hand and baked in a wood-fired oven. It was fun to watch the workers flipping entire rows of bagels in the oven using the long boards, maybe 8 ft long or more!
To provide a few details for future potential visitors: Both bagel shops were cash/debit only. And be informed that neither has in-store seating. Also, these are primarily retail bagel shops and they don't have a lot beyond that (no bagel sandwiches for example, or coffee).
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We also enjoyed dinner at L'express restaurant which was recommended by CloseEnough. We particularly enjoyed the grilled octopus and strawberry & scallop ceviche appetizers which were both delicious and interesting. The waitstaff were very professional, helpful and friendly and didn't seem to mind that we couldn't speak French. The atmosphere is a bit loud and crowded, definitely not a quiet romantic place, but it was comfortable and we certainly enjoyed the meal.
I also learned a new Montreal driving tip. There are some lights where the left lane (for straight or left turns) starts with a straight-ahead green arrow and then after several seconds switches to a solid green circle. I learned that during the phase with the arrow, you can proceed straight ahead but cannot make a left-hand turn. To make a left-hand turn, you need to just wait at the intersection with your blinker on until the traffic light goes to the green circle. As I understand it, this delay is to give pedestrians on the left side street a head start before the traffic starts going their way and then once the pedestrians are in the cross walk it is clear that the driver will yield to them. (Any Montreal Bogleheads -- straighten me out if I didn't get that correct!).
We visited both the St. Viateur and Fairmont bagel shops and enjoyed experiencing the true Montreal bagel. They are definitely different than the bagels we get in the USA. I would say sweeter and less bready (more of a doughy consistency). They were delicious and it was fun to try the unique flavors (coconut, cranberry, rosemary seasalt). It was also neat that they are still made by hand and baked in a wood-fired oven. It was fun to watch the workers flipping entire rows of bagels in the oven using the long boards, maybe 8 ft long or more!
To provide a few details for future potential visitors: Both bagel shops were cash/debit only. And be informed that neither has in-store seating. Also, these are primarily retail bagel shops and they don't have a lot beyond that (no bagel sandwiches for example, or coffee).
We also enjoyed dinner at L'express restaurant which was recommended by CloseEnough. We particularly enjoyed the grilled octopus and strawberry & scallop ceviche appetizers which were both delicious and interesting. The waitstaff were very professional, helpful and friendly and didn't seem to mind that we couldn't speak French. The atmosphere is a bit loud and crowded, definitely not a quiet romantic place, but it was comfortable and we certainly enjoyed the meal.
I also learned a new Montreal driving tip. There are some lights where the left lane (for straight or left turns) starts with a straight-ahead green arrow and then after several seconds switches to a solid green circle. I learned that during the phase with the arrow, you can proceed straight ahead but cannot make a left-hand turn. To make a left-hand turn, you need to just wait at the intersection with your blinker on until the traffic light goes to the green circle. As I understand it, this delay is to give pedestrians on the left side street a head start before the traffic starts going their way and then once the pedestrians are in the cross walk it is clear that the driver will yield to them. (Any Montreal Bogleheads -- straighten me out if I didn't get that correct!).
Statistics: Posted by john_nh — Mon Aug 19, 2024 5:31 pm — Replies 39 — Views 4488