But no Montreal roadfood trip would be complete without poutine and hot dogs:
Poutine is french fries with brown gravy and cheese curds, and La Belle Province has been voted the best by the locals…yummy poutine and 69 cent hot dogs:


But the hot dog tradition belongs to the Montreal Pool Room on lower Rue St. Laurent-no pool tables here, but since 1912, they have been serving up "steemies":

A "super trio" is the special, and for $3.99 Canadian, you get 2 dogs, a small bag of fries (great fries), and a can of soda. to dress a dog with the works here is mustard, onions and cole slaw with a light vinegar dressing-a real Roadfood deal:

And last but not least…the author…and common sewer, DaveM:

Across from the Old Port on Rue de la Commune in Old Montreal, are a string of pleasant roadfood style noshing spots which cater to all tastes.
Sandwich cafes, coffee cafes, La Cremerie (ice cream),Frites Alors (Belgian Style fries and poutine),fried dough (with toppings), a convienience store (someone has to sell drinks and beer), and one of our favorite places, Mail Carnival for the "Boules Au Miel" and the "Volcano".
Carved out of an old stone building in business for 44 years:

Boules au Miel are "honey balls", balls of fried dough rolled in liquid honey:

The Volcano is boules au miel with vanilla soft serve and chocolate sauce:

and of course…libations..the 3 Brassuers..on Rue St.Denis right in the middle of the festival grounds…love the terrasse:

and after dinner..why desserts and libations (thank you Sundancer7) of course:
In Old Montreal, there is Maple Delights http://www.mapledelights.com/, which straddles Rue St. Paul and Rue de la Commune, where everything pays homage to maple syrup, but also serves some of the best gelato in the city, as well as sandwiches and salads:


One side a cafe, the other gelato bar:


Wildberry Gelato

Our other favorite spot is Le Jardin Nelson, again in Old Montreal on Rue St. Paul. It truly is housed in a garden, within the skeletal walls of a building dating back to 1812.Inside the walls are flowers,ferns, and a multi tiered dining area under giant parasols imported from Germany:


Crepes,pizzas, and salads are the specialties, with an excellant bar…and a piano bar in the evenings:

Baby Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Creamy Maple Viniagrette,with Onion Soup, and flanked by a McClausen Apricot Ale.

Closeup of the onion soup
…and the next course..the "Nelson" crepe..sliced apples,applewood smoked bacon,cheddar cheese, and all topped with real maple syrup…shredded carrots with a lite Italian sytle dressing and parsley are on the side:

This trip we focused on steakhouses, plus visited a few old haunts:
Le Keg, in Old Montreal on Rue St. Paul, and the Alouette Steak House on St. Catherine delivered terrific and enjoyable classic steakhouse meals-onion soup,steak,salad,baked potato, and cocktails, for a meal tab a little less expensive than Gibby’s and other top shelf stekhouses in town.
But if you want beef…..there is smoked meat….and then there is Schwartz’s on Rue St. Laurant:

The line is there outside this tiny deli all the time.
Here is Heather and I at the table..family style seating as it opens up:

Does this need a caption…a large plate:
Sliced rye bread on a separate plate, as well as a dill pickle…heaven

And of course, if the fries are not to your liking, then Mondo Frites is next door, with Belgian frites served in a paper cone with mayo variations of dipping sauce:

And if dessert is a factor…that is if you have room, then some of the finest soft serve ice cream is across the street at Ripples:

Bagels have always been a subject of debate in Montreal-everyone has their personal favorite. The 2 major legendary producers have been the Fairmount Bagel Bakery and St. Viateur Bagels.
In the last few years, the 2 sons of the original owner of St. V, have taken the license and opened 2 locations, one on Rue Mont Royal ("The Plateau"), with the idea of capturing the cafe crowd (bagel sandwiches,expresso,etc, with seating):

But at the Fairmount Bagel Bakery, bagels are still made and sold24 hours a day, all takeout,no seating:


The baker on the left slices the dough and rolls and creates the bagel and places it into boiling water with honey added. The baker on the right lays boiled bagels on a wooden plank, coats them with sesame seeds, and slides the plank into a wood fired brick oven:

And of course, these guys, located on Blvd. Taschereau just outside the city, want nothing to do with bagels:

The corporate logo says Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, but when in Montreal…..beignets et cafe.

Prior to arriving in Montreal, we had a great lunch, actually more of a late brunch, at a Roadside recommended haunt, the Wayside restaurant in Montpelier,VT. I loved the homemade pork gumbo and rice soup, to go along with eggs,homefries,pancakes with real maple syrup, and corned beef hash.

Good breakfasts are easy to come by in Montreal, but most mornings we settled for 2 Tim Horton’s Iced Cappuchios in the dashboard cup holders:

But when in doubt, there is always Second Cup, this one open 24hrs. on Rue St. Catherine:

Next, the bagel scene:

Each July, Heather and I try to spend some vacation time at the Just For Laughs Comedy festival in the Latin Quarter in Montreal. Over a million people attend this event, which follows the millions who attend the Montreal Jazz festival earlier in the month.
Here are a few highlights:

Caroline Rhea hosted the Friday night gala, but this photo is from Saturday night, where the host was Tim Allen.

Crowds everywhere in this section of Rue St. Denis, which is blocked off for this festival.
Anyways, on to the food.