Meals In Montreal

One local family creates memories to savor on a trip to Canada.

Some families wear matching pajamas for Christmas; others binge-watch Netflix shows or have family game night. For my husband and our two teenage sons, it’s sharing a meal that brings us together. Sometimes we eat with chopsticks or steak knives; other nights, it’s a quick, handheld burger that bonds us.

This is especially true when we travel. Whether it’s katsu curry in Japan or scallops at a sidewalk café in Paris, we collect food memories the way some people collect refrigerator magnets.

With one son in college and the other about to leave home, I knew these memorable moments would become scarcer, so last March we took a family trip to Montréal. Hop on a plane in Orlando and three hours later you arrive in the largest French-speaking city outside of Paris. Warm baguettes with none of the jet lag or sticker shock of a transatlantic flight? I’m sold. With one of the highest densities of restaurants in North America, this cosmopolitan city on the Saint Lawrence River is foodie paradise.

Dinner in Montréal

We started the long weekend with dinner at Restaurant Holder, a French brasserie with high ceilings, and waiters in long, white aprons. We caught up on family news—college acceptances, summer internships, and my husband’s retirement—between bites of salmon carpaccio and duck confit. Good food (and a glass of Malbec) was the catalyst to easy communication.

Our college son flew in from Boston to join us. Arriving from different cities and dining with our almost-adult children felt so gratifying. We walked back to our Airbnb in the heart of Old Montreal, strolling the 400-year-old cobblestone streets of Rue St. Paul. If this is what the empty nest looks like, I think I’m going to like it.

Crew Café, Vintage Shops, and Poutine

Since my husband and I are early risers, we walked to Le Beau Marche to buy some supplies for the weekend. When was the last time someone helped you select a cheese? We returned to this boutique market three times for baguettes and more of that creamy Fromage Madelaine.

There’s so much beauty in Montréal, from historic buildings to glossy pastries. The interior of Café Crew was no exception—the soaring arched ceilings and gold tones of the former Royal Banka of Canada create a stunning location for a coffee shop. I sat between my sons, sipping a cortado inside the bank, feeling rich indeed. 

Next stop: Rue St. Denis, a funky street with vintage clothing stores and cafes.

The boys hunted for treasures, and my husband and I were amused that clothes from the 1980s and 1990s are now considered cool.

Shopping worked up our appetites, so we headed to a poutine restaurant. I chose the traditional version of this Canadian favorite: French fries covered in gravy and cheese curds. We also sampled ones topped with gyro meat, bacon, mushrooms, and onions. I was slipping into a food coma when one of the boys said, “I’m just getting a small. Can we have something else later?”

Crew Café, Vintage Shops, and Poutine

Since my husband and I are early risers, we walked to Le Beau Marche to buy some supplies for the weekend. When was the last time someone helped you select a cheese? We returned to this boutique market three times for baguettes and more of that creamy Fromage Madelaine.

There’s so much beauty in Montréal, from historic buildings to glossy pastries. The interior of Café Crew was no exception—the soaring arched ceilings and gold tones of the former Royal Banka of Canada create a stunning location for a coffee shop. I sat between my sons, sipping a cortado inside the bank, feeling rich indeed. 

Next stop: Rue St. Denis, a funky street with vintage clothing stores and cafes.

The boys hunted for treasures, and my husband and I were amused that clothes from the 1980s and 1990s are now considered cool.

Shopping worked up our appetites, so we headed to a poutine restaurant. I chose the traditional version of this Canadian favorite: French fries covered in gravy and cheese curds. We also sampled ones topped with gyro meat, bacon, mushrooms, and onions. I was slipping into a food coma when one of the boys said, “I’m just getting a small. Can we have something else later?”

Crepes and Chinatown

A cultivated blend of individuality, originality, and the inherent beauty of nature, Kelli’s home has evolved to become so much more than a living space; it’s experiential. Her secret? It’s all in the ambiance. “I think it’s important to bring all five senses into the elements of design; this can take any atmosphere and make it welcoming.” Having scents like candles or fresh-baked goods is essential, as is the lighting. “Sense of touch is important too, like having blankets and other cozy elements. And don’t forget to have music playing; it’ll lift your spirits.”

Certainly, Kelli’s space has become a showpiece of sorts. Friends and neighbors often stop by to see what she’s working on or to ask for her help solving their own design woes. Always happy to help, it wasn’t long before Kelli’s reputation spilled beyond her own four walls and transitioned into a creative side hustle. Some days, Kelli can be found transforming her family home into a showcase for design, which she allows people to rent for whatever they need. “I’ve been blown away—we’ve had pharmaceutical companies, a sugar commercial, a lot of realtors, content creators, even some TV producers. There is just a wide range of uses that people need a home space for. Ours has really good lighting, that’s the main thing.”

With nearly 25 years of interior design to look back on, innumerable DIY projects, and a small business on the side, Kelli is already looking forward to her next project—and this one is slightly different than the rest. “I’d love to find a piece of property somewhere that I can design and build multiple structures, whether it may be modern cabins or little cottages. Several of those on a property that I could use as AirBnb short-term rentals, but then also use this as a ministry retreat space for people to use.”

It certainly seems as though Kelli has found her niche, layering both her values and aesthetic for the perfect blend of serenity in her home. “Design sometimes feels shallow, but I don’t think it has to be. People are drawn to the love that you put into it, and there are many different motivations behind design. Sometimes it is just to impress, and that’s not me. I like the creation process and the design process, but I say the motivation behind this is my desire for hospitality. It’s all about loving people; it’s not just about design. I never want anything I do to be about me. I want it to be about creating my home to share with others. I always want people to leave feeling better about themselves, because they felt loved and welcome and were in a space that made them feel at home.”

Spa Day and Little Italy

In March, snow lined the streets. It was too cold for the man-made beach or sidewalk cafes. Here’s where Montréal’s spas came to the rescue. We checked into Spa Scandinave for some “thermal therapy.” We alternated between the hot tub with its pummeling waterfall and the plunge pool so painfully cold it made my feet cramp. Now our blood was flowing, as well as our appetites.

Our destination was Jean Talon Market, one of the oldest open-air markets in North America. Cheesemongers, pasta shops, and butchers intersect with row after row of produce and specialty foods. We shared a bag of warm beignets with powdered sugar as we browsed.

“You could make such a great meal with all of this,” my oldest said wistfully. I know he missed cooking at home, and dining hall food (“fuel” he called it) was losing its appeal.

The market lies in Little Italy, so we shared two slices of pizza before moving on to lunch at Ristorante Corneli. I had a simple bowl of minestrone soup, saving room for the lemon tart and chocolate eclairs we bought along the way.

My oldest son flew back to college later that day, well fed. The three of us fit in a few more stops, including a chocolatier and a British pub.

“We had French, Italian, Canadian, British, Chinese—twice. Not bad for one weekend,” my husband commented on the flight home.

I counted 16 places in all, and I savored every bite of being around the table together as a family.

Kirsten Harrington is a Winter Garden freelance writer and on the Board of Contributors for The Local. She loves to travel, hike, explore, and write all about it. You can find her at kirstenharrington.com and follow her food finds on Instagram
@Wintergardenfoodie.

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