where to – montréal
where to – montréal
paris meets brooklyn, but canadian
paris meets brooklyn, but canadian:
anyone who’s been to montréal will agree that it’s like a european outpost – it feels like a little french brooklyn. this was my fourth time in montréal since my friends (clay!) and i used to go a bunch since it was so close to ny. this was my first journey back since living in la, and this time with my family and our partners. we all stayed in mile end in an idyllic airbnb, walking (or biking!) distance to everything. my husband bryan equated montréal’s mile end to ny’s greenpoint (two of my absolute favorite neighborhoods) and he’s not wrong! i’ve only been when it’s chilly so to be there in the spring (the tulips!!!) was such a nice scene.
b and i used the bike share app bixi (like citi bike) so much over our stay that we ended up just getting the monthly membership. i didn’t realize how bike friendly the city was - flat! (none of those east la hills) with designated bike paths everywhere and courteous (because not american!) drivers. i love that everybody there starts speaking to you in french and then automatically switches to english when they sense you hesitate, both languages said in the most native sounding fluent accents. most menus + signage are in french but with that canadian free cell roaming and the ol’ google translate, figuring out how to order your glass of skin contact and (veggie!) poutine is easyyy.
i have a full montréal guide with all my google map bookmarks laid out for my lovely paid subscribers or available a la carte here. i’ll give you my musts though of course
where to – montréal:
stay at an airbnb in mile end or mile ex. wake up and round the corner to grab an oat latte + whatever pastry looks best at cafe alphabet, before everyone (+ their mother!) post up + pour out onto the sidewalk outside the tiny cafe (makes canyon look sleepy, if you can imagine).
while i love the occasional thicc ny bagel, there’s something more approachable about the wood-fired, thinner signature montréal bagels. for context: la’s beloved courage bagels makes theirs montréal style. there’s an old bagel rivalry between st-viateur + fairmount, but i’m on team st v. i mean it doesn’t hurt their cartoon bagel with eyes logo is way cuter. plus the iconic beauty’s luncheonette serves st-viateur bagels, and beauty’s knows best.
my best bite / sip of the trip was at dépanneur le pick up in mile ex. their rhubarb coffee cake special was something really special, the oat latte was just perfect and the halloumi sandwich (kind of reuben-esque) sandwich with avo and their housemade hot sauce. i love halloumi as my dairy exception in europe, so thought i’d give it a go in canada, and absolutely no regrets.
the joe beef restaurant group used to have a chokehold on the montréal dining scene, but now it’s all about places like the thai sister restaurants epicerie pumpui + pichai or spanish tapas at tinc set, all with incredibly solid natural wine lists. though there’s nothing wrong with the classics like larry’s.
nat wine bars vinvinvin and buvette pompette make you feel like you’re in a paris-brooklyn alternate universe. oh and don’t forget your swimsuit for a spa day at bota bota so you can float in a pool (!) on a boat (!!).
la happenings:
bakers bench - opening june 7th in echo park next to heavy water + perilla with some of the best vegan pastries in the game like their black sesame cookie + furikake croissant, alllll vegan
camel coffee - korean coffee chain’s first us location newly opened in silverlake. the line moves surprisingly quick (unlike fondry’s, sorry!). order the signature camel coffee: espresso, (oat!) milk with (vegan!) cream
garibaldina m.b. society’s pasta dinner - thurs may 30th, or really any event (like bar bene!) happening over at the members only italian social society in highland park. i got to shoot a luncheon at garibaldina with an amazing spread by chef amanda lanza the other week, and now am wondering if me, and my small but mighty 8.6% italian, (had to cross reference my 23andme) should apply to be a member. i’m about to finish the sopranos and i’m already dreading the post-series depression that will ensue, so i’ll need to find my gravy and macaroni fix elsewhere…
must read:
la times on the shocking state of the restaurant industry
the takeaway: support your favorite local restaurants when you can because it’s rough out there still <3
edinburgh recs?!
any of you all have edinburgh, scotland recs for me before i do my internet deep dive? going in august and have only been to london as far as the uk goes… edinburgh keeps coming up in all the media i consume (baby reindeer and just read the book good material) and i believe in synchronicity.
now playing:
l'amour de ma vie by billie eilish
this whole album hits hard (+ soft). i love how they change the tempo and whole feel around 3:33 in
paid subscribers, the full montréal guide + google map bookmarks are all below