Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Delis
245
Chez Schwartz's Charcuterie
Hébraïque de Montréal
Time for a Smoke
Montreal, Canada
It's the oldest deli in Canada—or, as the
French street sign describes it, a Charcute-
rie Hébraïque. That distinction actually
means something: Montreal's Jewish pop-
ulation was quite sizeable in 1928, when
Schwartz's was founded by Romanian
immigrant Reuben Schwartz. And those
Eastern European Jewish immigrants, they
knew how to smoke meat like nobody's
business.
Schwartz's is the great survivor of a
whole generation of old Montreal delis,
still smoking its meats in the traditional
way (no chemicals, only a patient 10-day
wait for the marinating spices to work
their magic). The emphasis here is much
greater on the “charcuterie” than the
“hébraïque.” The menu is refreshingly
straightforward, featuring steaks, chicken,
liver, and a few reasonably sized sand-
wiches of turkey, veal, chicken, salami,
and Schwartz's claim to fame, smoked
meat (aka viande fume ). This smoky,
bright-red brisket is a close cousin of
pastrami, but with different spices; it comes
in sandwiches or entrée platters with differ-
ent levels of blubber—“lean,” “medium,”
and “fatty.” Just remember, the melting fat
is a crucial part of what makes Schwartz's
smoked meat tender and flavorful.
You'll get a good look at (and whiff of)
this luscious stuff as you pass the carving
counters when you first walk in, after
you've worked your way up the inevitable
line to enter. Customers sit at long com-
munal wooden tables in a simple, fluores-
cent-lit, white-tiled room. The noise level
can be crazy, as it's just about always
crowded. Schwartz's french fries are espe-
cially noteworthy, perfectly crisp to com-
plement the sweet succulence of the
meat, but you may also want the tang of
huge garlicky dill pickles or coleslaw to set
off the savory richness of that unforgetta-
ble viande fume .
Only one thing remains to complete your
Montreal deli experience: a stop at St-
Viateur Bagels (1127 av. Mont-Royal est;
& 514/528-6361; www.stviateurbagel.
com). If you don't believe there are any
decent bagels made outside of New York,
St-Viateur will change your mind—'nuff
said.
3895 Saint-Laurent Blvd. ( & 514/842-
4813; www.schwartzsdeli.com).
( Aéroport International Pierre-Elliot-
Trudeau de Montréal (19km/11 miles).
L $$$ Hôtel Le St-James, 355 rue St-
Jacques oust ( & 866/841-3111 or 514/
841-3111; www.hotellestjames.com).$$
Auberge Bonaparte, 447 rue St-Fran-
çois-Xavier ( & 514/844-1448; www.
bonaparte.com).
 
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