Montreal, Quebec

[AlexC]

Rocks & Co,

I'm putting together a bachelor party for 15-20 people, scheduled for Labor Day 2006. The destination is Montreal and the prospect is a little overwhelming.

I'll need to come up with places for at least two group dinners and a brunch on Sunday. I would prefer to find private rooms and prix fixe menus, so we can monitor costs better and not mortify the locals. I don't really know where to begin.

Any help is welcome, even if it's simply a good place to do some research. Also, feel free to PM me with any activity suggestions.

Merci.

Alex

[CrescentFresh]

Rocks & Co,

I'm putting together a bachelor party for 15-20 people, scheduled for Labor Day 2006. The destination is Montreal and the prospect is a little overwhelming.

I'll need to come up with places for at least two group dinners and a brunch on Sunday. I would prefer to find private rooms and prix fixe menus, so we can monitor costs better and not mortify the locals. I don't really know where to begin.

Any help is welcome, even if it's simply a good place to do some research. Also, feel free to PM me with any activity suggestions.

Merci.

Alex

What are the ranges of costs you're looking to monitor? There are a couple places I'd recommend, that I've gone to for both bachelor parties and just because I think they're fine food. How firm are you on prix fixe and private room? And are you thinking of fine dining or just great food and a good time? Frankly, I'd send you to the equivalent of Ray's the Steaks. Le Roi du Plateau is one of my all time favorites. Consistently good over the last ten years, almost, that I've been going there. Fantastic food off the grill, decent affordable wines, no decor to speak of, and great prices. You'd never go wrong there.

[MODWOP]

For brunch, especially for a tired Bachelor Party bunch, you might just want to consider "Eggspectation", with a couple of locations in downtown and the old town. The one at de Maisonneuve and Montagne will probably be your best bet unless you're staying way up the Plateau. Yes, it's a chain, but they don't mess up your basic brunch selections, have a big enough floor plan to deal with your party, and have a large bar selection for hair o'the dog. Reasonable, as well.

For dinners, La Sila on Rue St. Denis used to be very reliable Italian with a good wine list and the capacity for groups.....unfortunately haven't been in a few years and I heard they changed hands, so a little investigating might be in order.

Also, you may want to try a trio of restaurants owned by the same group - Primadonna, Med Grill, and Sofia, all located on "The Main"/Rue St. Laurent and all on OpenTable.com reservations system, I think. They're presented as trendy/hip, with often something-for-everyone menus (Primadonna is Italian&Sushi!?!) and I KNOW they can handle groups, because some of the Formula One teams have group dinners there during the Canadian Grand Prix in June. Of course, don't know if the "scenery" (beautiful young ladies) is as good when the F1 drivers aren't there!

[StephenB]

Rocks & Co,

I'm putting together a bachelor party for 15-20 people, scheduled for Labor Day 2006. The destination is Montreal and the prospect is a little overwhelming.

I'll need to come up with places for at least two group dinners and a brunch on Sunday. I would prefer to find private rooms and prix fixe menus, so we can monitor costs better and not mortify the locals. I don't really know where to begin.

Any help is welcome, even if it's simply a good place to do some research. Also, feel free to PM me with any activity suggestions.

Merci.

Alex

I organized something similar Summer 2004 for 17 people. Our major banquet was at L'Auberge Le Saint-Gabriel, which is the oldest inn in North America and is located in the old part of town, Vielle Montréal.. The highlights of that meal were venison and ice wine. I can provide the full menu if you like. In smaller groups, we also ate at Le Brunoise, which is charming, delicious and run by youngsters. I liked that place a lot. Also Café Yoyo, which has good food and a BYOB policy. Also Toqué, the height of elegance, very expensive, worth it. Schwartz's Hebrew Deli, fantastic smoked meat and a friendly atmosphere. Au Pied de Cochon, high energy, crowded, a unique menu, a place where it is easy to meet your fellow diners. For Sunday brunch, I recommend the dining room at Hotel Sofitel, an exquisite room, great service and carefully prepared dishes.

People are quite happy to speak to you in English once they find out you're not Canadian.

I arranged group rates at Sofitel and the Marriott.

More on request.

[gnatharobed]

I would skip eggspectations for brunch since there is a branch in Silver Spring. For something more uniquely montreal, try l'avenue which is on Mont-Royal. Hot waitresses can be found at Globe and Buona Notte both on St. Laurent but Toque would have much better food.

[jm chen]

Schwartz's Hebrew Deli, fantastic smoked meat and a friendly atmosphere. 

Oh yes. You must make a trek to Chez Schwartz. Not great for an organized group, but grab a smoked meat sandwich Saturday afternoon if you can, to fortify yourselves for the madness ahead.

[giant shrimp]

i don't know how much privacy it affords, but au pied de cochon sure looked good the other night on the travel network when chef martin picard put anthony bourdain on a foie gras bender, including foie gras cooked in a can. i haven't been up there for a few years, but i now want to go as soon as possible to investigate this restaurant. (i see no need to rush up to far north quebec, however, where mr. bourdain sat down on the kitchen floor with an extended family of natives to devour a raw seal like a pack of cannibals, including sucking out the eyeball, although the scene did have the look of authentic cuisine. he also visited a maple syrup farmer, who eats it with everything, exhibitng how the locals get bent by the harsh winters. i have gone as far as the roads run out, a tedious drive in every respect, the food no exception.)

[ChefJeff]

Oh yes. You must make a trek to Chez Schwartz. Not great for an organized group, but grab a smoked meat sandwich Saturday afternoon if you can, to fortify yourselves for the madness ahead.

I did my batchelors party in Montreal last Memorial Day, I'd highly recommend Schwartz's deli for a late night meal, the only problem is that it will foreveer ruin you for good Pastrami (What the Canadians call Smoked Meat), It's the best I've found. Mr. Ma's Chinese restaurant is also outstanding. I recommend a stop at the Casino Montereal as well, we won enough to pay for our other stops that night!

[Joe H]

Schwartz's also has really good french fries and is the source for the seasoning mix which McCormick's sells as "Montreal Steak Seasoning." Yes, they sell their's, too, and it is superior to McCormick's. At Schwart'z they use this seasoning on cheap cuts of meat and they still taste good. Also, Montreal sour dills are arguably the best pickles on earth-I prefer them to Guss' in New York. Mother's is a good brand if you go into a grocery store. Last, don't discount bagels in Montreal.

An area called "Old Montreal" has a great deal of atmosphere and is well worth seeking out. On St. Catherine's street, near St. Hubert, is a place (I haven't been in about three or four years) called d'Giovanni's which has fantastic Quebec style spaghetti. This means about 20 different versions of it including the one which has mozzarella cheese melted on top of spaghetti with meat sauce and meat balls.

Unbelievably fattening! Disgustingly good.

Montreal also has French food that may be the best in North America.

[DLB]

The wife and I will be driving up at the end of July for about a week. We are staying in the old city, and would like to know it there are any "must eat" places in Montreal. I already made a reservation at Brunoise, and will most likely be trying the following. Does anyone have any other suggestions or comments on these places. Thanks

Joe Beef

Au Pied de Cochon

Brunoise

[Dr. Delicious]

Forget all that. Go to Peel Pub, where you can get a hotdog platter for 2.95, and where they know how to serve their beer -- in giant pitchers attached to beautiful women. Then take all the money you saved and spend it on lap dances. This seemed to work for the many bachelor parties I've gone to in Montreal.

[zoramargolis]

I just returned from a four-day trip to Montreal. Stayed in a small B&B (called Boulanger Bassin) near Parc Lafontaine where amazing breakfasts were served every day by the owner--coffee, juice, fruit smoothies, freshly baked croissant or pan chocolat (he gets frozen dough from a baker friend and proofs and bakes them himself), fresh fruit, yogurt-granola-fresh berries and maple syrup, croque monsieur; fresh bagel, lox, cream cheese.

Montreal is a city of food-lovers. Zillions of restaurants, bistros, and coffee houses, and all were packed with people.

We had two great restaurant dinners--one at Au Pied du Cochon, where Jonathan had one of their amazing seafood platters (he had the smallest one-level platter with all manner of oysters, clams, scallops, mussels, periwinkles, crab, which was $45--the largest, five level which must be eaten standing up in order to reach it all, with all manner of shellfish, shrimps, crabs and lobsters goes for over $300--it could easily feed six. It was served on crushed ice with a choice of herbed butter, herb mayonnaise, and spicy mignonette. I had seared foie gras served on a buckwheat blini, with potato, cheese curds, smoky bacon and maple syrup. I couldn't quite pull the trigger on poutine with foie gras (poutine is the local kids' junk food favorite--it's french fries topped with cheese curds and brown gravy). They didn't have foie gras cooked in a can, but there was duck cooked like that. Many fascinating dishes-- many different presentations of pork, duck, foie gras and fresh seafood in equal numbers. Packed with people; long wait for a table; slow service; huge wine list--almost all French; high prices; amazing food. A definite must on Duluth Street, near St. Hubert.

Our B&B host, knowing that we appreciate good food, recommended a small place called P'tit Plateau, on a hidden away corner on Marie-Anne, a block from St. Laurent, which is a BYOB with amazing French food. We were the only non-Montrealers there. I had foie gras again--poached this time, and a beautiful veal with morels. Jonathan had cream of english pea soup and juicy, perfectly cooked rib chops of young pork. We had brought along a 2003 Kangarilla Road shiraz/viognier from home, and it was a superb accompaniment. No corkage fee. Lots of places do this.

We had the requisite smoked meat sandwich at Schwartz's, in the midst of a raucous street fair going on on St. Laurent while we were there. Delicious.

My cousin-in-law took me along to one of her favorite shopping destinations--Atwater Market, which is the old-world style market we all dream could be in our city. Good bread and beautiful pastries at the bakery, three or four butchers with all kinds of free-range poultry, local-raised beef lamb and pork, boudins and saucisses, all fresh. Charcutieres, cheese shops, vegetable and flower stands, a grocer with more primo olive oils and vinegars than Dean and Deluca, Balducci and Whole Foods combined, condiments and spices, pastas, grains (four or five different brands of Violone Nanno alone and equal numbers of several other types of risotto rice like baldo and carnaroli), just mind boggling. The fish dealer had a huge tank packed with just-delivered live lobsters--turned out the lobster season from the Magdelaine Islands in the gulf of St. Lawrence had begun. When Carol found out that we had never had Canadian lobster, which she claimed were much tastier than the ones we had eaten on the Coast of Maine--she of course had to cook some for us. We had dinner on two consecutive nights at her apartment in Habitat 67--the first was marinated, grilled lamb from Northern Quebec, eaten on the terrace while viewing a huge fireworks display going on over the river, which flows on both sides of the peninsula where Habitat 67 is located. the next night we had lobsters. Big ones. Steamed. With butter. I don't know or care if they are better than Maine lobsters. They were just fantastically succulent, fresh and delicious. Then local strawberries for dessert. I haven't stepped on the scale since I got back. I did do a lot of walking while I was there. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[gnatharobed]

Zora--- I'm so jealous. But only for a few more days. I'm going to Montreal next week Next time you go to Montreal you should check out the Jean-Talon market. It's bigger than Atwater. Lots of amazing produce, artisanal cheeses, etc. and next time you have to try poutine- we used to call it heart attack in a box in college but it was so worth it.

[zoramargolis]

Zora--- I'm so jealous. But only for a few more days. I'm going to Montreal next week Next time you go to Montreal you should check out the Jean-Talon market. It's bigger than Atwater. Lots of amazing produce, artisanal cheeses, etc. and next time you have to try poutine- we used to call it heart attack in a box in college but it was so worth it.

Cousin-in-law Carol did tell me that there was another market she likes, even better than Atwater--I assume she was referring to the one you mention above. But it was Saturday, and parking was going to be less problematic at Atwater. Atwater is closer to her home, as well.

I might have tried poutine in another situation, but I didn't feel I could take the risk of despoiling a rare opportunity to eat seared foie gras. I figured that the dish I chose involved cheese curds and maple syrup, so I was getting enough gout de Montreal. Maybe next time.

We may be returning to Montreal more often, in the future. My daughter has decided that she likes Montreal even more than New York City, and I think McGill just went to the top of her potential college list.

[Escoffier]

Cousin-in-law Carol did tell me that there was another market she likes, even better than Atwater--I assume she was referring to the one you mention above. But it was Saturday, and parking was going to be less problematic at Atwater. Atwater is closer to her home, as well.

I might have tried poutine in another situation, but I didn't feel I could take the risk of despoiling a rare opportunity to eat seared foie gras. I figured that the dish I chose involved cheese curds and maple syrup, so I was getting enough gout de Montreal. Maybe next time.

We may be returning to Montreal more often, in the future. My daughter has decided that she likes Montreal even more than New York City, and I think McGill just went to the top of her potential college list.

and some of the best kosher food in the world on Rue de Mont Real (or Mount Royal if you prefer) up the road a bit from McGill. From the middle of the mount to the top is prime (well-hidden) smoked meat heaven...one of the finest things in the world to do to a brisket...if you don't eat smoked meat in Montreal, you haven't been to Montreal.

[porcupine]

OK, say you only had three or four days in Montreal, say Wednesday through Saturday, in the middle of August, on a whim. And say you really wanted to check out the fine dining and arts/antiques scene, and wanted to get around easily using public transportation. Which part of town would you stay in? And where would you stay, assuming you like B&Bs and boutique hotels (for fun, let's add: private bathrooms a must, price no object)? And, of course, what restaurants would be on the must-do list (any cuisine, price no object).

I have two days to plan this thing. The dates are fixed. Thanks for the help.

Zora, the place you stayed sounds lovely but is booked already.

`-desperately in need of a vacation that does not involve driving,

[zoramargolis]

OK, say you only had three or four days in Montreal, say Wednesday through Saturday, in the middle of August, on a whim. And say you really wanted to check out the fine dining and arts/antiques scene, and wanted to get around easily using public transportation. Which part of town would you stay in? And where would you stay, assuming you like B&Bs and boutique hotels (for fun, let's add: private bathrooms a must, price no object)? And, of course, what restaurants would be on the must-do list (any cuisine, price no object).

I have two days to plan this thing. The dates are fixed. Thanks for the help.

Zora, the place you stayed sounds lovely but is booked already.

`-desperately in need of a vacation that does not involve driving,

There are a number of B&B's in the Plateau from Parc Lafontaine to Mount Royal and over to McGill--my guess is that there is some Montreal website that lists them. There are also a number of large and small hotels adjacent to McGill Univ. Both areas have good Metro access and are walking distance from the best shopping, clubs, restaurants and festival sites. Whatever you do, be sure to have a meal at Au Pied du Cochon-- it's the height of the food scene for young, hip Montreal.

[ol_ironstomach]

Gubeen and I have been meaning to put together a piece on our not-quite-week in Montreal last month...I spent nearly the whole time in my capacity at the Grand Prix, and she spent an equivalent amount of time exploring the food scene across the Plateau and Centre-Ville.

First, the Metro is compact, convenient, and indispensible. A three-day tourist pass runs something like CDN$17 and gets you unlimited rides...just display it to the station attendant. Note that some Metro stations have multiple entrances, of which one will always be staffed but the others may be automated and cannot be entered with a pass.

Au Pied de Cochon also came very highly recommended, but something got botched in our reservation so we were unable to partake. We did have two lovely dinners at Au Cinquième Péché, a bistro on Mont-Royal towards the top of the remarkable restaurant district. Their carrot soup, served just warm, was quite refreshing amid the hot June weather, and probably gave me the respite I needed before attacking the veal sweetbreads one night, and the duck confit baked in clay the other. Save room for dessert; they make a gorgeous chocolate "bar" on a crispy flaky base, served with a sweet pepper granita.

I think the Plateau Mont-Royal makes for a much more interesting wander than in Centre-Ville. If you wander down either Rue St Denis or Boulevard St Laurent, you'll encounter wall-to-wall restaurants for the better part of 1.5 miles, from a remarkable variety of cultures. Between the two are a surprising number of Brazilian and Turkish shops. Also, despite the concentration of tourist traps, Old Montreal is worth walking through, for both admiring the old architecture (especially the mansard roofs) and noodling around in the smaller boutiques.

Definitely, definitely take a short subway hop (and walk two blocks north) up to the Marché Jean-Talon early in your trip; it's row-after-row of outdoor produce vendors with a scattering of maple sugar items, conserves, and cheeses throw in for good measure. One of the permanent storefronts houses Qui Lait Cru, a fromagère who specializes in local Quebec cheeses, and especially in the raw-milk varieties. In the mornings, they also carry fresh breads from Boulangerie Le Fromentier (1375 Ave Laurier Est), the bakery mentioned in Gourmet's Montreal issue last winter as making possibly the best breads they've had anywhere. However, Qui Lait Cru is not an affineur...all of their cheeses are fresh from the cheesemaker's cave. If you want something with a bit of proper aging to it, you'll have to venture into one of the French neighborhoods to find the Fromentier bakery itself, on Avenue Laurier about a dozen blocks east of Rue St. Denis. Look for the wrought iron arch over the alley on your left. In the same space are three vendors: Fromentier takes the lion's share of the space, there's a cheesemonger and maître affineur across the aisle, and in the corner is an even smaller counter selling cured meats, terrines, patés and head cheeses.

Somewhere not far from that location is a shop that sells only poutine...15 or 20 variations of it. Gubeen will have to tell you more; she was directed there by both the cheesemonger and several little old ladies waiting in line. She'll also have to be the one to give you directions to the shop that sold only mushrooms of all - well, almost all - varieties, and so on.

Of course, there's Schwartz's. You'll enjoy it more if you go with a relaxed attitude and a willingness to chat with the people sitting right next to you...the tables are abutted cafeteria-style. They'll give you your choice of lean, medium, or fat when you order your smoked meat. Medium is like what most people think a good pastrami should resemble (except that smoked meat is NOT pastrami, but resembles pastrami minus the pepper), but fat is gorgeous and reminiscent of the ridiculous pastrami sandwiches I used to wolf down at Elsie's in Cambridge.

Soda-hounds like myself will enjoy the fact that the bottlers of Montreal use real sugar. It all tastes better, especially the Dr. Pepper

Mr. P might object, but I would highly recommend a leisurely visit to the Jardin Botanique adjacent to the Olympic stadium complex. Their rose collection is incredible, there's a garden dedicated to poisonous ornamental plants, and I seem to recall a very calming Japanese garden as well (which I didn't get to visit on this trip).

[StephenB]

Dave Hsu -- when you were wolfing down pastrami at Elsie's, how did you manage to keep both hands on the pinball machine? This is what kept the Mt. Auburn cleaners going!

Elsie's is long gone, but there is a place sort of like it (minus the pinball) on Brattle St. near the hospital.

[StephenB]

My favorites:

Au Pied de Cochon. This requires planning ahead because they are thronged. Wonderful spirit, activity, an inventive menu.

Brunoise. Young, trendy, but hospitable to fogies. Very good value.

Restaurant Yoyo. BYOB. A local joint. Great atmosphere.

Toqué. Elegant, expensive. A dining experience to be relished and remembered.

Like everybody else, I like Schwartz's. But it doesn't remind me of anyplace.

An excellent Sunday brunch is available at the Hotel Sofitel.

On the other hand, you can hardly go wrong in that town.

[Rhone1998]

My wife and I are headed up for a romantic week long vacation in Montreal the last week of August. We already have reservations for Toque and Au Pied de Cochon. Besides these two places, which have been recommended to us by many, what are the one or two "must-visit" restaurants in this wonderful food city? Anything goes here, from hole-in-the-wall to 4 stars, breakfast joint to dinner only.

Thanks so much!!

[CrescentFresh]

My wife and I are headed up for a romantic week long vacation in Montreal the last week of August. We already have reservations for Toque and Au Pied de Cochon. Besides these two places, which have been recommended to us by many, what are the one or two "must-visit" restaurants in this wonderful food city? Anything goes here, from hole-in-the-wall to 4 stars, breakfast joint to dinner only.

Thanks so much!!

Le Roi du Plateau. Rue Rachel. Portuguese. Great grill. Good wine. Inexpensive. Better than hole-in-the-wall. Draws a lot of locals rather than tourists. It's the one place I go to EVERY time I've been to Montreal in the 10 years or so. The closest local place I can compare it to is Ray's the Steaks. Based on decor, both have better food than you'd expect if you first walked in blind to it. (RTS is MUCH better though).

[StephenB]

My wife and I are headed up for a romantic week long vacation in Montreal the last week of August. We already have reservations for Toque and Au Pied de Cochon. Besides these two places, which have been recommended to us by many, what are the one or two "must-visit" restaurants in this wonderful food city? Anything goes here, from hole-in-the-wall to 4 stars, breakfast joint to dinner only.

Thanks so much!!

You have exactly the two places I would have put at the top of my list. I can't say enough about the elegance of Toqué and the spirit of Pied. I would add Brunoise (romantic) and Schwartz's Hebrew Deli (great fun). If you're there for Sunday brunch, try the Hotel Sofitel.

[porcupine]

Mr P and I are now back from our "hurry up and relax" tour of Montreal. And boy did we eat some good food.

Unfortunately we also had some bad. Too tired to research, we stumbled into a thoroughly mediocre joint for a late lunch after arriving Wednesday. Not having learned our lesson, we trusted to luck and utterly struck out Thursday at lunch.

Friday, though, we finally found some clue, and took the Metro to Marche Jean-Talon, where we picked up a few Quebec cheeses, a mix of olives, salami, and the best - yes, the best - strawberries I have ever had in my life. Mr P nearly jumped out of his shoes when he ate one, they were that good. Then, back on the Metro and a schlep to Boulangerie Le Fromentier for pain et patisserie. I don't know if I'd say, as Gourmet did, that they have the best bread anywhere, but I'd die happy for having tried it. We found a picnic table in the shade of a small neighborhood park and finally had a lunch worth writing home about.

I can't say enough aboot how good Quebec cheeses are. We had Riopelle, a triple cream cow cheese, a washed-rind cow cheese, and a perfecctly aged chevre, Bouq'Emissaire, the rind of which was coated in ash. This cheese had a soft, runny, slightly strong layer of paste next to the rind and a fresh, almost sweet interior.

[note - must cajole/bribe/threaten/whatever Jill into obtaining these]

Dinner the first night was at Au Pie du Cochon - enough has been written about that. It's an experience.

The second night we ate at Au Cinquieme Peche. Our final Montreal dinner was at Brunoise.

But I'm way too tired and I have a lot to say about these two, so tune in tomorrow for a description of the best meal I've had all year.

[porcupine]

I've written and rewritten a review of Au Cinquieme Peche about a dozen times, only to learn that I'm no writer, just a hack. So here's a straightforward decription instead.

The space: 32 seats in a building corner, windows on two sides, black and white tile floor, soft yellow walls, a few ceiling fans, bare wood tables and black wood chairs, 3 stools at the bar. A large chalkboard on the back wall displays the current wines-by-the glass list.

The food I ate: a few bites of Mr P's tomato salad, with Flemish tomatoes ("picked this morning from my best friend's farm"), pancetta, Parmesan, and basil oil.

A salad of mesclun, endive, grapes, Benedictin bleu cheese [hold the walnuts], and honey-lavender vinaigrette.

Red snapper served with a compote of tomato, red pepper, black olive, and fennel three ways: braised shreds, puree, and tart tatain.

To accompany the two courses: Gros Mamseng Cote de Gascogne 2005, which went beautifully with both dishes.

Coconut milk rice pudding with pineapple and passion fruit.

This is the best meal I've had all year. Why? I'm not sure. Maybe the unexpected. Such perfectly prepared food, like crisp-skinned fish with butter-soft flesh, in a simple setting (call it the Komi effect). Fennel tart tatain, which was pretty much what I expected: molded caramelized fennel atop a pastry disk, yet so much more than I expected. And the honey lavender dressing wasn't at all sweet, floral, or perfumy; rather it was just sweet enough to balance the bite of the cheese, and the lavender petals added more of a peppery bite than an floral finish.

If I were returning to Montreal I would go back to this restaurant above all others.

Brunoise was also fantastic, with a lovely, quiet, muted-tone setting. We had a great three course meal with one glass of wine for about 100$C, before tax and tip. The entree prices seem high at first until you realize that your appetizer and dessert are included in that price. Honestly, though, I just can't recall what we ate, other than beef tenderloin with braised veal cheeks, beacuse I'm still in awe of The Fifth Peach.

Also worth exploring: Camelia Sinensis, a charming calm spot on rue Emery, half a block off rue St-Denis and a bit uphill of Ave. Maisonneuve (I bet I spelled that wrong). Anyway, they take tea seriously here, bringing you the correct accoutrements for the type of tea you've chosen. They also have a small selection of delicious pastries and cookies. The boutique next door has teas and pots for sale.

For damn fine chocolates, go to Suite 88, 3957, rue St-Denis. They also serve excellent gelato. When they say the chocolate-chili is hot, they mean it.

And at 375, rue Roy est is Les Chocolats de Chloe, also damn fine.

[Jason Andelman, I hold you responsible for turning Mr P into a chocoholic. Until we went to your open house chocolate tasting the other week, he never gave much thought to the stuff. But he spent an hour hunting fine chocolates while I pored over my French phrasebook in Camelia Sinensis. And he reports that, good as the Montreal chocolates were, your's are better.]

ETA: a few things will help you get along fine in French-speaking Montreal: a smile, a sense of humor, and an ability to pronounce bonjour/bonsoir and parlez-vous anglais?