Montreal Eats: Schwartz's
One of the must-eats in Montreal, according to every guidebook and blogger, is Schwartz's for their smoked meat sandwich (essentially corned beef). There's apparently always a line, and the guy in front of me was apparently a regular and said that it was his "addiction," and that he needed to eat once a month. He also recommended getting fries and cole slaw, and ordering the sandwich "medium" referring to the fat level. He said that the meat "needs some fat for the flavor to come through."
I was seated together with a French girl who was also here for the first time. For a restaurant that is always packed, and on every tourist's itinerary, I was hugely impressed by how friendly everyone was. The staff who welcomed us into the restaurant asked us our names, and greeted us with a warm "Enchante!"
The guy in the picture below took our order. He seemed to be somehow more important since he got to move the hunks of beef between containers. Even he was always smiling, and patient with us when he took our orders. He explained to a couple seated next to us at the counter that the meat is marinated for 10 hours and then it is steamed for 3 hours. The couple had mail ordered some meat at home in Toronto, but they said it was tough. The cook explained that they probably didn't steam it for long enough, because that is what makes it tender.
So how was it? I thought it was okay. Flavor was decent, but I was expecting it (and the bread) to be more moist. The fries were not the kind I liked. These tasted very fresh, but were soggy. Still, it was a happy experience because I really felt cared for. My French dining partner said that as she exited the restaurant, that first employee still remembered her name!
I like how the drawing on their placemat (above) represents real life exactly (below).
