A sampling of new flavours off the beaten path
Beyond the Market tour caters to visitors hungry for Montreal’s hidden gems
My mouth waters in anticipation as we lay down our red and white blanket and wicker picnic basket in Montreal’s Park du Petite Italie.
Our outdoor feast is from Dinette Triple Crown, whose specialties include Southern-style chicken, homemade sauces such as East Carolina and Habanero Peach, and Hush Puppies. Like-minded families and friends share a similar meal on blankets all around us. A few nearby couples look well-fed and sleepy, cuddling in the sunlight.
Dinette fills 300 to 350 baskets on the average Saturday, but the average tourist would never know about it. This is the last stop of the Beyond the Market tour by Spade & Pallacio, which promises small, “non-touristy tours.”
Co-founder Danny Pavlopoulos packs his tours with personal favourites. Beyond the Market explores the area around Jean-Talon Market, making a foray into adjacent Vietnamese, Italian and Latino communities. It starts with flavourful Salvadorian pupusas — fried, stuffed corn tortilla — and milky horchata at Los Planes, a charming, cosy hole-in-thewall.
At Jean-Talon Market, the “largest open-air market in the city,” a busker plays Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely” and it couldn’t be more appropriate given the kaleidoscope of colours, characters and culinary options.
Our stops include Épices de Cru, a spice vendor with an international inventory; Les Jardins Savages, a wild produce vendor frequented by local chefs; and Les Cochons Tout Ronds for samples of sausage, salami and charcuterie — ideal for lunch in a park, hotel or the trip home. The aged meat is spiced with ingredients like black pepper, paprika, thyme, garlic and red wine according to old recipes from Corsico, Italy.
All that salt leads to thirst, which brings us to Brasserie Harricana, an
“There is poutine, smoked meat and bagels in Montreal, but we wanted to show you more.” DANNY PAVLOPOULOS SPADE & PALLACIO
old diner converted into a laid-back new brew pub. White brick and tile surround a long, inviting wooden bar, and the pints — from an India pale ale to a blond lager — get visitors hopping. The brew pub is also known for brunch, a late-night kitchen and, naturally, its beer-can chicken.
The nearby “Mile-Ex” district takes us well off the beaten path, but we discover foodie gems amidst the industrial buildings, bungalows and artistic Easter eggs — from alleyways converted to gardens to unexpected murals, such as a 13-metre-long tableau titled “But First They Must Catch You” that features forest animals escaping bulldozers via hot air balloons.
Something great is brewing nearby at Dispatch, which serves Vietnamese-style iced coffee and houses its own roastery, and the neighbouring Manitoba, one of the city’s buzz-worthy, newer restos. These taste bud treasures are found on Rue Saint Zotique near, which ends at Boulevard St-Laurent — the corner that plays host to our park picnic.
As Pavlopoulos explains, “There is poutine, smoked meat and bagels in Montreal, but we wanted to show you more.” Chris Lackner was hosted by Tourism Montreal, which didn’t review or approve this story.