#drogheriafine

[queenofmosttrades]

Making Memories in Montreal

Happy December, let’s not pretend we love the snow and hurry and get to April 😉 k thanks. Living in Brooklyn, NY it definitely gets bitter cold, but I suddenly felt like I was from the tropics after our visit to Montreal and hearing from some of the locals about what it really feels like when winter arrives up there. We managed to escape at the beginning of November (and witnessed their first snowfall of the season), I’m also shocked we actually pulled this off...without the children! 🤯 This was our first “parents only” getaway in exactly 1 year, and last time I was pregnant so it doesn’t count right?  We got all hands on deck, my parents, my in-laws and nanny came to the rescue for us to leave for close to 72 hours...my god! Who does pick up, drop off, where do they sleep, home or at the grandparents, do we split them up, and the list goes on and on. I feel compelled to share how ahhhmazing and challenging it is to get away for a few days without the kids. Love you boys but mama and Tati (dad in Yiddish) needed some alone time.  

We picked Montréal, because Europe was too far for a long weekend and we wanted a place that felt like we traveled a million miles away without the jetlag. I loved the city! It’s a melting pot of culture, art and food. Do you love to eat? Oh great me too, they have nearly as many restaurants as NYC per square capita, and not gonna lie, it’s overwhelming...I still stay up at night wondering if we made the best restaurant choices, I’ll just never know 😂 

I’ll split it up by neighborhood:

Downtown

We stayed at the Four Seasons hotel, its a relatively brand new hotel and has an indoor pool (which was a must for us, even though we only used it once, wop wop) and a beautiful spa which obviously any mom traveling without her kids would take complete advantage of 💆🏼‍♀️ Their in-house restaurant is Marcus, by the incredible Marcus Samuelsson (if you’re like me and have no idea who this is, it’s fine, I guess we’ve been living under the same rock...neighbor 😉) Dave knew about this apparent rockstar chef and told me that this is his first ever Canadian restaurant...I would highly suggest making reservations a few days in advance (at least), it gets pretty packed. We enjoyed room service one morning because #sleep and had breakfast in the hotel the other two days which was quiet delicious and full of fresh squeezed juice options 😋 

Our hotel was located down the block from Boulevard de Maisonneuve which has tons of shops, restaurants and one of the entrances to the underground mall. It’s bustling and I was really happy with our choice of neighborhood. I was on the fence because Old Montreal has a lot to offer as well, but it was a short Uber ride over. 

Old Montreal

If you get a warm and fuzzy feeling when you see cobblestones then this is the place for you! This is a popular place for many tourists, it’s adorable, and I see what the hype is all about; it has the Old Port, has a charming little tree lined walking road along the water, The Basilique Notre-Dame which is a big attraction and tons of cobblestone streets surrounded with French inspired architecture, hotels, restaurants, cafes, art galleries, shops, I mean you get the picture right? It’s pretty fabulous. I must say though, at times I did feel a bit like a tourist, because certain shops and restaurants we passed seemed how should I say this...inauthentic. I’ve been around Times Square enough to know when I’m in a tourist trap, which I don’t particularly enjoy when traveling or ever lol ... But we did stumble across a few incredible art galleries and a delicious brunch spot called Olive and Gourmando, yummy food and fun atmosphere!

Mile End

We took a great tour in this neighborhood that so much reminded me of parts of Williamsburg, Bushwick and Park Slope. @Localmontrealtours did a great job taking us around and giving our palates a unique experience of flavors. One of my favorite stops was at the St. Viateur Bagel (shocker right, a NY girl excited about bagels) this place has been around forever and is a true staple in Montreal. A few other noteworthy spots were Drogheria Fine, known for their incredible tomato sauce that covers perfectly delicious gnocchi served in a Chinese take out container; funky and indulgent. Additionally, Boucherie Lawrence, which serves local meats and cheeses amongst other things such as various jams and honeys. Dave talked me out of buying about 10 jars of different delightful items in order to avoid shlepping them back to NYC...I’ll be placing an online order soon 🙌🏼

Le Plateau

This is technically a broader neighborhood that consists of several sub neighborhoods; Mile End being one of them, so I would suggest checking it out as well. We specifically made our way there to check out the Jewish Museum and what is considered the area with the greatest Jewish presence and history. We weren’t able to make it on their tour, which I’m secretly pretty bummed about but we did get to wander around the area. It’s a touch of hip, grunge and art. What I loved most is that you feel like you’re a local, no big hotels or tourist traps, you’ll see homes, grocery stores, cafes, etc...you’ll be submerged with the people who live there. 

A great restaurant located in Le Plateau that my girl @arielloves recommended from her visit to Montreal was Au Pied de Cochon, they are known for their foie gras which comes in all different forms and styles. Dave liked the “naked” one and I was obsessed with the “nigiris”. We also decided to try the POUTINE here! Ok so if you don’t know what Poutine is, it’s the traditional comfort food of Montréal...French fries with gravy sauce on top and some places get funky and add other toppings...yes it was yummy, but one time was enough for us, it’s extremely heavy and made me want to jog home, but hey worth a try and to each their own. 

Speaking of jogging, I usually make it a priority to check out some gyms or outdoor fitness areas on all my trips, but full disclaimer this did NOT happen this time 🤷‍♀️ I won’t even try to dig up an excuse, just was focused on sleep before and after our excursions haha #priorities. Not gonna beat myself up about it (even though TBH I started to a few times) but I’ll be on it again next time 💪🏽

Extras 

One of our mornings we decided to be outdoorsy and “hike up” Mont Royal aka realizing how cold it was we took an Uber up and a bus down 🤷‍♀️ whatevs, we did spend some time up there breathing the crisp air and enjoying the view. A cute place to check out if you’re into “look out point” type of stuff. 

We also went to a hockey game duhhh! We watched the Montreal Canadians play the LA Kings. It was a real cultural experience, something that Dave and I love participating in whenever we travel anywhere. If you’re like us and you like to just do things and go to places that make you feel like you’re one of the locals I would highly recommend going to see a hockey game when visiting, its like going to see a Yankees game in NYC, authentic and exciting 🏒 

The Low Down 

All in all, we had fun, but I do want to touch upon something that is real and deserves a moment just like all the other mentions. Shit’s not perfect! Dave and I have somewhat of a different view on how we should “plan” our trips. I typically like to have an agenda ready to roll and he likes to wing it. We discovered this about ourselves a few years ago, yet perhaps since we didn’t go away alone for a while we kind of forgot how to handle it. As a couple it’s not always unicorns and lattes (well there are usually lattes involved with us 😉) but we get to make it work because that’s what we signed up for! After a day of on and off arguing, we decided that moving forward I need to have my “planned activity” happen first and then I’ll be much more willing to hang loose and flow, not freaking out that we don’t have a specific destination (this only took us 6+ years to establish #couplegoals 🤣). I’ll be keeping you posted on how that plays out for our next trip! I heard something the other day when listening to a clip from @garyvee, he said we are all being fake and how when we get back from a vacation we tell everyone that we had a great time (usually regardless of what kind of time we actually had). I found that to be insanely insightful and it struck a chord with me. I believe it’s important to acknowledge both the great times and the times of struggle. They are equally important to process and learn from. I hope you enjoyed my recap and found it helpful for your future trip. I would love to hear from you and get some of your feedback! Till next time fam; Stay living on those skinny branches! 

-Love, 

Suzanna 

Queen of most Trades 

[mauroscatozza]

The search for something #authentic in #montreal #gnocchi from @drogheriafine #therealreal https://www.instagram.com/p/B1AGxKtlGLU/?igshid=4k0jl7udbyje

[nathanlangphoto]

Ecole Militaire + Kinfolk dinner. Many Thanks to Andy and Laurent for hosting this event and to the chefs, Fanco and Stephanie for an incredible dinner.

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