Road Trip 2005 – Day 2

Day 2

After the first night of eating, walking and searching for a good nightclub/stripclub, we were all so tired and went to bed relatively early since we know that more good stuffs are coming the next day (+ we had to drive to Mont Tremblant). Woke up @ around 10-11am. The first thing we had to do was of course search for breakfast/brunch. Therefore, we went to the most convenient one, The Tour de Ville – Montreal’s only revolving rooftop restaurant, perched atop our hotel. Before we stepped into this restaurant, we had to pay $2/person for coat check downstairs. Anyhow, we all paid it and went up to the restaurant. Then, the lady there told us that the buffet will be closed within an hour. (If we had known in advance about the buffet schedule, we would have gone there earlier.) Anywayz, we ended up eating there since none of us wanted to go out and waste our time searching for food. The food there was actually very good. With the revolving floor, we got to enjoy the view while having all kinds of food AYCE – western breakfast, roasted beef, appetizers, and of course… desserts!!! The price was about $35 (before T&T) per person but I didn’t regret it.

Next stop: Simon’s! Finally, here I am! I was so disappointed the first day when I saw it closed. If you go to Montreal, you gotta go to Simon’s since they carry a wide selection of brands w/ different price range. We spent over 1 hour there and I bought some accessories and a coat. For the same style of accessories, I found the price in Simon’s is about 60% of the ones in Toronto. Reluctantly, I had to move on since we couldn’t just spend all time in 1 store =P

After Simon’s, AH suggested to go to m0851, which is a Montreal-based company that designs and manufactures bags, outerwear, sportswear, accessories and furnitures. Although I’ve heard of this brand long time ago, and there’s even a store in Toronto (23 Saint Thomas Street), I’ve never been to any of its stores. The first thing I noticed was the various colors of the leather goods – B/W, pastel… The “love at the first sight” was the “Flat Essential” bag in purple… and that also became one of the souvenirs for myself. The style and size are just right for daily use, and the more I use it, the more I like it. m0851’s bags are of very good quality… the only thing I would suggest is that they should consider re-designing their website. If you’ve been to their website, you’d know what I’m talking about.

Shopping, shopping and more shopping… Before heading to Mont Tremblant, our last stop in Montreal was at Schwartz’s Deli – Montreal’s famous deli since 1927. If you go to Montreal, you gotta try this. The store was quite small, but was packed with people + long line-up outside. Although our stomachs were still filled w/ the brunch, we still ordered the smoked meat sandwiches. Along with the sandwiches, we ordered some cherry pops. The reason for ordering the pops was actually very much like an instinct. When you saw a restaurant carrying one uncommon drink and everyone there was having that drink, there should be a reason for it… and the only reason would be that it would go especially well with the food there. My rationale turned out to be true ^^ The cherry pop really goes well brings out the taste of the smoked meat. (I wonder who first thought of that…)

Smoked meat – may not look so good, but smells really good!

Freshly cut

A corner of the store

Close-up of the Smoked Meat Sandwich

Try out the chemistry between cherry pop & smoked meat sandwich

After about 2 hours of driving, we arrived at Mont Tremblant… it was around 5pm. After walking around in the village, we finally settled down at Les Artistes. The food there wasn’t spectacular, but the service was quite good. Among all the dishes, I especially liked the Duck Confit. I don’t have any cell-cam picture for this dinner, but you can visit their website. Here are what we ordered:

Duck Confit Salad 17.99
Minced duck thigh over mesclun leaves with a raspberry vinaigrette

Rack of Lamb with Herbs 31.99
A tender piece of meat seasoned with the best spices and herbs of Provence

Duck Confit 29.99
Enjoy the unique taste and texture of duck thigh meat that only the slow and long simmering of this old style cooking can produce

Grain Fed Chicken Caesar Salad 14.99
A generous platter of our crispy Caesar salad served with tender grilled chicken

Pasta with Chicken and Pesto 19.99
Sliced marinated chicken breast with a Provençale basil creamy sauce

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FYI: The Tour de Ville
777 University Street, Montréal, Quebec H3C 3Z7
Reservations: 514-879-4777

Schwartz’s Deli
3895 Saint-Laurent Boulevard Montreal, Quebec H2W 1X9
Tel: 514-842-4813

Les Artistes
116 Kandahar (rue des Remparts, près du/near the Westin Hotel)
Centre de Villegiature TREMBLANT Resort
Tel: 819-681-4606