#Schwartz montreal driver#
#Schwartz montreal full#

The smoked meat briskets are still slow-cured in barrels over the course of two weeks in a spice rub of salt, garlic, coriander, black pepper and other secret ingredients – pretty much the same way it's been done for 80 years. The incredibly satisfying food never varies: hand-cut fries, tangy coleslaw, garlicky sour pickles. Under bright florescent lights, you're seated at a child-sized table, likely with total strangers, as you bathe in the hodgepodge sights of the place – burly carvers under faded photographs, harried waiters shouting orders, the orange sparks of embers from the charcoal grill, a haphazard gallery of yellowed newspaper clippings and snaps of B-list celebrities lining the walls. A vapour cloud of steaming meat and spices greets you inside, blanketing your clothing for days. Laurent Boulevard until you come face to face with a refrigerated window display of stacked briskets. One of the great things about your first visit to Schwartz's in Montreal is that it is as fantastic as every one of your subsequent visits. 97 a Hoyt Street, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn 718-852-751. While I admire Snowdon and Schwartz’s for keeping their recipes for decades and growing their following (and I would eat at both places in a heartbeat again), make me choose and I’m going to head to Mile End every time. The quality of the beef was much better and it showed. You could still see the fat running through it. The outer rim of the meat was crisp and black, but the inside was unbelievably moist. My impression : While the price was about double for a smoked meat sandwich, just looking at the 14 oz of brisket (they also sell 7oz) I could tell it was going to out do the others. Most of the business was being done in a walk up window for takeout, though the atmosphere was definitely a little bit more stylish than the other two. Walking up I saw a restaurant that was much smaller than either Montreal deli I visited.

Though that’s exactly what Montreal native Noah Bernamoff did. Mile End (Brooklyn, New York): It takes gumption to open a Montreal style Jewish deli in Brooklyn. 5265 Blvd Décarie, Montréal, Quebec tel: 51. Fries were even better and tasted as if they were fried in beef fat. I still would prefer a bit more seasoning (it had even less than Schwartz’s so it was almost like ham), but overall good. My impression : The bread is better than at Schwartz’s and the meat was juicier. It’s been open since 1946 though for a reason. Snowdon Deli (Montreal, Quebec): Snowdon is a bit out of the way of the center of Montreal and the atmosphere is that of a 50’s diner with two colors, grey and white. 3895 St Laurent Montréal, Quebec tel: 51. The meat was a little bit dry and could use some more seasoning and the bread tasted like it was sitting out for too long. My impression : Good, but I expected more. Lines form early and run down the sidewalk for a seat at the old school diner. Schwartz’s (Montreal, Quebec): Since 1928 Schwartz’s has been serving smoked meat to hungry diners in the center of Montreal. Just for kicks I went to Mile End, a new Montreal style deli in Brooklyn, after my trip to Canada and tossed it into the mix.

#Schwartz montreal full#

It’s served on rye, usually with a spoon full of mustard and pickle on the side. Montreal smoked meat is always sliced by hand in order to maintain temperature and whole briskets are almost always kept on hand. In Montreal, smoked meat from a Jewish deli has become the most symbolic food of the city, however, ironically the meat is not kosher. Jewish smoked meat is more closely related to a roast brisket as prepared in Bessarabia and Romania. Pastrami differs in seasoning, flavor, color, and consistency to smoked meat. In the United States smoked meat is generally considered pastrami, though this is somewhat inaccurate.

Ashkenazi Jewish communities in Eastern Europe were well known for smoking meat in the 19 th century and it has since been generally considered a trait of Jewish communities, particularly in North American delis. The practice of smoking meats dates to ancient times as a way of preserving it. Each place smokes an estimated 10,000 pounds of meat per week.

#Schwartz montreal driver#

I asked a cab driver late one night about Snowdon and without hesitation she said to go to Schwartz’s. In Montreal everyone has an opinion of their favorite smoked meat sandwich from a local delicatessen.