Montréal

I was in Montréal last weekend, eating and drinking my way around the city. Alas there is only so much you can physically consume in 3 days.

Highlights: - a fabulous meal at Joe Beef. My favourite dish, a difficult choice out of the selection David offered us, was a dish of pig's skin and gnocchi in a spicy tomato sauce. The skin was soft, cut into shreds to mimic pasta - maybe I should do a skin book after all? For my husband it was the veal kidney baked in a salt crust. The 2009 Morgon from Marcel Lapierre that accompanied it was brilliant. Joe Beef and its associated restaurants, Liverpool House and McKiernan are a must if you're in Montréal.  Joe Beef has a cookbook coming out later this year The Art of Living According to Joe Beef: A Cookbook of Sorts.

Sitting at the bar at Au Pied de Cochon and putting yourself in sous-chef Emily's hands is the way to go at this restaurant where the portions can be overwhelming. We both loved the roasted marrow bone served with a thin potato puree garnished with black truffle (pictured above). The roast pigeon (squab) was great too. We drank another bottle of that Morgon.

No visit to Montréal is complete without a smoked meat sandwich from Schwartz's deli. Ask for fat and don't be afraid, these sandwiches are not the giant family-sized ones you find in NYC, even I can finish one all by myself. (The French fries are good too).

So back in Toronto with bagels from Fairmount bakery in my freezer, and Quebec butter, cheese, pâté and saucisson in the refrigerator, my taste of Montréal continues in Toronto.