Schwartz's Deli

Okay, we've been to Schwartz's Deli before on our last visit to Montreal, but we didn't dine in due to the long lineup.  Hence, we didn't get the "true" experience and to give it a fair shake, we returned to do it right.  Fortunately for us, there was not much of a lineup (as you can see in the picture).  I've always held the thought that Snowden Deli is better but we ate in there and this was the way to settle the comparison.

So without further ado, let's get straight to the Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich.  It was fairly good size with enough meat to satisfy without being a monstrosity.  It was a combination of fatty brisket and the flat.  There was a background level of smokiness and the meat was just salty enough.  It ate tender and didn't require much chewing.  As for the rye bread, it was pretty robust and held things together nicely.  Definitely solid and is still one of the best.

This time around, I had to get something different, so we went for the Smoked Chicken and Montreal Smoked Meat Combo.  It also included fries on the side.  Well, I regret ordering the chicken because it was super dry and not all that fun to eat.  I mean the flavour was good with smoky pepperiness, but the meat, especially the breast, was practically inedible.  As for the sliced smoked meat, it was excellent.  Tender, moist and flavourful. 

About those Fries, they were fresh cut and fried up beautifully.  They really piled it onto the plate and in reality, it is hard to finish by yourself.  Best to share with a friend (or the random stranger sitting beside you).  They were uniformly crispy and had a nice attractive colour.  Inside, the creamy potato was warm and appealing. These were definitely delicious but they would be better served in a poutine...

Yes, we did get the Smoked Meat Poutine too (same as last time) and it was fantastic.  Unlike last time, we ate this fresh and it made a huge difference as the fries were still crispy in some spots.  The hot gravy had a nice viscosity and was not overly salty.  That was a good thing as the ample amount of chopped smoke meat added all the flavour this dish needed.  Underneath, we found a bevy of cheese curds that were partly melted.  We still had some whole pieces that were at their squeaky best.  Well, I gotta say that Schwartz's still has game and their smoked meat is good as well as their poutine.  Can't say the same for the chicken, but that isn't the main draw here.  There are other places to get smoked meat in Montreal and some of them maybe arguably better, but if you are looking for an iconic place, Schwartz's is it.

The Good:

- Excellent smoked meat

- That poutine!

- It has history and the name

The Bad:

- You'll have to lineup for it

- Seating isn't the most comfortable (part of the charm right?)