Lester's Deli

When people think Smoked Meat in Montreal, the first thought would be Schwartz's.  Now that is not a bad thing as I've had great meals at Schwartz's in the past.  However, they are not the only game in town where my personal favourite is Snowden Deli.  I've been to Dunn's and well, it is "ok".  One place I've been meaning to hit for quite some time is Lester's.  It is also a long time favourite and some would even argue it is the best in town.  Well this visit would be finally where I get to do a comparison.

For this to happen, we needed to get the Super Smoked Meat Sandwich.  This was a considerable amount of hand-sliced smoked meat on rye bread.   The first thing I noticed about their smoked meat was that it was super juicy and tender.  It was giving me ham vibes due to the wet brine rather than the dry brine used at Schwartz's.  Hence, there was less natural meat texture.  Bread was soft with some structure where it held everything together without getting soggy.  The meat was a good balance between sweet and salty with minor smoke hits.  Overall, it was a good sandwich but I personally prefer the meatiness and drier texture of Schwartz's.

We wanted to get something to compliment our meal that wasn't another sandwich, so we opted for their Hot Dog with coleslaw and relish.  Really enjoyed the buttered and toasted bun which had a nice crispy exterior that gave way to a fluffy soft interior.  The grilled all-beef wiener was smoky and juicy with a nice charred exterior.  It worked well with the crunchy and tangy coleslaw where it had sauerkraut vibes.

We ended up with a side of Fries as well as the Poutine.  I thought the fries were quite potatoey and had good potato flavour.  However, they were too soggy and need more exterior crispiness.  We also had to add extra salt to coax more flavour of the fries.  However, this was not an issue with the poutine as the gravy was thick and full-flavoured.  The ample bits of cheese curds were partially melted with some unmelted ones, just like it should be.  Solid poutine.  Overall, we found Lester's more than acceptable and a great place to grab a Smoked Meat Sandwich as well as other things.  Although there can be lineups here, they are generally shorter and the vibe is much less chaotic than Schwartz's. 

The Good:
- Ample tender meat in the sandwich
- Lower key spot
- We got really great service

The Bad:
- Fries could be crispier

 

Anny's Dairy Bar

There I was, sitting at work with a growling stomach.  No, that is not that unusual and in fact, it is a pretty regular occurrence.  Anyways, I turned my attention in figuring what to do for lunch.  I quickly sent JuJu a text and we agreed to meet at Anny's Dairy Bar in New West.  No, I didn't suddenly morph into Mijune and attempt to eat only desserts for lunch, rather Anny's serves up authentic poutine and smoked meat sammies in addition to steamies and hamburgers.

With that in mind, we wanted all of it and that we did.  JuJu ordered the 7-oz Smoked Meat Sandwich served with fresh-cut fries.  Sandwiched between 2 soft slices of light rye bread, the thinly shaved smoked meat was buttery and soft with a balanced saltiness.  I personally prefer the meatier texture of Dunn's and Estrella's, but this one was decent nonetheless.  As for the side of fries, they were thick, crispy and plenty fried.  For myself, I had the Big James Deluxe Burger loaded with a home-made patty, cheese and bacon.  I enjoyed the crumbly and moist beef patty that was further enhanced by crispy lean bacon and a soft airy bun.

For my side, I upgraded to a Small Poutine complete with authentic packet gravy and large cheese curds.  With the same good fries and topped with enough gravy to coat each one, there was plenty of silky saltiness.  The large cheese curds were buttery soft with a slight squeak.  I also got a Steamie with the works including pickled cabbage, onions and relish.  As much as this little hot dog only cost me $1.25, it was fulfilling.  I particularly enjoyed the soft steamed bun which lovingly wrapped around the juicy wiener and other ingredients.

Of course, I couldn't leave without getting one of their famous Maple Twist cones made with Island Farms milk.  Yes, believe the hype as the soft serve was creamy, light and surprisingly not overwhelmingly sweet despite the addition of maple syrup. I originally only wanted to finish half, but I practically at the whole thing.  All-in-all, this little place in New West served up some decent eats at a reasonable price.  Also, I never thought I'd love a maple twist cone so much either.

The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Decent eats
- Nice people

The Bad:
- Not a whole lot of seating
- Fries were okay, but could've been crispier