Montreal’s Jean Talon Market

The final stop in our weekend in Montreal was the Jean Talon Market.  This is the best place to go if you are looking to incorporate a meal into your visit.  Many of the vendors sell food that is ‘ready to eat’, and the market is surrounded by permanent shops, many of which offer take away or eat in service.

This is also the best place to visit during the growing season when the market spills out into a series of tents.  If it grows, they sell it here.

The trick is to arrive hungry and take the opportunity to sample from the vendors.  My favourite stops are the Fish Monger, who will deep fry calamari, shrimp or fish and chips for you on the spot.  In the winter I enjoy the sausage maker who sells small duck or wild boar sausages on a stick hot off the BBQ.

The highlights are too numerous to mention.  There were leeks the size of your arm; duck, chicken & quail eggs; white and purple eggplants of every shape and size; an entire booth dedicated to heirloom tomatoes.  But I was most impressed by ‘les Cochons Tout Ronds’.  I thought for a moment that I was back in Spain!

Cured ham, Rilettes, Terrines, and Sausages hanging to dry.  Not sure what you want?  No problem.  The knowledgeable staff are happy to let you sample their wares.  I was hard not to leave with a little bit of everything!

Then, after a long day of shopping, we agonized over our final decision.  Where to eat?  The perimeter of the Market is lined with small restaurants offering up every type of ethnic cuisine you can imagine!  You can choose from Moroccan, Asian, Mexican, Italian, Portuguese, the possibilities are endless.  After considerable debate, we settled on Mexican, mostly because the most lovely woman was grilling hand made tamales, tacos, and gorditas right in front of us, and the smell was irresistible.

After a hard day of marketing, it was just what we needed to fuel ourselves for the 2 hour ride back to Ottawa.

What a delicious end to a fantastic weekend!

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