Montreal, Canada (The Joy of Food) — The star at Schwartz’s Deli is the spiced and brined beef brisket, hot-smoked and steamed, yielding something similar to corned beef or pastrami, but taken a step further. It comes piled high with slices of hand-cut meat served on fresh rye bread with a smidge of yellow mustard.
Unlike pastrami which uses leaner parts of the brisket, smoked meat includes the fatty parts of the muscle. You can specify your cut when ordering: lean, medium, or fatty. When faced with this question in Montreal, visions of foie gras and poutine will dance in your head. This is no time to start showing restraint in a city that shows no restraint, gastronomically speaking. Fatty it is!
The meat is tender and juicy, reinforced by the grainy spice of the yellow mustard slathered to both sides of the bread. The flavor of the meat is different than elsewhere, no surprise when you consider the week-long curing process it undergoes, a blend of whole peppercorns, coriander, mustard seed, and garlic, among other secret ingredients. There is enough variation in the thickness of each slice to make every bite texturally different from the last.
Schwartz’s was founded in 1928 by Reuben Schwartz, a Jewish Romanian immigrant who started off as a delivery guy for other local delis. Today, it is one of the city’s most beloved institutions and a crucial piece of Quebec heritage. What began as a small business like countless others in the heart of Montreal’s immigrant corridor, serving a predominantly Jewish clientele, now draws people together from all backgrounds into its tiny premises in pursuit of world-famous smoked meat.
It would be smart to anticipate the perpetual line out the door, unless you eat dinner at senior citizen times. Inside, the experience can feel a bit like a visit to Nate ‘n Al’s, except you’re packed like sardines at family-style picnic tables and not seated at leather booths older than time and, perhaps more obvious, you’re nowhere near Beverly Hills. Counter seating is also available, and you can witness the meat-cutting process in all its juicy, savory glory from your perch.
Sides to enjoy with this meaty goodness include frites maison (house fries), cornichon (pickle), and salade de choux (coleslaw). The coleslaw is greener and tangier than traditional American coleslaw and dressed with vinegar instead of globs of mayonnaise. The fries are thick and well-salted, but inconsistencies in texture can yield batches that are overly soggy and limp.
By the time you leave, you and your clothes will be thoroughly scented of meat. It’s an aroma and a taste to be savored for what’s ultimately a sophisticated and time-honored technique delivered in simplistic and humble sandwich form.
Written by Joy
Thanks for reading. The Joy of Food blog celebrates eating well, traveling often, and living la dolce vita. San Diego, California is home base, but thoughts are from all over. Reviews and photos help to highlight wonderful (or not) food experiences from around the world.
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Schwartz’s is one of those places that really delivered on the hype. Man, that smoked meat medium fat was so good!
Yes my impression is that most of the hyped stuff in Montreal is legit. There are a few cities like that (New Orleans also comes to mind) and then others where it’s a must to steer clear of the marketing.
Mmm… Smoked meat looks great.
A great option with a delicious flavor profile in Montreal. And then there’s hiking up and down the mountain nearby to work it off ha ha.