Locomotion

This stop was brilliant since it was in the heart of the Richler district and hadn't changed a bit. When we entered the wee box of a store, fellas were rolling bagels and plopping the dough on long, thin planks into the open mouth of the hot, flaming oven. Smelled heavenly in there. We ordered a half-dozen to go and realized the sweaty bag within seconds and couldn't resist eating some despite the fact that we'd just had brunch.

Wilensky's, pictured to the left, was a few steps away from the Fairmount. If any of you are Mordecai Richler readers, you know the place. It's where Duddy Kravitz went to shoot the shit. A was pretty stoked to find the spot since he's a fan. The place smelled like it should and the regulars had their spots at the bar secretly marked. Nothing about it seemed to have changed in fifty years, with the exception of the worn-out posted pencil-drawn portrait of Richler.

La Main was a cultural highlight for us since it buzzed with locals and provided great window-shopping for items of all kinds... furniture, vintage clothing, shoes, hardware and art. For lunch, we sought out and relished the veggie haven of Casa del Popolo.

Of course, Old Montreal was beautiful and eclectic as we had remembered it. We found a few cute shops and some stellar food too.

Crescent Street was the first place we discovered upon our arrival to Montreal. The scene was primarily for fine dining and cruising. That said, we had a stellar pasta feast at Wienstein & Gavino's. This dining experience was especially great since Birdie made a point to dance to the booming music the entire time, while eating and smiling easily at anyone looking her way (which was a lot of folks).