
It’s been 7 years since we lost our favorite foodie ; the great Anthony Bourdain, Tony to his friends. The chef and host of cooking discovery shows (and local poetic zeitgeist ) was not only one of our first internet boyfriends-the bad boy chef, but an inspiration for gentle living, openness to the world and the only person who could get us to try an oyster when we were kids and found the idea of eating a gooey saltwater thing repulsive.
That’s how he discovered his passion for cooking and for life; by eating an oyster as a child.
Anthony Bourdain has visited Montreal several times: for his show Parts Unknown in 2013, for his show No Reservations in 2006 and for his show The Layover in 2011.
He has called Montreal “a very dangerous place for chefs” (a good thing), and his favorite place in Canada.
To honor this iconic bon vivant near his birthday on June 25, we’ve compiled a list of his favorite Montreal addresses (restaurants that still exist, because he was right, chefs and restaurants do play a bit of musical chairs here).
Anthony Bourdain’s addresses
Schwartz’s
Schwartz’s, opened in 1928, is a Montreal institution and, as Bourdain said, “you can’t not come here when you’re in Montreal”, before biting into one of their smoked meat sandwiches…
Where? 3895 Boulevard Saint-Laurent
Wilensky’s
The sodas are hand-mixed, and Bourdain tried the special with cheese, a smoked meat sandwich with cheese. Moe Wilensky opened the restaurant in 1932, and it has been an icon of the Mile End Jewish community ever since.
Where? 34 Fairmount West
Au Pied de Cochon
Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2021, this restaurant blends gastronomy with the “sugar shack” menu of Quebec’s terroir. In the words of Anthony Bourdain, “pure goodness and excess”.
Chef Martin Picard and Bourdain have formed a close friendship, and even went hunting together for one of his shows.
Where? 536 Duluth Street East
Beauty’s Luncheonette
Anthony Bourdain ate a salmon bagel that made him rethink the Canadian bagel-New York bagel debate at this restaurant, another Montreal institution.
For 82 years, it’s been the quintessential Montreal lunch spot…
Where? 91 Mont Royal East
La Banquise
La Banquise is a little divisive in Montreal, because some find it classic, others too touristy.
Bourdain, after a poutine at La Banquise, said “I feel so dirty, yet so alive”.
Where? 994 Rachel Street East
Joe Beef
Bourdain and Joe Beef, it’s been a love affair… He had immense admiration for the restaurant’s founding chefs, Dave McMillan and Fred Morin, referring to them as “the most important and influential chefs in Canada.”
He also said, “This place is where you want to be: sucking down oysters and good wine at Joe Beef.”
Where? 2491 Notre-Dame Street West
Gibeau Orange Julep
Anthony Bourdain obviously made a pit stop at one of Quebec’s oldest diners , the famous Orange Julep. Sports cars, an orange juice whose recipe remains a secret, and a nostalgic charm…
Where? 7700 Boulevard Décarie
L’express
At the French brasserie l’express, Anthony Bourdain ate like a Parisian bon vivant : steak frites, bone marrow, trout salad. Oh, yes!
Where? 3927 rue Saint-Denis
Big in Japan
Bourdain stayed up until dawn with the chefs of this restaurant, open until 3 a.m., drinking sake and Chinese whiskey and engaged in a heated discussion about Céline Dion.
Where? 4175 Boulevard Saint-Laurent
In addition to these addresses, which are, moreover, Montreal institutions that are as classic as they are instantly nostalgic, like going to your grandparents’ and immediately feeling better and a little sad, Anthony Bourdain leaves us with a lesson in life. To live it to the full, to discover yourself in the unknown, to cherish the connections you make on your travels, to taste everything – and, with a little of his openness and joie de vivre, to be as cool as he is…
Enjoy your meal!