Come rain or shine, whether it’s pouring or unbearably hot, whether it’s snowing or the pavement is scorching, there’s always a bit of a line out front at Drogheria Fine. The window is tiny, and you order without giving it much thought. Gnocchi, to go.
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DROGHERIA FINE: GNOCCHI, THE SECRET SAUCE, AND A BELOVED MILE END INSTITUTION
Drogheria Fine is, first and foremost, an Italian delicatessen that makes exquisite—and somewhat secret—preserves, tomato sauces, ragùs, and pestos.
The gnocchi—the famous gnocchi that people practically fight over in the tiny Mile End street where the Drogheria Fine’s counter-window overlooks—are smothered in “salsa della nonna” (grandma’s sauce).
The gnocchi are served with or without Parmesan in small cardboard boxes, all for the modest price of $5. It’s a piping-hot classic—delicious and tasting just like homemade Italian food—which is why there’s always a line.
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THE MILE END
If Montreal is now considered one of the hubs of coolness, design innovation, fashion, and dining—and, on TikTok, we’ve heard that Montrealers are the sexiest city dwellers in North America—it’s largely thanks to the influence of the city’s coolest neighborhood: the Mile End.
Incidentally, this is the city’s most diverse neighborhood in terms of immigration since the 19th century, and it’s a creative neighborhood in every sense of the word; the development of Mile End’s identity—which sometimes feels more like a village than a big-city neighborhood—is constantly evolving.
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PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Where? Drogheria Fine, at 68 Fairmount Avenue West
When? Open 7 days a week
Monday / 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
Tuesday / 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
Wednesday / 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
Thursday / 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
Friday / 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
Saturday / 11 a.m.–7 p.m.
Sunday / 11 a.m.–7 p.m.
What? Takeout gnocchi come with or without Parmesan and cost less than $10.
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