Hey MONTREAL!

[Bryan]

Carnivorous eats: Schwartz's Deli. If you're not in the mood to stand in line, go across the street to the Main, which is also incredibly good, but less famous.
Vegan eats: Aux Vivres (that's "O Veev" you pronounceadummies.)
Inclement weather activity: Spend some time at the National Film Board's CineRoboTheque. Watch any film from the NFB's archives, and best of all, see a giant robot arm select the film from storage and cue it up for you. It's fun, and there's some really cool stuff there that you won't see anywhere else (Norman McLaren, Arthur Lipsett come immediately to mind.)
And I second the recommendation of the bagels from St. Viateur. They're different - yes, better - than NYC style bagels.

Generally speaking Boul. St-Laurent is the main area for anglophone bars, restaurants and boutiques.

And I feel it must also be acknowledged that Montreal is the most Larry the Perv-friendly city in Canada. The ubiquity and brazenness ("Erotic Bed Dance"?) of the strip clubs around town is really quite astonishing. Also a vast number of dive bars.

[Bryan]

And oh yeah: poutine.

Do it.

[hugman]

Carnivorous eats: Schwartz's Deli. If you're not in the mood to stand in line, go across the street to the Main, which is also incredibly good, but less famous.
Vegan eats: Aux Vivres (that's "O Veev" you pronounceadummies.)
Inclement weather activity: Spend some time at the National Film Board's CineRoboTheque. Watch any film from the NFB's archives, and best of all, see a giant robot arm select the film from storage and cue it up for you. It's fun, and there's some really cool stuff there that you won't see anywhere else (Norman McLaren, Arthur Lipsett come immediately to mind.)
And I second the recommendation of the bagels from St. Viateur. They're different - yes, better - than NYC style bagels.

Generally speaking Boul. St-Laurent is the main area for anglophone bars, restaurants and boutiques.

And I feel it must also be acknowledged that Montreal is the most Larry the Perv-friendly city in Canada. The ubiquity and brazenness ("Erotic Bed Dance"?) of the strip clubs around town is really quite astonishing. Also a vast number of dive bars.

Cool. Thank you. I'm staying right off St-Laurent dehr. And I LOVE erotic bed dances!

[bonnaventure]

Yeah! The CPC Gangbangs broke up 

If you want some down and dirty (and sometimes insulting) information check out :

http://stillepost.ca/boards/index.php?board=6.0

I'll "digg" everyone's recommendations so far. Try Aux Vivres has an awesome vegan BLT which is probably the best BLT I have ever eaten meat or no meat.

[bonnaventure]

Sorry to double post, but there was talk in the chat last night about "Bagel Etc", which has fantastic bagels on St. Laurent. It is also where Leonard Cohen eats (apparently every morning).

[hugman]

Leonard Cohen stalking it is.

So, our short is playing in the Eat My Shorts 5 program at 9pm on July 25 if anyone is interested.

The Visioneers is playing on the 24th at 7pm.  I'll be there.

www.hahaha.com  is the just for laughs website.

[Spoony]

If you're a gear-freak, there's a Moog flagship store.

Wear your birth-issued cowboy hat when you go there, so they know you're an American and to be treated like a criminal.

[Louis Lame]

This messageboard knows whats up


http://www.stillepost.ca

[Matthew_S]

I should pay more attention.

I was born and raised in this great city.  I encourage all to make the trip.  Lots of fun.  And OP, feel free to PM me with specific questions.

To touch on a few things mentioned above - Schwartz's - a Huge yes.  Fantastic and Montreal-only.  Smoked meat is a offshoot of the pastrami/corned beef world but it's own wonderful thing.  The Main, as a substitute.  No, just wait it out at Schwartz's; it is worth it.

Poutine - everywhere you can get it will be a treat For more info, http://www.montrealpoutine.com/reviews.html?reviews

Right near (across the street?) Schwartz's is a hipster bar/hangout called Le Bifteck.  To give you a sense of it (or at least how it was over 10 years ago, when I still lived there), Melissa Auf der Maur (pre-Hole etc.) had her own chair there...

As noted above, some of this may be years out of date, but some thing rarely change.
St.Laurent is the anglo hipster street, crescent street area is the angle "meatmarket" scene, st.denis is franco-hotspot (or one of them).  Definintely go explore Mount Royal park (in the day).  It is very pretty and usually something fun going on.  I would agree that the Art museums are nothing special and the Architecture museum actually is.

Old Montreal is great area to wander around in the evening, and despite some touristy trappings still a must.

The Mirror (www.montrealmirror.com) is a great resource for local entertainment listings, take the restaurants recommendations with a grain of salt (look who's advertising!).

The subway (Metro) is easy to use and should be able to take you anywhere you want to go.  It does not travel througout the island but you almost certainly won't be going where it doesn't go.

One sorta unique thing to recommend is to go see a band in town, but you probably won't have the time given the Just for Laughs activities.   Local bands are always entertaining but if some band you like is on tour and happens to be in Montreal at the same time as you, great, the local clubs are for the most part great and the audiences are comparatively (to NYC, for example) small.



 

[amiright??]

Schwartz's is a MUST. MUST.

[hugman]

Thanks everyone!  I have plenty to occupy the precious little time I'll have there.  Emma, I would love a meal, if you mean it.  I'll be staying right off St. Laurent. Regardless, I'd love to meet any montreal FOT's for a beverage.  I'll tell you the remaining thousand fights stories that I probably won't be calling in with.

[hugman]

Visioneers is playing at Just For Laughs. I believe it's on friday the 24th at 7pm.  I'll be there. Holler.  Then my short is screening in the Eat My Shorts 4 program at 9 if anyone wants to come support or sumthin'. I dunno. It's stupid....
Then I shelled out 40 bucks for Louis CK at midnight.
Woot!

[iAmBaronVonTito]

what the heck?!  i was invited to Montreal (all expenses paid) for that exact weekend but had to decline due to my obligations in order to get to memphis by the end of september.

i regret ever reading this thread.  have fun without me!

[Bryan]

Oops. My offer of hospitality/socializing is hereby withdrawn. Sorry huggy, but I'm going to the cottage this weekend. As an official resident of the city now, I can say with some confidence that you'll have a great time.

One last recommendation: try the local beer. Quebec is about the only place in Canada to have a strong tradition of craft brewing. So: skip Molson/Labatt/Sleeman/whatever else you probably think of as Canadian beers. Try: Unibroue (makers of Maudite and Fin du Monde), St. Ambroise/McAuslan or some of the brew pubs.

[hugman]

Oops. My offer of hospitality/socializing is hereby withdrawn. Sorry huggy, but I'm going to the cottage this weekend. As an official resident of the city now, I can say with some confidence that you'll have a great time.

One last recommendation: try the local beer. Quebec is about the only place in Canada to have a strong tradition of craft brewing. So: skip Molson/Labatt/Sleeman/whatever else you probably think of as Canadian beers. Try: Unibroue (makers of Maudite and Fin du Monde), St. Ambroise/McAuslan or some of the brew pubs.

Cool, thanks for the tip.  Looking forward to it.  I see on the ten-day forecast that there are scattered thunderstorms every single day.  How's the humidity there?