Montreal 2026 - Day 3: Strøm Spa Nordique, Atwater Cocktail Club, Joe Beef

After the previous evening's extravagantly indulgent dinner, Leah and I scheduled some R&R for our next morning, followed by...another extravagant and indulgent evening.


Strøm Spa Nordique
101 Bd de la Forêt, Verdun, QC

We always look forward to visiting Strøm on our Montreal trips. It's a really relaxing way to spend the day and the food in their restaurant is surprisingly great. 

Drinks
KEW Cocktails Nordic Iced Tea
Cappuccino


Artisan Platter
Local Cheese, Meat & Fish Charcuterie, Condiments, Croutons

Nordic Shrimp Remoulade
Gin Yogurt, Iceberg Lettuce, Green Goddess Dressing, Pickled Pear, Furikake


Smoked Duck
Sunchokes Three Ways, Confit Onions, Sour Cherries

Whisky Baba
Coureur des Bois Maple Cream Whisky, Black Currant Marmalade, Parsnip Cream, White Chocolate, Coffee


Confit Apple Tart
Frangipane, Squash Cream, Nordic Hazelnut Crumble, Caramel-Labrador Tea Ice Cream

Atwater Cocktail Club
512 Av. Atwater, Montreal, QC

We were hugely impressed by Atwater Cocktail Club on our previous visit, so we made a point of returning. Some of the drinks served here, notably La Chichera, were among the most memorable and creative we enjoyed all year. Dinner was scheduled a bit later this evening, so we ordered a few small plates to ensure our stomachs weren't too empty. 

Drinks - Round 1
24 Karot: Convite Esencial Mezcal, Aperol, Lillet, Herbal Liqueur, Smoked Carrot, Lime, Honey, Winter Spice Foam
La Récolte: Stoli Vodka, Calvados, Pandan, Chinese Dates, Coconut Milk, Butter Cookies, Dulce de Leche, Lemon

Drinks - Round 2
La Chichera: Planteray Original Dark Rum, Guava, Lime, Chicha Morada, Coffee Infused Coconut Oil
Where's Waldorf: Belle de Brillet Pear Liqueur, Stoli Vodka, Lemon, Honey, Blue Cheese, Walnut, Pollen

Eggs Mayonnaise

Pork Rilletes

Drinks - Round 3
Sober Island: NOA Amaretto, Lychee Tea, Blood Orange, Lemon, Egg White
Lafayette: Patrón Reposado Tequila, Armagnac, Martini Riserva Rubino, Bénédictine, Clingstone Peach & Kensington Bitters, Absinthe

Joe Beef
2491 Rue Notre Dame O, Montreal, QC

Yet another hit from a previous trip, we also returned to Joe Beef. I often avoid ordering a restaurant's "signature" dish, as I often find it's more of a general crowd-pleaser than something especially unique. In this case though, I was thrilled with the lobster spaghetti, which might be the best version of this type of pasta dish I've ever had. 

Blood Sausage Tarte

Seafood Platter
Oysters (3 Types), Shrimp Cocktail, Lobster Salad, Salmon Gravlax w/ Crème Fraîche, Salmon Roe, & Homemade A1 Sauce

Rabbit à la Royale
Truffles, Berries, Liver Sauce, Mashed Potato

Lobster Spaghetti

Marjolaine

Hazelnut Paris-Brest

Montreal 2026 - Day 2: Olive + Gourmando & Au Pied de Cochon Sugar Shack

Day 2! We enjoyed a satisfying brunch in the city, spent the day walking around, and then drove out west to the main destination of the trip, Au Pied de Cochon Sugar Shack!


Olive + Gourmando
351 Saint-Paul W, Montreal, QC

A delightful and popular café that Leah and I have visited several times now, Olive + Gourmando never disappoints.

Drinks
Café Mocha
Matcha Latte

Sandwiches
Poached Egg On Your Face: Spicy Poached Egg Salad, Clos des Roches Raw Milk Cheese, Speck, Confit Tomatoes
Cuban: Pancetta, Roasted Pork, Raw Milk Gruyère, Lime + Cilantro + Chipotle Pickled Mayo

Pastries
Banana-Chocolate Brioche
Almond Croissant

Au Pied de Cochon Sugar Shack
11382 Rang de la Fresnière, Mirabel, QC

Here it is, the main event of the whole trip, on only the second day! This was our fourth visit to the sugar shack, and I felt it was the best overall experience to date. 

My biggest (and only) gripe with the whole experience remains the absolutely insane bar stools - added during the post-COVID reopening - which must weigh upwards of 180 lbs. each, and are literally impossible to push in or out without a second person helping.

Drinks
Slush à la Fraise: Pepper Vodka, Strawberry Cider, Strawberries, Maple Syrup, Lemon
Mirabel Sour: Gin of My Aunt, Campari, Maple Vermouth, Maple Syrup, Lime

Pork Charcuterie
Head Cheese, Sausage, Pâté, Maple Liver Mousseline, Mustards, Fried Maple "Pancakes", Pork Rinds

The first set of food is typically a big highlight, maybe because we go in very hungry and are especially delighted when it arrives. It's a tight contest, but this was my favorite of any visit. The variety of pork charcuterie along with the different mustards, the pork rinds, and the always amazing maple-drenched pancakes was absolute perfection. 

Pea Soup
Lardons, Shaved Lard, Cheddar, Foie Gras

Soufflé Omelet

Cheese, Creamy Spinach Dressing, Cabbage, Chives

Jambon au Beurre
Croissant Bun, Mustard Butter, Ham, Cheese

Steelhead Trout Gravlax
Radish, Croutons, Capers, Leeks, Tomato Sauce, Dill

Set 2 had some old favorites like the pea soup and a variant on the egg soufflé, which were great as always. The ham sandwich was divine and the wonderful trout had a nice cold freshness. 

We've been seated at the far left side of the bar for all but one of our four visits. Our main server recognized us from last time and we had a ball with him and his assistant - maybe it had something to do with the shots we bought them!

Baked Beans à la Bourguignonne
Vegetables, Morel & Black Trumpet Mushrooms, Shortrib, Bone Marrow

Duck à la Royale
Deboned Duck, Duck Mousseline, Mushroom Duxelles, Foie Gras, Buckwheat Tortellini in Butter Sauce, Black Truffles

Smoked Pork Shank
Root Vegetables, Maple Jus

Pommes Aligot
Potatoes, Cheese, Parsley

Set 3 was an explosion of richness. This year's variant on the baked beans featured an entire short rib sitting on top. The Duck Royale was actually the first of three royale dishes we would have over the course of this trip - it was a challenging and complex dish, with pleasant bitterness from the liver in the sauce. The Flintstones-like pork shank was straightforward and meltingly delicious, with each bite dripping in maple jus. Lastly, the potato side was more cheese than starch (no complaints), and had a nice herby flavor from the parsley.

Drinks
Espresso
Café Tricoté Serré: Maple Cream, Chemineaud Brandy, Triple Sec, Espresso, Maple Whipped Cream, Maple Marshmallow

Ice Cream
Maple Condensed Milk, Dehydrated Sponge, Maple Taffy

French Toast
Banana Cream, Foie Gras, Maple Fudge, Maple Syrup

Rice Pudding

Dulce de Leche, Caramel Crunchies

Poached Apple

Puff Pastry, Cheese, Pecan Frangipane, Maple Butter

This may have been my favorite of all the dessert sets we've had. The poached apple was an extraordinary standout, and was taken to new heights by the inclusion of a very funky French cheese, which added incredible complexity to the dish.