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| - So I'm in Montreal for just one real day, and had a meeting to go to in the morning, leaving me more or less just the late morning and the afternoon to bum around and explore this city that I have not visited in 30 years. Wishing to visit a market, and having just been to the St Lawrence market in Toronto a few days before, I debated between visiting Jean-Talon or Atwater. In the end, I went to Atwater first, and found that I had time still to make it to Jean-Talon, too. I was concerned that it would be somewhat repetitive, since how different can two markets in the same city be? Well, quite different, as it turns out.
For one thing, Jean-Talon is MUCH bigger, and I can readily believe that it's the biggest open-air market in North America. For another, the range of items is broader than Atwater, and in many cases the prices are actually lower (the one exception that I noticed right away was for maple syrup, which was generally higher here). Whereas I spent barely an hour at Atwater (and that included having lunch), I easily spent close to three hours at Jean-Talon, and could have stayed longer.
Among the finds that I made at Jean-Talon was the oyster bar "La Boite aux Huitres", where they had an array of around 12 different oysters on offer, all available as a degustation. When I told them that I was visiting from NZ they put together a tasting plate of six varieties for me to try (and even reduced the price a bit), and each was unique and oh so fresh!
Another great find was the spice shop, Épice de Cru. There I encountered a range of spices like nothing I've seen in a long time, many of which are sourced and imported by the shop directly, and of a quality that you rarely find. Having entered to find one somewhat obscure item (mastic), I not only found it but wound up with several other times I found I suddenly could not live without. The young man who escorted me through this exploration of the world of spices was not just knowledgeable, but incredibly enthusiastic and extremely friendly. I could have spent hours there. In addition to spices, they have an impressive selection of teas of all types, too, and their prices are very reasonable.
Finally, I could not resist a sampling of ice cream from the Havre aux Glaces shop. There I had a cup with three flavours (pistachio, maple caramel brûlé, and apricot kernel) that was a steal at $4.
In addition to these, there are countless stalls with beautiful fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses and all those things you expect at a good market. If only I had a kitchen here to make use of them!
So, if you have time, I'd say go to both Atwater and Jean-Talon markets, but if you are pressed for time, or are not as much of a foodie as I am, then Jean-Talon is the one for you.
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