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| - On our first day in Montreal, our group came to Jean-Talon to check out all the different foods that were available. The basic gist is that there is one main building that houses a variety of different shops - in particular a good number of butchers - as well what looks like a produce aisle further down. The whole market is surrounded by a few vendors outside, as well as lots of little shops that surround the main lot. It's not like the indoor markets I've been to in the U.S., such as Reading Terminal in Philadelphia or Chelsea Market in NYC, but it's got a good enough amount of space that it never feels crowded (which those others can at times). The one thing I wasn't a huge fan of was that there seemed to be a lot of repetitiveness when it came to what the butchers were selling - lots of places selling the same kinds of meats, and a number of fruit and veggie stands not really standing out. That said, the places that we did go to were fabulous. There was a beer store that also happened to sell an incredibly delectable maple and beer-soaked ham that tasted absolutely phenomenal. Paired with a very fresh baguette we bought at one of the bread shops, as well as a brie-like cheese that was covered in raspberries and a slightly stinky cheddar from a cheese shop, made for a very delicious lunch. I also had a chocolate chip cookie from one of the bakeries that was made using maple sugar...that was a pretty great combo, and I've had many delicious cookies in my time. On the disappointing side, I got a slightly burnt cinnamon and sugar crepe on the way out which I am pretty sure I was overcharged for.
In all, there are plenty of good places within Jean-Talon to check out. On balance, you're not going to find winners everywhere, but there are plenty of very delicious places to check out. For the most part, things seemed reasonably priced, and it's easy enough to find a spot on the curb to savor your findings if it's nice weather outside.
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