rev:text
| - In my humble opinion, the Montreal-style smoked pastrami sandwich at Fumare is one of the two best things you can eat in Chicago (the other being the best burger in America at Au Cheval). In addition, as a native Texan, I don't take my smoked meats lightly, particularly the holy grail of smoked meats, the brisket. There's the context.
So of course I was excited to try the O.G. of Montreal-style smoked pastrami sandwiches (the Viande Fumée) in Montreal, the legendary Schwartz's. Long story short, it did not disappoint. Fresh off a healthy night of copious refreshments, our ragtag group sought something greasy and delicious, only to be met with a ridiculously long line squirreling out both ends at Schwartz's. Popular, this place apparently is. We deftly split into two, with a couple folks waiting in each line of roughly equal length. Spoiler alert: the to-go line moves much faster.
With a few bags of greasy-delicious sandwiches and a plethora of black cherry soda, we took a short hike to the nearest park, stole some seats on a bench, and promptly devoured the meatacular sandwiches. I'm sure it was quite a sight.
Like Texas brisket, like Fumare's amazing sandwich, there's nothing special about the setup except for the tender loving care dedicated to producing the tenderest, most succulent, melts like butter, tastes like heaven, meat you can make. That's the rub at Schwartz's. It's all about the meat, and everything else is just dressing for show.
|