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| - We have had lunch at Schwartz's every time we come to Montréal. There's always a bit of a wait, but people are friendly and we're generally seated pretty fast. There are a series of communal tables of 8. It's not a place where you linger over your meal. People order, eat and go. We shared our table today w/ a couple of guys from Vancouver, a professional soccer coach and the team trainer/doctor. They were nice guys. Another couple at the other end of the table ate quickly enough that we didn't even find out where they were from.
We each ordered a smoked meat sandwich, Schwartz's specialty. You have a choice of lean, medium or fat. We chose medium. Lean is reportedly too dry. We overheard our server explain to someone that today's fat used to be medium 15 years ago, but cattle are being bred leaner these days, so they're unable to obtain the level of fat they used to. We also ordered fries to share. The fries came first. There were fewer of them than at Steak Frites and they were much, much better. The sandwiches were excellent, w/ rye bread that was on the small side and the smoked meat piled high. It was a manageable portion and oh so tasty.
There are two bathrooms for the entire restaurant, one for men and one for women. They are basic and clean. You pay up front at the cashier. Alan was out of Canadian money and only had a $20. He paid for our lunch and got change but was unable to fight his way back through the crowd, which had grown pretty thick, to tip the server. We felt bad about that, because he'd been friendly, patient and helpful. It was difficult even to get out the door. It's a popular place.
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