I was starving at the end of an exhausting week at a conference in Montreal. My well traveled Hungarian friend from Silicon Valley suggested I look up restaurants that Anthony Bourdain had recommended. So I ended up at Au Pied de Cochon completely ill prepared, Little did I know that typically reservations can be made months in advance. As I came through the door as a party of one they asked if I had a reservation I said no and the maƮtre d' said I'm sure we can find a place for you would you mind sitting at the bar? And of course I would prefer that anyway. I was unaware that this was going to become my indoctrination to real French food. I'm not going to mention the dishes that I ate, they were specials of the day and you probably will not find them when you visit this place. But I ate things that I would've never ordered in another situation and they were delicious. I was fortunate to be seated next to a gentleman who is a regular and a favorite of the chef so throughout dinner I experienced an array of delicacies I would have avoided in another situation. To summarize it's a wonderfully special restaurant, if you're a foodie it's a must.