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| - I'm tempted to move to Montreal just to shop at Marche Atwater.
I found myself enjoying another brunch at Saloon, and I noticed a Golden Berry (Physalis peruviana) garnishing my plate. I'm a big fan of this particular fruit, but they are fairly rare and the last place I expected to see one was in Montreal in January. So I asked the waiter where the chef gets these berries. His reply: Marche Atwater.
Marche Atwater, eh? I must check this place out.
A good sized indoor market on the south western edge of Montreal, Atwater market is filled with shops and vendors selling fresh fruits and vegetables, cheeses, meats, breads and baked goods, wine and every type of European cuisine you can imagine. Thank God I was staying in a suite with a kitchen, because I left with a half dozen different types of cheese, two loaves of bread, two types of foie gras, fresh pasta, salami, arancini, chocolate, and olive oil. And I had a cup of espresso at the market's coffee shop, and a slice of pizza (amazing!) at the pizza shop.
Oh yeah, and a HUGE bag of Golden Berries, which I acquired for $6.
By the time I left, I was ready to become a gourmet chef. If, of course, it meant I could shop there. If there were any way to move this market to Boston, it would be here already. As it is, I'll be a regular customer at Marche Atwater any time I'm in Montreal.
Side note - the SAQ (liquor store) in Atwater is rather small. If you don't find what you're looking for, it's worth the trip across the street to the large SAQ. You'll find a much better selection there.
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