Work took me to Montreal last week, and I stayed through the weekend to enjoy a city I see far too rarely. Fortunately I’ll have an excuse to see it a lot more now, so everything described below just represents a sampler of what’s to come.

Thursday

A dim sum food truck pulled up right outside my work event, so some pork buns got demolished while I talked to startups and VCs.

Dinner was at Modavie wine bar in the old city. The live music was pretty outstanding…the lady had pipes. I ate rillette de canard and crème brûlée and felt very French indeed.

Friday

First up: coffee and food from nearby Café Veritas. Pretty solid.

I kind of skipped lunch after meetings at the Montreal office, instead just heading to Café Myriade for a cappuccino and croissant.

After going back to the office for a bit it was time for a quick stop at Brutopia for a brown ale and a bowl of sausage.

After some research, Bocata was the dinner choice, and it was goddamn outstanding: unbelievably soft bread + oil; beef carpaccio; octopus a la gallega; lobster roll w/ fennel, endive, and pear salad; plenty of good wine; and a lemon tart for dessert. I still feel full thinking about it now.

Saturday

More coffee, this time from the Espace Café. The croissants here were even better.

A morning of work deserved a big-ass brunch, so Maamm Bolduc it was. My omelette was full of chorizo (yay!) and mushrooms (what?) but some careful surgery saved the day.

The day’s true objective, though, was the Dieu du Ciel! brewpub. Oh, the flights!

1. Ultra Mosaika (pale ale w/ mosaic hops)
2. Déesse Nocturne (dry stout)
3. Nativité (blonde hefeweizen)
4. Rosée d’hibiscus
5. Résurrection (porter)
6. Voyageur des brumes (bitter)
7. Sul’ pouce vers une autre galaxie (IPA w/ galaxy hops)0
8. Pionnière (imperial black IPA)
9. Solstice d’été aux cerises (cherry sour wheat)
10. Rigor Mortis double (abbey double)
11. Isseki Nicho (imperial dark saison)
12. Route des Epices (spiced ale)
13. Tête de Corbeau (pale ale w/ denali hops)

The day’s beerventures weren’t done though, as friends were met at Brouhaha, another top-rated Montreal beer joint. I had three; I honestly can’t remember what anyone else had. I very much remember the food though: Alsacienne flatbread (lardons, caramelized onions, crème fraîche, cheese) and smoked duck wings.

1. Charlevoix Bootlegger (brown ale)
2. Brouehaha Saison Voatsiperifery (peppercorn saison)
3. Charlevoix Vache Folle (imperial milk stout)

Sunday

Grey, rainy, quiet. A bunch of amazing pastries, coffees, shockingly good beer procured from a Metro grocery store (Péché Mortel! Maudite!), and not wanting to come home. Alas.