Restaurant thread....the best place to eat...Where!!!

Was just at Kumamoto Ramen on Saint Catherine. Interesting place. You sit at a booth; think TV show portraying a jail where family member sitting at a booth talking to person incarcerated over the phone but replace the glass divider with a bamboo blind. You mark you order down, press a call button which chimes a familiar chime you find in Asian airports/department store.

Server comes up, opens the blind to take your order slip, closes the blind. Server comes back with food and you can dine in peace without seeing anybody (not even patrons sitting to the left and right of you). There’s even a water dispenser in each booth so you don’t have to ask the server for water.

Ramen and charsu was really good; up to spec with Japanese operated ramen shops in US.

transatlantic said:

Ramen and charsu was really good; up to spec with Japanese operated ramen shops in US.

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What I have noticed, especially in US college towns, is some new hybrid restaurants that serve both Vietnamese Pho and Japanese Ramen Noodle soups. I was in such a restaurant recently and I decided to throw them a curveball by ordering the Pho prepared with Ramen noodles. I expected the Asian waitress to lecture me on the proper noodles that need to swim in Pho broth, but instead she pleasantly took my order and it was prepared and served as ordered. I actually do prefer Ramen noodles to the ones normally served in Pho, especially when properly executed and slightly chewy.

EagerBeaver said:

Katz’s rules, but when I see those sandwiches I feel like the people eating them on a regular basis are all heart attack candidates. Schwartz’s does a nice job with smoked meat, but in truth they are a very, very small time operation in comparison to Katz’s.

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Small time? I'm not so sure. I was in New York with my girl for a few days and we had lunch at Katz's yesterday. The place is big, but it was only about half full. At the same time, Schwartz's, which has probably about 40% the seating, probably had a line halfway down the block. The service at Schwartz's is much quicker, so they turn the seats over much more quickly.

I had the same thing at Katz's that I have at Schwartz's: lean no mustard and honestly the difference between the two is not as great as the difference between the smoked meat at Schwartz's and Smoked Meat Pete's.

The biggest difference? A smoked meat sandwich at Schwartz's runs $9.50. The pastrami at Katz's runs a whopping $21.50, or $28.13 Canadian. Three times the price, equal in value.

Springsteen was fabulous.

rumpleforeskiin said:

honestly the difference between the two is not as great as the difference between the smoked meat at Schwartz's and Smoked Meat Pete's.

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Personally I find the smoked meat @ Smoked Mete Pete's much better than Schwartz's. Schwartz's is good, but honestly its much more hype than anything these days. They do have a very friendly staff though.

rumpleforeskiin said:

The biggest difference? A smoked meat sandwich at Schwartz's runs $9.50. The pastrami at Katz's runs a whopping $21.50, or $28.13 Canadian. Three times the price, equal in value.

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You can't compare New York City pricing to Montreal pricing on anything - hotels, restaurants or escorts. What would be fair would be to compare the cost of the pastrami sandwich at Katz's to the one you get at 2nd Avenue Deli. Or the price of a smoked meat sandwich at Schwartz's to one at Smoked Meat Pete's.

Interestingly the Pastrami sandwich at 2nd Avenue Deli is also $21.50, exactly: https://2ndavedeli.com/menus/dine-in-take-out/

Thus making your contention absurd because Katz is merely charging market prices for their pastrami sandwich. For quality pastrami, Katz's rules. The demand is partly the reason for their prices. Why Schwartz's hasn't similarly jacked up prices to alleviate the lines around the block is a question that only the Schwartzes can answer. In the summer they know a large portion of the demand comes from curious tourists, and I do not understand why they would have a problem parting a tourist and his or her funds in a more aggressive manner.

charmer_ said:

Personally I find the smoked meat @ Smoked Mete Pete's much better than Schwartz's. Schwartz's is good, but honestly its much more hype than anything these days. They do have a very friendly staff though.

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Agree completely. I find the smoked meat at Schwartz's and the pastrami at Katz's to be pretty indistinguishable. Pete's is more flavorful and spicy.

Katz's and Schwartz's are both tourist traps, but only one chooses to rip off the customers. Had Billy Crystal and Sally Field and their camera crew never set foot in Katz's, they'd be getting $15.00 for the sandwich. That's what you pay for it...plus $6.50 more to gaze at the sign that shows what seats they sat in for the movie.

And I might add that Lester's and the Main are every bit as good as Schwartz's. Pete's rules and you get to listen to the blues to boot.

charmer_ said:

Personally I find the smoked meat @ Smoked Mete Pete's much better than Schwartz's. Schwartz's is good, but honestly its much more hype than anything these days. They do have a very friendly staff though.

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I've never tried Pete's but last summer i finally stopped by Schwartz after 30+ years of visiting Montreal. I decided to go for a walk along St-Laurent on a beautiful weekday afternoon. To my great surprise there was no lineup outside the restaurant. I don't believe ever walking or driving by there and not noticing a lineup.

So as i hesitated and began to look inside someone came to me and asked me if i wanted to sit outside (there had been a festival at the time and the street was closed to traffic) or inside. He also asked me if i preferred take-out. I told him i wanted to dine on the premises and preferred to eat inside. To my surprise there were still tables available. Maybe one person was eating outside, by the way. I told the gentleman that i'd sit at the bar counter.

I absolutely LOVE smoked meat!! I've been eating smoked meat/corned beef/pastrami sandwiches all my life from various places whether from Shopsy's in Toronto, La Belle Province, Deli 88, Nickel's, Druxy's (in Toronto), Moe's, Dunn's or at my current favorite over the past 15 years or so....Reuben's Deli on St-Catherine street, near Peel. But i still had not eaten one from Schwartz, which had long been on my bucket list.

I ordered the smoked meat sandwich with fries, coleslaw and a beverage. My order arrived about 5 minutes later. And again, i looked around and was surprised that this small restaurant still had plenty of room for anyone wanting to eat in. And all the time i was there there was zero lineup at the door. Weird

Well, guess what?? I was left extremely disappointed!!! The fries were great, but the sandwich was far from the best i ever ate. It actually reminded me of the smoked meat sandwich currently made at Dunn's (on Metcalfe). And i hate it!!! I struggled to finish my sandwich but again, the fries were great. After stepping out of the place i texted a buddy of mine and told him my experience. He replied "I know, the place is way too overhyped if you ask me." I couldn't agree more.

I doubt i'll ever go back. I was so damn disappointed!! It felt like having your sights for some time on a gorgeous sp from FKS with great reviews and when you finally get to be with her she turns into a dead lay! If i ever do happen to walk by and the place is half empty again, i'll probably stick with the fries.

They are resting on their laurels. Eventually a new smoked meat purveyor will open with a young, exhuberant owner which will rise up and challenge all of the places mentioned in the prior posts. It may actually be a relative of Schwartz’s that does it. That is actually what started the so called “New Haven pizza wars” and evolved New Haven pizza into what it is today. A pissed off relative went out and opened a similar competing business and it had a domino effect on the industry, raising the level of quality of both pizzerias and spawning additional competitors. Schwartz’s is one relative cut out of a will from making that same prophecy happen in Montreal. Would be fun to watch. Competition is glorious!

Methinks the Beav doesn't know who owns Schwartz's.

rumpleforeskiin said:

Methinks the Beav doesn't know who owns Schwartz's.

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It does not matter who owns Schwartz's, "pissed off relative" works for just about any owner of a restaurant who pissed off someone in his family that was involved in the business.

Doc...

I could have said the same thing...

Schwartz, IMO, is overhyped... There are lots of other smoked meat joints in MTL better than that place... Beginning with Reuben's... You said you like the one near Peel. Have you tried the one on McGill College corner? THAT one is my favorite...

There is another joint... DELI 500 on Sherbrooke W. near the Delta Hotel... Very good... And there is also Jarry Smoked Meat...

Those three beat Schwartz hands down...

EagerBeaver said:

It does not matter who owns Schwartz's, "pissed off relative" works for just about any owner of a restaurant who pissed off someone in his family that was involved in the business.

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Somehow, I don't think that any of Ms. Dion's relatives are active in the business.

Titilleur said:

Doc...

I could have said the same thing...

Schwartz, IMO, is overhyped... There are lots of other smoked meat joints in MTL better than that place... Beginning with Reuben's... You said you like the one near Peel. Have you tried the one on McGill College corner? THAT one is my favorite...

There is another joint... DELI 500 on Sherbrooke W. near the Delta Hotel... Very good... And there is also Jarry Smoked Meat...

Those three beat Schwartz hands down...

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I was so disappointed. And what was as bizarre for me was that fact there was no lineup and still some tables available in that cramped restaurant. Does this happen often now?

I have been to the other Reuben's that you mentioned. It's alright and the food is also very good. But i prefer the ambiance of the newer place and i also know some of the staff there so i enjoy heading over to say hello whenever i'm in town. I'll look forward to checking out Deli 500 the next time i'm around.

Lesters Deli on Bernard street in Outremont is tops for smoked meat in my book...Schwartz's would be second!

http://www.lestersdeli.com/

Sharkman- couple of interesting things on Lester's menu:

1. New York City style pricing in Montreal - they are asking for $17.25 for a smoked meat sandwich!
2. They offer a swiss cheese extra- this is funny because I was looked at like an alien with one eye and chuckled at when I requested that my smoked meat be topped with swiss cheese at Schwartz's. I have never ordered pastrami without swiss cheese in my life. They just go together, sort of like eggs and bacon or ketchup and french fries go together.

EagerBeaver said:

1. New York City style pricing in Montreal - they are asking for $17.25 for a smoked meat sandwich!

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The menu clearly states $10.95 for a smoked meat sandwich.

EB, $17 includes fries, dill, and a drink!

I usually order the old fashioned at 11$ or the platter at 16$...dills are extras...and the karnatzels loaded with mustard are fantastic!

http://www.lestersdeli.com/en/menu.html

Lester's also has a restaurant at the airport but it's only accessible from the American side. And looking at the airport's map i was surprised to see Hurley's also has a pub there. Also only accessible from the American side.

p.s. I would also like to point out that Reuben's purchases their meat from Lester's.

Anyone try 'Le Roi du Smoked Meat?'

Agree Doc, "le Roi" is tops for smoked meat in the east end of town! (jarry east and langelier)