Tasteful Itinerary: Schwartz's

June 2, 2012

Whenever I'm back in Montreal, I come with a list of favorite places to eat. It's a must for me because we do not carry the amount of heavenly food in the USA like Canada. You'll understand when you visit Montreal, trust me. Or better yet… watch an episode of The Layover: Montreal with Anthony Bourdain.

The first on my list is Schwartz's. A lot of people will probably know this joint already being that it's the most popular places to go and eat when you're in town. Their known for the best smoked meat. "Smoked Meat" in the US is closest to pastrami or corned beef BUT none of those even relates to what it actually tastes like.

This place is always jam-packed. I was surprised that Pat and I found seats in less than 5 minutes at the counter top where they cut the meat and make the orders. My mouth was salivating while I watched the servers carry the succulent dish to customers. The order doesn't take long at all. When the smoked meat dish arrives there was no, "Oh my gosh look how good it looks…" Pat and I was so mesmerized that we didn't speak, just ate, looked at each other and smiled.

Two things to remember… 1. Don't be shy when eating a smoked meat (no forks or knives, just fingers and hands). 2. Definite happiness to the stomach (you do not want to make your stomach unhappy now do you?).
More food to come...

Labor of Love

May 31, 2012

I've been absent way too long. Let me explain…

Preparing for a wedding is a labor of love. I've never been married before so this is all new to me and my fiancĂ©. In May, we traveled to Montreal, where our wedding will be held and stayed about 3 weeks to finalize last minute preparations. Now, let me vent and say… we're not done yet. Nope. BUT, no stress… woosah. Everything will fall into place. I'm sure of it.

Onto something exciting… I have all of my engagement photographs that our wedding photographer, Christina Esteban took of us while we were in Montreal. Absolutely superb! I did give you a sneak peek on my last post… here's a few that I loved most. Enjoy!

Our Montreal Engagement Photo Shoot

May 14, 2012

Pat and I are in the lovely city of Montreal, where we both grew up. Today was a special day. Christina Esteban photographed our e-session in multiple locations.

First was Pomodoro, where our really good friend and one of our groomsman, Marcello lent us his restaurant to be photographed in. Of course he stood by being that the restaurant was still opened to customers. Pat, showed off his pizza skills. Let me not get started on that... I'll leave you hungry. You'll just have to wait for the pictures. Wink.. wink. Then Christina found a vintage café right next door to shoot. We also indulged in some good espresso. What a hard life we have as models.. eh? lol.

Got some images from Mount Royal which was a delightful view of the magnificent city. Up next was some pretty pink blossom trees at an unusual place that no one would ever think about photographing except for Christina. She's pretty awesome! Then came the best for the last ... Atwater Market. Beautiful flowers everywhere you turned and a black Vespa we bothered from someone that worked there.

What a splendid day it was. Sunshine and a cool breeze added to our fun. Thank you Christina for your unique charisma and excitement to shoot beautiful images and to your intern Dennis, thank you for being there to shoot the behind the scenes all the way from Switzerland!

Now here's a sneak peek of the behind the scenes... Click here.


p.s. Do not forget to check out Christina's website! She's absolutely an amazing photographer! I can't wait for her to photograph our wedding in August!

Cultural Scene: Montreal Outdoor Festival

May 8, 2012

If you're looking for something to boost your adrenaline then look no further cause Montreal has free activities for you!

Every spring season, you can look forward to kayaking, bouldering, scuba diving, stand-up paddleboarding, yoga and much more at Parc Jean-Drapeau. It's free! Yes, you heard me right, F-R-E-E. Festival hours are as follows… May 25th: 2pm - 7pm. May 26th: 10am - 6pm. May 27th: 10am - 5pm.

For more information on all activities and how to avoid lines contact 514. 277.3477. You can also go on their website if you are fluent in French: http://www.espaces.ca/
Photos by Festival plein air et voyage