By: Elizabeth Ten-Hove
Spring in Montreal means more than plucking crocuses, less-frequent snowstorms, and the inexorable approach of exams. It also means a flurry of activity at some of Montreal’s most wonderful institutions: les marchés publics.
Montreal is blessed with a number of year-round markets, easily accessible via public transportation. These are the places to go for the freshest produce, local products, and some of the best people-spotting anywhere in the city. Once the growing season starts the places really blossom. The markets will literally double in size as small stands owned by local farmers start to set out their wares once more. Locals and tourists jostle against each other around booths devoted to local honey, lavender, apple cider, sheep’s milk cheese – all at a much better price than you would find at the grocery store. Whether you are here for the summer, like to cook, or feel in need of an adventure in the lead-up to exam period, the markets are definitely worth your time.
Jean-Talon Market in Little Italy is the queen bee of Montreal’s markets, a hive of activity any day of the week. In addition to the fruit and vegetable stands, there are some lovely specialty stands. Highlights include Les Jardins sauvage, which sells wild mushrooms of all strips, and Le Capitaine, purveyor of some of Montreal’s best eggs. There are also many shops around the perimeter of the market, including the exciting spice shop Olive & Épices, the fromagerie Qui Lait cru? and several natural foods stores. In the centre of the market, you can feast on crêpes and Turkish delight.
Atwater Market isn’t as large or as diverse as its sister market, but is nonetheless well worth a trip, especially if you live in nearby St. Henri or the Concordia ghetto. It does beat Jean-Talon when it comes to butcher’s shops, if you are meat-inclined, and the Fromagerie Atwater and Fromagerie Hamel are both mini-paradises for cheese-lovers. From May to October, the Satay Brothers offer Singapore-style street-food, and Christian Marois satisfies all your maple needs.
There are also many smaller neighbourhood farmer’s markets scattered throughout the city; these usually appear sometime in May. You can find the one nearest you at: http://www.marchespublics-mtl…. .
Photo credit: http://www.marchespublics-mtl….