Smoked Meat Sandwich, Schwartz's, Montréal

I've been consistent. Every single time I venture to la belle ville, within an hour of arrival, I find myself sitting at the Schwartz's counter on St. Laurent, taking in the aromatic brisket piled high before me and salivating at the thought of that brisket between perfect slices of rye bread with a pickle, and maybe a bit of slaw, fries.

Having your choice of lean, medium, and fat, I went down the middle road as usual and it's always the most satisfying bite of a sandwich. The mounds of meat just melt away between a bread that does not go soft, having the picture perfect balance of moisture. The trick to eating this is to keep it all together, so minimal handling is required and I recommend not even putting the thing down as it's all downhill from there.

Sidenote: Now a man who loves meat so much that he bares visibly on his forearm a tattoo of a hamburger, told me that it's actually the steaks that are the real deal at Schwartz's. Unfortunately, I can never resist the bite of the brisket.

- J.D. Salami
Schwartz's

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Bill Cosby, Shopsy's Deli, Toronto

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