Spending the Morning in Montreal’s Little Italy | At Home with Kim Vallee

Canada, Montreal | October 16, 2010 | by Guest Blogger

Spending the Morning in Montreal’s Little Italy

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Mayssam Samaha is a Montreal foodie who dreams food, lives food, works food. Mayssam is an excellent resource and you can follow her on her food blog, Will Travel for Food. Therefore, I am delighted that she accepted to make a city guide about a neighborhood that she knows pretty well, Montreal’s Little Italy.

Montreal’s Little Italy is one of the most colourful neighbourhouds in the city. The Italians, who are the largest ethnic group in Montreal, established La Piccola Italia at the end of the 19th century. It is a vibrant neighbourhood filled with cafés, trattorias, Italian specialty stores, Jarry Park and of course, the Jean Talon Market. The air is permeated with the smells of wood-baked pizzas, long-simmering pasta sauces and the strong aroma of the best espressos and cappuccinos in town. Wander around this red, green and white neighbourhood and don’t be surprised if you’re greeted with a ciao or a buon appetito!

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The Traditional Italian Café

caffeitalia_montreal

Caffè Italia

6840 Blvd. Saint-Laurent (map)

514-495-0059

Start your day by having one of the best coffees in town at Caffè Italia. Walking into Caffè Italia is like being transported to a little town’s cafe in some remote part of Italy. Caffè Italia has been in business since 1956 and the décor hasn’t changed much since. It is very basic and includes [...]

Fun Gift Store

lorena rossi gift store

Lorena Rossi

6758 Saint-Laurent Blvd. (map)

514-276-1110

Now that you’re caffeinated it’s time to start exploring! Turn right when you get out of Caffè Italia and walk down to 6758 St Laurent Blvd to the cute little gift shop of Lorena Rossi. The white chandelier, hard wood floors and lovely airy décor will delight you immediately. There you will find original and [...]

For the Gourmet and the Cook

anatol spices

Anatol Spices

6822 Saint-Laurent Blvd. (map)

514-276-0107

Walk back up the street to Anatol Spices, a spice (and everything nice!) store that’s been at the same spot for three generations now. There you will find not only every spice under the sun but also candy, dried fruit, nuts, granola, chocolate, grains, teas and more, all sold in bulk. Whether you need one [...]

All Italian Food

milano supermarket

Milano

6862 Blvd Saint-Laurent (map)

514-273-8558

A bit further up the street (past caffe italia) is Milano supermarket, the Italian go-to market in the city. Filled with such treasures as fresh pastas, antipasti, imported cheeses and cold cuts from Italy, an infinite array of olive oils, balsamic vinegars, tomato sauces and different kinds of espresso grounds, pannetone, Italian cookies and chocolates [...]

Wonderful Place for Kitchenware

Quincaillerie dante

Quincaillerie Dante

6851 Saint-Dominique Street (map)

514-271-2057

When you walk out of Milano, turn right and walk to the first light (Dante street) then cross St Laurent and walk one block down Dante Street to Quincaillerie Dante. This is one of my favourite places in the city, a tiny little store filled to the brim with kitchenware (and hunting gear!). Opened since [...]

For Rustic Northern Italian Cuisine

cafe via dante in montreal

Cafe Via Dante

251 Dante Street (map)

514-270-8446

A few blocks further on Dante is Cafe Via Dante, a small unpretentious looking place with authentic food from Northern Italy. The rustic, simple décor is accentuated by the dark wood bar and chalkboards on the wall displaying the menu. Give the burrata cheese appetizer a try and the fresh luscious Italian cheese filled with [...]

Best Cannolis in town

Pasticceria Alati Caserta

Pasticceria Alati Caserta

277 Dante Street (map)

Leave some room for dessert but don’t have any at the restaurant! Walk down Dante Street to the end of the block and go to Pasticceria Alati Caserta where you will find the best cannolis this side of Sicily. The pastry shop has been opened since 1968 and is filled with various Italian delicacies like [...]

For the Frescos

Our Lady of the Defense church in montreal

Our Lady of the Defense church

6800 Henri-Julien Avenue (map)

When you’re done, visit Our Lady of the Defense church across the street. The interior frescoes are quite impressive and you can have fun trying to find the painting of Mussolini on horseback! If you’re lucky, you might even find yourself in the middle of an elaborate Italian wedding ceremony! When you come out of [...]

2 Responses to “Spending the Morning in Montreal’s Little Italy”

1 Miss Diane said:
October 16th, 2010 at 21:52

J’adore ce coin de Montréal! J’y étais aussi cet après-midi.
2 mayssam (@mayssamaha) said:
October 17th, 2010 at 09:38

I had so much fun writing this! I love sharing my neighbourhood with everyone, thanks Kim!

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