La Fromagerie Atwater<\/h3>\n![\"Jourdenais](\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/cuttingcheese.jpg\")
<\/a>Gilles Jourdenais, owner of La Fromagerie Atwater, cutting a wheel of Le Ciel de Charlevoix, a blue cheese from Baie Saint-Paul, Quebec.<\/p><\/div>\n
When Gilles Jourdenais took over his family business in 1983, the small shop in Atwater Market stocked perhaps 25 cheeses. Today, it offers customers more than 750 local and international cheeses, as well as hundreds of delicatessen products and gourmet foods. La Fromagerie Atwater has been at the forefront of the Qu\u00e9bec artisan cheese movement from its earliest days in the 1970s, and Alain Besr\u00e9, who heads Aux Terroirs, the wholesale division, is often called the godfather of artisan cheese in Qu\u00e9bec. Together, Jourdenais and Besr\u00e9 have worked tirelessly for more than two decades to promote and distribute Qu\u00e9bec cheeses to consumers, restaurants, caterers, and cheese retailers across Canada and the U.S. They were the first to champion the now-famous cheeses of La Maison d\u2019Affinage Maurice Dufour and Laiterie Charlevoix. Given this legacy, a visit to La Fromagerie Atwater feels like you\u2019re inside a cheese shrine.<\/p>\n
La Fromagerie Atwater<\/a><\/strong> 134, Rue Atwater, Montr\u00e9al, 514.932.4653, M\u00e9tro Lionel-Groulx<\/em><\/p>\nLa fromagerie Hamel<\/h3>\n
In the half century since 1961, when Fernand Hamel opened his small cheese shop, La fromagerie Hamel has become one the largest cheese retailers in Canada, with five retail locations in Montr\u00e9al and environs and four cheese-ripening cellars in Repentigny, east of the city. There are more than 1,000 products (including seasonals) in the Hamel catalog, and the flagship store and head office are adjacent to Jean-Talon Market. The business has always been family-run, with ownership now headed by Marc Picard. His wife and son, Murielle Chaput and Ian Picard, are key to the operation. (Ian, who studied with cheesemakers in the Jura region of France, is the resident ma\u00eetre affineur.) The Picards have developed a long, intense training program for sales associates. It takes 3,650 hours of on-the-job training and testing to be certified as a conseiller-fromager, \u201cconsultative cheesemonger.\u201d That kind of dedication makes it easy to understand why La fromagerie Hamel has long had a sterling reputation.<\/p>\n
La fromagerie Hamel<\/a><\/strong> 220, Rue Jean-Talon Est, Montr\u00e9al, 514.272.1161, M\u00e9tro Jean-Talon<\/em><\/p>\nMarch\u00e9s Publics de Montr\u00e9al<\/h3>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/house.jpg\")
<\/a>Building detail from the historic home of Joseph Papineau near Marche Bonsecour in Old Montreal.<\/p><\/div>\n
Montr\u00e9al is blessed with a network of large, European-style markets that has been operated by a nonprofit municipal agency since 1993. Some 215 vendors offer fresh produce, meats, seafood, charcuterie, and other artisan foods in four locations around the city, partially indoors and out. Cheesemongers are busy vendors at each market. The two largest markets\u2014Jean-Talon and Atwater\u2014are home to two of the largest cheese shops in the city. If you can visit only one market, make it Jean-Talon, as it houses several cheesemongers and a retail outlet for La Moutonni\u00e8re, a leading producer of sheep\u2019s milk cheeses, as well as booths representing Charlevoix, a significant cheese and artisan food region, and \u00celes-de-la-Madeleine, home of Pied-de-Vent cheese.<\/p>\n
March\u00e9s Publics de Montr\u00e9al<\/a><\/strong> There are four locations throughout Montr\u00e9al; for information, call 514.937.7754<\/em><\/p>\nYannick Fromagerie<\/h3>\n
Yannick Achim represents the new generation of cheesemongers in Qu\u00e9bec: knowledgeable and entrepreneurial. Cheese has been a passion since his university days. Right after graduation in 1993, Achim opened his first shop, Fromagerie du March\u00e9 \u00e0 Saint-J\u00e9r\u00f4me, just north of Montr\u00e9al, and began scouring Europe for cheese discoveries and other artisanal products. In the years that followed, Achim expanded by opening two cheese shops\u2014in Montr\u00e9al and Qu\u00e9bec City (in 2010, in an old tavern whose redesign can only be described as very cool).<\/p>\n
Yannick Fromagerie <\/a><\/strong> 1218, Rue Bernard, Outremont, 514.279.9376, M\u00e9tro Outremont<\/em><\/p>\nCheesemakers Nearby<\/h2>\nFromagerie Fritz Kaiser Inc.<\/h3>\n
Primarily cheddars were made in Qu\u00e9bec when Fritz Kaiser arrived in 1981 from his native Switzerland and started making a raclette in Noyan, about 45 minutes south of Montr\u00e9al. As he developed other types of cheese, Kaiser opened the eyes of other producers to the variety of cheeses that were possible in Qu\u00e9bec. Ten years later, the artisan movement began to ripen, and by the mid-1990s, it took off. Today, Kaiser is the largest artisan cheesemaker in Qu\u00e9bec, acclaimed for his Le Douanier, Miranda, Le Saint-Paulin, and many other award-winners. Despite the volume of some 20 cheeses in production, everything is still done by hand. There is a large shop on the premises, open Monday through Saturday.<\/p>\n
Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser<\/a><\/strong> 459, 4th Concession, Noyan, 450.294.2207<\/em><\/p>\nLes Fromagiers de la Table Ronde<\/h3>\n
In 2003, the Alary family gathered around a table at the fourth-generation dairy farm to brainstorm ways to utilize the organic cow\u2019s milk Ferme Raymond Alary & Sons Inc. produced just north of Montr\u00e9al. They decided to begin farmstead cheesemaking; thus Les Fromagiers de la Table Ronde came to be. Their first certified-organic cheese, a firm blue, Le Rassembleu, was a finalist in this year\u2019s Canadian Cheese Grand Prix. Cheesemaker Ronald Alary has developed several other farmstead cheeses using the farm\u2019s own organic milk. There is a cheese shop on the premises, open seven days a week.<\/p>\n
Les Fromagiers de la Table Ronde<\/a><\/strong> 317, Boulevard Sainte-Sophie (Route 158), Sainte-Sophie, 450.530.2436<\/em><\/p>\nRestaurants<\/h2>\nChez l\u2019\u00c9picier<\/h3>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/dish.jpg\")
<\/a>Braised piece of suckling pig, melted folded pancake, porcinis arrancini,
Blackburn cheese foam and celeriac \u2019\u2019aligot\u2019\u2019 foam.<\/p><\/div>\n
Acclaimed for his creative cuisine, chef Laurent Godbout is recognized as the driving force behind the concept of entertainment food in Qu\u00e9bec and the promotion of local artisan foods. He often surprises with his use of cheese; take, for example, the Blackburn cheese foam that adorns a braised piece of suckling pig, served with folded pancake, and porcinis arancini ($35).<\/p>\n
Chez L\u2019\u00c9picier<\/a><\/strong> 311, Rue Saint-Paul Est, Montr\u00e9al, 514.878.2232, M\u00e9tro Champ-de-Mars<\/em><\/p>\nEuropea<\/h3>\n
Today, Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois chefs are very much in the forefront in Montr\u00e9al. But one outstanding exception is Europea, launched in 2002 by J\u00e9r\u00f4me Ferrer, who hails from Languedoc. He is known for his inventive dishes, such as Lobster Cream Cappuccino with Truffle Shavings, served as an appetizer. Regardless of his roots and the cuisine, artisan offerings of Qu\u00e9bec are impeccably served on the house cheese plate ($4.50 per tasting wedge).<\/p>\n
Europea<\/a><\/strong> 1227, Rue de la Montagne, Montr\u00e9al, 514.398.9229, M\u00e9tro Peel<\/em><\/p>\nToqu\u00e9!<\/h3>\n
This famed restaurant in Old Montr\u00e9al is the epitome of the wonderful synergy between provenance and culinary art that one discovers so often in Qu\u00e9bec. It is said that Toqu\u00e9! became the best restaurant in Montr\u00e9al about 15 minutes after Normand Laprise opened it in 1993. The chef\u2019s seven-course tasting menu ($92, or $104 including foie gras) often features artisan cheese, while the everyday cheese plate ($14) showcases what is ripe for the eating. At this writing, that included Le Rang des \u00celes, Sainte-Maure Caprifeuille, Le Rassembleu, Tomme de Grosse-\u00cele, and Le 1608.<\/p>\n
Toqu\u00e9!<\/a><\/strong> 900, Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle, Montr\u00e9al, 514.499.2084, M\u00e9tro Square-Victoria<\/em><\/p>\nLa Mont\u00e9e de Lait<\/h3>\n![\"Outside](\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/montee.jpg\")
<\/a>Exterior of La Montee de Lait on Boulevard Saint-Laurent in the Mile End of Montreal.<\/p><\/div>\n
Popular Montreal chef Martin Juneau recently left his post at this special dining room, but he has left his mark of excellence on the menu and in the kitchen. Besides an excellent selection of local artisan cheese, the menu here always offers something unexpected for the cheese lover, such as ch\u00e8vre chaud (warm), a heated square of creamy goat\u2019s cheese resting on a velvety eggplant pancake atop a thin layer of onion marmalade. And besides, how can you miss out on a place whose name translates to \u201cmount of milk\u201d?<\/p>\n
La Mont\u00e9e de Lait <\/a><\/strong> 5171, Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montr\u00e9al, 514.273.8846, M\u00e9tro Laurier<\/em><\/p>\nL\u2019\u00c9choppe des Fromages<\/h3>\n
Just across the Jacques-Cartier Bridge over the St. Lawrence River is L\u2019\u00c9choppe des Fromages in Saint-Lambert, the domain of Max Dubois, arguably the best known cheesemonger in Qu\u00e9bec for his defense of raw milk cheese and a passionate promoter of les produits du terroir, \u201clocal products.\u201d A second-generation cheesemonger, the man knows how to put together an outstanding cheese plate, with each portion carefully selected for ripeness and contrast. The bistro menu is very cheesy and super delicious. It\u2019s a treat to go in the summer and sit outside while sipping on a cappuccino after indulging in the chef\u2019s cheese inventions.<\/p>\n
L\u2019Echoppe des Fromages<\/a><\/strong> 12, Rue Aberdeen, Saint-Lambert, 450.672.9701<\/em><\/p>\nMonkland Tavern<\/h3>\n
As longtime area residents will tell you, the place used to be a dive, selling little else but draft beer. But times have changed and Monkland Tavern is now one of the trendiest restaurants in the neighborhood north and west of Mont Royal. Its macaroni au fromage, the French-Canadian take on mac and cheese, is made with three types of cheese, including Victor et Berthold, a local, raw milk, washed-rind cheese It\u2019s all that cheesy comfort food is meant to be.<\/p>\n
Monkland Tavern <\/a><\/strong> 5555, Avenue de Monkland, Montr\u00e9al, 514.486.5768, M\u00e9tro Villa-Maria<\/em><\/p>\nVices & Versa<\/h3>\n
If you like brew\u2014and especially craft brew and artisan cheese\u2014take the M\u00e9tro north along Main (Boulevard Saint-Laurent to locals) to this brew pub and bistro. At last count, 33 craft beers brewed in Qu\u00e9bec were on tap. All cheese is sourced from Fromagerie des Cantons in Farnham, the first cheese factory in Qu\u00e9bec making farmstead cheeses using only Jersey cow\u2019s milk. Order a carrousel of galopins ($13 for a \u201ccarousel\u201d of six \u201csample-size glasses\u201d) of beer with a knock-out plate of cheese and charcuterie ($15 for three \u201cvices,\u201d $19 for seven). If you\u2019ve heard that Montr\u00e9al is known for its smoked meat yet don\u2019t have time to visit world-famous Schwartz\u2019s Montr\u00e9al Hebrew Delicatessen, order up an amazing locally-smoked-meat pizza ($9.50 per slice). Go early on Tuesdays, as that\u2019s the night for a popular folk jam.<\/p>\n
Vices & Versa <\/a><\/strong> 6631, Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montr\u00e9al, 514.272.2498, M\u00e9tro Beaubien<\/em><\/p>\nCaf\u00e9 Vasco da Gama<\/h3>\n
In the unofficial \u201cbest grilled cheese in town\u201d contest, Caf\u00e9 Vasco da Gama is a popular runner-up for grilling Parma ham and St. Jorge cheese.<\/p>\n
Caf\u00e9 Vasco da Gama<\/a><\/strong> 1472, Rue Peel, Montr\u00e9al, 514.286.2688, M\u00e9tro Peel<\/em><\/p>\niBurger<\/h3>\n
Here\u2019s a cheeseburger you absolutely will not find at any fast-food joint: Kobe beef, foie gras, caramelized onions, Ma\u00eetre Jules cheese from La Fromagerie 1860 DuVillage, lettuce, and tomato on a brioche bun. ($24.99)<\/p>\n
iBurger<\/a><\/strong> 1237, Rue Metcalfe, Montr\u00e9al, 514.903.5799, M\u00e9tro Peel<\/em><\/p>\nLa Cornetteria<\/h3>\n
On the sweet side of town, divine cornetti are created with chocolate and house-made ricotta at La Cornetteria.<\/p>\n
La Cornetteria<\/a><\/strong> 6528 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montr\u00e9al 514.277.8030, M\u00e9tro Beaubien<\/em><\/p>\nLe Garde-Manger de Fran\u00e7ois<\/h3>\n
The \u201cPantry of Francis is Chambly\u201d just southeast of Montr\u00e9al, is worth a stop on any drive east of the city. Fran\u00e7ois Pellerin, a widely known chef and promoter of local products, has created a gastronomic oasis that combines an award-winning bakery and pastry shop with a retail store and take-out service featuring gourmet foods and delicious dishes that often incorporate artisan cheeses. Don’t leave the shop without sampling the Rougier line of foie gras and duck products.<\/p>\n
Le Garde-Manger de Fran\u00e7ois<\/a><\/strong> 2403 Avenue Bourgogne, Chambly, 450.447.9991<\/em><\/p>\nPasticceria Alati-Caserta<\/h3>\n
Among the best things you could ever eat is the ricotta-stuffed cannoli made by Alati-Caserta, a 43-year-old family bakery in Montr\u00e9al’s Little Italy. <\/p>\n
![\"Cheesy](\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/pizza.jpg\")
<\/a>Magarita pizza with extra Bufala Mozzerella.<\/p><\/div>\n
Pasticceria Altai-Caserta<\/a><\/strong> 277 Rue Dante, Montr\u00e9al 514.271.3013<\/em><\/p>\nPizz\u00e9ria Geppetto<\/h3>\n
Hankering for a pizza made with unbleached oragnic flour plus cheese and meets imported from Italy? At Pizz\u00e9ria Geppetto, only Fontina Val d’Aosta, spiced Provolone from Lombardy, mozzarella di bufala<\/em>, and Sardinian Pecorino are used ($15).<\/p>\nPizz\u00e9ria Geppetto<\/a><\/strong> 2504 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montr\u00e9al 514.903.3737, M\u00e9tro Lionel-Grouix<\/em><\/p>\nPizza Nino Restaurant<\/h3>\n
Lusting for a pie made with industrial-strength cheese? A fixture since 1959, Pizza Nino makes a pizza with four cheeses: mozzarella, brick, Gorgonzola, and Parmesan ($14 to $29).<\/p>\n
<\/a>Gilles Jourdenais, owner of La Fromagerie Atwater, cutting a wheel of Le Ciel de Charlevoix, a blue cheese from Baie Saint-Paul, Quebec.<\/p><\/div>\n
When Gilles Jourdenais took over his family business in 1983, the small shop in Atwater Market stocked perhaps 25 cheeses. Today, it offers customers more than 750 local and international cheeses, as well as hundreds of delicatessen products and gourmet foods. La Fromagerie Atwater has been at the forefront of the Qu\u00e9bec artisan cheese movement from its earliest days in the 1970s, and Alain Besr\u00e9, who heads Aux Terroirs, the wholesale division, is often called the godfather of artisan cheese in Qu\u00e9bec. Together, Jourdenais and Besr\u00e9 have worked tirelessly for more than two decades to promote and distribute Qu\u00e9bec cheeses to consumers, restaurants, caterers, and cheese retailers across Canada and the U.S. They were the first to champion the now-famous cheeses of La Maison d\u2019Affinage Maurice Dufour and Laiterie Charlevoix. Given this legacy, a visit to La Fromagerie Atwater feels like you\u2019re inside a cheese shrine.<\/p>\n
La Fromagerie Atwater<\/a><\/strong> 134, Rue Atwater, Montr\u00e9al, 514.932.4653, M\u00e9tro Lionel-Groulx<\/em><\/p>\n In the half century since 1961, when Fernand Hamel opened his small cheese shop, La fromagerie Hamel has become one the largest cheese retailers in Canada, with five retail locations in Montr\u00e9al and environs and four cheese-ripening cellars in Repentigny, east of the city. There are more than 1,000 products (including seasonals) in the Hamel catalog, and the flagship store and head office are adjacent to Jean-Talon Market. The business has always been family-run, with ownership now headed by Marc Picard. His wife and son, Murielle Chaput and Ian Picard, are key to the operation. (Ian, who studied with cheesemakers in the Jura region of France, is the resident ma\u00eetre affineur.) The Picards have developed a long, intense training program for sales associates. It takes 3,650 hours of on-the-job training and testing to be certified as a conseiller-fromager, \u201cconsultative cheesemonger.\u201d That kind of dedication makes it easy to understand why La fromagerie Hamel has long had a sterling reputation.<\/p>\n La fromagerie Hamel<\/a><\/strong> 220, Rue Jean-Talon Est, Montr\u00e9al, 514.272.1161, M\u00e9tro Jean-Talon<\/em><\/p>\n Building detail from the historic home of Joseph Papineau near Marche Bonsecour in Old Montreal.<\/p><\/div>\n Montr\u00e9al is blessed with a network of large, European-style markets that has been operated by a nonprofit municipal agency since 1993. Some 215 vendors offer fresh produce, meats, seafood, charcuterie, and other artisan foods in four locations around the city, partially indoors and out. Cheesemongers are busy vendors at each market. The two largest markets\u2014Jean-Talon and Atwater\u2014are home to two of the largest cheese shops in the city. If you can visit only one market, make it Jean-Talon, as it houses several cheesemongers and a retail outlet for La Moutonni\u00e8re, a leading producer of sheep\u2019s milk cheeses, as well as booths representing Charlevoix, a significant cheese and artisan food region, and \u00celes-de-la-Madeleine, home of Pied-de-Vent cheese.<\/p>\n March\u00e9s Publics de Montr\u00e9al<\/a><\/strong> There are four locations throughout Montr\u00e9al; for information, call 514.937.7754<\/em><\/p>\n Yannick Achim represents the new generation of cheesemongers in Qu\u00e9bec: knowledgeable and entrepreneurial. Cheese has been a passion since his university days. Right after graduation in 1993, Achim opened his first shop, Fromagerie du March\u00e9 \u00e0 Saint-J\u00e9r\u00f4me, just north of Montr\u00e9al, and began scouring Europe for cheese discoveries and other artisanal products. In the years that followed, Achim expanded by opening two cheese shops\u2014in Montr\u00e9al and Qu\u00e9bec City (in 2010, in an old tavern whose redesign can only be described as very cool).<\/p>\n Yannick Fromagerie <\/a><\/strong> 1218, Rue Bernard, Outremont, 514.279.9376, M\u00e9tro Outremont<\/em><\/p>\n Primarily cheddars were made in Qu\u00e9bec when Fritz Kaiser arrived in 1981 from his native Switzerland and started making a raclette in Noyan, about 45 minutes south of Montr\u00e9al. As he developed other types of cheese, Kaiser opened the eyes of other producers to the variety of cheeses that were possible in Qu\u00e9bec. Ten years later, the artisan movement began to ripen, and by the mid-1990s, it took off. Today, Kaiser is the largest artisan cheesemaker in Qu\u00e9bec, acclaimed for his Le Douanier, Miranda, Le Saint-Paulin, and many other award-winners. Despite the volume of some 20 cheeses in production, everything is still done by hand. There is a large shop on the premises, open Monday through Saturday.<\/p>\n Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser<\/a><\/strong> 459, 4th Concession, Noyan, 450.294.2207<\/em><\/p>\n In 2003, the Alary family gathered around a table at the fourth-generation dairy farm to brainstorm ways to utilize the organic cow\u2019s milk Ferme Raymond Alary & Sons Inc. produced just north of Montr\u00e9al. They decided to begin farmstead cheesemaking; thus Les Fromagiers de la Table Ronde came to be. Their first certified-organic cheese, a firm blue, Le Rassembleu, was a finalist in this year\u2019s Canadian Cheese Grand Prix. Cheesemaker Ronald Alary has developed several other farmstead cheeses using the farm\u2019s own organic milk. There is a cheese shop on the premises, open seven days a week.<\/p>\n Les Fromagiers de la Table Ronde<\/a><\/strong> 317, Boulevard Sainte-Sophie (Route 158), Sainte-Sophie, 450.530.2436<\/em><\/p>\n Braised piece of suckling pig, melted folded pancake, porcinis arrancini, Acclaimed for his creative cuisine, chef Laurent Godbout is recognized as the driving force behind the concept of entertainment food in Qu\u00e9bec and the promotion of local artisan foods. He often surprises with his use of cheese; take, for example, the Blackburn cheese foam that adorns a braised piece of suckling pig, served with folded pancake, and porcinis arancini ($35).<\/p>\n Chez L\u2019\u00c9picier<\/a><\/strong> 311, Rue Saint-Paul Est, Montr\u00e9al, 514.878.2232, M\u00e9tro Champ-de-Mars<\/em><\/p>\n Today, Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois chefs are very much in the forefront in Montr\u00e9al. But one outstanding exception is Europea, launched in 2002 by J\u00e9r\u00f4me Ferrer, who hails from Languedoc. He is known for his inventive dishes, such as Lobster Cream Cappuccino with Truffle Shavings, served as an appetizer. Regardless of his roots and the cuisine, artisan offerings of Qu\u00e9bec are impeccably served on the house cheese plate ($4.50 per tasting wedge).<\/p>\n Europea<\/a><\/strong> 1227, Rue de la Montagne, Montr\u00e9al, 514.398.9229, M\u00e9tro Peel<\/em><\/p>\n This famed restaurant in Old Montr\u00e9al is the epitome of the wonderful synergy between provenance and culinary art that one discovers so often in Qu\u00e9bec. It is said that Toqu\u00e9! became the best restaurant in Montr\u00e9al about 15 minutes after Normand Laprise opened it in 1993. The chef\u2019s seven-course tasting menu ($92, or $104 including foie gras) often features artisan cheese, while the everyday cheese plate ($14) showcases what is ripe for the eating. At this writing, that included Le Rang des \u00celes, Sainte-Maure Caprifeuille, Le Rassembleu, Tomme de Grosse-\u00cele, and Le 1608.<\/p>\n Toqu\u00e9!<\/a><\/strong> 900, Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle, Montr\u00e9al, 514.499.2084, M\u00e9tro Square-Victoria<\/em><\/p>\n Exterior of La Montee de Lait on Boulevard Saint-Laurent in the Mile End of Montreal.<\/p><\/div>\n Popular Montreal chef Martin Juneau recently left his post at this special dining room, but he has left his mark of excellence on the menu and in the kitchen. Besides an excellent selection of local artisan cheese, the menu here always offers something unexpected for the cheese lover, such as ch\u00e8vre chaud (warm), a heated square of creamy goat\u2019s cheese resting on a velvety eggplant pancake atop a thin layer of onion marmalade. And besides, how can you miss out on a place whose name translates to \u201cmount of milk\u201d?<\/p>\n La Mont\u00e9e de Lait <\/a><\/strong> 5171, Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montr\u00e9al, 514.273.8846, M\u00e9tro Laurier<\/em><\/p>\n Just across the Jacques-Cartier Bridge over the St. Lawrence River is L\u2019\u00c9choppe des Fromages in Saint-Lambert, the domain of Max Dubois, arguably the best known cheesemonger in Qu\u00e9bec for his defense of raw milk cheese and a passionate promoter of les produits du terroir, \u201clocal products.\u201d A second-generation cheesemonger, the man knows how to put together an outstanding cheese plate, with each portion carefully selected for ripeness and contrast. The bistro menu is very cheesy and super delicious. It\u2019s a treat to go in the summer and sit outside while sipping on a cappuccino after indulging in the chef\u2019s cheese inventions.<\/p>\n L\u2019Echoppe des Fromages<\/a><\/strong> 12, Rue Aberdeen, Saint-Lambert, 450.672.9701<\/em><\/p>\n As longtime area residents will tell you, the place used to be a dive, selling little else but draft beer. But times have changed and Monkland Tavern is now one of the trendiest restaurants in the neighborhood north and west of Mont Royal. Its macaroni au fromage, the French-Canadian take on mac and cheese, is made with three types of cheese, including Victor et Berthold, a local, raw milk, washed-rind cheese It\u2019s all that cheesy comfort food is meant to be.<\/p>\n Monkland Tavern <\/a><\/strong> 5555, Avenue de Monkland, Montr\u00e9al, 514.486.5768, M\u00e9tro Villa-Maria<\/em><\/p>\n If you like brew\u2014and especially craft brew and artisan cheese\u2014take the M\u00e9tro north along Main (Boulevard Saint-Laurent to locals) to this brew pub and bistro. At last count, 33 craft beers brewed in Qu\u00e9bec were on tap. All cheese is sourced from Fromagerie des Cantons in Farnham, the first cheese factory in Qu\u00e9bec making farmstead cheeses using only Jersey cow\u2019s milk. Order a carrousel of galopins ($13 for a \u201ccarousel\u201d of six \u201csample-size glasses\u201d) of beer with a knock-out plate of cheese and charcuterie ($15 for three \u201cvices,\u201d $19 for seven). If you\u2019ve heard that Montr\u00e9al is known for its smoked meat yet don\u2019t have time to visit world-famous Schwartz\u2019s Montr\u00e9al Hebrew Delicatessen, order up an amazing locally-smoked-meat pizza ($9.50 per slice). Go early on Tuesdays, as that\u2019s the night for a popular folk jam.<\/p>\n Vices & Versa <\/a><\/strong> 6631, Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montr\u00e9al, 514.272.2498, M\u00e9tro Beaubien<\/em><\/p>\n In the unofficial \u201cbest grilled cheese in town\u201d contest, Caf\u00e9 Vasco da Gama is a popular runner-up for grilling Parma ham and St. Jorge cheese.<\/p>\n Caf\u00e9 Vasco da Gama<\/a><\/strong> 1472, Rue Peel, Montr\u00e9al, 514.286.2688, M\u00e9tro Peel<\/em><\/p>\n Here\u2019s a cheeseburger you absolutely will not find at any fast-food joint: Kobe beef, foie gras, caramelized onions, Ma\u00eetre Jules cheese from La Fromagerie 1860 DuVillage, lettuce, and tomato on a brioche bun. ($24.99)<\/p>\n iBurger<\/a><\/strong> 1237, Rue Metcalfe, Montr\u00e9al, 514.903.5799, M\u00e9tro Peel<\/em><\/p>\n On the sweet side of town, divine cornetti are created with chocolate and house-made ricotta at La Cornetteria.<\/p>\n La Cornetteria<\/a><\/strong> 6528 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montr\u00e9al 514.277.8030, M\u00e9tro Beaubien<\/em><\/p>\n The \u201cPantry of Francis is Chambly\u201d just southeast of Montr\u00e9al, is worth a stop on any drive east of the city. Fran\u00e7ois Pellerin, a widely known chef and promoter of local products, has created a gastronomic oasis that combines an award-winning bakery and pastry shop with a retail store and take-out service featuring gourmet foods and delicious dishes that often incorporate artisan cheeses. Don’t leave the shop without sampling the Rougier line of foie gras and duck products.<\/p>\n Le Garde-Manger de Fran\u00e7ois<\/a><\/strong> 2403 Avenue Bourgogne, Chambly, 450.447.9991<\/em><\/p>\n Among the best things you could ever eat is the ricotta-stuffed cannoli made by Alati-Caserta, a 43-year-old family bakery in Montr\u00e9al’s Little Italy. <\/p>\n Magarita pizza with extra Bufala Mozzerella.<\/p><\/div>\n Pasticceria Altai-Caserta<\/a><\/strong> 277 Rue Dante, Montr\u00e9al 514.271.3013<\/em><\/p>\n Hankering for a pizza made with unbleached oragnic flour plus cheese and meets imported from Italy? At Pizz\u00e9ria Geppetto, only Fontina Val d’Aosta, spiced Provolone from Lombardy, mozzarella di bufala<\/em>, and Sardinian Pecorino are used ($15).<\/p>\n Pizz\u00e9ria Geppetto<\/a><\/strong> 2504 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montr\u00e9al 514.903.3737, M\u00e9tro Lionel-Grouix<\/em><\/p>\n Lusting for a pie made with industrial-strength cheese? A fixture since 1959, Pizza Nino makes a pizza with four cheeses: mozzarella, brick, Gorgonzola, and Parmesan ($14 to $29).<\/p>\nLa fromagerie Hamel<\/h3>\n
March\u00e9s Publics de Montr\u00e9al<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Yannick Fromagerie<\/h3>\n
Cheesemakers Nearby<\/h2>\n
Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser Inc.<\/h3>\n
Les Fromagiers de la Table Ronde<\/h3>\n
Restaurants<\/h2>\n
Chez l\u2019\u00c9picier<\/h3>\n
<\/a>
Blackburn cheese foam and celeriac \u2019\u2019aligot\u2019\u2019 foam.<\/p><\/div>\nEuropea<\/h3>\n
Toqu\u00e9!<\/h3>\n
La Mont\u00e9e de Lait<\/h3>\n
<\/a>L\u2019\u00c9choppe des Fromages<\/h3>\n
Monkland Tavern<\/h3>\n
Vices & Versa<\/h3>\n
Caf\u00e9 Vasco da Gama<\/h3>\n
iBurger<\/h3>\n
La Cornetteria<\/h3>\n
Le Garde-Manger de Fran\u00e7ois<\/h3>\n
Pasticceria Alati-Caserta<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Pizz\u00e9ria Geppetto<\/h3>\n
Pizza Nino Restaurant<\/h3>\n