This is the first deli we've tried and it's just down the road from us which is handy because it turned out to be quite a nice place to go for a bite to eat!
Lester's is located on Bernard Ave in Outremont and has been around for decades. From the outside it looks like a small cafe, with tables and chairs on the footpath ready to seat customers. Signs on the front windows tell us that we can get coffee as well as their famous smoked meats and home delivery too.
Inside, the room is packed with tables and chairs, with booths along one wall. The walls themselves are shelves full of paraphernalia from when the shop was opened until more recent times. They seem to be placed willy-nilly but at the same time there's an order to it all. It's one reason I want to go back; I could gaze at the interesting objects lining the walls for ages!
As we walked in a waitress approached us and immediately asked us how many. She then seated us down and brought the menu over. Another waitress came over a couple of minutes later and asked what we'd like to order. She was happy to make suggestions for us and we were happy to take them! Michael ordered the smoked meat sandwich meal and I ordered a salami sandwich with chips to share with Austin who ordered the hot dog (his current favourite!).
When the sandwiches came out...OMG!! I've never eaten a sandwich with so much meat on it in my life! And it wasn't normal salami that you get in the supermarket or hanging in Italian delis in Australia. This was more finely processed but still meaty and more like what I remember devon being like...but in a nice way! Whatever, it was good! Michael chose well too because his smoked meat was warmed up and divine! A bit like corned beef, salty and broke apart in your mouth but with a less cooked texture.
When it came time to go, Austin was still eating as usual but as we waited the waitress came up and told him that as soon as he was finished he could go and choose something from the treasure chest that she'd opened for him. His eyes lit up and he declared his lunch done before hopping up and going over to pick out his prize. He chose the glow-in-the-dark stars and planets and carried them for ages before we convinced him to put them in our bag. It was a nice touch to a really great place to eat!
Stay tuned for our next smoked meat or bagel adventure. And if you've got any suggestions (other than Schwartz's) for places we must visit for bagels or smoked meats, please let me know in the comments and we'll make an effort to try it out.
Lester's is located on Bernard Ave in Outremont and has been around for decades. From the outside it looks like a small cafe, with tables and chairs on the footpath ready to seat customers. Signs on the front windows tell us that we can get coffee as well as their famous smoked meats and home delivery too.
Inside, the room is packed with tables and chairs, with booths along one wall. The walls themselves are shelves full of paraphernalia from when the shop was opened until more recent times. They seem to be placed willy-nilly but at the same time there's an order to it all. It's one reason I want to go back; I could gaze at the interesting objects lining the walls for ages!
As we walked in a waitress approached us and immediately asked us how many. She then seated us down and brought the menu over. Another waitress came over a couple of minutes later and asked what we'd like to order. She was happy to make suggestions for us and we were happy to take them! Michael ordered the smoked meat sandwich meal and I ordered a salami sandwich with chips to share with Austin who ordered the hot dog (his current favourite!).
When the sandwiches came out...OMG!! I've never eaten a sandwich with so much meat on it in my life! And it wasn't normal salami that you get in the supermarket or hanging in Italian delis in Australia. This was more finely processed but still meaty and more like what I remember devon being like...but in a nice way! Whatever, it was good! Michael chose well too because his smoked meat was warmed up and divine! A bit like corned beef, salty and broke apart in your mouth but with a less cooked texture.
When it came time to go, Austin was still eating as usual but as we waited the waitress came up and told him that as soon as he was finished he could go and choose something from the treasure chest that she'd opened for him. His eyes lit up and he declared his lunch done before hopping up and going over to pick out his prize. He chose the glow-in-the-dark stars and planets and carried them for ages before we convinced him to put them in our bag. It was a nice touch to a really great place to eat!
Stay tuned for our next smoked meat or bagel adventure. And if you've got any suggestions (other than Schwartz's) for places we must visit for bagels or smoked meats, please let me know in the comments and we'll make an effort to try it out.