The market’s Art Deco facade dates back to 1933, and forms an imposing backdrop for the Christmas-tree markets that take over the parking lot when the Yule tides are high. When you get close enough, it smells like a pine forest, and there are always some Canadian woodland critters poking their noses out of the foliage.

But we’re here for the food, right? Montreal’s home cooks and restauranteurs alike swear by the meat at the Boucherie de Tours – the wall behind their cash is adorned with all the business cards of local eateries whose skin they’ve saved, from Le Bremner to Joe Beef. Pierrot, the owner, is “the man”, and indeed one year when I was making crepinettes (French Christmas sausages), the Boucherie de Tours was the only place in the whole city that carried the caul fat I needed for the casings. You can see from the delivery pictured here that unlike the big box stores, they still practice whole-animal butchery.

For visitors to town who don’t have their own kitchens to work with, Boucherie de Tours is still a great place to pick up a tin of Foie Gras  – a staple French Christmastime delicacy – to accompany a bottle of Quebec ice wine up in your room. (A hint: the SAQ across the street from the Atwater market specializes in local liquor, so it’s a great place pick up presents du terroir to tipple here and/or take back home). Or, grab some ready-made garnished sauerkraut or Cassoulet (another seasonal dish) to snack on.

Speaking of hotel-room treats, why not pick up a gift basket from the Fromagerie Atwater. When you walk into this mecca of cheese, it smells like a real cheese cellar (complete with curds at the counter, bien sur). They also put together great holiday hampers, full of great imported and local products. If you keep your eyes peeled in the Fromagerie, you can spot the little hidden doorways to some great caves – there’s a room down a few stairs that’s stacked with artisanal beer, and another little cave for aging cheese  – call it Narnia for foodies.

On the second floor, Premiere Moisson makes baguettes to go with your portable treats, as well as special Christmas pastries, cookies and chocolate treats that are re-invented every year (this year’s Chocolate figurine is a toppled-over Santa who looks to have had too much Christmas cheer already!

Down the hall, in the florists’ area, you can pick up a festive little mantel bouquet, a poinsettia, or a decorative Santa head to add holiday cheer to any home-away-from-home. And with that you’re all set for a moveable Holiday feast thanks to Atwater treats!

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Autumn brings an array of crops to Jean Talon Market, Atwater Market and farmers’ markets around town, who in turn supply Montreal restaurants specializing in the freshest of seasonal fruits and vegetables.

While winter squash like butternut, acorn, spaghetti and pumpkin (the small round ones make the best pie) might spring to mind as the typical traditional fall harvest crop, brassica greens – kale, broccoli, bok choy, mustard greens, kohlrabi, turnips and rutabaga – also love Quebec’s weather this time of year. They’re versatile, high in nutrients and some are spicy enough to skip the hot sauce.

Huge baskets of Roma tomatoes call out to chefs intent on making the best sauce in the city and friends and families who get together for sauce-making parties (I have a jar waiting in my fridge!). Fresh herbs, carrots and beets add colour and flavour to meals, not to mention all the locally produced onions and garlic available right now, perfect for storing well into winter (garlic cloves freeze really well).

Among the lesser-known crops that liven up plates this season are celeriac, daikon and Jerusalem artichokes. Celeriac – one of the most under-appreciated vegetables, according to my farmer friends at Ferme Lève-Tôt – looks like a mini brain, but can be stored for months and adds a mild, creamy celery flavour to soups and other cozy-making dishes. Daikon and other storage radishes add bite to stir-fries, and Jeruselem artichokes are a good starch alternative to rice or potatoes – though potatoes are also a plentiful fall harvest crop.

With such heartiness abounding, I need to stress that sweetness isn’t sacrificed at this time of year – look out for cantaloupes, honeydew and small, sweet watermelons, as well as small purple plums and, of course, apples of all varieties. ’Tis the season to make pie! And eat it.

Finally, perhaps add a dash of history to your harvest season and visit Maison Saint-Gabriel, a 19th-century New France farmhouse and museum in Pointe-Saint-Charles, where the gardens overflow.

THE DETAILS

Jean Talon Market, 7070 Avenue Henri Julien, (514) 277-1588

Atwater Market, 138 Avenue Atwater, (514) 937-7754

Maison Saint-Gabriel, 2146 Place Dublin, (514) 935-8136

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Little Burgundy was originally a town known as Sainte-Cunegonde that became part of the city of Montreal around the turn of the century. It was home to the Canadian Pacific Railway yards and the Steel Company of Canada, companies for whom many of its residents worked. It was home to most of Montreal’s black working-class citizens. For such a small neighbourhood, it has produced a remarkably high number of Montreal’s most beloved and respected citizens. It boasts two Governor Generals- Michaëlle Jean, who spent part of her childhood in the area and George Vanier, who grew up near the street and metro station now named for him. But one of the area’s most important contributions to the city has been in the area of music. It was home to some of the best nightclubs in the city, like Rockhead’s Paradise, which would regularly have jazz legends like Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Sammy Davis Jr. up on stage. It makes sense, therefore, that two of Canada’s most respected jazz musicians, Oliver Jones and Oscar Peterson, grew up in Little Burgundy. The connection to music has remained- the international music label Ninja Tune has its North American offices in the neighbourhood.

The Atwater Market marks where St-Henri ends and Little Burgundy begins. From there, it stretches to Mountain Street in the east and is delineated by the Lachine Canal to the south and Saint-Antoine in the north. But if we’re talking about streets, none is more prominent that Notre Dame West, which functions as the neighbourhood’s main artery. Though many people talk about the gentrification of Montreal’s residential areas, Little Burgundy is one of the few that you notice immediately. The reopening of the Lachine Canal for pleasure boating (a term I absolutely love) helped and there are new developments everywhere. Since I don’t live in the neighbourhood, I’m not going to comment on what this is or isn’t doing for the neighbourhood. I do, however, visit fairly regularly to eat and/or drink and the list below should convince you pretty clearly why this is one of the more interesting neighbourhood’s in the area…

JOE BEEF: Joe Beef, Liverpool House, McKiernan: The owners and chefs of this trio of restaurants, Frédéric Morin and David McMillan, named their flagship resto after a legendary Montreal tavern owner whose establishment was filled not only with working class patrons, but a zoo’s worth of animals, including a bear said to drink up to 20 pints of beer a day. If this New York Times review from 1881 is to be believed, it sure sounded like a good time. While they may not be quite as wild as the namesake, all three spots are unpretentious, imbued their own distinct personalities and serve some of the best food in the city.

BURGUNDY LION: Right across the street is the Burgundy Lion, a pub with a modern feel that serves as a community meeting point. They regularly host great DJ and Quiz nights and their food is no joke: pub grub 2.0.

RESTAURANT JANE: If the Joe Beef trifecta are the area’s culinary stars, Jane is the up-and-coming food star. Though they rotate the very appealing chalkboard specials, the real draw here is the next-level pizza and cocktails. The fact that chef Ryan Dixon calls it an “Italo-American-Jewish-deli-bistro-pizza joint” should tell you that it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

LE BOUCAN: If you want some straight-up, authentic BBQ in a place that will always have the hockey game on, this is the spot for you. The  “5 napkin” hamburger and the massive multi-animal Pit Bull platters are favorites of the regulars, but if you’d like to learn a little more check out this Food Network follow-up to their recent TV appearance.

BONNYS: After the meat-frenzy of Boucan, it seems fitting that I mention Bonnys, Montreal’s best veggie and vegan-friendly restaurant, takeout spot and catering service.

PARISIAN LAUNDRY: It’s not just food in Little Burgundy, in case you were getting that impression for some reason. This gallery hosts art exhibits and concerts but the space itself is as much of a draw- built in 1933, it was actually originally used as a commercial  laundry complex and, after a recent overhaul, has become one the city’s most interesting spaces.

QUARTIER DES ANTIQUAIRES: As befitting the “Antiques Quarter” name, this area boasts one of the largest concentrations of antiques shops in the country. Spots like Milford Antiques, Rowntree, Old Time Antiques are just a few of the many spots to antiquing.

CORONA THEATRE: This historic theatre right in the heart of everything has found new life playing host to as eclectic a lineup of events as any place in the city can boast: you’ll find everything from dance to theatre to hip hop nights.

CAFE LILY ET OLI: Great coffee in a really relaxed place is about all the upselling this spot needs.

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This week we tip our hats to flickr user camwil2009 for this colorful shot, taken along the Lachine Canal. Running more than 14 kilometers long, from Old Montréal to Lac St. Louis, the canal is a great backdrop for a leisurely bike ride or a scrumptious picnic. Lunch and bicycles can both be found at the Atwater Market.

Check out the Lachine Canal Visitor’s Center if you are curious about the history of this unique Montréal landmark.

Submit your pictures on our MONTRÉAL BUZZ FLICKR GROUP.

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See our previous FLICKR PHOTO OF THE WEEK.

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