New Year's Eve in Montreal

I know that I alluded to our New Year's Eve Dinner in Montreal in a recent post (I'm Trapped), and it was because I thought I had already shared with you all our delictable spread of cheeses and bread and wine. But alas, I was incorrect (I was probably getting confused with having posted our pictures on Facebook. Feel free to browse...).

To elaborate, Matt and I spent a few days over the holidays in Montreal exploring the sites and eating the food. We lodged at Hotel St. Paul, a really great little boutique hotel nestled in Old Town. We feasted on Poutine, of course (we wandered the streets for quite a while looking for an open cafe that actually served poutine! Turns out a lot of cafes/stores are closed for the two weeks of Christmas and New Years... who knew?). Then we raised the bar and enoyed some delicious Steak Frites, Montreal Smoked meat (at Schwartz's, no less..Probably the best I've ever had), and Montreal Bagels. Throughout it all, to feel less guilty about the food intake, we explored museums, the Science Centre, and art galleries. It was a really great cultural experience, and a really great way to spend some time together.

I'm not generally a fan of big, elaborate (expensive) New Year's Eve plans, so when Matt suggested a quiet night with just the two of us, I was all for it. We had our dinner out on the 30th (to combat the high prices at restaurants on New Year's Eve) and decided on a little picnic on the 31st. We stopped at the market for a fresh bagette and grapes, and picked up a few pepperettes and some really great Brie and aged cheddar (the picture is of the crumbly 5 year cheddar...yum!).  

After enjoying our meal and wine while cheering on Team Canada, we headed down to the harbour just before midnight to enjoy some fireworks and ring in the New Year. They were really great fireworks; in fact, we might have just created a new tradition for the two of us. I would not be opposed to heading back there every New Year!