A year-round 100-mile diet may be a pipe dream in Quebec, but the summer months put ample local eats – including produce, meat, honey and world-class cheese – at your fingertips. We present the city’s best farmers markets.
Marché Duluth
Plateau denizens seeking food that hasn’t travelled the world can follow the scarecrows to the new Marché Duluth. Come for the local fruit, vegetables, honey, cheese and meat; stay for the artsy plateau babes and live bluegrass music. Sundays, 4265 Laval Ave.
Jean-Talon Market (pictured above)
Fuel up at En Compagnie des Crêpes with a fluffy crepe and a frothy latte before plunging into the produce aisles. Grab hot pepper-stuffed Manzanilla olives and a tin of the city’s best steak rub at the souk-like Olives & Épices. Don’t miss the tiny Les Jardins Sauvages for wild vegetables and mushrooms, jellies, oils and mustards. Daily, 7070 Henri-Julien St.
Atwater Market
Chat with local artisan cheese makers at La Fromagerie Atwater, where sampling is encouraged. Follow up at Bâton du Berger, where you can buy organic, nitrate-free dry sausages from Kamouraska. Still hungry? Find the answer at Trattoria Pizza Mia, whose buttery, extra-large pizza squares are overloaded with juicy vegetables and tangy cheeses. Daily, 138 Atwater Ave.
Marché Maisonneuve
This Hochelaga-Maisonneuve market is small but potent. In addition to a solid selection of local cheeses, Fromagerie Maisonneuve carries not-to-be-missed sticky, sweet baklava. Grab a complement to your cheese from Aux Champêtreries, home to a solid selection Quebec wines. Daily, 4445 Ontario St. E.
Image courtesy of Caribb on Flickr.
