Street food during the Jazz festival in Montreal

[Theresa]

Will there be street food during the festival? If so, any tips on what is good/what we should look out for?

[sockhead]

I had a poutine from one of those "friterie" stations. Not half bad actually!

[nooyawka]

I saw people holding what looked like large and carved mangos on a skewer, and it was one of the hotter days, but for the life of me, I couldn't find the stand!

[ChewFun]

Get the Debreziner sausages at the grill stations. Otherwise some of the stands at the food court in the adjacent mall/office building are decent enough. Better yet, go up the hill to Benelux Brasserie up the hill (245 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest) for great beer and nice sausages then head back down the hill to the festival.

[celfie]

I was at benelux the other day. I was starving! I contemplated the $7.95 sausage until I saw a whole pile of them sitting in a steamer for lord knows how long. Their beer is half decent (but $1 or $2 too pricey) but i'd never get their food - not at those prices! ($9.95 for a mediocre looking panini). They also charge $3 for a bag of ms vickies chips. RIP OFF.

[Haggisboy]

Decades ago Montreal passed legislation making street food vendors illegal. They cited the need for food safety, but the reality was that they caved to the restaurant lobby. As a kid the city used to have roving "chip wagons" that would drive around town and park in populated areas where folks could walk up and order fries, onion rings, hot dogs, hamburgers etc. They've all been gone for years.

I think the closest this city gets (sadly) to street vendors are franchised popsicle/ice cream bikes that you can spot in touristy areas in the summer.

[wilmagrace]

I like to snack on site in order to take in as many shows as possible-I enjoy the louisana booth offerings on ste catherine street(closed street for festival), tried both shrimp and meat with no complaints. There is also a terrasse patio restaurant on higher level overlooking street and show stages so if you get a seat you can enjoy wines, quebec cheeses, pates and terrines and watch the shows away from the crowds. There is a saq (liquor stores in Quebec) booth further up near concert hall which has wine and quebec cheese pairings--3 small samplings of wine for a fair price (5 or 7$) at happy hour time. Chinatown easily accessed by lower level of Complexe desjardins on festival site . Hot dogs cooked on grills are all over site (mild and spicy choices with various toppings)--profits of food and beverages support cost of free outdoor shows. There are crepes made on site at a couple of kiosks on street and terrace, with various fillings and reasonably priced, also special cocktails made with amarula at various booths, beer kiosks galore and a variety of other vendors from french fries, dairy, fresh fruit stands, mexican, etc On the lower level of complexe desjardins shopping mall where jazz fest takes place outside there are many food kiosks. There are a variety of restaurants on upper floor, nothing to write home about but convenient for hungry festival fans. The hyatt regency has a bar and terrasse overlooking festival site from roof level. They used to have finger food at happy hour but not sure if they do at festival time.
http://www.complexedesjardins.com/userfiles/file/r%C3%A9pertoire%202009(1).pdf

here is the menu (dropdown lists) of the restaurant in the festival building on site, they have a terrace on side at festival time
http://www.montrealjazzfest.com/maiso...

[wilmagrace]

nix above locations of street food booths--you will have to search for the street food this year at jazzfest as it is currently a construction zone and the fountain area is completely blocked off with construction fences, probably the food stands will be located in different areas this year with the opening up of new spaces in the place des festivals near belmoral building.

[Theresa]

Thanks for the advice. I posted on another thread about the decent chicken kebabs served by the Grillades stall on the field by the blues stage - I was quite impressed.

We didn't really eat from any other festival places - I would have liked to have tried the place you mentioned at the top of the steps, which was serving pates and salads, but we never got round to it. We were also very tempted by the two new places in the Place du Festival, which looked interesting and decent value, but had no licence when we were there.

We had a good time at the festival, made better by Gil Scott Heron even turning up!

[Maximilien]

dead-zone food-wise! Montreal does not have street food, and nothing will come up for the different festivals.

There are a couple of food and beer stands that will be overwhelmed with people (especially if it nice outside), other than that, some "tourist" restaurants and food court @ Complexe Desjardins.

And, really IMO , nothing worthy less than 10 minutes away walking.