One of my favorite stops in Montreal is not a tourist attraction, well not in the traditional sense anyway. It’s not a walk, not a shop and not a museum. Well known by locals and some travelers, Pied de Cochon is a gem worth savoring and I mean that in the literal sense. Go here and eat for hours. The end.
Here’s a typical experience. People generally go there in twos or in small groups and order the infamous duck-in-a-can, which is a $38 entree and requires at least two people to finish it. I ended up going here when I had another dinner later that evening, a bad time to land at Pied de Cochon, a restaurant where every dish cries out: try me, try me, try me.
Since I was solo that afternoon and arrived when the place just opened, I was able to get a seat at the bar, immediately facing the kitchen. Lucky girl although I didn’t know it when I first sat down. Everything was prepared in front of me and when it was done, it went past my nose and eyes before it hit the tables. Whether its the lamb shank confit, duck breast with mushrooms, the guinea fowl for two or the half-duck confit for two, you won’t be disappointed with anything you order from the menu.
Other choices which are hard to pass up include: tarragon bison, liver mousse guinea fowl (which is what I started with), roast suckling pig (yes really) and the duck carpaccio, which was my selection #2. They serve it with a raw egg and just enough jus to give it flavor and energy. The idea is to stir the egg over the carpaccio and dig in, slowly, gently and deliciously. 
If I didn’t have another gig to go to, I would have been all over the foie gras naked or the putin foie gras, which I saw fly out of the kitchen more than once. They’re also known for their foie gras and pie sausage with salt, various terrines, and french fries cooked in duck fat. After two hours, I realized everyone ordered the fries as a side except for me. While it looked amazing, I was afraid I’d end up with a coronary before the end of the evening and I had a few miles by bike to get to my next destination — in the dark.
The magic of the place is the commitment to fine food and the details around fine food which is evident in the behavior of the waiters, chefs and kitchen staff. And, they have fun preparing this magic, over and over again. In between the plate heating area and the kitchen, there was a massive parmasean bowl which one of the waiters stood in front of for over an hour, scraping shavings of it for various dishes. I couldn’t help but stare while of course craving a few of those shavings since each one was not only inevitably delicious but also curvy and beautifully represented.
I made friends with my neighbors who ordered other dishes….definitely the way to go if you sit at the bar which I recommend unless you’re in a group.
The wine selection is equally good as is the service. If you’re heading to Montreal sometime in this lifetime, be sure to put Pied de Cochon on your must do list. It’s the fastest and best way to an orgasm in Montreal, perhaps in all of Canada.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
