Nigiri foie gras atop maple-flavored sushi rice, Au Pied de Cochon, Montreal

"Kimmel" was the name on the sign behind the counter; "carvi" was printed on my receipt. If, like me, you speak little Yiddish and French, "caraway" will also do. At Fairmount Bagel, Montreal

"This is the one-day coffee shop for Paul's birthday," a present to himself and an invitation to friends and passersby, Dans l'Espace, Montreal

Poutine à la Schwartz's, topped with smoked-meat trimmings, and several hand-painted murals a short walk from Schwartz's Deli, Montreal

Not only for seafood lovers: a particularly elegant example of an "only rain down the drain" storm-sewer grate, reminding us to protect the health of our waterways, Montreal

Fèves au lard are the namesake baked beans included in every breakfast combo (mine: eggs, potatoes, cold roast pork, bread toasted on the stovetop) at La Binerie Mont-Royal. More: a slice of the house tourtière, or meat pie; pouding chômeur, "poor man's pudding."

The season finale of the Indonesian bazaar at Masjid al-Hikmah highlights my roundup of New York area food events for late October: bit.ly/nyfoodevents-l…

A chocolate-cassis soft-serve twist, enjoyed on the warm last weekend of the season at Iconoglace, Montreal

A smoked meat sandwich outside Lester's Deli, Montreal. Also shown, not far away: artwork on the supports for a roadway overpass that shelters a sprawling recreation area. The southern end is devoted to quiet relaxation; the northern end hosts a skatepark.

A rosemary and sea salt bagel, more sweet than salty, from St-Viateur Bagel, Montreal. Also shown: a nearby bagel prohibition zone; seating carved out for passers-by.

Lambi grillé, Haitian-style grilled conch, 3 Pierres 1 Feu, Marché Jean-Talon, Montreal

Artwork in or near Marché Jean-Talon, Montreal: I Choose to Dance (Laurence Petit, 2026), a sidewalk mosaic; mushrooms at the stall of Eric & Pendy L'Écuyer; a portrait in produce at Épices de Cru; a shaved-ice cart (Yrvelt Charles, 2025) at 3 Pierres 1 Feu, my lunch destination.

Maple, maple everywhere: a cake square from La Fourneé des Sucreries de l'Erable, Marché Jean-Talon, Montreal

At dawn: a portion of the namesake Breton "butter cake" at Au Kouign-Amann, Montreal, and a mural across the way

A pair of locally brewed Boréale beers from Variété Plus du Mont Royal, a dep convenient to my hotel after the long train ride (from which I've already returned) to Montreal

Burmese, Egyptian, Greek, Indonesian, West African, and a rare opportunity to enjoy Panamanian bofe con hojaldre (shown) bit.ly/nyfoodevents-m…

An exceptional nam khao with pickled pork — exceptional, even after I'd chowed down on a plate of grilled sai oua — at the Lao pop-up Heunkuoa, at Greenpoint, Brooklyn bar Troost, 1011 Manhattan Ave. The pop-up returns today, October 3, 4:30 till sold out.
instagram.com/heunkuoa/

Make room for an overstuffed weekend of New York-area food events: Chinese, Creole, Egyptian, Ethiopian, Filipino, German, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, pan-Latin American, Native American, Nigerian, Romanian, Slavonic, Ukrainian, and more bit.ly/nyfoodevents-e…

A root beer freeze — though not nearly as colorful as the hand-drawn menu board, it hits the spot during the last gasp of summery weather — at The Screen Door, 4819 Skillman Ave., Sunnyside, Queens

The most notable herb in this bún chả Hà Nội isn't heaped on the plate. Xương sông, wrapped around minced-pork patties, adds peppery and somewhat astringent notes when the two are chargrilled. It's hard to source in NYC; Ngon Vietnamese Kitchen, on Second Ave., grows its own.