MapleSquare

Considered the second best city to dine in throughout North America, Montreal boasts of countless food choices. Whether it's exotic dishes or haute cuisine you're dying to try, don't leave the city without having poutine. This is a dish of French fries with overflowing gravy and white cheddar. Other local specialties are split pea soup, smoked meat sandwiches, and "economical" bagels. The last two are creations of the large Jewish community found in this city.

If you're particularly keen on local cuisine, check out Quebecois restaurants Maamm Bolduc!, Schwartz's Delicatessen, and Au Pied de Cochon. And if you're still not letting up on all the love for Parisian food, head over to the Plateau for some of the most intimate bistros in the city. Saint-Denis is also almost thoroughly French in terms of food, though expect Greek and Italian as well, since it's the core of Quartier Latin.

Crescent and Bishop are both tourist magnets where the English-speaking crowd used to hang. Saint-Laurent offers a diverse selection of treats, from sandwich shops to steaks.

A large part of your meal's paycheck will be your wine, so it might be a good idea to bring a bottle yourself--which many restaurants allow, just look for the "apportez votre vin" sign. There's a good chance the place you'll be dining in is close to a SAQ, a government-run liquor store, or a depanneur, a convenience store with less expensive wines.