Montréal, je t’aime
This is the 15th post on Ici et here. Montreal has long been famous for its small, specialty food shops. Whether the cafe on the corner, the gourmet cheese place, or the hole in the wall sandwich place that serves up the bomb, these gems have helped the city form its identity. But, some worry, they disappearing or gravely threatened by mega-chains based in other places? In this post actress Rachelle Lefevre – an ex Montrealer now living in LA – discusses her perception of the changing retail food landscape and reveals her fears about her hometown’s future.
About the author:
Actress Rachelle Lefevre grew up in Montreal. She currently appears as Clara opposite Paul Giamatti in the multi-nominated film Barney’s Version and alongside Kevin Spacey and Barry Pepper in the Golden-Globe nominated “Casino Jack.” The self professed “foodie” is best known for her role in the Twilight films and is currently starring on the new Shonda Rhimes drama “Off the Map.” This is her first ever blog entry.
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Growing up in Montreal I always had a kind of affection for our “rivalry” with Toronto, so much so that when people ask me if I’m from Toronto (the city they all think is the capital) I practically scoff when I reply, “No. MONTREAL.” Well, a couple months ago someone had the audacity to ask me why I stressed it so much, asking, “Really, is there such a big difference?” Ah, non-Canadians. Only then I got to thinking, “What IS the difference?” “It just is…” doesn’t seem to cut it. Truly, what should I answer?
The fullness of the answer didn’t come to me until Christmas when I headed off to spend twelve glorious days in Paris with friends. By the time I arrived at my hotel it was about 9pm and I asked the concierge where I might buy some cigarettes (I’m proud to say I have since quit). This lead to the most fascinating exchange between the concierge and the bellman who both bemoaned that shops in Paris closed early and each shop specialized in only certain items and that if I wanted to buy cigarettes I’d have to find an open “Tabac,” literally a tobacco shop. No 24hr depaneure around the corner here. They continued to mutter for a while and the last thing I made out was the bellman mumbling under his breath that if you wanted milk at this hour you had to own a cow.
What later struck me about their whole disgruntled (albeit charming) exchange was how much I, as a non-Parisian, LOVE how the shops specialized, ADORE the lack of ubiquitous chain supermarkets and RAVE about the carefully edited selection in each shop. Were these two men really complaining about something as unromantic as convenience in the face of the glorious superiority of product that results from the abundance of specialty shops in Paris???
One of the reasons I chose Paris for my European vacation was because it always feels so similar to Montreal, so familiar. As much as I have always found the French/English political divide in our city disheartening I have never let it detract from my gratitude at being raised in a city so wonderfully French, so full of joie-de-vivre, so in love with food and wine and culture, so expressive and romantic. It is with deep sadness that I write this now but truth be told I have, in recent years, felt some part of that slipping away.
iciethere to read the rest
xoxo
Carrie
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