[SIZE=12pt]Two Fat Guys Eat Their Way Thru Montreal and then go to the Saratoga races[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] So... early one morning I'm surfing through the Amtrak roomettes currently available when I stumble across four vacancies on the eastbound Cardinal route. This is a longer and more expensive way to get to the east coast than the Capitol Limited but now would be a good time to cash in some AGR points and enjoy a “free” ride. Getting an up close (daylight) view of the New River rapids and gorge has been on my bucket list for some time. I shoot a note off to JoeG and quickly get a response that since that would put us in New York during August he also has a bucket list item to go to the thoroughbred races at Saratoga. After a couple of minutes of thought we have a plan!! The itinerary will begin in Chicago on the Cardinal to NYP (New York Penn Station). Then the Adirondack to Montreal to enjoy some of the food that city is famous for. Return on the Adirondack to Albany. We do realize there is a station in Saratoga but during the racing season it is more economical to base from an Albany hotel and rent a car for the short drive to Saratoga and also have wheels to get around in this mostly rural countryside. Also, there is an Enterprise Rental Car kiosk in the Albany station. After a couple of days at the races we will ride the Lake Shore Limited back to Chicago.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] As usual, I board the Pere Marquette in Grand Rapids and JoeG rides the Saluki from Carbondale, IL for our rendezvous at Chicago Union Station and the adventure begins! More specifically we meet at the Metro Cafe where we are once again not disappointed that the $9 special is still in effect for selected adult beverage pitchers. After careful consideration we decide on the French Market for lunch. This market has dozens of independent food outlets so we do the “walk around” and both decide on the same place for a sandwich... The Spicy Monkey Soup Co... They have good soup and even better grilled cheese sandwiches. I order the Caprese grilled cheese - mozzarella and provolone w/tomatoes and basil pesto. It was delicious and the basil really jumps out at you. I think I'll go home and make a batch of pesto and try to recreate this concoction. JoeG goes for the Americanahama - cheddar, provolone, and Monterey Jack w/tomatoes and a thick slice of ham. This sandwich was good but more traditional so the cheese and pesto was the big hit of the day. We took our sandwiches to a table near the Friekoten Belgian Fries and Beer stand to sample a craft brewed product. We also need to return here at a later date for the delicious looking french fries (or Belgian fries to be technically correct).[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] We board the Cardinal in the late afternoon and retire with anticipation of tomorrow's scenery. Three very positive things about this ride: 1. The West Virginia scenery is awesome (although I am sure it outdoes itself in October). 2. The LSA's are Dino and Mike. They definitely rate the highest marks for friendly, competent service of any we have had on these adventures. Well done, young men! 3. Our arrival into NYP was an hour early. We overnighted right across the street at the Pennsylvanian. JoeG had not stayed in this hotel for 20 years and we were completely satisfied with the cleanliness, convenience and economical price (by NY standards) of this old, but still functional, hotel. The early arrival gave us some bonus time to walk the neighborhood on this beautiful evening... a neighborhood that would have been dubious just a few years ago.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] The next morning we boarded the Adirondack for an 11 hour, all daylight, trip to Montreal. JoeG could tell by the names of the stations that we would travel up the east side of the Hudson in the morning and the west side of the lakes in the afternoon. We opted for seats with the river view since we hoped to grab seats on the lake side for the southbound trip back to Albany. JoeG was a pretty good tour guide up the Hudson as he dipped back into his memory bank to his tour at West Point. It was another gorgeous day to sightsee and before you knew it, we were pulling into Montreal. Let the eating begin!![/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] We had checked out Urban Spoon, Yelp, and Local Eats apps on the way up and had dinner narrowed down to 3 or 4 places that were close to the hotel. After a quick consult with the concierge, we confirmed our dinner choices for both evenings we would be in town. For tonight it would be Dominion Square Tavern, a place with a very “tavern” atmosphere but, don't be fooled, the chow was great! We started dinner by splitting a Charcuterie, bread and pickles. We had heard from train passengers on other trips that the dried meats in Montreal were excellent, and they were. I ordered the Bangers (excellent homemade sausage) and mash with cheddar. JoeG got the braised beef top blade with mashed potatoes and horseradish carrots and a wonderful reduction sauce to sop the pot roast in. We both opted for a locally brewed Pilsner Blond ale. This was tavern food at its best![/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] The next morning we decide to do some sightseeing during the morning and do a late brunch. The sightseeing highlight was the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Montreal, a beautiful structure inside and out. We walk toward the university section of town and find that every block is packed with eateries. We choose the Cocoa 70 for brunch. As the name implies, everything on the menu incorporates chocolate - this could be heaven! I order the Lazy Breakfast - scrambled eggs with country style ham, sausage, bacon, potatoes, and baked beans all served in a piping hot cast iron skillet. It is served with whole wheat toast, fresh fruits and a cup of melted chocolate for dipping. JoeG has the Intense Black and White Chocolate Crepes. One crepe is filled with dark chocolate and one with white and both served with a dollop of whipped cream. The dish is also served with the same fruit plate as mine. During the meal we are both intrigued with a menu item called chocolate beer. It is $10 dollars but we justify it because it is a pint so we can split it and call it dessert. Also, how many opportunities do you get to have a chocolate beer?!?! It was called Young's Double Chocolate Stout from Bedford UK. What a nice dessert to top off brunch.[/SIZE]
Crepes @ Cacao 70 - Montreal by 2 Joe's JoeH, on Flickr
[SIZE=12pt] For dinner tonight we decide on a seafood restaurant in old town -- Chez Delmo. The centerpiece of old town is the Notre Dame Cathedral. JoeG had heard the Montreal symphony in concert there many years ago and planned to drag me thru there, but, there was a musical light show event scheduled there for the evening so we relaxed for some “people watching” in a beautiful public square across the street until time for dinner. We were told that Chez Delmo was one of the old, established seafood joints so we decided to be adventurous. I started with an appetizer of grilled octopus. It was thicker than I expected but very tasty! JoeG went with Burgundy escargot. He loves those little snails and these were no exception. This was followed by a cheese plate and then on to the main course. Mine was walleye meuniere. We decided we couldn't pronounce it but it sure did taste good. Joe had the halibut Provencal which was also very good. Our big splurge for the evening was a bottle of Robert Denoget Pouilly-Fuisse wine, made exclusively from the Chardonnay grape variety grown in the Burgundy region and the best white wine[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]I have ever tasted. If I ever hit the lottery, I may try another bottle of that. Until then, it's back to the box wine sitting on my counter at home!![/SIZE]
Octopus @ Chez Delmo - Montreal by 2 Joe's JoeH, on Flickr
[SIZE=12pt] The next morning it is time to leave Montreal with fond memories of our “foodie” experiences here. For those of you who have never been to Montreal, just below our hotel is a sprawling underground mall. You could arrive in the city in the dead of winter, walk from the train station to the hotel, and enjoy countless shops and restaurants without ever going outside. We stopped at one of the bakeries on our way to the trains and had some delicious sweet rolls for breakfast and picked up a slice of quiche for lunch on the train.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] We arrived in Albany in late afternoon, rented a car, found our hotel, and tried the hotel restaurant... nothing exciting to report there! The next morning we drive up to Saratoga racetrack. Our plan is to go to the races for two days. The first day we have reservations in the clubhouse restaurant that looks right out on the finish line and the second day we plan to sit in the grandstands and sample the food in the variety of stands inside and outside the grandstands. Day one goes as planned. The food in the clubhouse is very good, the view of the track is great, but our luck with the ponies is dismal. Hopefully, better luck tomorrow.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] On Friday, our second day at the races we go to Saratoga early enough to visit the downtown area and select Mac London's, a nice sidewalk cafe, for a brunch on what is turning out to be a beautiful day. Seems like Bloody Mary’s would be a great start for the day, so, why not! I order the Broadway Breakfast (I guess because the cafe is located on Broadway) consisting of 2 eggs over easy, three-potato hash, and breakfast sausage. JoeG selects a ham and gruyere cheese omelet with three-potato hash. The hash has sweet potatoes included which give the dish a refreshingly different taste. Now fortified for a day at the races... off we go.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] We find our seats in the grandstands. Our view is right at the head of the stretch. Much different than sitting at the finish line but an equally exciting place to watch the ponies make their last big charge for the lead. Our luck changes today. In fact JoeG picks 5 winners in 5 straight races. We had done some scouting as we came into the grandstands for places to eat and had a good idea what was going to be on our afternoon menu. When JoeG got on his winning roll and was in such a zone, time flew by and suddenly it was the last race and we had forgotten to eat. I am sure this is a first ever report that we had forgotten to eat!!! We decided that with all of the excitement, we weren't even hungry as we left the track.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] Upon our return to Albany, it was starting to get dark and our appetites had returned. We stopped at Graney's Irish Pub and found a table on the patio (actually, just a few tables on the sidewalk out in front of the joint). This was definitely a neighborhood watering hole. We shared a big table with some other guys and took their recommendation for the cheeseburger and fries. The burger was a half pounder and the fries were steak fries. We had more than enough to eat and basked in the glory of our winning day.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] Saturday was our schedule to catch the LSL back to Chicago. But, before that we made one more stop at a very special greasy spoon...Donna & Dan's Place 2. Again this was a very friendly neighborhood haunt and we ended up having fun conversation with everyone in the place. We sat at the counter where Jolene took care of us very well. On her recommendation I had the Beat the House Breakfast-- corned beef hash, 3 eggs, home fries, and rye toast. And, I ate the WHOLE thing!! JoeG had the corned beef hash, 2 eggs, home fries, and rye toast with a side of sausage links that were bursting with flavor. The hash was grilled on a flat grill that had many, many years of tender loving seasoning. The hash had a nice crust on all sides and it was delicious. This was a fun and excellent hash house... I wish it was in my neighborhood.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] We had a few hours before our train, so we took a drive thru the hills of eastern New York and saw some beautiful hills and valleys that were definitely off the beaten path. An afternoon thunderstorm was moving in so we made our way to the station, checked our bags, and walked across the parking lot to a neighborhood firehouse that has been converted into a bar and grill. We set up camp at the bar and shortly were joined by a diesel mechanic on one side and a conductor coming off of the Adirondack on the other. The conductor was in contact with the station so he kept us informed on the status of the arrival of the LSL. Meanwhile we learned to play the New York version of Keno on a closed circuit TV system. Our good luck from the day before didn't hold up so it was time to leave this lovely part of New York State.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt] We boarded the train and passed on dinner as a result of our huge, late morning breakfast. Our arrival into Chicago was timely and our separate trains home were both on time also. Wow, what a great trip. I need to go on a diet. Do you think I can lose 20 pounds before the Gathering?!?![/SIZE]
As usual great Report Joe! It's almost as good as being there with yall! See ya' in Chicago! 
