Schwartz's Deli

A narrow, wood-paneled storefront sits on Saint Laurent Boulevard with a faded yellow sign and a line of people constantly spilling onto the sidewalk. This is Schwartz's Deli, a meat-smoking institution that opened its doors in nineteen twenty-eight. A Jewish immigrant from Romania named Reuben Schwartz started it, and for decades, he stood behind the counter slicing brisket by hand. The scent of hickory smoke and pickling spices clings to the interior, where diners share cramped tables under aging fluorescent lights.