As most people may know, Schwartz’s, the World famous smoked meat place on St Laurent Boulevard and the oldest deli in Canada, is a true Montreal classic, with more than 80 years of tradition.
Not in vain every single day, especially at lunch time, a bunch of people -among them a big number of tourists who want to have a unique Montreal experience- patiently wait in line outside to take a place in the restaurant in order to have a glorious taste experience, even in winter time.
But beyond the story about Reuben Schwartz, the Jewish immigrant from Romania who founded the place in 1928, and beyond the hundreds of reviews from restaurant guides and newspapers that are hanging on the walls, and over and above its famous visitors, the real Schwartz’s experience is strongly linked with its staff, the guys who make this experience possible.
A Babel kind of atmosphere fills the air when you come in: Portuguese, Spanish, English, and of course French (at least the four ones I caught while I was there). The staff change their language to please their customers trying to explain the menu and writing down the orders as fast as they can. Despite the crowd, the staff are always friendly, smiling and talking, telling pieces of stories -especially if you are seated at the counter, or waiting for your take-out.
So, yes, the Schwartz’s experience is about a single white-tiled room containing several rows of long narrow tables and involves a tasty and magical recipe of marinated smoked meat. But it is also about the life and story of the guys at Schwartz’s, originating from all over the world (Portugal, Iran, and Mexico among others), who have been working at the same place for a very long time –5, 15, 28 years– and who make up an irreplaceable part of this famous place.
That’s what this photo-story is about.
Location: Montréal