DETAILS

Montreal

GETTING THERE: Air Canada offers nonstop service from Washington Dulles and Reagan National. Fare from Dulles is $487 round trip; from National, $560. Connecting flights are available on many other airlines, but fares are similar.

WHERE TO STAY: In the Old Montreal neighborhood, Hotel Nelligan (106 St. Paul West, 877-788-2040, http://www.hotelnelligan.com; doubles from $190) is a chic boutique decked out in brick, leather and wood and praised for its comfort and accouterments. For a big-box hotel downtown, the Hyatt Regency Montreal (1255 Jeanne-Mance, 514-982-1234, http://www.montreal.hyatt.com; rooms from $199) is close to theaters and museums, and you needn't even step outside to descend into Montreal's vast underground city. Restaurants, malls, the Metro and several universities are all accessible within the 20-mile warren of tunnels.

WHERE TO EAT: Schwartz's Montreal Hebrew Delicatessen (3895 St. Laurent) is Montreal's answer to, say, Katz's in New York. Or maybe to Ben's Chili Bowl. Order the "smoked meat," the Montreal cousin of pastrami. A stacked, world-class sandwich is about $4.80. Make reservations? Have dessert? Pay with a credit card? Don't even try.

Au Pied de Cochon (536 Duluth East) offers classic Quebecois cuisine, like it never quite was. Venison, poutine and fattened goose or duck liver are presented in fresh, giddy -- and delicious -- ways. Entrees from about $20. La Binerie (367 Mount-Royal) is a no-frills lunch counter that dates back about 70 years. The details may change between breakfast and lunch, but the message does not: pork. And baked beans. And pork. And maple syrup. Breakfast and lunch only. A meal runs $6 to $8.

La Montee de Lait (371 Villeneuve East), a bistro tucked into a corner of the Plateau, feels like an elegant hideaway. A four-course, fixed-price menu is about $40 per person. La Banquise (994 Rachel East) is the city's ruling poutine joint, with nearly two dozen variations on the theme of fries, cheese curds and gravy. But no foie gras. About $5 to $8.

Markets: If you're thinking of a picnic, you owe yourself a trip to Le Fromentier (1375 Laurier East), an artisanal bakery/cheese boutique/charcuterie shop. Jean - Talon Market (7070 Henri-Julien), a vast public market on the edge of Little Italy, has produce, meats, cheeses, bakery items and freshly prepared foods inside and along adjacent streets.

INFO: Quebec Department of Tourism,877-266-5687, http://www.tourisme-montreal.org. -- E.J.