Schwartz's, Montreal

One of Montreal's great culinary institutions, this cramped, somewhat dingy deli, Schwartz's, makes the smoked meat (Montreal's version of pastrami) to which all others are compared. The line can be horrendous on weekends, the service is impersonal at best, and you are likely to be shoehorned into a table with a gaggle of total strangers. That said, the classic meal of a smoked meat sandwich, fries, pickle and a Cott's Cerise Noire cola is a genuinely transcendent experience. If the line seems unreasonable, takeout is a perfect alternative.