If you're planning a picnic, bike ride, or simply an evening in, pick up supplies in Vieux-Montréal at any of three shops along rue St-Paul. On the street's west end is Olive et Gourmando at no. 351 and, just across the street, Marché de la Villete at no. 324. Both sell fresh breads, fine cheeses, sandwiches, salads, and pâtés. On rue St-Paul's east end, a block and a half from Place Jacques-Cartier, is Chez l'Epicier, at no. 331. It's an ambitious restaurant with a gourmet delicatessen's worth of takeout goodies.
Better still, make a short excursion by bicycle or Métro (the Lionel-Groulx stop) to Marché Atwater (Atwater Market), the farmer's market at 138 av. Atwater which is open daily. The long interior shed is bordered by stalls stocked with gleaming produce and flowers. The two-story center section is devoted to vintners, butchers, bakeries, and cheese stores. In the marché, Boulangerie Première Moisson (tel. 514/932-0328) is filled with the tantalizing aromas of breads and pastries -- oh, the pastries! -- and has a seating area at which to nibble baguettes or sip a bowl of café au lait. Nearby, Fromagerie du Marché Atwater (tel. 514/932-4653) lays out more than 500 kinds of cheeses -- scores of them from Québec -- and also sells pâtés and charcuterie. Marché Atwater is on the Lachine Canal, where you can stroll and find a picnic table.
