Culinary travel is one of the best reasons to want to get up and go. It’s a way to experience local flavours, check out people who live there, and satiate your appetite for travel and for a great meal! Even if it’s in our own Canadian backyard, nearly more than 37 per cent of our readers cite one of the best reasons to travel is because of the different cultures to experience.

And, according to the experts at Expedia Canada, if Canadians are looking for the perfect Canadian staycation and would consider themselves a “foodie,” Montreal is the spot!

Of course, no visit to Montreal is complete without the city’s favourite nosh: Smoked meat! Our friends at Tourisme Montreal suggest the Smoked Meat dinner at Main Deli, above, on Saint-Laurent Boulevard.

A recent study conducted for Expedia Canada by Google Analytics Solutions, revealed that for Canadians 45+, Montreal (47%) is considered the most popular “foodie” destination, followed by Vancouver (30%) and Toronto (29%).

With Montreal celebrating its 375th anniversary in 2017, it’s the perfect time to explore all of the poutine, smoked meat and bagels the city has to offer! “It’s a city that has become more popular this year,” say our contacts at Expedia, “and we are seeing that through an increase in hotel bookings.” www.expedia.ca/

Aside from noshing, we asked our friends at Tourisme Montreal to give us a few of what’s on their radar this fall:

  1. Discover the Leonard Cohen exhibition at the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal (MAC), www.macm.org/en/expositions/leonard-cohen
  1. Explore Old Montréal using the Cité Mémoire free mobile app. www.montrealenhistoires.com/home
  1. Discover Jewish Montréal with Round Table Tours: Iconic Dishes: Jewish Montréal, the Original Tour! Explore the community behind some of Montreal’s most iconic dishes while learning about their deeply anchored roots in Montreal’s growth and history. This tour is a must for those that enjoy classic Jewish delights as history buffs. www.roundtablefoodtours.com/tours
  1. Enjoy a smoked meat dinner at the Main Deli. 3864 Saint-Laurent Boulevard www.maindelisteakhouse.com

For more info, go to www.375mtl.com/en/; www.expedia.ca/