OUT in Montreal: Dennis' Perfect Day

Last week, the OUT staff undertook its annual group trip to gather content for the Travel Issue (coming to a newsstand near you in November!) We had an epic long weekend in Montreal (check out #OutInMontreal on Instagram!) and now, sadly, we're back at our desks. But, every day for the rest of the week we're going to share some of our favorite experiences from our foray up north.

OUT's assistant editor, Dennis Hinzmann (@dennishinzmann) offers up his version of a perfect day in Montreal:

The perfect day in Montreal has an early morning start at the famed St-Viateur Bagel bakery (263 Rue Saint Viateur O), right when the bagels are fresh out of the wood-fired oven. Take your classic sesame bagel (or two) with a side of salmon spread to go and head down the street to the Cafe Olimpico (124 Rue St-Viateur O) for some of the best coffee in the city.

From Olimpico it's a pleasant walk to the original Frank + Oak storefront (160 Rue Saint Viateur E #105), where the Canadian brand boasts the latest styles with their own unique twist - think crewneck sweatshirts with cactus prints and button-ups covered in cartoon lemurs. Feel free to grab a refill on your coffee from the in-store cafe which has a surprisingly good selection, or even go for a hat trick and get a fresh trim in one of the boutique's two barber chairs.

Now that you've gotten your hands on some fresh, ready-to-wear style, it's time to go digging for buried treasure. The thrift stores up and down St. Laurent, like Cul-De-Sac (3794 Boul St-Laurent), have great finds if you're willing to look. Embroidered satin jackets, classic denim, and retro Disney t-shirts will help you bring some BK style to the MTL.

Take a quick respite at Le Majestique Resto Bar (4105 Boul St-Laurent) and order a refreshing Quebec 22, the bar's personal take on the French 75. Then get ready for dinner at the Montreal Plaza (6230 Rue St-Hubert), with a hearty offering of seafood and a lively staff. Start with the fish tartare and your choice of white wine, but make sure you end up with something chocolate for dessert.