If there’s one thing Montrealers love to do, it's debating the food that is often praised for putting our city on the culinary map: the holy trinity of bagels, poutine, and smoked meat. Is it Fairmount or St-Viateur for bagels? Schwartz’s or Lester's for a classic smoked meat sandwich? Are you lining up outside La Banquise or hitting up your corner casse-croûte? 

But while everyone is busy defending their favourites, the real star has been quietly spinning in the background: It’s time rotisserie chicken gets the respect it deserves, and is recognized as the Montreal dish.

The wishbone of the 514

Rotisserie chicken is the true everyday heartbeat of our city. Think about it: Smoked meat and poutine are iconic, sure, but they’re occasional indulgences; a once-in-a-while experience.

But that simply isn’t the case for rotisserie chicken. It’s a weekend treat, an out-of-town showpiece, or it’s your standby when you simply forgot to take out something frozen to thaw that your partner asked you to get out from the morning. Rotisserie chicken has been feeding this city in ways many of us gloss over: it’s what families pick up after work, what friends pick at together on moving day, and what dinner tables across boroughs have in common, no matter what language is spoken at home.

It’s a no-fuss, low-maintenance meal. It's the kind you can eat in your work clothes, after hockey practice, or straight out of the takeout container, and one that is cross-cultural in nature, so much so that a few Montreal restaurants have transformed into must-try institutions that top the “best of” lists of where to eat in the city.

If there’s one thing Montrealers love to do, it's debating the food that is often praised for putting our city on the culinary map: the holy trinity of bagels, poutine, and smoked meat. Is it Fairmount or St-Viateur for bagels? Schwartz’s or Lester's for a classic smoked meat sandwich? Are you lining up outside La Banquise or hitting up your corner casse-croûte? 

But while everyone is busy defending their favourites, the real star has been quietly spinning in the background: It’s time rotisserie chicken gets the respect it deserves, and is recognized as the Montreal dish.

The wishbone of the 514

Rotisserie chicken is the true everyday heartbeat of our city. Think about it: Smoked meat and poutine are iconic, sure, but they’re occasional indulgences; a once-in-a-while experience.

But that simply isn’t the case for rotisserie chicken. It’s a weekend treat, an out-of-town showpiece, or it’s your standby when you simply forgot to take out something frozen to thaw that your partner asked you to get out from the morning. Rotisserie chicken has been feeding this city in ways many of us gloss over: it’s what families pick up after work, what friends pick at together on moving day, and what dinner tables across boroughs have in common, no matter what language is spoken at home.

It’s a no-fuss, low-maintenance meal. It's the kind you can eat in your work clothes, after hockey practice, or straight out of the takeout container, and one that is cross-cultural in nature, so much so that a few Montreal restaurants have transformed into must-try institutions that top the “best of” lists of where to eat in the city.

If there’s one thing Montrealers love to do, it's debating the food that is often praised for putting our city on the culinary map: the holy trinity of bagels, poutine, and smoked meat. Is it Fairmount or St-Viateur for bagels? Schwartz’s or Lester's for a classic smoked meat sandwich? Are you lining up outside La Banquise or hitting up your corner casse-croûte? 

But while everyone is busy defending their favourites, the real star has been quietly spinning in the background: It’s time rotisserie chicken gets the respect it deserves, and is recognized as the Montreal dish.

If there’s one thing Montrealers love to do, it's debating the food that is often praised for putting our city on the culinary map: the holy trinity of bagels, poutine, and smoked meat. Is it Fairmount or St-Viateur for bagels? Schwartz’s or Lester's for a classic smoked meat sandwich? Are you lining up outside La Banquise or hitting up your corner casse-croûte? 

But while everyone is busy defending their favourites, the real star has been quietly spinning in the background: It’s time rotisserie chicken gets the respect it deserves, and is recognized as the Montreal dish.