St. Jovite

I grew up in south-western Ontario in a town of about five thousand people. My joke was always that the town was too big to have any small town charm, but too small to have anything really cool. St. Jovite is also a town of about five thousand, and it has the best of both worlds. If you're in Mont Tremblant and only see the pedestrian village by the ski mountain, you're missing out if you don't see St. Jovite.

The principal street is the aptly named Rue St. Jovite and is lined with restaurants, bars and shops. It's a pretty streetscape at any time, although particularly beautiful on a winter evening with the glowing Christmas lights and snow (the Quebecois embrace winter, and they love the Christmas decorations so much that they keep them up for practically the entire winter season). In an hour, you can walk up and down the main street and see everything, although you'd need a full afternoon if you want to stop for a coffee, have a drink and do some shopping. While there are many things I could tell you about St Jovite (and many of my other posts feature restaurants or shops in this town) here are a few key points:

• there are a wide range of restaurants available, not surprisingly as the Quebecois love their nightlife and dining out. Of note, the Maison du Spaghetti is local classic serving affordable, delicious family fare ranging from diner-style breakfast in the morning to burgers and shakes in the afternoon, and huge spaghetti dinners with table wine in the evening. It is always busy but you can always get a seat. A bit further upscale is Le Vieux Four, an Italian restaurant with a wood-burning oven and a great menu of thin- crust pizzas. For fine dining, choose from Resto Seb (whose chef is a bit of a local celebrity), Les Copains D'Abord, or our personal favorite, Le Cheval de Jade. These are fine restaurants, and this comes from a Toronto food snob.
• if you're not staying in a hotel and need provisions, St. Jovite boasts three major grocery stores, a Liquor store, a pharmacy, Canadian Tire, and just about anything else you need. Forgot a key article of outdoor gear? There are many places to get what you need.
• St. Jovite is about fifteen minutes max by car from the pedestrian village, and well worth the trip. You'll find ample parking in town right on the main street. If no car, simply grab a taxi.