By Canadian Press

Closure of Montreal’s legendary Main Deli mourned by regulars, prime minister

May 9, 2023 | 12:20 PM

MONTREAL — Regulars at a Montreal deli are lamenting the loss of an institution after the restaurant abruptly closed earlier this week.

The Main Deli, on Montreal’s St-Laurent boulevard, was known for its longtime rivalry with Schwartz’s.

The two restaurants — located across the street from each other — are both known for their smoked meat sandwiches.

Frederic Serre, a longtime regular at the Main, says it was more comfortable than Schwartz’s and that the staff knew his regular order of steak with an appetizer of sausage and liver.

David Lieber, who worked at the restaurant in the late 1980s, says he has fond memories of the Main’s smoked meat, adding that its sandwiches were consistently better than the ones from Schwartz’s.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that he was saddened by the closure, adding that the Main had the best smoked meat in the city. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 9, 2023.

The Canadian Press