All Montrealers know that when it comes to dining out our city can compete with the best. Montreal restaurants are some of the finest in the world. No other city in Canada has such a mash of cultures that have kept much of their traditions in tact. On a recent trip to Vancouver, I had the pleasure of dining at some of their local seafood restaurants. They know their fish, and why wouldn't they, it's a part of their culture. Vancouver is famous for its great salmon fishing. Similarly, you would expect great tasting lobster in the maritimes. Like other cities in Canada, Montreal offers great local cuisine restaurants that specialize in Quebecoise cuisine such as tourtieres, ham dishes, and maple desserts such as Pouding chomeur. Aix Cuisine du Terrior specializes in local cuisine and uses 80 percent Quebec ingredients. An article covering Montreal food would not be complete without mentioning Smoked Meat. Although Montreal offers many great smoked meat restaurants, the most popular by far is Schwartz’s original world famous smoked meat (on 3895 Saint-Laurent Boulevard in Montreal). Schwartz’s has a history of serving many celebrities, some include Celine Dion and The Rolling Stones. If you find yourself west of the island you could also check out Smoked Meat Pete’s (on 283, 1st ave in Ile Perrot). Montreal also offers many other top rated cuisine type restaurants that you may have a hard time finding in other cities. Zagat recently rated Italian pizzas at Amelio's (on rue Milton in downtown Montreal) as one of the best in town. As dinner time approaches, this little corner pizzeria starts hopping. Waiting times are unavoidable, even on a Monday nights. Once you taste their homemade style pizzas you will understand why. Speaking with some of the patrons, it's hard to tell what it is exactly that makes Amelio's so good. Some say the homemade sauce, others say the dough. Restaurant Village Grecque (on 654 Rue Jean-Talon Ouest in Montreal) blends in perfectly with its surroundings, in the Park Extension district of Montreal and could easily be missed. However they serve a great gyro, and this is a fact among many Greek Montrealers. Our city has a blend of cultures that maintain their traditions, and this is reflected in the local restaurant cuisines. Restaurants trying to offer a wide range of specialities do not succeed in this city because Montrealers have tasted real Italian, Greek, Indian, Thai, and Lebanese food (plus many more). These are the types of restaurants that make the Montreal dining experience so pleasurable. Our readers and I would love to hear about your local restaurant discoveries.