Eating Their Curds Away

So Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, hosts of the third hour of the Today Show, were broadcasting live from Montreal, Canada proving once again many Americans indeed know very little about their neighbours to the North. (Please don't shoot the messenger.)

For starters they showed a map of North America and told the audience Montreal was the most easterly city in Canada while Vancouver was the most westerly. Might I extend my apologies to St. John’s and Whitehorse. The duo claimed to have been in the Hockey Hall of Fame which I found amusing since it happens to be right here in Toronto. Apparently they were in the Montreal Canadiens Hockey Hall of Fame, same but different. They ate maple syrup cotton candy; drank Inniskillin ice wine and la Fin du Monde beer; compared Montreal handmade bagels to those of New York (they were pleasantly surprised)and had their photo taken in the very bed at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel where John Lennon and Yoko Ono staged their legendary Bed-in in 1969. (Is this proper English?) Of course a trip to Montreal wouldn’t be complete without a trip to Mount Royal. There was even a brief yet entertaining segment featuring Cirque du Soleil. Yes the circus that is Kathie Lee and Hoda presented the Cirque du Soleil, how apropos. Mais oui.

The pair included the regular segment “Who Knew” and were surprised to learn that with the exception of New York City, Montreal has more restaurants than any other city in North America. Montreal is also the second largest French speaking city in the world and the largest producer of maple syrup. Who knew?


If you missed it do not despair. The two will be back with the Bare Naked Ladies and will be eating of all things, poutine. That very popular Montreal dish consisting of Fries + cheese curds + gravy is guaranteed to raise cholesterol levels, lower life expectancy and when eaten to excess, is commonly accompanied by death. It can be found on the menus of bars, fast food joints, greasy spoons and many upscale restaurants throughout the city. Enjoy!