St-Denis St. near Duluth

It's summer time, which means visiting friends or family members are bound to show up at your door sometime soon. And once you've had that great dinner, a few beers on the deck and caught up on all the incarcerated family members, what to do?

Well, do I have the walk for you! I lived with my sister on the Plateau for seven years back in the '90s, and whenever we were bored or had to entertain an out-of-towner, we would head out on "The Walk." And though sis lives in Paris today, whenever she comes back to town, "The Walk" is always on our itinerary.

Our chosen path consisted of the rectangle between Duluth Ave., St. Laurent Blvd., Sherbrooke St. and St. Denis St. Some deviation is allowed for a particular destination, say Café Santropol for tea and a sandwich, at 3990 St. Urbain St., or Meu Meu at 4458 St.Denis St. for an outstanding ice cream cone. But even if you stick to the basic circuit, you'll have plenty to admire and nibble. Bring money, for shopping is another goal of this outing.

Start on Duluth and St. Denis and head west. First, you'll find several enticing antique stores (the word "antique" may be a bit of a stretch here) specializing in '50s-style furniture. There are also several bring-your-own-wine eateries, but I would give those a pass in favour of a bowl of soup at Soup Soup (80 Duluth Ave. E.) or a natas tartlet at the Portuguese bakery Stella Estrela (22 Duluth Ave. E.).

If you approach The Main around lunchtime, don't miss Reservoir (9 Duluth Ave. E.), the oh-so-popular Plateau micro-brewery and bar that also features an edgy bistro menu and a great brunch.

Now you're on St. Laurent Blvd., where you'll find food choices galore. The first iconic food stop you'll hit is Moishes (3961 St. Laurent Blvd.), where you can opt for either a honking steak or a simple plate of marinated herring or potato latkes. Of course, there is Schwartz's at 3895 St. Laurent Blvd. I like to keep a brisk pace, but if you're up for waiting in a short (or very long) lineup, stick around for what is arguably Montreal's best smoked meat sandwich, which every visitor really must try.

I can never pass up La Vieille Europe (3855 St. Laurent Blvd.) for cheese, deli goods, coffee, gourmet foodstuffs, serious chocolate bars and the odd cooking utensil. Approaching Prince Arthur, make a beeline for Boucherie Slovenia (3653 St. Laurent Blvd.), one of the city's best butcher shops and favourite of Montreal chefs. Take advantage of your pedestrian status here and pick up a smoked pork chop and some choucroute. Parking in the area can be a nightmare.

Some might take a sharp left on Prince Arthur at this point and head for a stroll through Carré St. Louis, but I enjoy going down The Main to scan the menus of the city's trendiest restaurants - Globe, Primadonna, Sofia, Med Grill, Buonanotte - before settling in at a table at Café Melies (3540 St. Laurent) for a gourmet bite and some serious people-watching. In the event of foul weather, Ex-Centris next door (3536 St. Laurent Blvd.) is a great place for catching the latest cutting-edge foreign film.

The walk takes a left along Sherbrooke St. toward St. Denis, where you head north. If you're hankering for an espresso or glass of sangria at this point, my choice would be Café Cherrier (3635 St. Denis St.), one of the Plateau's most jumping restaurants with a fab terrasse to boot. Cross over to the west side, where at 3960 St. Denis you'll find the city's chicest homeware store, Arthur Quentin, which sells everything from candelabras and picnic hampers to Laguiole knives and Italian linens.

Head back to the east side of the street for an iced tea and BLT (try it on a bagel) at Le Brûlerie St. Denis (1587 St. Denis St.) or maybe a chocolate sorbet at Suite 88 Chocolatier (3957 St. Denis St.). Now look up, and you'll see you're back where you started, with empty pockets, a blister or two, and a renewed love of Montreal's food scene.