There’s regular hockey night… and then there’s Bruins vs. Canadiens night. If you live in Montreal, you feel the difference before breakfast. Someone in your group chat has already posted a Carey Price gif. Someone else is asking who’s hosting. By mid-afternoon, you’ve either committed to having people over or you’re mentally preparing to yell at a TV somewhere.
But there’s one thing everyone agrees on: you need real Montreal food on rivalry night. Not chips. Not frozen wings. Actual deli food—the kind that tastes like the city. And nobody delivers that better than Lester's Deli, the unofficial fuel of Montreal hockey fans.
Here’s exactly what real Canadiens fans order when the puck drops.
Why Gameday Food Matters So Much Here
Montreal doesn’t do small snacks. We feed people like we’re preparing them for battle.
Growing up, every Habs night at my uncle’s house meant one thing: the entire kitchen counter turned into a deli assembly line. Smoked meat steaming in a pot, rye bread stacked like bricks, coleslaw in an oversized bowl, mustard bottles everywhere. And if it was Bruins vs. Canadiens? Forget it. He went full playoff mode.
It’s just part of the culture here. Hockey and deli food are linked the same way Montreal and sarcasm are linked. You can’t have one without the other.
Meet Peter, the Smoked Meat Cutter With a Habs Heart
Before we get into the lineup, you need to meet Peter—Lester’s master slicer and the definition of a Montreal character.
He slices smoked meat with the precision of someone who’s done it long enough to develop opinions about the “right thickness,” and he can debate Habs history while doing it. If you’ve eaten smoked meat during a game, there’s a good chance Peter was the one behind the blade.
And yes, he has a Habs-night trio he swears by:
Peter’s Gameday Pick:
Fries
Coca-Cola
Smoked Meat Sandwich
Simple. Old school. Zero nonsense. He says it’s the combo that “goes with the Canadiens the same way a glove save goes with a crowd losing its mind.”
The Smoked Meat Sandwich: The Unofficial Captain of Gameday
This is what 90% of people order first, and for good reason. Smoked meat is the centerpiece of any proper gameday spread—thick, hot, juicy, and comforting enough to calm you down when the ref misses yet another obvious call.
Hot dogs are emotional support food in this city. They’re easy, nostalgic, and perfect for high-stress moments. I’ve watched full-grown adults stress-eat two at once during overtime. No judgment—it happens to the best of us.
Fans order them cooked through Uber Eats, in bulk for pickup, or frozen for shipping. They always disappear before the third period.
The Rye + Coleslaw Combo: The Host’s Secret Weapon
A proper Montreal hosting spread looks like this:
Fresh rye
Big bowl of coleslaw
Pickles
Mustard
A mountain of smoked meat
Put it all out and let people build their own sandwiches. It turns your kitchen into a mini-deli, and honestly, it makes you look like you know what you’re doing—even if you don’t.
I’ve seen people gather around a DIY deli bar like it’s the draft stage.
Les grillades ne sont pas qu'une question de feu, c'est aussi une question de finesse. La clé d'un barbecue mémorable n'est pas d'en faire plus, mais d'utiliser de meilleurs ingrédients. Les produits Lester's Deli apportent une saveur audacieuse de style montréalais sur le gril avec un minimum d'effort et un maximum d'impact. Qu'il s'agisse de retourner des galettes ou de presser des paninis, vous ne faites pas que cuisiner, vous créez une expérience dans votre cour arrière.
Essayez notre recette de poutine à la viande fumée pour un plat canadien classique avec des frites croustillantes, une sauce riche et de la viande fumée savoureuse. Un plat réconfortant parfait !
Aujourd'hui, nous nous penchons sur l'un de mes plats de brunch préférés de tous les temps : le bagel au saumon fumé. Il ne s'agit pas de n'importe quel bagel au saumon fumé ; nous reproduisons le style emblématique de Lester's Deli, dans le confort de nos cuisines.
