We spent the day in Montreal: Chris, at Montreal Audiofest, Mel and I, on a self-guided food tour. Mel organized our tour, mapping out interesting and tasty stops in advance. Our plan was to sample a variety of foods, something small in each place.

172 Duluth Ave E, Montreal, Quebec H2W 1H3

Our first stop was a cat café in the Montreal neighbourhood known as Little Portugal. About eight cats roamed freely through the café or lounged in numerous cat beds. Mel loved interacting with the felines, who seemed unphased by all the people. We ordered the Pèle-Mèle salad to share. It contained spiced roasted cauliflower, chickpeas, dried cranberries, marinated onions, roasted pecans, cilantro and a cumin vinaigrette. Subtly sweet and beautifully spiced, the salad was a lovely starter.

4057 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal, Quebec H2W 1Y7

A four-minute walk from the Happy Cat Café brought us to our second destination: Tapi Go! This small mainly takeout restaurant specializes in gluten-free Brazilian food. We ordered two pão de queijo (cheese bread): one flavoured with cheese (traditional) and one flavored with pesto. They were both warm and tasty. I took the opportunity to practise my Portuguese, but felt very rusty. When I tried to speak, French came out as often as Portuguese did.

4379 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal, Quebec H2W 1Z8

On our way to our next planned stop, we happened upon la Boulangerie Samos. This Greek bakery caught our attention with its massive sweets in the front window: donuts the size of a bread plate, huge coeur de palmier, and enormous turnovers. Inside, we found many more tantalizing sweets, including key lime pie piled high with meringue, gorgeous cakes, and mounds of cookies. Since we were walking, we settled on a Pastel (a Portuguese tart) and a single piece of baklava, which was nevertheless large enough for a family. We hoped that they would remain intact through the rest of our walking tour, until we could get them home.

857 Marie-Anne St E, Montreal, Quebec H2J 2Z4

We continued our tour, walking 11 minutes to Bah! Café. This proved to be a very popular spot, with only a small bench left for Mel and me. But the vibe seemed right and the food and drink on offer were inviting, so we decided to order. Perhaps decaf coffee is considered an oxymoron in Brazil because there was none to be found. So we opted for a mint tea and a chamomile tea, both of which were hot and delicious. We also ordered a chocolate brigadeiro, a Brazilian dessert akin to a sweet truffle, and a piece of coconut cake, which was incredibly soft and fresh.

Once again, I practised my Brazilian Portuguese, feeling much more at ease the second time around. Renata, who served me, was delightful and patient, and thought it charming that I was making an effort to learn and use her language. After I had paid for my order, she said, "Sinta-se em casa," which means "feel at home." I loved that. Later, when I was snapping a few photos, she gave me an enthusiastic smile. I would happily revisit this café the next time I'm in Montreal.

5032 Park Ave, Montreal, Quebec H2V 4E8

Our final stop was 30 minutes away on foot, in the neighborhood of Mile-End. Despite the cold, Mel and I were up for the walk, feeling that the fresh air would do us well.

The first thing we noticed upon entering the Limoo smoothie bar and café was a sweet mini doodle, curled up on an armchair. The owner of the café told us that his puppy, Valentine, had received three vaccines today and was feeling rather sleepy.

Like Renata at Bah! Café, the owner of Limoo wanted us to feel at home. Hooman did just that—offering free smoothie samples, attentive service and engaging conversation. Though a half dozen people were already ensconced at tables and couches around the café, there was plenty of room for Mel and me to relax on a bright yellow sofa. The vibe suited our mood and made the half-hour walk completely worth it. We ordered a decaf coffee with oat milk and a tropikale smoothie, containing banana, pineapple, mango, kale, ginger and coconut water. Mel liked the fact that her smoothie wasn't overly sweet and had just the right amount of ginger. I appreciated that my latte was extra hot. Mel declared this stop on the tour as her favourite.

This was our first time doing a self-guided food tour. Mel did a brilliant job of mapping out our options a few days before our day trip. It was easy to go along with her choices. We plan to do more such tours in other places, including various neighbourhoods in Ottawa.

As for our treats from Boulangerie Samos, they held up remarkably well. After a light supper at home, we sampled the Portuguese tart and baklava, declaring the former the winner of the two.