Comments on: Photo of the Moment: BENS Restaurant, Montreal http://www.vagabondish.com/photo-of-the-moment-bens-restaurant-montreal/ Dubious tips & essential ephemera for today's curious traveler Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:37:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: stephan http://www.vagabondish.com/photo-of-the-moment-bens-restaurant-montreal/comment-page-1/#comment-30032 stephan Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:37:53 +0000 http://www.vagabondish.com/?p=1954#comment-30032 Have great memories of Montreal and that place! Have great memories of Montreal and that place!

]]> By: Louise Roderick http://www.vagabondish.com/photo-of-the-moment-bens-restaurant-montreal/comment-page-1/#comment-6868 Louise Roderick Wed, 07 May 2008 21:17:57 +0000 http://www.vagabondish.com/?p=1954#comment-6868 I lived in Montreal for 33 yrs. I'll be visitng for the Formula 1 races next month and wanted to introduce some friends to BENS. So sad to hear that it has closed. How could anyone think it's ok to destroy such a unique, one-of-a-kind place?! There's nothing else like it. I used to go there after the bars closed in the 70's and 80's to socialize with all sorts of characters. So sad. Schwartz's it will have to be. I lived in Montreal for 33 yrs. I’ll be visitng for the Formula 1 races next month and wanted to introduce some friends to BENS. So sad to hear that it has closed. How could anyone think it’s ok to destroy such a unique, one-of-a-kind place?! There’s nothing else like it. I used to go there after the bars closed in the 70′s and 80′s to socialize with all sorts of characters. So sad. Schwartz’s it will have to be.

]]> By: Scribetrotter http://www.vagabondish.com/photo-of-the-moment-bens-restaurant-montreal/comment-page-1/#comment-6795 Scribetrotter Thu, 01 May 2008 17:08:33 +0000 http://www.vagabondish.com/?p=1954#comment-6795 Montreal, where I used to live, is prone to destroying landmarks and killing its heritage. Years ago citizens were up in arms to preserve the historic Van Horne mansion - they lost. I find it hard to understand why Montreal would systematically commit architectural suicide, when tourism is such a top earner there. When I was a student at McGill University, just up the street, Ben's was one of the few places open all night (bar an hour around 5 a.m. when they did the cleaning) so we'd go there for coffee and smoked meat sandwiches at 2 in the morning, especially during exams... there are several generations of students who will miss Ben's - it was part of our history. That said, both food and service have been going downhill for years - too bad no one thought to fix it. It's so much easier to destroy, isn't it... Montreal, where I used to live, is prone to destroying landmarks and killing its heritage. Years ago citizens were up in arms to preserve the historic Van Horne mansion – they lost. I find it hard to understand why Montreal would systematically commit architectural suicide, when tourism is such a top earner there.

When I was a student at McGill University, just up the street, Ben’s was one of the few places open all night (bar an hour around 5 a.m. when they did the cleaning) so we’d go there for coffee and smoked meat sandwiches at 2 in the morning, especially during exams… there are several generations of students who will miss Ben’s – it was part of our history.

That said, both food and service have been going downhill for years – too bad no one thought to fix it. It’s so much easier to destroy, isn’t it…

]]>