Remembering Leonard Cohen With Food Memories
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Amidst the outpouring of grief and love for Leonard Cohen are coming some beautiful stories of food memories.
At the Main Deli Steak House on Boul. St-Laurent in Montreal, not far from Cohen’s home, a server tells the Toronto Star that “the enigmatic Montreal poet used to order Baby Back Ribs ‘presque toujours’ [almost always], followed by a piece of cheesecake.”
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And the owner of Bagel Etc., the diner where Cohen ate almost daily, tells the Montreal Gazette that customers often tiptoed over to whisper hello, “trying not to interrupt his breakfast — which was usually powerful espresso and more espresso. The first time I met him maybe 15 years ago, I see this guy coming across the street holding a plate — his own plate! — and he asks if he can take out some bacon and eggs.”
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Michael Kaminer is a contributing editor at the Forward. Contact him at [email protected]
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