1toomany's Profile
Montreal's third-best bagel?
Let me add my voice to the chorus of support for REAL Bagels. They have a location on St. Catherine downtown as another poster noted, but I get mine at the VIctoria Epicerie on Sherbrooke, just before Victoria (across from Patiserrie de Gascogne). They are stocked fresh there daily. These are the bagels I keep on hand, and are also the "Montreal bagels" I bring people. I think they are just as good as the "Big Two."
Where to buy a wok ring in Montreal
great rec, found one easily in Chinatown yesterday. thanks a ton for the suggestion, and your other rec's!
Where to buy a wok ring in Montreal
Hi, All - I am new to the city and am hoping to continue using my well-seasoned wok on my electric (coil) stove. I need a wok ring to do this. I've looked many places with no success, but then, being new to the city, I don't know the local go-to places for specialty items like this. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.
Nice casual resto in Old Montreal - tonight - so no reservation...
We are looking for a nice but not really upscale resto in Old Montreal to try tonight. Possibly steak or Italian, but flexible. We have been to Gibby's (liked, but a bit too dark and expensive) and Modavie (liked a lot, again a little pricey). Any recommendations for walk-ins? Thanks in advance.
OH - also went to Da Emma, and probably liked that the best of the 3. Maybe we'll give this one another try, but I'd really like to try something new. Again, thanks in advance.
Why no quality wines at deps?
thanks a ton for these suggestions. I have the Fuzion shiraz/malbec on my shelf right now, waiting for me to try. I am going to print out this list so I can go one-by-one.
I am also a huge fan of vinho verde's in the summer - a great, light wine that is perfect in warm weather, and the price is wonderful (I paid $5-$8 on average in the US). I have seen a couple here but again, priced about 25-50% higher than in the US. annoying, but they're still only $10 wines, so this I can live with.
cheers and thanks again for the reco's!
Why no quality wines at deps?
I've recently moved to Montreal from the US and genuinely want to cry when I see wine and alcohol prices here (with a few rare exceptions). I believe strongly in being able to have table wine, that is, wine for under $10/bottle that is decent quality. Wine should be something everyone can have on a regular basis. SAQ seems to disagree. I and my better half are working working our way through their >$10's.
In the grocery/depanneur, being a sauvignon blanc drinker, I don't mind the Wallaby (Wallaroo?) Trail, white. it's still a bit more than I'd like to spend, at $11/liter, plus sales tax, but still comes out equal with SAQ prices of $9/750 mls, which includes tax. In the US, our table wine was Yellow Tail, any of the red blends, which we bought for $13 for 1.5 liters (plus tax). The couple grocery store reds I have tried here were truly awful, like 7th-graders making wine for a MADD-sponsored science project.
I welcome any and all "bargain" wine recommendations. I am a huge wine drinker, huge, and not one speck a wine snob. It would be nice to get some meaningful recommendations.
where can I find dried bergamot?
being new to the area, I am not familiar with Anatol's so, no, I have tried them yet but I will - thanks a lot for the tip!
where can I find dried bergamot?
I have had trouble locating this herb in Montreal, have called several spice shops. I would welcome all suggestions. As an alternative, bergamot oil would be nice.
thanks and cheers.
Just Moved to Summit, NJ (from Brooklyn) and struggling to find good food! Help.
you are right about my trips to Saffron. I would try it again based on your advice. And thank you for the interesting historical perspective on CTM! Cheers.
Just Moved to Summit, NJ (from Brooklyn) and struggling to find good food! Help.
I am talking Madison-Summit-Millburn. For me, Parsipanny was beyond my regular eating area, so I don't know those restaurants (Spice Grill). That's a distance from Summit. I never went to Ming II so I can't comment on that. As for my recommendations, and anyone's, you know how it goes - your mileage may vary. Tastes differ. Saffron was not good the 2 times I went there, so I stopped trying and I would not recommend it over Neelam --- except on decor and image. Raagini comes close, but always ends up costing me twice as much as Neelam, and has no chicken tikka masala. (I know, I know, many say it's not a true Indian dish, but what other type of restaurant can you get it in?) Cheers.
-----
Raagini Restaurant
1085 US Highway 22, Mountainside, NJ 07092
Ming II
3 Speedwell Avenue, Morristown, NJ 07960
Where did you eat this week ?
I'm new to Montreal and looking for all recommendations, but especially recommendations for good quality, tasty food for under $20/person.
This weekend we ate at Tehran Restaurant near Vendome metro. Good. We shared 1 app, entree and dessert, and also each had a glass of wine. Good food and almost made the budget ($60 wtt). Most notable item: saffron and pistachio ice cream. So creamy!
Chez Cora for brunch on Saturday (Rue St Jacques in NDG). My second time at this restaurant, 1st time at this location. Not as good as the dish I had the first time, which I especially enjoyed because they were so liberal with the hollandaise, but I will go back, as I plan to work through this menu.
Bangkok Express on Monkland Saturday night. Bad. Really bad. Will NOT go back. Hard to believe this place is recommended, but it sounds like they do 1 or 2 dishes well. I will say there was lots of fresh basil in my curry, which commends the place.
L'Oufrier on Sherbrooke in Westmount Sunday. Not as good as Cora, and extremely crowded and L-O-U-D. Their coffee (Caffe Broussard) tastes burnt to me, and it's not that I don't like dark roasts - I drink espresso every day! I doubt I would plan on going back here, except that it's within walking distance to me, which I L-O-V-E, as driving in Montreal is a real pain.
Last week, went to Mess Hall on Sherbrooke and really enjoyed it. Good food and hip but also casual atmosphere. Will definitely be giving them another try.
-----
Mess Hall
4858 Rue Sherbrooke W, Westmount, QC H3Z1H1, CA
Just Moved to Summit, NJ (from Brooklyn) and struggling to find good food! Help.
I second the recommendations for Huntley Taverne and Pastaria, for food in Summit proper, and for Taste of Asia on Main St in Chatham - only a short drive, and well worth it. Another mile or so further on Main St into Madison, will take you to the Staples shopping center, where the best Indian food in the area can be found at Neelam Palace. The same shopping center (it IS the suburbs, after all) has a sushi and Japanese restaurant (can't think of the name) that is also very good.
Just a little further up in Madison proper, Garlic Rose is on the left and is a good every day place.
Lorena's in Maplewood is an exceptional fine dining/"occasion" restaurant. For other fine dining in the area, try Il Monde Vecchio in Madison and Restaurant Serenade in Chatham.
For Thai, I ended up with Morris Thai in Union as my regular choice. Decor is the pits, but the food is amazing and so cheap. For an elegant setting and pricier food, Khun Thai in Millburn is very nice. If you're willing to go to Bloomfield, Brookside Thai is very good and quite nice inside.
Best pizza in the area is over in Cranford, at Emma's. Extremely loud place, full of families and large groups, but unbelievable pizza and salads.
I also really like and regularly go to the Spanish Tavern on 22 in Mountainside for lobster, other seafood and steak. it's a Portuguese style place, nice but strange decor, consistently offering very good lobster at a good price. And Sangria!
Bon appetit!
-----
Khun Thai Restaurant
504 Millburn Ave, Short Hills, NJ 07078
Taste of Asia
73 Elm St, New Canaan, CT 06840
Brookside Thai Restaurant
380 Broad St, Bloomfield, NJ 07003
Main St Cafe
6 N Main St, New City, NY 10956
Spanish Tavern
1239 US Highway 22, Mountainside, NJ 07092
Brookside Cafe
264 State Route 49, Cleveland, NY 13042
Just Moved to Summit, NJ (from Brooklyn) and struggling to find good food! Help.
Two of the former chefs from Mama Tucci's are working with a new Italian restaurant in Summit opened this summer, Bona Vita Osteria, at 37 Maple.
http://www.bonavitanj.com/
Where did you eat this week ?
Popeye's is the best fried chicken anywhere. Consistently delicious. The red beans and rice are also delicious, and their biscuits are above average. I recently moved to Montreal from NJ, and had several "going away" meals at Popeye's before leaving!
Monkland Village
I had supper there last night and it was terrible, the worst Thai meal I have ever had. I simply do not understand the positive reviews of the food here, except perhaps that they are based on dishes other than what I ordered. I won't be back to try to figure it out.
Monkland Village
Have to disagree on the Thai place, Bangkok, although it seems this may be due to the 3-year passage of time since this and other reviews below. Dropped in last night for dinner based on the recommendations in this thread and it was bad. In fact, I would even describe it as the worst Thai food I've ever had, and one of the worst meals I can remember. I had dumplings in peanut sauce as appetizer, green curry chicken (a standard by which I gauge all new Thai restaurants), and crispy noodles with vegetable sauce. The dumplings were average, the curry was below average, and the noodles were very bad, practically inedible. The sauce was not a Thai sauce but in fact something close to a Chinese white gravy. The service was poor, as others note, but it's all about the food for me, and based on the food alone, I will not be back.
