Maximilien's Profile
First of Many Paris Threads for Upcoming Trip
August is the vacation month in France, lot of restaurants in the Capital will be more or less closed a couple of weeks during the month and will not even answer to phone/emails.
You better start making a list of places you'd like to try (peruse the exiting threads) and start calling/emailing soon.
Max.
Openings in 2012
Menu looks "convenu"; nothing out of the ordinary (with a couple of exceptions), but that's normal for a hotel restaurant (with a semi-captive clientele).
We will see how it actually end up on the plate.
General question regarding formal dining service?
Just good 'old fashioned good manners, and as other wrote, if there are not enough waiters to present the dish to everyone, just let them eat first :-)
M.
fiddleheads at trader joe's [moved from Washington DC & Baltimore board]
Well, that's a lesson you will not forget !! :-)
Max.
Ripples ice cream (Montreal, Plateau)
I don't know the ripple you're talking of, but for soft-serve ice cream, go to Kem-Coba (fairmount st.) or Les Givrés (st. denis st.) but at les Givré, be careful what cone you have, the last one was really crumbly.
For regular ice cream, I go to Havre aux Glaces at Jean-Talon Market (open late 10pm-ish most days in the summer)
Dinner in Montreal this Sunday
La Salle à Manger is good.
I was there earlier this week and it was as good as always (gravlax with nice salad) and the steamed bun filled with spicy pork again with a nice different salad.
Max.
La Chronique report.
I will be eating dumpligs and white rice for a couple of days ... :-)
La Chronique report.
Following my diner with dad at Toqué in october :( http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/811049) I decided to invite mum to La Chronique (belated christmas gift).
I've been to La Chronique twice before, once for the "sommelier" special dinner , and once again with 5 other friends.
The first time was very good, the second not that much (compared to the first time).
But I decided to take mum there because it is quite intimate and not too loud and we could talk and I knew the staff was very good and pleasant.
We went for the tasting menu with the "Grand Vins" pairing.
The May menu features lobster in all savory courses; so what's not to like!
Amuse bouche was a BLT with gascogne(?) jambon, lobster and a dried tomato : Very good, light, fresh.
First Course: Lobster Bisque with sweet potatoes and lobster and "truffled" cream : very Excellent; when a bisque is good it is very good; this was served with a glass of Coulée de Serrant from the biodynamie pope Nicholas Joly !!! WOW !!!
Second course: Lobster stuffed scallops(!) with asparagus, very good and surprising to have the scallops stuffed with the lobster ! Served with a glass of Auxey-duresses (forgot which producer)
Third course: Pan fried foie gras with lobster with perigourdine sauce (truffle sauce), Very good, even if I'm not a fan of pan fried foie gras, served with a Nuit St-Georges "Les Damodes" THAT was good.
Fourth course: surf'n'turf, lobster with sweetbreads with morilles (morels?) The only weaker dish, not because it was not good, but too close resembling the dish before in texture (sweatbread vs. foie gras) served with a glass of Barrolo (forgot which one) but was good!
Cheese course: 2 french, 2 quebec cheese (forgot which one), but one was a lavender "crusted" cheese (from fromagerie Yannick ) which was very good served with a glass of Gevrey-Chambertin (vieille vignes) from Dugat-Py.
Dessert was a frozen chocolat/noisette/mascarpone mousse with the first québec strawberries; under a golden chocolate dome. served with a glass of Riversaltes from Jean Gardies. (I'm not a fan of vin doux, but it was a good match).
All in all, an excellent meal.
I've had the best high-end wines served in a restaurant in Montreal for a tasting menu (at a cost); each glass was generous and well presented by the sommelier.
Compared to Toqué!, La Chronique is a lot more traditional and bourgeois, less , no "modern" cooking techniques (or it does not show at all); the cooking at both restaurants is top notch, but Toqué could be seen as more modern (inventive?)
pics: https://picasaweb.google.com/116444319045387524634/LaChronique
M.
Attire when fine dining in Madrid and Barcelona
casual-fashion.
My dress code in most restaurants :
Clean jeans, nice real shoes, dressed shirt (I can add a jacket depending on the restaurant)
Madrid can be "cold" at night (it's high in altitude), bring a nice sweater.
M.
12 yrs girl birthday party in Montreal
Pizza... simple, straightforward, and should have enough choice for everyone.
If it's a nice day, you could organize a piknic in a park around it
Airline Meals
I don't think there are regulation on food on planes (except food safety).
Openings in 2012
Kinoya (st-denis st north of duluth).
Opening soon, a bistro Japonais (isakaya style) ...
seems isakaya is the new black.
Jean-Talon Market 2012
I think they are in the middle lane on the north-east side of that lane; heck, just walk around, you'll find them. They have a small stall
i'll go back tomorrow and have a look at what they have.
RAW food fete - Montreal
Fish/Seafood :
La Mer ( René Levesque blvd).
Nouveau Falero (parc ave.)
Atkins or Aqua Mare (marché Jean-Talon)
Meat:
Ferme St-Vincent (marché Jean-Talon) and the other meat places there (for boar, horse, ... )
Vito (st-urbain st.)
M.
Pizza - why high temperature?
Me think (after less than 10 secs. of thinking about it)
The only thing really needing cooking in a pizza is the dough; you want to cook it as fast as possible without over-cooking the other ingredients.
Good "French Canadian/Quebecois" food
I know, I was not sure about my answers either.
appart from La Binerie and APdC , there's not "québécois" cuisine anymore, even the old tavern food is more or less "british" oriented food.
I just looked at "Chez Roger" and "Le Plaza", I hoped for a more québécois menu, but it's french/québécois bistro cuisine
Good "French Canadian/Quebecois" food
Most/All "French Canadian/Québecois" food is french based,
"5ème péché" should fit the bill (maybe borderline of the price);
"Van Horne" might be good.
You could try a BYOW, "Monsieur B", "Smoking Vallée", "French Connection".
M.
Where Paris' locals dine
But at that time it will be invaded by hordes of Americans tourists.
In my experience, Ordinary french people do not eat at most of the restaurant reported here, they eat at crappy brasserie, ordinary bistro and fast-food joints
(and all places that accept lunch tickets)
M.
What did you have for lunch today?
Sushi from the very good sushi shop close to work.
Muvbox open yet?
MuvBox is to open a second box with pulled-pork sandwich called la "Porchetta Box"
"MuvBox nous revient avec un nouveau concept : le Porchetta Box. Découvrez-y de savoureux sandwichs de porc braisé à l’italienne."
It is not clear if it's a second box or just replacing the lobster with pork.
web: http://www.quaisduvieuxport.com/porchetta-box.html#.T7FBnHF_QbI.facebook
Lawrence amanzing scrambled eggs recipe?!
Personally, I find that adding cream cheese is cheating
here's one with only eggs, butter and salt : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5S7cHZFNdw
Good food near Montreal Symphony
You could try (I don't know which one is open or not on monday)
F Bar,
Brasserie T!,
Bouillon Bilk,
Bistro Le Seingalt,
café du nouveau monde,
Bistro Balmoral,
There's a new rstaurant corner st-laurent/ste-catherine that I foget the name,
Also china town is not far.
Max.
Top Paris caves à manger?
I've been to all of them except Papilles, that's why the "?"
L'Arpège
Tip is included in the price of restaurants in France (and in most of Europe AFAIK).
FYI : The 14 Juillet is France National Day.
That being said, are you looking for something more traditional ? relaxed ? cutting edge ?
Wine Rack stores in Ontario, when will we get independent wine stores in Quebec?
(I'm not certain if it is still valid or legal)
There's also a loophole in the current law that makes it possible to buy wine "to-go" in restaurant when you buy take-out food (for example it is possible to buy beer and wine when you order chicken at St-Hubert).
Not all restaurants will do it; the only 2 that I know of (that I've bought wine from) are "Les Cavistes" (st-denis st) and "L'Emporte Pièce".
Wine Rack stores in Ontario, when will we get independent wine stores in Quebec?
If you want different kind of wines not offered by the SAQ, just contact one of the many "private import agencies" in Québec
Have a look at Glou, Rezin, Oenopole, La QV, Importation Insolite, ...
more at the raspipav web site : http://www.raspipav.com/membres.php
Wine Rack stores in Ontario, when will we get independent wine stores in Quebec?
well, they do it here in québec, IGA is not selling "vins d'importation privées" (which is a white lie).
http://www.iga.net/blogue/decouvertes/des-vins-dimportation-privee-offerts-en-epicerie
Sunday lunch in San Sebastian: What is more unique? Akelarre or a pintxos crawl?
I'd tapas crawl around San Sebastian instead of being stuck in a restaurant for a couple of hours.
