stak's Profile
Un-crowded weekday lunch in Mile-End/ Plateau
Oh, I love that place! Don't know why I didn't think of it. Thanks for the reminder. My companions may not be adventurous enough, but it IS convenient to Cocoa Locale for dessert...
Un-crowded weekday lunch in Mile-End/ Plateau
Looking for a spot for lunch for 3 ladies, 2 of whom have infants...so we'd prefer some place that is not too crowded so we can have the time & space to breastfeeding if necessary, and may need room to stow car seats or strollers somewhere. I have learned from experience that booth seating can be difficult for breastfeeding!I am fairly familiar with many rests in the area (parc & Villeneuve) but don't often do weekday lunches so would appreciate advice from any hounds who lunch in the area. It doesn't have to be the greatest food ever, and should not be too fancy or expensive, but decent food would be nice. I love Aux Vivres but it seems very busy at lunch. I was at Nouveau Palais once, expected it to be packed, but it wasn't. Is that normal? Also considering Taqueria Mex, Burger deVille, B & M, Lafayette.
Any feedback on these, or other suggestions? Thanks!
Ripples ice cream (Montreal, Plateau)
Haven't been in a while, but I don't recall them having soft-serve. I think they did have that frozen yogurt where they put frozen fruit and a block of plain frozen yogurt into a big machine, and the flavored "frogurt" squirts out, kind of like soft-serve. I would agree that it's pretty good overall but probably not worth a special trip.
Openings in 2012
Ah, I wondered if it was the same Checkpoint Charlie from before! I was in the week they opened for some good Berliners (filled donuts), and apple strudel that they bring in from Atlantique. Have been meaning to go back and try some schnitzel, sausages, etc.
Chobani yogurt - available in Montreal?
Yes! I love Fage. Can't believe it's still not available here. I tried Oikos and thought at first that it was almost as good, but wasn't as crazy about it the second time I tried it.
Urgent! Warm, cozy, fish-friendly, little bit upscale restaurant needed in Plateau! Ambience a must.
Agree with the other suggestions - another possibility might be Cafe Sardine. I haven't tried it myself (yet!) but the recent review in the Mirror makes it sound like it might fit the bill. http://www.montrealmirror.com/wp/2012/04/12/packed-in/
Possible venues/rests for baby shower (10-15 gals)
I was at a bridal shower several years ago at Casa Napoli in Little Italy - I don't remember specifics about the food but I remember being happy with it, and we did have a little section to ourselves that was decorated with shower stuff.
Another option in Little Italy might be Il Piatti Pieno - I have been there for a work function and it was pretty good.
Have also been to an Italian place in Lasalle for a work thing, that was good - maybe a step up from the others, food-wise. I think it was called La Campagnola or something??
These options might not be "Chowhound-worthy" in the sense that they are the greatest Italian food in town - but I know that sometimes other factors come into play and I have still found Chowhound helpful for identifying decent options that fit specific criteria (like picky people or a large party). Good luck!
Cafe with good quality and unique salads - need to order for a crowd
Mandy's Express delivers; I have ordered from them several times and everyone has loved their salads. Most are lettuce-based, not pasta, coleslaw, etc - but interesting combinations of ingredients and good-quality. Also, I haven't tried it myself but remember reading about the salads at Miss Pret-a-Manger in this Gazette article: http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Sidelined+more+Salads+main+attraction/5449218/story.html
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Mandys Express
995 Wellington, Montreal, QC h3c 1v3, CA
ISO piping bag
+1 for Canadian Tire - the one at Alexis Nihon, anyway.
Also, Nino on St-Laurent has cake decorating supplies.
Best Places for Cheap Spices and Canned Goods.
You might want to check out Spice Station on Bernard for the spices. Not sure how the prices compare but they have interesting things that I haven't seen elsewhere. Also, a lot of people like Anatol, on St-Laurent in Little Italy, for spices, and Aubut for bulk stuff.
Brunch date on a Sunday morning...
I find most of the good brunch places are quite bustling rather than quiet & romantic...unless you go early (before 10ish). But some, like Lawrence, seem to fill up right from opening time. I think Reservoir would be fairly quiet earlier in the day. Maybe some of the fancier places would be a bit quieter but I wouldn't know.
My Montreal Butchers Review
I think the seafood "section" of the PA on Parc is actually Poissonerie Antoine across the street (possibly where the "PA" comes from??). There is usually some seafood in the PA flyer and I was very confused to see that they didn't have any fresh seafood (just a small rack of smoked fish)...I don't know how they expect people to know that it's in a completely different store across the street. Or perhaps I am completely off-base.
Healthy cottage cheese in Montreal?
I've found the one from Ferme Groleau tasty (but expensive!) and it says they use no additives or chemicals
http://www.fermegroleau.com/cottage.php
Should be available at health food stores & some cheese specialty stores. I've definitely seen it at Rachelle-Béry and Fromagerie Hamel.
Cheesecake
Not sure if it really fits what you're looking for, but one of my favourite cheesecakes is at Pintxo! I think it's a gelatin-based one, rather than baked; it's light and creamy and a little bit airy and creamy and SO delicious! I believe it has some kind of crumb crust and comes with a fruit coulis. Yum.
Montreal Croissant Update Please
I just had a wonderful chocolatine from La Mie Matinale (www.lamiematinale.ca)
The pastry was really tender and flaky, and it had 2 bars of chocolate so every bit had some. I went there for the stollen and just grabbed the chocolatine on a whim and I'm so glad I did! They also have plain and almond croissants, that I'll have to try next time...
Meyer Lemons
Thanks for the ideas...I have several left so will have to try something else with them. Update on what they have at PA on Parc: it's a one-pound bag of 8 small lemons, for $2.99
Meyer Lemons
These things seem to be popping up all over the place. I got some at the PA on Parc the other day. Sorry I don't remember the price but it was a plastic bag of about 6 lemons. I have to say, I'm not sure what the fuss is about! I used some in a lemon loaf and while taking the rind off with a microplane, they smelled kind of pine-y...not a bad smell, but not very lemon-y. I tasted the juice and didn't find it all that different than regular lemon juice. What's so great about these things? Maybe lemon loaf is not the best way to use them?
Iron Chef worthy Downtown Mtl
I heard Lucille's Oyster Dive on Monkland in NDG has $1 oysters at some times - I think it was after 9pm?? I haven't tried it myself yet, but have been meaning to.
Iron Chef worthy Downtown Mtl
For "Iron Chef worthy" you might want to try Garde-Manger or Le Bremner, both by Chuck Hughes, who is actually in the running to be the next Iron Chef (and who beat Bobby Flay in Battle Lobster, IIRC). I haven't tried either myself - tried to get a reservation at Garde-Manger once & eventually gave up. Both are in Old Montreal, so not downtown but not too far. Good luck!
Might have a chance to attend a Mezza-Luna class in montreal, anyone been?
I was looking at courses on their website and, while I didn't see anything specifying the language of instruction, it seemed like the names of some courses were obviously French (Tartes sucrées) and some were English (Italian Vegetarian Dinner)...but it's hard to tell what language "Pizza 2" would be in. Following my logic, I guess it would be in Italian :) The website is very bilingual so I would be surprised if nothing was offered in English - perhaps not the Martin Picard classes, although he does speak English on "The Wild Chef"...
Where can I purchase a Bialetti Brikka 2 cup version in Montreal?
We got one a couple of years ago at the place right on the southwest corner of Jean-Talon and St-Laurent - I think it's Faema? I think I've seen Bialettis around a lot at various kitchen-supply, hardware and department stores, but Faema seemed to have a big selection.
Betty Crocker milk chocolate brownie mix - so disappointed!!
I wonder if the "milk chocolate" is part of the problem...would be less chocolatey than some other flavours, probably. I've often heard of people preferring mix to scratch when it comes to brownies. America's Test Kitchen (or maybe it was Cook's Country) even did a taste test on the street and most people preferred the mix... they concluded that what the mix really excelled at was chewy texture, so of course they came up with a way to get the same texture (with better chocolate flavour) from scratch. I think it involved vegetable oil instead of butter (unsaturated vs. saturated fat).
New Yorker seeks BEST EATS in Montreal for friend's birthday
Maybe Le Filet for Friday night? Not sure how they are with rushing you out, but I had a great experience there.
New Yorker seeks BEST EATS in Montreal for friend's birthday
It's fun to try and come up with places that fit certain criteria and to compare what "types" of places you see in one city or another...I've never actually been to Le Cartet but from what I've heard, it may be a good option. They do have pastries and also cooked breakfasts, and it's in the Old Port area (so I believe it would not be far from your hotel) and nice atmosphere (although maybe more young-and-trendy than old-man. For the old-man atmosphere it might be fun to stop in at Café Olimpico or Club Social (not sure if that is the official name) - more of an Italian-style café, just for a cappuccino (not an amazing one like at Caffé in Gamba or Café Myriade, but good enough for me) and some people-watching (mixture of old men and other interesting characters, and Mile-End hipsters)
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Le Cartet
106 Rue McGill, Montreal, QC H2Y, CA
Baked goods in Montreal...
I tried the choco-strawberry eclair as well - loved it! Plain crossant and chocolatine were very good, too.
Au Pied de Cochon: for occasional meat eaters
My mother-in-law had the beet salad and salmon tartare when we went, and she was very happy with both.
Just Good Sushi Please.
Thanks for the recommendation. Tried Azuma tonight and loved it! I can't believe I've never noticed this place before. We didn't end up having much sushi - just a dynamite roll (I'm not very adventurous when it comes to sushi) but it was excellent. The tempura was also very good, and hubby tried unagi-don for the first time and really liked it. I've always been told to avoid Japanese restaurants that do too many different things but Azuma seems to be an exception. I think this will become a favourite for sure.
Kem CoBa – Delectable ice cream in Mile-End
The facebook page doesn't seem to have been updated since the soft-serve went back to...almond milk and sour cherry (griotte)! Back by popular demand, I guess. I missed it last time so was happy to be able to try it tonight. Delicious! Great combination of flavours.
Early Dinner for 6 people this Friday - Suggestions?
You might get more responses if you could be a bit more specific about what you're looking for in terms of atmosphere, price range, type of food, location, etc.
