Turpentine's Profile
Why no quality wines at deps?
I agree with Campofiorin. I used to believe that wines were almost uniformly cheaper in the US. So after leaving Chicago to come back to Montreal, whenever I found an interesting wine at SAQ, I used to always go check US online retailers, to see whether I could get some friends or family down south to bring a few bottles back for me. I eventually stopped checking, because it turned out that in general the prices were very similar, and often cheaper at SAQ. As a result, I had to tone down a little my complaints directed at our dear state monopoly... ;)
Pierogies
My wife being Polish, I have become pretty picky myself... I used to think good pierogis could not be found in Montreal, and we would stock up whenever going to the Toronto area. However, I have to say that my favorite pierogis West of Krakow and East of Chicago are now the ones from Restaurant Cracovie, in CDN, on Lacombe I believe. They will sell them to you by the bag. They are cheap too, and the restaurant has both salty and sweet ones. Yummy stuff!
Family with Toddlers seeking foodie neighborhood in Montreal
I agree. I guess I just meant that some people may feel uncomfortable in an environment where their language is not prominent. That being said, if it's not a problem for you, then you shouldn't factor language into the equation. You'll feel comfortable in any of those 'hoods.
Monkland Village
Amaranto sells groceries? Darn, I really need to try out that place one of these days...
Family with Toddlers seeking foodie neighborhood in Montreal
If language is an issue, maybe then one option would be NDG, around Monkland. Sure, it's definitely not as much of a foodie destination than the Plateau or Outremont, but you'll still have some nice spots, 3 bakeries within 3-4 blocks, a good selection of cheese and meat and other delicacies at Maitre Boucher, and a grocery store for all other stuff. If you live more to the East (say Oxford to Girouard), then it will be a 4-5 minutes walk to the metro, on the orange line (Villa Maria station), which makes it easy to get around town. Also, there's a very nice park down Old Orchard, great for kids with two playgrounds. In terms of look, it has something of Outremont, with streets lined with old, large trees. And most of all, it is absolutely bilingual, so you could do all your activities in English without any problem.
Once again, maybe not as central as the Plateau, but it's an option you may want to consider.
West End
I thought i would report back on my earlier comment regarding the quality of the baguettes at the Premiere Moisson on Monkland. Sorry for my obsession on the topic, but a good baguette is essential to my quality of life (then imagine how tough it was to live in Chicago for 5 years...)
So I actually contacted PM about the issue. First off, I have never been as impressed by customer service in my life. Someone replied to my email at 10:30pm on the same day, saying they were sending their chef boulanger to the Monkland branch the next day. Then the person responsible for customer relations contacted me and invited me to do a tour of the bakery. I can confirm that they do make their bread on the spot: at the back of the store, behind the small door is a very larger baking area, and I got to see how they make the bread and the ovens and all. It turns out that the lack of freshness was mainly coming from a turnover problem: employees behind the counter tended to leave the unsold morning baguettes in the basket, which means that's what you get by 5:30 once you come back from work. Because clients learned and decided not to buy baguettes then due to the low quality, the baker would notice that baguettes were not being sold out, so would not make more. And that would perpetuate the vicious cycle. This has been addressed and indeed, since then freshness increased significantly. Also, another problem this year is the high humidity we've been experiencing; this makes it more difficult to dose the right amount of water to add to the flour.
So that was my good action of the month for the NDG community! Once again, very very impressed by their customer service, and learned that you are sometimes better off communicating your dissatisfaction (the franchisee was saying how difficult it can be to identify such problems when customers do not let them know.)
On the way to Gaspe- east of Riviere du loup
L'Auberge du Mange-Grenouille in Bic is awesome from what I remember. You should definitely give it a try. Also, you may want to take a look at the Voir restaurant guide, they do review a few restaurants east of Quebec City. I'll try to remember more places; I'm from Rimouski, but didn't have much fine dining in my youth...
West End
Ah, that would make sense actually. It would explain why their Outremont branch has clearly a baking area at the back, while I couldn't see anything like that at their Monkland branch. Bummer.
3 Courses - up to $100/head - Montreal
For a memorable feast, in the tasting-menu style (i.e. about a dozen different small wonderful dishes), I'd suggest Europea. Their table d'hôte is 57$ before tax/tip, so clearly below your limit. And it's worth every penny.
West End
Thanks a lot for the suggestions so far, I'll try out Sul Viale tomorrow night. What is BLM exactly, and where is it? Googling it did not return much info.
West End
So I've just moved to NDG from Outremont/Mile End (awesome area, but just can't pay 850k or more for a semi-detached in Outremont). I'm getting to know the neighbourhood (I live at Monkland and Old Orchard) and its interesting mix of people (is it me or all the yuppie anglos cramming into the Tavern each night???). Anyway. I'm after suggestions of shops and restaurants someone who just moved in that area trying out (I'm close to the Villa Maria metro). Examples: good coffee? good fruit and veggie store? where to buy fish? baklavas? meat? I know, I know, I've realized I shouldn't be expecting the choice and selection you can get on the Plateau, but still, I'm looking for the not-to-be-missed of the neighbourhood.
Thanks in advance for the help!
P.S.: as an aside, can someone explain to me why there are no more baguettes at Première Moisson passed 5:30pm every day, even though the place closes at 8pm? The staff there couldn't come up with any reason that would make sense from a business standpoint...
Lamb tourtiere
Le Maitre Boucher on Monkland has it, 10.99$. Had one last night for dinner, yummy...
Dinner at Europea last night
I have to say, I've now been to Europea three times over the last 6-8 months, and the verdict is in: it is my favorite restaurant in Montreal. It's just fantastic. I mean, not only the food, but the whole experience. I've always taken the table d'hôte, which consists in choosing an appetizer and a main dish. Then, the show starts: stuff keeps on coming, each small dish more delicious than the other (oh my oh my, I have tears in my eyes just thinking about the lobster bisque espresso). You think that's it, the next dish will be your main? No way! More stuff is coming! Last time I went they offered us foie gras cigars in a cigar box, the thing was to die for, my wife was left speechless (first time there). Then leading to the dessert, you've got an amuse-gueule, a pre-dessert, mignardises, hot-from-the-oven madeleines. And if you ask for cheese, they come with a huge cart on wheels. Oh, and last time, they would give out quatre-quart cakes in Europea bags to departing customers, "to remember us tomorrow morning". Not that I needed this to remember their restaurant... I swear, it's an amazing experience. Oh, and great service (particularly on busier nights I've noticed, with more experienced staff): not snobby yet professional.
Cuisine Gourmet R.I.P.?
No kidding, I've just moved to NDG, and honestly, I'm not too sad seeing the uber-duper-yuppy stores going under... CG prices were absolutely ridiculous!
Lunch/brunch for 10 people in Outremont/Mile End
Thanks everyone for the suggestions, we ended up going to Leméac, and it was just pefect: great food, attentive yet understated service, roomy place (for the stroller...), not crowded, all in all a great experience! Thanks again!
Lunch/brunch for 10 people in Outremont/Mile End
Hi all,
My daughter is getting baptised this sunday morning in the Mile End. I'm looking for a place for a lunch/brunch for a group of 10, casual style, in the area, so let's say Mile End/Outremont or not much further. Also, the place should not mind the possibility that a 7-month old might start crying at any moment... Any recommendation? Thanks!
Best deli
OK, so we tried out Charcuterie Varsovie on Masson, and we were quite impressed, definitely the best we've seen so far: fresh meat, lots of polish products, nice street (I really like that area, very Montreal), so thanks a lot! ext on the list is Felix Mish.
Best deli
Thanks everyone! I'm gonna have to try all those places. Today I'll dig out the car and check out the Masson épicerie, and maybe Felix Mish later. I'm quite intrigued!
Best deli
We moved to Montreal from Chicago last fall. My wife is Polish, which means ham, kielbasa and other deli meats are a necessity of life. Now, it does seem that the Polish community in Montreal is rather small, so we have mostly abandoned any hope of finding a deli comparable to what we had in Chicago. However, we figured there must be other Eastern/Central European places specialized in hams and sausages where the turnover is high (for freshness purposes) - or just more generally a good deli. Does anyone have a place to recommend?
