Ellefsen is on the corner of St-Zotique and St-Denis.
Nice choices of smørrebrød, gravlax and daily specials. Nice selection of wine by the glass. I steer clear of the poutine: too salty for me.
They have a long table in the back, which I believe would suit a group of ten.

Montreal is great for that.
Many higher-end places, but you'll never be forced to wear a tie and jacket.

Kazu comes to mind for a delicious japanese lunch! You can sit at the bar that overlooks the small kitchen and watch the cooks prep your meal, and its definitely in your price range.

-----
Kazu
1862 Sainte-Catherine St W, Montreal, QC H3H 1M1, CA

I've seen maple-flavoured tea sold at Merci-vrac and La Dépense (both at Jean-talon market).
I recall seeing more than one brand, so you might want to scour the market's specialty shops.

Nizza closed Dec 24 to Jan.7
Latini closed Dec. 24 to Jan. 7
Tapeo closed Dec 31st to Jan 13
Toqué closed Dec 24 to Jan 13

Milos: closed Dec 25, Jan 1st
Queue de Cheval: closed 24-25, 31st Dec, and Jan 1st
Laloux: closed 24- 25 Dec, Jan 1st
Lemeac: closed 25 Dec and Jan 1st
Europea: closed 24 to 26 Dec. and Jan 1st
Club Chasse et Peche: closed 24 to 26 Dec. and Jan 1st
Holder: closed 24 to 26 Dec. and Jan 1st
Graziella: 24 to 26 Dec. and Jan 1st
Auberge St-Gabriel: closed only Dec 26
l'Express: lunch only on Dec 24, closed on Dec 25
Ferreira: closed 24 to 26 Dec, dinner only on 31st and Jan 1st

Of course, it's always better to call and confirm...
Hotel restaurants are always a sure bet (Renoir, Koko, Aix, Laurie Raphael... remain open every night)

it is not.

Le Comptoir is now open. - 4807 Saint-Laurent.
Seems quite interesting considering they will be serving house-made charcuterie and organic wines.

as a heads up: Garde Manger does not accept large groups (tables of 6 are ok).

I have never eaten raw asparagus... must be odd.

I have noticed that the menu at Accords indicates gluten-free choices.

In Old Montreal, Santos will be displaying all the games (as per their new promotional flyer)

I've seen that Milano has flats of them for sale.

+1

I second this. Very odd+annoying to change the settings everytime...

A quick google search yields many informative videos and explanations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1MP_zaXNOg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVdIFZ...

However, I would suggest perhaps you visit a local tea shop with experienced personnel, who might be able to guide you through the process and give you a few tips. (I am from Montreal, and one tea shop I have in mind even has classes/seminars about tea)

San Pellegrino is sold nearly everywhere... I've seen many kinds at Milano on St-Laurent, but many many other grocery stores carry them.

I would second thomasein and recommend Lemeac over l'Express any day... because yes, it can 'go wrong'.

Bouchonné, located on St-Laurent, is now called la Montée de Lait. (confused yet?)
http://fr.lamontee.ca/home

a cook I know once prepared plenty of beurre manié before his shift. He patted it, cut it into squares and handed it over to his colleagues, saying it was maple fudge!
what an unpleasant surprise it must have been to taste the cubes of butter and flour...

these comments about where Picard chooses to stop by are strange to me. Indeed, I was there last year with a large group of 22 to 32-year-olds. We mostly drank beer, with one of us 'splurging' on an inexpensive bottle of wine. Even so, Picard stopped by our table and spoke to us for a while, saying he was glad to see young people enjoying themselves.
this man has his faults, but I highly doubt he would stop by tables only because of their wine purchases.

La Cabane's menu is not at all traditional cabane à sucre, though.
Might be a good idea for locals looking for novelty, but I would suggest a 'real' cabane in the woods for tourists that know little about this tradition.

I really enjoyed the beef tartare at Lemeac. It is quite relevé (spicy), in a good way. Plus, it is available with the after-10pm special, which makes it a great deal.

oh, of course the poutine here is not always lovingly prepared. haha!
But I must say I prefer a meat-based gravy. This is supposed to be a fatty and indulgent dish, after all!
And I agree fully about the cold curds... not the best, indeed.

hello New Yorkers,
I was there this weekend. I am a Montrealer, and I find odd that someone has yet to chime in about the quality of the poutine gravy. It is a *mushroom* gravy, thus lacking all the delicious, original chicken-y flavor it is supposed to have. This poutine was a disappointment, and not the real deal. If you'd like to taste poutine, please trek up to the province of Quebec, and let us take care of you. haha

perhaps you can try going to Marché Thai Hour, southwest corner of St-Denis and Jean-Talon, where they have a wide variety of peppers and herbs. Or across the street at Marché Oriental.

Bistro Justine on Van Horne is quite inexpensive (bet. 14 and 16$ for a main, and 5.50$ for an appetizer) and I think it is romantic... Small and cozy.
I like Maximilien's recommendation: Pintxo, if you like tapas. Of course, you can get carried away and over-order, in which case you exceed you budget (seems to always happen to me with tapas!)

A new place called BBQ is set to open soon (website says January 2010) at StewStop's old location, on St-Paul street.
It belongs to the team behind Bar & Boeuf.
www.bbqmontreal.com

According to their website, le Continental opens at 5:30pm every day of the week.
I enjoy Holder, where they have a mix of brunch and lunch options on Saturdays and Sundays. Their regular wine list is available as well.

I guess Burritoville fills in the cheap and student-friendly requirements.

Camellia Sinensis carries a few types of sieves (some in metal, and some in fabric).
I have also seen some at La Dépense, at JTM.
I am not sure about a standard size, but some were smaller then others.