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tigre's Profile

Looking for a place to buy cookware in Montreal

any suggestions on where to shop in montreal region for le creuset?

My 10 inch all clad sauté pan totally rocks.

looking for turkey dinner

this is so close to the "frites sauce poulet pois" that my buddy would order in a sherbrooke super-dive back in the 80s.

travelling out to the terroir - Covey Hill and Bois Francs

We visited Covey Hill a week ago for apples and related products like jellies, jams at Blairs in Franklin Centre for some agrotourism fun and u-pick and then a bit west to Stevenson's orchard (near Rockburn) for fresh cider so fresh it goes into the bottle when and only when you buy it. Stevenson's has been a lifelong source of apples for my family.

This weekend it was to Bois Franc/Eastern Townships to the centre d'interpretation des canneberges (cranberries) for assorted cranberry products and a tour of cranberry harvesting (Hola to the imported mexican farm workers harvesting our foods for us) with additional stops in Warwick for cheeses for our sunset picnic in Etang Burbank in Danville at their excellent migrating bird festival. There was a bigger "balade gourmande" thing going on around this beautiful region.

These were two excellent little autumn quebec foodie adventures.

Solymar - peruvian

The Cabrito (goat) was a big chunk of some sort of large joint. (I'm not much of a meat expert). It came in a brown stew/sauce that had some soft beans in it. Also on this plate was a big heap of onion salad, possibly a piece of manioc(?) and a heap of steamed rice.

Interestingly for a corn-raised boy like me, There were two different examples of non-conventional corn. One was roasted corn kernels for nibbling (also plaintain chips?) and another was a part of a cob of big-kernelled white corn that was on the ceviche plate and could possibly have been some odd sea life but we were assured was corn.

all plates were positively heaping with flavour. Certain dishes for other tables were just heaping, plain and simple.

I've been asking my peruvian coworker about tropical food. The list of fruits they get in Peru is quite different than we get here, and fruit is the one thing that she thinks is not better about canada vs peru!

Solymar - peruvian

On the recommendation of my peruvian coworker, we ate supper at Solymar restaurant on St-Hubert.

We started with Cebiche (a k a Ceviche), with main courses of grilled trout and Cabrito (goat stew). Finished off with a unexceptional cheese cake and a warm rice pudding.

We had a big list of suggestions to try, so we will go back again.

Portions were good, the cebiche could easily serve 4, the wine list was saq + corking fee, meaning wine was quite reasonably priced. The place was full with a good buzz and great food odors (especially good after soming in out of cold rainy november night.

We ate upstairs with a nice view of the large chandelier.

(Any other peruvian suggestions anybody?)

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Solymar Restaurant
7610 Rue Saint-Hubert, Montreal, QC H2R2N6, CA

are there any GREAT cheesecakes in Montreal?

I can tell you where NOT to get a cheesecake: Rockaberrys. Because whipped cream-cheese and sugar does not a cheesecake make. If anyone wants to start a bad local desserts thread...

Where did you eat this week ?

Maria Bonita (2nd visit), Chilenta (?) on Marie-Anne beside parc jeane-mance, Frite-Alors (which quickly reminded me why I don't eat there), and a big salad made from the farm-fresh veggies of our CSA organic farm basket.

field tomato sightings?

yes, nice ones, but in Ste-Martine, qc.

Steak in Montreal

for casual, fireside on van horne or The Main on st-laurent

Organic Rice/Flour in large quantities?

L e fromentier artisanal bakery (rue Laurier east) also sells flour (I think I've seen bags there) you might give them a call, they're friendly.

best $10.....

Caraibe delite on Parc between St-Joseph and Villeneuve, roti and jerk chicken both under ten dineros, both delicious, and a it's local resto we hope never disappears.

alternative to markets

If you want fresh farm produce with a bit of adventure and feel-good factor, you can sign up for a "panier biologique," which is an organic food basket from a local farm each week, We sign up for the spring and summer basket: from may to end of october,

It's local, it's fresh, it's interesting, and it is called Community Supported Agriculture. (CSA). You take out the middle man, you get the food that is in seson, you support local agriculture and not the industrial food production system. You pay in advance, you get a bit less produce in a bad year (2008!) and more in a good year (2005, 06, 07).

Support family farms! The organic in the stores isn't local or family-farm most of the year,

http://www.equiterre.org/en/

CRAVING: Looking for the Single, Absolute BEST...

Kilo desert place has a wholesale bakery/outlet on Hutchinson in Park Ex, just south of beaumont and they might sell a oreo cake. They have about 50 different products.

Note: it WILL be frozen when they sell it to you, and it will be en entire cake (usually two sizes available)

http://www.kilo.ca/

Restaurants between Magog and Georgeville

We just returned from a weekend based in Magog, ate suppers at:

Millies in stanstead (beebe) (possibly byob) with stanstead's mayor performing music on friday nite!

Jardins de champetre just east of Magog (6 course terroir tasting menu & BYOB)

Chewy Louies for lunch in sherbrooke (aka restaurant louis). (the higher end of the low end of québec cuisine)

Breakfast: Beautys

Another choice is Dusty's on Parc Avenue a few steps north of Mt Royal. Inconveniently, there's no sign identifying it.

Montreal Bar-b-que Chicken

I am a fan of Coco Rico on St-Laurent (a few feet from schwartz's)

The eat-in facilities are minimal, but it's our takeout of choice.

We also do rotisserie laurier, but it's always $30 for two, which is a bit much for a chicken supper.

Best cabane a sucre near Montreal?

IMHO it's not early in the season, february is still pre-season.

what chocolate to make ganache, and then truffles?

Any suggestions on what chocolate to use to make my first ganache and then truffles? We're near gourmet laurier which has some bulk chocolate of supposed good quality. There are also callebaut chocolate bits available in bulk around town.

thanks!

where to find KitchenAid tea kettles

Corbeil on parc avenue sells wide selection of kitchenaid stuff.
Mona's across the street sells kitchenaid, but not sure if their consumer lines are carried (lots of mixers though).

Reasonably priced kitchen supplies

I second Mona's. Top quality resto supplies and awesome selection.

Bulls Head ginger ale now in Montreal

My favorite eastern townships regional beverage is finally going to be available on Montreal island, apparently zellers will distribute this local quebec product.

Bulls head's fortunes have been up and down, but looks like up for now, this is great news.

their website gives the locations that will stock it at http://www.bulls-head.com/

I have always wondered why they are not in the saveurs de quebec store in Jean Talon Market.

Burgers

I had a burger at The Main on st-laurent last weekend, it was what a burger should be - grilled!

I am working my way through their menu. Note: definitely not fancy dining!

Where to get a turkey in Montreal

We had schwartz's last giftmas and the instructions were to heat it up in oven with water in bottom of pan so it gets steamed and hence less dry.

I did not find it to be like a similar principle of meat reparation to their smoked meat at all, but I might just be clueless.

BYOB inexpensive cafe or bistro

terrace lafayette has never once got our order right, either in correctly bringing our menu selection or the food quality was below par. Sorry. just our experience, it's close but we swore it off after so many bad meals there.

Chez Van on laurier for inexpensive viet/asian we like.

Khyber Pass we liked a lot but we've moved farther away, and we miss it.

Ginko?

the Gala of Quebec’s Japanese Cook Association at resto Ginko on Oct 30

anyone eaten at this resto?

artisinal soft ice cream?

Does anyone know of any artisinal soft ice cream in Montreal? I know, the season's over, but there's always next year!

The Main's steak comes with liver and hot dog?

Could someone explain why The Main steak comes with an appetizer of grilled liver and frankfurter (hot dog sausage)?

My guess is it's a deli tradition but it is very unexpected.