foodinspace's Profile
list of "age-appropriate" pubs/bars/lounges in Toronto for Chowhounds who are over 30
What is the Ossington strip like on a Monday night? Are most places closed? Are those that are open dead? I'm thinking of walking that strip but I'll only be in town on a Monday. (I've been to some of those places before but on a Wednesday and a Friday...and FWIW I felt comfortable with the crowd as a post-35 year old.)
Best bar/casual restaurant near Trudeau airport (within 20 minute drive?)
...though downtown is not the best place to find what you are looking for. You'll want to taxi to the neighbourhood known as the Plateau...unless you have a specific downtown restaurant you are looking for...but if you're just planning on wandering looking for Québec goodness, consider the Plateau.
Restaurant Closings in 2012
Whoa! That's good news. I had heard from someone else that tried to go there, maybe, two months ago. I guess it was just temporary. Yelp still says it is closed (as of Oct 2011.)
Restaurant Closings in 2012
So that's now two of the most authentic Mexican places going under. (The other was Iguanas Ranas.) Why does Montreal have such difficulty with Mexican food? I liked both those restaurants immensely. Essentially they were simple taquerias, so gourmet shouldn't be expected. I'm doubting, perhaps, that even with better service they would have survived. It just seems that Mexican and Montreal don't jive, at least outside the Beaubien/St-Denis area. (Also that place on St-Laurent closed - twice - though I never ate there.) Qué horrible!
Help with Local Beers...
I'm a big Dieu du Ciel fan so I'd recommend Pêché Mortel or Aphrodisiaque. You can find them at Fromagerie Atwater or the depanneur Paradis de Biere on Laurier. If you head to those places you can take virtually anything and be guaranteed that it is local and not available in California.
ISO Prepared rotisserie/bbq chicken Atwater Mkt area
If you don't mind walking across the canal into Point St Charles, you can try Maison Elikya on Centre St. and Island. It is an African/Haitian shop that grills their own chickens. I don't think I ever tried it but I was always curious.
Torta de Chilaquiles
Thinking of Mexico City reminded me about one of the novelty/gimmicky experiences I had recently: tortas de chilaquiles. Yes, it exists. Chilaquiles sandwiched in a bun. Actually, it's a breaded chicken sandwich garnished with chilaquiles. (You can also choose shredded chicken, if I remember correctly). It was...okay. I mean I love breaded chicken sandwiches but the chilaquiles itself added very little. The tortillas in the chilaquiles were very soggy...it was really just the sauce. Apparently the stand has been around a long time and you can follow them on facebook. Worth trying if wanting a laugh. (My Mexican wife was quite offended by the very idea!)
http://www.solocondesa.com/visita/la-esquina-del-chilaquil
9+ days in Mexico City: The Trip Report
Wonderful and well-written report. Thanks! However, it seems you didn't spend anytime in the Roma or Condesa neighbourhoods. No fault of yours as there's so much to see and you had a great time regardless. However, if anyone is using your report as a guide, I would just add that a trip to Condesa and Roma should not be missed. They are the gems of DF, in my opinion. There are some wonderful restaurants that can be found by searching this board.
Recommendation for downtown pizza delivery (preferably 2 for 1) ASAP
I think I used to order from Pendeli's when needing pizza delivered to McGill U. It's been a few years so I might be remembering wrong. I got the suggestion from this thread, which is a few years old now:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/459667
Chinatown 2
Check out the thread on the new Grumann-78 taco location in the Faubourg!
Montreal food tour
Didn't like Dieu du Ciel? Sacrilege! Just kidding, everybody is entitled to their own opinion. But mine is that their beer is the tastiest in all of Canada so I'd recommend a stop, though the earlier in the day the better as it gets pretty crowded. Vices et Versa is good - has a better patio - but isn't a brewery. If you want to taste several from different Québec breweries, then it is a good option...though none of them will be as good as Dieu du Ciel anyway (for sweeping overgeneralization's sake). L'Amere a Boire is my second choice for microbrew. A visit to Benelux is worth it if you want to include a visit to McGill University on your walking tour; it's very close at the corner of Jeanne-Mance and Sherbrooke. Enjoy!
Best Chinese restaurant in Montreal
As alluded to by SnackHappy, most of the best, new, Chinese restaurants have opened in the Ste-Catherine/Guy area. You can look at this thread:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/611866
Good Mexican Restaurants in GTA
You can look here too:
http://www.blogto.com/toronto/the_best_mexican_restaurants_in_toronto/
Zocalo, Mexico City
While I agree that Café Tacuba is more about its historicity, the food isn't that bad...sort of hit or miss but I've always enjoyed it. Nothing gourmet...but it is a fun place. Also look out for La Mascota. It's a nice cantina with above average food.
Oaxaca meals, and......Marco Polo downhill?
I just stayed at Casa Vertiz. Wonderful hotel but their breakfasts? Decent but nothing too out of the ordinary.
Harbord House
I´d avoid the Mac´n´Cheese. A small gripe was that the pasta was not macaroni but rigatoni. Okay, that´s not really a big deal. More important was that the breadcrumbs were like this clump dolloped onto the pasta: I was unable to mix it into the dish so I ended up just eating a clump of breadcrumbs. The cheese was certainly good but, overall, the dish did not make a big impression. I hope I can return and try something else, especially when I´m not in a mac´n´cheese mood.
Two day agenda for biking and eating in Montreal
I think one of the reasons you've yet to get any response is because, well, pretty much anywhere in the centre of the city is accessible by bike. All the usual haunts recommended on this board are within easy biking distance and it would seem to make more sense to pick out where you want to go and structure a bike route based on that.
There's a good bike lane up Rue Berri that can take you from Old Montreal to the Plateau from where you can hit up places on Duluth, Rachel, Mont-Royal, and St-Denis. The bike path from the Old Port to Atwater Market (and beyond) is really fantastic. You can take that and then take a gander around Atwater Market, have an ice cream at Le Havre Aux Glaces (right next to the market), and/or hit up some of the new spots on Rue Notre-Dame to the east (and a few to the west) of the intersection with Atwater. You can continue west on the bike path to Verdun, where there are some places recommended by CH regulars.
Sorry I can't be much more help! Have fun!
Bar areas in Toronto
Ossington is the new, hip strip. There are lots of small places that draw a crowd. I've enjoyed it the couple of times I've been (as a 30 something looking for a couple of beers where there are people out casually enjoying themselves listening to decent music.)
Sugar Cane / Mexican Coke: where to buy?
Unfortunately, Iguanas Ranas has closed, or so I've been told! A big loss to Montreal's burgeoning "authentic" Mexican restaurant scene.
Ice House
I can't believe there has been scant reference to the music. Or perhaps I went on a particularly bad night (last Friday ca 9pm). We're talking Metallica, Judas Priest, Skid Row, and a host of horrible 80's hair rock...blasting. What's that? BLASTING. Look I'm a rock fan and would be fine with Skynyrd and the other classics...but this was just offensive, the bands we've been trying hard to forget (sorry Metallica fans...but c'mon blasting in your ears?) Wailing guitars and aggressive rhythms really ruined the vibe, made my entire group unhappy, and coloured our taste buds.
That being said, I personally thought the fried chicken was amongst the best I've ever had (though I'm no expert). I came with three former Austinites, who thought the food was "okay" but were expecting Texas sized portions for the price. I was impressed by the service given that we were too many people trying to squeeze into a too small space.
But be forewarned about just what kind of audio soundtrack (style + volume) might greet you.
CONDESA and ROMA NORTE drinks and snacks
And keep heading south on Orizaba past Plaza Luis Cabrera for even more bars and cafés...they're small, funky, and generally have decent food too.
ISO: good place to watch the game in Peterborough
I'm new to the city and still on the hunt for decent restaurants and pubs. Specifically, I'm looking for a good pub to watch hockey. The only place I've been and liked is the Blackhorse but their screen is small and they have live music. Anywhere similar with more of an emphasis on sports? A place not full of 19 year olds or meatheads. I'm in my mid-30s and looking for like-minded hockey fans. Good food is of course appreciated. Thanks!
La Banquise question
My two cents, for what it's worth = I agree that La Banquise is overrated and that patati patata is a better option. Is their poutine available in the am? Ma'am Bolduc is the best but also not sure whether it's on their morning menu.
Recs needed for pubby places in Montreal
Normally, I'd recommend L'Amère à Boire without hesitation...but last time I did so, several responders said the food has gone downhill, which is a major shame. It's been a while since I've gone so I can't comment personally. I assume the beer (microbrewery) is still of high quality. It would be a good spot for the lone traveler, as it's an attractive and welcoming space. Perhaps, OP, give it a try if in the neighbourhood (latin quarter...St-Denis south of Sherbrooke), though keep your fingers crossed on the food. (Surely some items are still good?) Trois Brasseurs isn't so bad if desperate but avoid Le Saint-Sulpice. Else's is a good rec for the lower Plateau. Dieu du Ciel is a must visit for the beer but eat beforehand. Generally, I'd suggest looking around the Plateau (St-Laurent, Mont-Royal, Duluth, Rachel Sts) as opposed to downtown and the Latin Quarter.
Recs needed for pubby places in Montreal
Funny that that Guardian guide came out four years ago but is still pretty accurate. Not much has changed, I guess. (Though since when is Billy Kun a microbrewery?) Good recs there for the Montreal flavour.
If you're expecting a pub in the British sense or even a bar in the American sense...we just don't do that kind of thing here. There are very few places that have that kind of homey, grab-a-stool, ambiance. It becomes even rarer if pairing that with decent food. You can approach something like that downtown (on Crescent and Bishop, e.g. the aforementioned Hurley's)...but that's also an area filled with tourists and high beer prices and doesn't exude the Montreal vibe one finds in the Plateau. Generally, things are a bit different here so I wouldn't bring any preconceived notions of what a pub or bar should be. Have fun!
Nouveau Palais for a group event?
Thank you, Shattered. I haven't been to the Copa in nearly a year. Is it really that different from before? Do they still have the delicious Indian food? Thanks.
Nouveau Palais for a group event?
Very funny everyone. I never once said that I thought Billy Kun was downscale. I just find Reservoir a bit less casual than Billy Kun. The latter seems much more amenable to a big group where you can gather chairs or stand, make a bit of a mess, and, yes, listen to microglitch, ha, ha. It's a mixed group so I'm just trying to find something with broad appeal. Some like style, some like dives. Everyone has different tastes and personally, I like Billy Kun...I've long been searching for something similar.
Nouveau Palais for a group event?
Thank you all for the feedback and ideas! I'm leaning toward scrapping the food idea and focusing on a good casual bar. The crowd's all grad students and I think Helm and Reservoir are too fancy. We're all more hippy than hipster and more hipster than, say, lawyer types. This is why we always go to Billy Kun and I just can't think of any other bar in the city like it....except for, perhaps, La Quincaillerie, which we also go to a lot for group celebrations. I'd like to try somewhere new but perhaps it just doesn't exist!
Nouveau Palais for a group event?
Hi all,
I've been away from Montreal for a while but will be in town on a Wednesday night. I'm looking for a place where I can hang out and have friends drop by for food or drinks. It could be anywhere from 5 - 20 people. I don't want a formal dinner or a large group seating. I imagine something more akin to a bar, where people can show up at any time and mingle among tables if we spread across multiple tables. Many will be on a budget (
Montreal in August
Cool vibe for 18 year olds is Patati Patata...good for burgers, poutine, great fish burgers. Usually a line-up, however. Also for burgers is Le Paryse...worth going if you are in the neighbourhood (Ontario and St-Denis). Also fun is to grab some chicken at Romado's and then picnic at Jeanne-Mance park...lots of people hanging out, picnicking, playing frisbee...a great summer vibe. There are some previous threads on "unique", "funky", "eccentric", "hole-in-the-wall", "local favourite" restaurants that might be worth searching for.
