Patelenberg's Profile
top 10 food to eat in Québec (the province)...
I'd heard they used to have a great street food culture here, but it was Mayor Jean Drapeau who outlawed it to make a good impression before Expo 67. Anyone know if that's actually true?
Shish Taouk on pita with dark meat chicken
Try the Shish Taouk at Marché Adonis. Don't remember if it's white or dark but man is it delicious.
Les Enfants Terribles?
I suppose you're right. On the other hand, given what you say, I'm impressed with how hard so many restaurants apparently try -- and succeed!
Les Enfants Terribles?
Sorry to hear about the crappy experience. It's true that this place is more about the scene and ambience than it is about the food. It represents the worst of Outremont: a place to see and be seen, to show off your flashy sports car and your skimpily-clad girlfriend or your muscle-bound boyfriend.
Despite all that, however, the restaurant is lovely -- you can tell they put a lot of care and expense into the design. The terrace very lively, a great way to spend a summer evening. I have generally found the staff to be more than pleasant. Though it's true they can get harried, I've never been treated poorly there (and I have neither a flashy car nor big muscles!). Sorry to hear about the bad experience. Maybe a letter to the owner?
As for the food, I've found it to be solid if you stick with the basics. Their pasta of the day is almost invariably good. Their burgers are very nice, though a bit overcooked for my taste. The fish and chips is really excellent. And the tartars (esp. salmon) are very fine. Stay away from the mac and cheese, which is insipid. The prices are a bit too high if you ask me, but then I guess you have to pay for the scene.
Montreal hot dog?
So running through various threads (including the excellent one on Montreal institutions), I came across several references to Montreal hot dogs and to various hot dog joints. This made me wonder: is there a local Montreal hot dog tradition -- something akin to the Chicago hot dog?
With a visiting foodie in town, two hot dog joints were tried today: Lafleur on St. Denis, whose hot dog (according to my taster) lacked snap, was not distinctively cooked, and had a fairly tasteless cucumber or zucchini salad. Not a rave review, needless to say.
The second hot dog trial was with Chien Chaud victoire. This time the toasté was tried. This adds a nice texture to the bun and the dog, but otherwise there seemed to be nothing particularly distinctive to the dog, unless it was the very finely chopped onions. But I give lots of credit for a fine hole-in-wall ambience.
Still on our list is Paul Patates, on which there is a very nice post on the board.
Is there anything I should know before we keep at it? Are we tilting at windmills? Is there no such thing as a Montreal hot dog? If there is, what should we know about it, and where should we try?
Montreal public market thread-2009
I picked up a box of green figs at fruiterie Mile End on Parc just below Bernard yesterday for $6. They're good. The one of the markets, I realize, but what an amazing price!
Restaurant Closures - 2008
Well, none of these is a loss as far as I'm concerned. I never ate at Fiesta so I shouldn't really say anything, but it never struck me as particularly appealing. Commensal was overpriced, and Quiznos is no loss either. That upper stretch of CDN has a lot of bad eating still. If only the Subway on that block would close too...
Notwithstanding all this, the neighborhood remains great for eating. The best of it is in the little independent restaurants a little further down the hill, not the chains anyway. My only regret is the still-missed Indian joint on Queen Mary.
Incidentally, does anyone have anything to say about the corner felafel joint (on CDN and Swail, I think?) that underwent renovation? I ate there once and found that the food, never great, had declined in a strange inverse correlation with the increase in price. But maybe I just chose poorly.
Ex-La Loie (Loïe) chefs?
David is in Montreal somewhere. I was meaning to track him down, and when I do I can get you the info. Ariane went back to Gaspé, so I was told. François, who left La Loïe quite a while ago, I recently saw working at Bottega on St. Zotique as a waiter. Pure coincidence -- I was surprised to see him there.
Suggesstions for Montreal food gifts shipped to US?
Snowden deli will pack smoked meat in dry ice and ship. Will they ship to the U.S.? I don't know. But you could certainly ask. Bringing meat into Canada from the U.S. is perfectly legal. I would assume that is true of the reverse, but then you never know.
Foodie Wknd in Montreal - Looong Report
Great report! You travel like I do. I agree with everything you write--Schwartz is fun, but not worth the wait, Express pretty but overrated.
Next time you go to Jean Talon try Hamel for the Cheese at the market -- I prefer it to Qui lait cru. Also take a wander over to Caffe d'Italia for some coffee, and maybe poke your head into Anatol for the spice smell. I also like the grilled meats on the southern end of the market -- esp the kafte sandwiches at one of the stalls. All in all, though, I would say you did amazingly well for 2 days in Montreal. Bravo.
Afrodiziac.
I wouldn't say it was busy, but it definitely wasn't empty. We were four and there were a few other tables, at least one of them a fairly big table.
I think it was fermented corn -- that sounds right. There is an African grocery store on the corner of Jean Talon and Acadie that has some pretty wild ingredients -- and a very similar smell in it. It's the only other place I've recognized that smell.
Best hotdogs in MTL
I've asked at the border and I'm told it's legal to bring meat into Canada that is USDA approved. So presumably if it indicates that on the package you'd be fine. I've brought meat in before.
On a different register, we think the hot dogs at Lester's on Bernard are pretty good.
Afrodiziac.
Great review, Moosemeat!
I ate there a few weeks ago, and liked the food very much. We were there on a Saturday and didn't have the same menu problems, though we did need some guidance.
I'm embarrassed to say I can't remember all our dishes. We definitely had the chicken, some snapper, and many kinds of rice. The meal began with several terrific soups -- mine had mutton in it and it was great, but really too copious given the amounts of food. Others had different kinds of meats, and one had some fish, I think.
The highlight was a dish whose name I can't remember. It involved a big lump of fermented something, with a truly odd texture, sitting in a big bowl of broth, and had to be eaten with one's hands. It was piping hot -- whatever this substance was it retains heat in a truly remarkable way -- and I burned my fingers each time I tried to eat it. One of the more curious tastes I had. I didn't exactly like it, but I was happy to have tried it.
Sorry for the extremely vague review, hardly of much use, I fear. I can say that I much enjoyed the restaurant and perhaps going on a weekend night helps mitigate the variety issues encountered above?
Au Pied Du Cochon
I've had an app, main, and dessert on many occasions. It's definitely doable. Speaking just for myself, however -- evidently the opinion is not shared on this board -- the desserts are a little too cloying for my taste. So if I had to skip a course it would be dessert.
As for what to order you've gotten lots of good advice. My own would be to listen carefully to the specials and if one of them strikes your fancy to go for it. I've never gone wrong ordering a special at APDC. Often they're truly remarkable. Sometimes they are for two people, which is a major commitment I realize, especially since this would be your first time there, but that is the direction I would steer you.
Enjoy!
Great wonton soup in Montreal
Ditto to that. I've been going to the CDN branch for a while and just tried the Van Horne branch a few days ago out of curiosity. The menu is the same but everything else is different and less good. It's the bizarro Kam Shing.
In terms of which wonton I tried -- alas, I'm embarrassed to say that I really couldn't tell you. We asked the waiter which soup he liked best and he told us their wonton was particularly good, and so we got ordered without really paying attention. As I said, I'm not a huge wonton soup fan (I love their pork and mustard green soup, however), so that was the only time we ever had it. Give it a shot -- I'd be curious to know what you think.
Great wonton soup in Montreal
I am not a huge wonton soup fan, but Kam Shing in the Plaza Côte des Neiges prides itself on theirs. As far as I can tell it is a pretty tasty one. Probably worth a try if you're on a wonton mission.
Montreal Airport Layover Help
Or even better -- do both. Go to one place for lunch, then to another for take-away to eat on the airplane. Yum.
Sorry about the directions. Let the cabby do the driving.
Montreal Airport Layover Help
This really depends on your own personal trouble/ worth calcuation. Based on what you're saying it sounds like you have a US-Montreal-Europe flight. Which is the only reason you would have to clear customs on your way into Montreal. At that hour you should beat the big jumbo international flights and immigration should go fast. You'll collect your bags downstairs, walk through customs, and then re-check your bags at the connections area. You should have gotten your boarding passes for the next flight upon check-in in the U.S. Meaning that by this time it should be no later than 1pm, and probably closer to 12:30. You will have no bags, boarding passes in hand, and the proverbial full tank of gas, and half pack of cigarettes. I can't see why you'd need to be back before 3:30 -- at the very earliest -- for the next flight.
Again, if you care enough, my advice would be to hop in a cab and go to Snowden Deli, 5265 Decarie. It's just off the highway and you don't have to venture into town. Zip down Côte de Liesse highway, onto Décarie (rt 15), off at the Queen Mary exit, along the access road heading south, left on Queen Mary, left again on Décarie access road heading north for about 50 meters. At that hour it will take 20 minutes max and should cost somewhere on the order of $20-25.
There you can have a really great smoked meat sandwich. Get the old fashioned. Get the fries. Slaw. Pick up some stuff for dinner while you're at it -- beats the plane food.
There is probably a cab stand nearby on Queen Mary for your trip back. If not, you should be able to hail a cab there. You can ask at the deli. At the worst, they could call a cab for you.
Trip back should be fine too. Traffic starts to slow down around 3:30. Even when it moves slowly it is generally ok in the airport direction because most of it is merging onto the 40 E, so although it can seem intimidating it actually goes faster than you would expect. If you leave the deli at 3pm or a little after you will be more than fine. Trip back should only take 15 minutes, plus time to find a cab.
Is this too much expense and trouble? Your call. But it is a great smoked meat sandwich...
Portuguese Restos suggestions?
For grilled chicken, the best we have found are Mavi, 5192 Gatineau in the Cotes des Neiges neighbourhood, or, more centrally located, Romados, 115 Rachel Est. Both of these are pretty downscale -- Mavos has tables and service while Romados has a few patio tables inside where you can park and eat.
For more upscale options Ferreira has already been suggested. You might also try Le Vintage: 4475 Saint-Denis. The latter really has some outstanding food, and is more resonably priced that Ferreira. Their specials are almost always great and the clam and porc dish is pretty wonderful too. Make sure to reserve.
Greek restaurants???
We haven't tried Jardin de Panos or La porte grec, but we have tried Mythos and enjoyed it very much, both the food and the ambiance. It seems to be particularly suited for groups.
New to Montreal!
Carswell has given you great advice as usual. We used to live in this neighborhood and I'm quite convinced it's one of the better eating spots in town, and great for exploring and discovering new finds.
Exo-Fruit is a great grocery store and really wonderful for daily shopping needs. For bulk foods Carswell is exactly right: get on the metro and go to Anatol on St. Laurent. You'll never open a bin in any other store ever again. While you're in that neighborhood, go to Sami, just off the market, between Jean-Talon and the market. They have the cheapest fruits and vegetables, and by far the best selection of exotic fruit and produce that I've found in Montreal; this time of year you get WAY better value for your money, though you have to dig a bit.
You're also close to one of the best butchers in town: Atlantique, on the corner of Queen Mary and CDN. They aren't cheap but they really have wonderful stuff. It's a family-run place and they really know their meats. They also have a great little selection of prepared foods, made by the son-in-law, that are really wonderful. I love their herring salad. Also, if you have sharp elbows and are willing to battle your way through a fighting crowd, then try their pork neck available on Mondays for lunch. You have to go early because the crazy mobs ensure they sell out quickly. (I'm exaggerating of course, but only slightly.) It's incredible.
One new development in the 'hood is that Boucherie Farhat has now opened a basement eatery. They had been selling their amazing sandwiches upstairs in the front of the store. Now they have a place to sit and eat downstairs. I haven't been yet, only walked by, but I'm delighted to see they're doing well.
Other great local eateries are mentioned in the post Carswell linked above; my own favorites are in the link referenced in that post.
Good luck and enjoy the neighborhood!
les chevres
Well, I'm not sure it was just the location. I ate there twice and had a mixed experience. The first time was lovely, but it was a romantic dinner for two.
The second time was a dinner of four and I thought the whole experience was quite pretentious. They would serve each plate with a silver cover, and the waiters would arrive and open them all at the same time with an exaggerated flourish, uncovering the food as though they were unveiling a recently-discovered Picasso. Then they would spend well over a minute explaining each and every dish on the table, listing every ingredient and explaining the preparation in excruciating detail, as we sat there watching our food in what I suppose should have been admiration but was more akin to hunger and irritation -- and embarrassment on my part, since I had chosen the restaurant. To say it was a bit much is to put it gently.
All that, plus the fact that the place was awfully expensive, at least by Montreal standards, makes me think it was more than just the location.
Orexi, Loup de Mer, Vegera, Nonya
We like Nonya a lot. The food is really excellent and the ambience very pleasant. The service can be incredibly slow, so beware of that, but it is always friendly and so long as you're not pressed for time it is absolutely worth trying.
Been to Orexi once and was not blown away. A bit more upscale than the usual Greek fare. We thought it was a bit pricey for what it was but it has gotten good reviews here so maybe we need to try again. The grilled octopus was very good, I thought.
Don't know about the others you mention, though on Bernard right across from Orexi we've found Le Petit Italien to be consistently good -- indeed, better than the pickings in Little Italy. There is also a new tapas/ beer place on Bernard near Parc where the Futenbulle used to be, which was pretty good.
The best place for smoked meat
Absolutely agree. Snowden smoked meat is excellent -- as of me, I like it better than Schwartz's. It is more peppery and is cut in thicker slices, both of which I like. They'll also put some cole slaw in the sandwich if you ask them to. Yum. Making me hungry just to write this.
Vincent Lafleur Traiteur at the OSM cocktail. WOW!!!
I agree completely - he's now catered two events I've been involved in and both times it has worked out wonderfully. The food is way above your average catering, and they also have a really nice touch in aesthetic terms. As for price, they are indeed more expensive than most but they can also work with you to take the price down : just involves excluding certain things. Final word is that their staff is extremely friendly and competent.
Formal X-mas dinner for 20-25 people...SOS!
I just organized a dinner for 35 people at La Loïe, thanks to the advice I got on this board, and it worked out beautifully. We had the whole place to ourselves. 20-25 might be a bit low for them, though if it is during the week I suspect they would go for it. You can always ask. In my view the place is ideal for the kind of affair you are sketching. It fits in your budget, the food is unusually good, you can work with them to develop the menu according to your taste, and they'll turn over the entire restaurant to the group.
Good luck.
Top Notch Italian in Mtl
I had a very bad experience at Primo e Secondo a few years back. You can read about it here: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/97487#530424
I regret not having made more of a fuss at the time. I was taking my wife out for a nice dinner and didn't want to make a scene. Kills the romance when you get in a fight with the waiter. Perhaps what they count on?
Part 1 of NY Chowhounds Montreal report (Brunoise, Juliette et Chocolat, Pho Bang NY and Ruby Rouge)
Thanks for the informative post. One thing I've noticed about Ruby Rouge is that getting a table near the kitchen makes a difference. If you're seated on the far end of the dining room many of the good options are gone by the time the carts get to you and it becomes necessary to request items.
Private Party
Ok -- not people are waiting with baited breath, but I thought it would only be polite to post an update by way of thanks for all the help that was given here.
I went to La Loïe with my wife and two friends a few weeks ago and was -- as I think someone else here wrote -- blown away. Truly outstanding. By the end of the amuse-bouche I had already made up my mind that this was the place we should eat and nothing in the rest of the meal made me even begin to go back on that assessment. It was really one of the great meals I've had in Montreal.
They have been incredibly accommodating, working with me to develop a menu and wines that will go along and to keep all this within our budget. The chef is really such an inventive guy and as noted the sommelier is wonderful. So I'm really looking forward to the party!
Part of what has helped us is that La Loïe is that unlike places in the plateau, La Loïe is not so busy on weekend nights -- due I'm sure to their location -- and so we were able to get the whole restaurant for the night. I'm glad to have been able to do this since I imagine that if this place keeps up the incredible food they're serving it will be impossible to have an opportunity like this again!
Private Party
Thanks for the tips, grillit. Lots of great suggestions.
So I do have a bit of an update. I've spoken to the owners of La Loie and Les Infidèles (same as Resto À l'Os which already had a group booked). Both are willing to sacrifice their bread and butter soir and turn the restaurant over to us for the night. Both can provide a menu degustation. In the end when all is said and done the cost will be roughly comparable. Marc-André, the owner of les Infidèles, was quite enthusiastic, but Patrick, the owner of La Loie was also very accommodating and perhaps seemed a bit more attentive.
Les Infidèles want a mark-up over the cost of their regular menu degustation coming to a roughly 25% premium to make up for lost covers (I assume he's being honest). That makes the food costs go way up, though perhaps I can negotiate that. They will have more of a selection of foods since people can choose off the menu. Wine costs will be lower since they are a BYO.
La Loie will charge us the regular price for their food and we can work out a menu together with them, which sounds like fun to me. They serve wine so that adds to price while it saves on hassle. The advantage, though, is that we could do a tasting menu that pairs different wines with each course.
All in all I'd be curious to know what people think. I've eaten at Les Infidèles once and thought it was good but not outstanding. That was a while back. I'll be eating at La Loie on Saturday to see how it is. The neighborhood for Infidèles is a bit more what I had in mind but Loie is not so far out.
Thanks again for your help.
