Joel_L's Profile
Green Mountain Coffee in Montreal?
Don't give up just yet!
There's a coffee shop on Sherbrooke claiming to sell Green Mountain coffee.
Beanscene Cafe
420, Rue Sherbrooke Ouest
(514) 845-1423
Let us know if it works out.
ISO the best soup in Montreal
SoupeSoup is quality. I've been there many times and never been disappointed.
The only complaint people I speak to generally have is about the price. But it's a small chain and I don't think they're exactly raking in the dough over there. Plus you get what you pay for.
Does wonders if you're feeling under the weather (literally or figuratively).
What's up with Beauty's Lunchette?
Really not recommended. Especially for a special occasion. The food is nothing special and the service is shabby because it's so small and busy. Expect to feel rushed. They are totally coasting on their reputation.
O'Burger West Island
Excellent burgers; go now!
The only thing I'll add to the previous post is that while it may appear to be a fast food joint, expect to pay about double compared to any real fast-food burger place.
To quote a Seinfeld episode, "it's not fast food, it's good food quickly"!
Enjoy. :)
Magdala / Mekdala Ethiopian Resto Lounge.
Love this place. And yes I agree it's been too long since I've been there...
The lamb is amazing! Actually pretty much everything is amazing, and the owner or manager is super friendly and accommodating.
West Island Restaurants
My favourite West Island restaurant is Riccardo's.
http://www.westislandrestaurants.com/restaurant/riccardos/
It's a family-run Italian restaurant with friendly service, warm atmosphere, delicious food, home-made pasta, and all-around positive experience. It's in the short strip mall corner St-Jean and Lake/Westminister.
Beer Spots in Montreal
Agreed with everything that's been posted so far.
I'll also give a nod to St Bock even though pinkatronica doesn't approve. From my experience the service is very friendly, the menu is extensive, and the decor is warm.
They have something like 25 brews on tap, mostly Quebec brews. I didn't even get to the bottled import menu but supposedly they have over 100.
Good Eats by Scotia Bank Place
This might sound out of place on a foodie board such as ChowHound, but I really enjoy Chop Crazy, the make-your-own salad shop in the food court next to the cinema. Whenever I've been, the ingredients are always amazingly fresh, you can choose whatever you want, and they give you a lot too.
Which poutine to get at La Banquise?
Went back to La Banquise on Sunday for breakfast and ended up ordering the egg and tomato club sandwich, swapping the fries for poutine. Talk about an early-bird meal. The cheese was delightfully fresh, I think I even heard a few squeeks.
What a great place. We had like three different servers too. The last one even wrote "have a nice day" on the bill. :)
Signs of spring: It's Zeppole time!!!
Today I tried the zeppole at boulangerie Clark (29, rue Saint-Viateur Ouest). I'm no expert, in fact this is my first zeppole ever, but I really enjoyed it. Basically a large profiterole with ricotta filling. The pastry was as described: tough but light. Thin, but doesn't fall apart like a flaky pastry would. This allows for maximum cream stuffing, and boy was there a lot of it.
I'm getting more tomorrow... :-x
Piatto della Nonna windows papered up
I called. He (presumably the owner) said that location is closing down, but the restaurant will live on at a new location on March 23rd.
I didn't ask where the new location will be, but if anyone feels like it the number is 514.843.6069 (he mapped the restaurant number to his cell phone temporarily).
Food Festivals and Unique Food Events in Montreal
It's an international food fest. People come from all over to show off their local dishes. It's outdoors, at Parc Jean Drapeau. You just walk around the site, sampling food when you feel like it. All the food stands have a sample portion for a reasonable price (last year the average was $3), so you can really try a lot of stuff. There was even an Australian company serving kangaroo!
New: The Sparrow
Yeah the hot dog is one of those jumbo sausage dogs, not a belle-pro steamie.
Could be 100% beef but I didn't ask. Certainly looked like a quality hot dog.
impress this Torontonian!
Seconded. Pushap is hands down the best Indian value in town. Quality home-made food at a price that makes me feel guilty.
New: The Sparrow
The Cocoa Locale connection might explain why the desserts are so good.
I won't repost it, but for anyone who is curious I posted a mini review of my first Sparrow experience in the Restaurant Openings 2009 thread.
Restaurant Openings - 2009
Tried the Sparrow today (thanks to bopuc for pointing it out).
I had a delicious and sizeable burger on a fresh bun with lettuce and I think tomato too. It came with a modest portion of fries and mayo for dipping. I also ordered a green salad on the side.
Everything was quite enjoyable and obviously fresh. The fries were soft and tasty. The burger was very juicy. The salad was a mix of greens and radiccio, with I think some endive as well, topped with a mostly oil-based dressing.
My dining partner had the hot dog which came with fries and a small portion of sauerkraut. He said it was very enjoyable
For dessert we tried both the chocolate cake and the maple cake. Both were topped with cream (different styles) and both were exquisite. If only there was more!
Service was as expected. A bit too slow for someone aiming to get back to the office within an hour, but perfectly acceptable otherwise.
Overall a pleasant experience! The menu is diverse, the quality is high, the prices are not cheap, but reasonable. Will definitely go back.
Food Festivals and Unique Food Events in Montreal
I expect we'll have another Mondial Gourmand this year.
http://mondialgourmand.com/
Last year's was a lot of fun!
Breakfast muffins: anyone have a good source?
Well I've decided to make my own. Now I just have to work on a good recipe...
What's the best place for breakfast in Montreal
Third for Bagel Etc. The blintzes are delicious and it's nice to get a bagel sometimes instead of toast. Cozy atmosphere too.
communal dining experience?
I'll second the recommendation for Meetup.com, specifically the Cheap Ethnic Eatz group for chowhounds. They go to a new restaurant a few times a month and it's always interesting. You'll meet a bunch of cool people too.
If you give it a try feel free to say hello. I go fairly often.
Happening gourmand
That's really a shame. I went to Verses with six friends on the 29th and we have nothing but positive things to say about it. The food was delicious, the service was attentive, even the hostesses (both of them) were pleasant. It took quite a while for everyone to arrive and choose their meals and I never felt any pressure to hurry.
Everyone in my group agreed we would definitely like to come back again.
Breakfast: Beautys
Gonna have to agree with what's been said. This place is nothing but an ugly diner living off its reputation. The lineup is long, the service is poor, the staff are rude, the place is tiny, crowded, and the food is boring. My friends and I go out for breakfast all the time; we've tried dozens of places and never have we been so utterly blown away by a poor experience.
It started off well. The "old man" at the front door was very friendly while we were waiting in line. Once we were seated the fun was over.
I hate to be one of those people. In fact, I'm not one of those people. This was a special case. If you want more info feel free to send me a message.
Maestro Traiteur (Delicious Patisserie)
Hmm. I think it's more the choice of ingredients, which is sometimes atypical (e.g. the date square). The pastries are also very moist inside, most containing some sort of almond-based filling, which I adore.
But there's no accounting for taste... perhaps her unique style is that she makes exactly the kind of pastry I enjoy. ;)
Maestro Traiteur (Delicious Patisserie)
For those with a pastry weakness (as I seem to have), a new place opened up in summer of this year that has some of the best pies, croissants, and danish I've ever tasted.
Maestro Traiteur
72 rue Saint-Viateur Ouest
Montréal, QC H2T 2K8
(514) 544-9333
I spoke with the guy who works there and he says all the desserts are hand-made by a lady who lives nearby. She has a unique style which you will notice immediately, and probably fall in love with if it matches your own taste.
Those who live in the area should definitely check it out! I've been there a few times already and everything I sampled is delicious. I've also brought friends there who agree that the pie is incredible. My family couldn't stop praising the chocolate-almond pastry I brought back, and the date square is not at all what you'd expect (no oats)!
Depending on how much of a pastry-fiend you are, it may be worth a bit of travel. I made my friends hop a bus to get there, and I didn't hear any complaints after. ;)
chez mein - $2 chow mein in montreal
Yes yes of course. I think they even asked me if I wanted the PB before dumping it on. You know, with the allergies these days...
Not sure what flavour the noodles have by themselves. Probably a bit bland, but you can still add hot sauce.
Happening gourmand
Thanks for pointing this out. Some of the menus look very interesting!
chez mein - $2 chow mein in montreal
I hit the noodle stand after a drunken night out and it really hit the spot. For $2 you can't go wrong!
Recommended. (Assuming you like peanut butter.)
Breakfast muffins: anyone have a good source?
Do you have addresses for those? I don't see them on the site.
http://www.premieremoisson.com/Points-de-vente/
A rough idea of where they are on the street would be enough. I know the area pretty well.
Breakfast muffins: anyone have a good source?
Thanks for all your suggestions! Some interesting stuff here... particularly the Première Moisson. I didn't realize they had muffins, let alone healthy ones.
La Mie Matinale -- 1371 rue Ste Catherine Est
Capucine et Tournesol -- 226 Bernard West
Première Moisson -- 895 de la Gauchetière O or 860 avenue du Mont-Royal Est
Looks like I have my work cut out.
Concerning baking... I have baked muffins before but they were nothing like store-bought. Plus, at a store I can get a nice variety. (And I'm lazy.)
