mtb's Profile
ISO Farofa/Manioc Flour
Thanks to you both. Sabor Latino on Belanger had it (although the one on St. Laurent did not). Also happy to discover Che Churro in my neighbourhood, will be back there soon for sure!
ISO Farofa/Manioc Flour
Tried all the main chains, as well as several independent grocers - no luck. Anyone know of a source? Will travel anywhere on the island.
Finger Limes in our town?
Picked up some of these last weekend from the fruit/veg store in the Atwater market. Cashier even let me taste a few "pearls" from one that she had opened to show another customer. I believe they were about $2 each, and kept behind the cash. Very interesting texture - they do indeed pop. Caviar-like in appearance, definitely reminiscent of lime, but much more subtle and delicate, almost floral taste. Used them to garnish a salmon tartar with avocado. Although, as the meal was served outside and it was getting dark, and the pearls themselves are quite small, it was necessary to point out their presence. Definitely recommend trying them if you can get your hands on some, a novel and enjoyable experience.
Cendrillon sightings
Both the IGA in Alexis Nihon and the Metro on Sherbrooke corner Victoria had a few left as of yesterday morning... good luck!
Chivitos?
Are these Uruguayan delicacies anywhere to be found on our fair island? Their conspicuous absence only serves to reinforce the apparent gaping void of post-drinking sustenance to be had. One can eat only so much Boustan.
Habs game on TV + decent food?
My bad... reading too quickly and somehow saw a "3" in there. Thanks for the clarification.
Who makes the best Challah in Montreal?
There's always the Kosher bakeries on Victoria, in the 6000 address range on down to Jean-Talon. Cheskie seems to be another favourite as well, although I find theirs a bit dry and am much more partial to their rugelach. However, your mentioning that the best you found in Vancouver was made by a Chinese couple leads me to make a heretical suggestion: Cavallaro (4865 Sherbrooke just west of Victoria). My family has always ordered our challahs there for high holidays, and they are always sold out well before the end of the day whenever I go. Tony, the Italian gentleman who runs the show, just seems to have a knack for creating the most perfect moist, eggy and sweet iteration I've found.
Habs game on TV + decent food?
Very true. We are all on foot from the Concordia ghetto/Chinatown II area... Incidentally, since westaust suggested 3 brasseurs, how's the one on Crescent? That street's typically not my scene but it is ideally located - ie: a hop skip and a jump from loading up on pre-game dumplings at Qing Hua. And Carswell, "stripmallia", best descriptor ever, I'm adopting it!
Habs game on TV + decent food?
Really?! I knew they had a screen but never imagined they would show habs games. That would actually be great for tonight... the weather seems to demand a nice steaming bowl of soup and some tasty bbq porc with lots of fresh herbs. Thanks a lot for the heads up!
Habs game on TV + decent food?
Thanks for the reco, I've never heard of La Cabane, I may very well check it out. And yes, I'll be decked out in my bleu-blanc-rouge best, so no worries there ;)
Habs game on TV + decent food?
Thanks for the reply. I've been to Burgundy Lion a couple of times and have found everything I've tried (curries, burger, even salad) to be paradoxically bland yet oversalted. However, if your friends go there religiously for footie then I'm sure the viewing setup will be more than adequate for our purposes. I'll go for the crisps too ;)
Habs game on TV + decent food?
Brasserie Brunoise used to be my go-to, but now I'm at a loss. Where can one go, preferably downtown, to watch the game and get some decent grub? I've had Burgundy Lion suggested to me... while passable (barely) in the food arena, are there even enough screens to ensure unobstructed viewing? Any suggestions heartily appreciated.
Pierogies
I'm partial to Chopin, on Decarie just South of Monkland. Good selection and they freeze quite well.
4200 boulevard Décarie
Montréal, QC H4A 3K2
(514) 481-0302
Europea/Chasse lunch recs
Agreed - if you can get a table outside at C&P for lunch then you should definitely take the opportunity, the gardens of the Chateau Ramezay that you overlook while dining are gorgeous. I had the scallop ceviche and the grilled octopous and chickpea salad the other day, both spot on, while my dining companion had the mushroom risotto with fois gras - can't really go wrong there. Also definitely don't skip dessert! The lemon cream with crystallised rhubarb is highly recommended!
where to buy knives in Montreal
Agree that La Soupiere is a good option if you're only going to buy a few essentials, they have a good selection of Globals, and you can likely negotiate about 10% off if you pay cash. Deco Decouverte is good if you're looking for Wusthof, I saw the 9-inch chef's, serrated bread, and paring knives recently... and FYI, costco.ca currently has a very tempting offer of a 10-pc set of Henckels for $225 that I'm considering, probably can't do better than that for the price.
Hibiscus for Agua de Jamaica
I believe Aux Vivres (4631 St. Laurent) sells a bottled version, although I have never tried it. A few doors down, you can get the real deal (although not bottled) by the glass or pitcher at Los Classicos ( 4561 St. Laurent).
Bonne Maman: the epitome of commercial jams?
I also like the double-fruit, and agree with you on it being more fruity. The PC Organics blueberry is also in that vein. There's just something about that quaint lid on the Bonne Maman jars that draws me in and caters to the illusion of it non being mass-market. And no worries wilmagrace, I figured out what you meant :)
Bonne Maman: the epitome of commercial jams?
That strawberry with basil and lemongrass sounds very interesting, I'll have to seek that out. Thanks!
Bonne Maman: the epitome of commercial jams?
Really?! Wonder why I've been missing it... Thanks for the good news!
Bonne Maman: the epitome of commercial jams?
Thanks for the suggestions! Whenever I make the trek to JTM (or Atwater) I always pick up some artisan jam. Found some good stuff at Les Douceurs last time. I've tried M&G and did really enjoy it, but haven't been able to find it or anything better than BM at my local supermarkets (PA, IGA, Provigo) in the Atwater area for when I'm too lazy to walk down the hill and need something sweet to smear on top of my Kate's Vermont buttered English muffin:)
Bonne Maman: the epitome of commercial jams?
Is there anything better out there? I'm thinking "typical" berry flavours, but other interesting noteworthy suggestions are certainly welcome!
Taco bell style tacos downtown
Funny, I too work in a hospital and have a colleague who usually gets tacos for lunch and they also smell like barbecue sauce, hmm. Maybe there's some kind of medical moratorium on salsa.
So here's the key to avoiding the inevitable post-first bite disintegration of the hard shell taco and ensuing disappointment (bonus: it involves extra cheesy goodness): 1. construct hard shell taco as you normally would (complete with requisite shredded iceberg) 2. Sprinkle liberal amounts of shredded cheese on a soft tortilla (larger in diameter than the hard shell) and broil for a bit until cheese is sufficiently melty 3. Place 1 inside 2 and fold the cheesy edges up around the hard shell until it is comfortably ensconced within. 4. Consume without any hazard to clothing, as any broken hard shell bits and sauce runoff are safely contained within the soft tortilla.
Deep Fried Mars Bars
Garde-Manger had it on their menu a couple years ago, not sure if they still do...
ISO Party Sandwiches
Double-decker half egg half salmon. Also the round ones with cream cheese, lox and sweet cornichon, classic.
ISO Party Sandwiches
Fressers beats Snowdon Deli by a mile. Also, for larger quantities you can always consider the kosher bakery at the bottom of Victoria (corner Jean-Talon).
Jam Donuts
Second Wawel. Go early in the day for the prune-filled ones as they tend to sell out early, for good reason!
Sick & lazy, need pho/chicken soup delivery!
Szechuan et nouilles on Bernard corner Parc. Not pho, but the chicken tom yum soup definitely does the trick for me when I'm congested. Huge bathtub-sized portion, really good broth, lots of heat, tons of lemongrass. Bonus if you can convince them to bring you some mini poppyseed danish from Cheskie next door :)
355 Bernard W
514-274-7452
ISO zucchini flowers
I think there may very well be chocolate zucchini cupcakes :) Also might tempt fate and try a sorbet/granita palate-cleanser.
ISO zucchini flowers
I know, an odd time for such a theme. But it was a special request, complete with iron-chef secret-ingredient dramatic reveal. I was actually thinking fritters, maybe with some interesting spicing; coriander, fennel, cumin?
ISO zucchini flowers
Yeah, I kinda figured it might be a lost cause so early in the season. Might check if Louie at JTM imports them as he sometimes has off-season goodies. Am in the process of planning a zucchini-themed dinner and thought this would be a nice twist for an app... maybe a carpaccio of sorts if the flower mission fails.
