a little somethin' somethin' that a friend recorded for me... I felt it was crucial for your education! try to figure out the illusion:
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
"Get in my belly" series - Part III: Au Pied de Cochon
Au Pied de Cochon is a must see, must taste must experience Montreal staple. It supposedly represents Quebec's cuisine in the most favorable of lights. Though I am not a connoisseur in Quebec dishes, I find these dishes hearty and delicious! It isn't the refinement of the Toqué but the dishes never cease to surprise me. Its less serious in form than both the Toqué and The Club Chasse et Peche, but you still need to look nice. I would describe the ambiance as lively and relaxed, the kind of place where as, the night moves on, you can hear the groups of 30+ individuals drunkenly laughing around you - mind you they're drunk on some very very good wines. Really, a must before leaving Montreal!
Location: 536 Duluth - map
Price: expensive - $31-$60
Some other opinions: yelp - urbanspoon - nytimes
Location: 536 Duluth - map
Price: expensive - $31-$60
Some other opinions: yelp - urbanspoon - nytimes
"Get in my belly" series - Part II: Urge to splurge
If I was nice and rich this is where I would be going to eat day in day out! These two places you'd want to take your parents to - not only because they will be impressed by the meal and you will have a good time, but mainly because you wouldn't be able to pay the bill otherwise! And really if they aren't coming to town to splurge on you a little then why did they make the trip in the first place?!! haha. Jokes aside these are some of the best places in town - you will probably have heard of these before.
1. Le Toqué
Considered one of the best restaurant in Montreal, La crème de la crème as the french would say, this place has the oh-so prestigious Relais et Chateau insignia near the entry door; that says it all. Though I didn't really like the restaurant's interior and décor so much (I tend to like smaller places), the food was delicious. I especially liked my appetizer: serrano ham with strawberries. Each dish's presentation was impeccable; your eyes devour your dish with as much pleasure as your mouth.
Location: 900 Place Jean Paul Riopelle - map
Price: very expensive - >$61
Some other opinions: yelp - tripadvisor
This restaurant you might not have heard and the reason for that is simple: they don't want you to! The restaurant's name and its exterior were chosen to dissuade passerby's and tourist from going in. Indeed, when you think "Club" you think of something exclusive, that necessitates some sort of membership. And that's exactly what the owners were aiming for. They want a very specific clientele and rely solely on word of mouth. They want refined individuals, mostly locals and, lets face it, people with some money. Even the entrance to the restaurant was designed to fit their identity: from the street it just looks like a fancy entrance to a person's house. When I went, even-though I knew where I knew the restaurant's street number, I nonetheless hesitated going in. This 'exclusive' feel to the place ads to its charm and allure. Inside, the restaurant has a cave-like underground feel to it - there are no windows, the place is dimly lit and the colors are dark. You feel like you're penetrating into another almost forbidden sphere, as if you've been let into a gentleman's cigar club. It's fantastic! And the food is impeccable! I couldn't stop myself from eating.
Location: 423 Saint-Claude Street - map
Price: very expensive - >$61
Some other opinions: nytimes - urbanspoon - yelp - tripadvisor
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
"Get in my belly" series - Part I: La Fabrique
Having focused on bars and brunches up to now, let me get to the serious stuff: yes, restaurants! As a student I don't go out to eat out as much as I'd like, so I like making each time count. So here are some places, though not cheap, that provide you with a great value for your money. The first (and my personal favourite at the moment) is La Fabrique.
Location: 3609 St. Denis (intersection with Square St. Louis Road) - map
Price: moderate - $15-$25 per entree
I discovered this place through a friend of mine, who had been taken there by her boyfriend on a date. As she only had positive things to say about the restaurant I decided to go test it out myself. Oh, and how I was delighted! The food is extremely good: the chefs combine flavours and textures that you wouldn't expect, rendering your palate excited and intrigued with every mouthful. None of the dishes will taste like your normal neighborhood home-cooked-meal restaurant, simply because so much thought is put into pairing the ingredients. Moreover, the menu changes quite often, which adds to the whole excitement: though there are some 'signature' dishes which stay approximately the same throughout the season, you know that every time you come back some new dish will be there to great you. The excellent food coupled with the very simple, unpretentious decor and ambiance, makes for a fantastic evening out.
Some other opinions:
urbanspoon
restomontreal
Location: 3609 St. Denis (intersection with Square St. Louis Road) - map
Price: moderate - $15-$25 per entree
I discovered this place through a friend of mine, who had been taken there by her boyfriend on a date. As she only had positive things to say about the restaurant I decided to go test it out myself. Oh, and how I was delighted! The food is extremely good: the chefs combine flavours and textures that you wouldn't expect, rendering your palate excited and intrigued with every mouthful. None of the dishes will taste like your normal neighborhood home-cooked-meal restaurant, simply because so much thought is put into pairing the ingredients. Moreover, the menu changes quite often, which adds to the whole excitement: though there are some 'signature' dishes which stay approximately the same throughout the season, you know that every time you come back some new dish will be there to great you. The excellent food coupled with the very simple, unpretentious decor and ambiance, makes for a fantastic evening out.
Some other opinions:
urbanspoon
restomontreal
Bar Series - Episode 4: Le Lab
The 4th in the series is a small little place called the Lab.
Location: 1351 Rachel Est (intersection with Lanaudiere Street) - map
Price: moderate - $10-$15
This small casual hidden place has more potential than one would think when walking by it. It boasts some of the best cocktail makers: give them a flavour you're looking for and they'll improvise a cocktail for you on the spot. The bar has special cocktails of the month, which focus on the fruit of the season (when I was there fig was in favour). And every month they also host a cocktail competition, fire shows included. Check out the videos on their website to get an idea of their 'performance'!
Some other opinions:
urbanspoon
yelp
Location: 1351 Rachel Est (intersection with Lanaudiere Street) - map
Price: moderate - $10-$15
This small casual hidden place has more potential than one would think when walking by it. It boasts some of the best cocktail makers: give them a flavour you're looking for and they'll improvise a cocktail for you on the spot. The bar has special cocktails of the month, which focus on the fruit of the season (when I was there fig was in favour). And every month they also host a cocktail competition, fire shows included. Check out the videos on their website to get an idea of their 'performance'!
Some other opinions:
urbanspoon
yelp
Sunday, 30 October 2011
Bar series - Episode 3: La Distillerie
The third in our bar lineup is La Distillerie, of which there are three establishments -
Location (closest to McGill): 300 Ontario East (intersection with Sanguinet Street) - map
Price: moderate - $11-$30
This cosy place is, again, always packed. One of the first places I discovered when arriving in Montreal, this bar is the perfect place to go hang-out with friends on a night when you don't feel like being too rowdy. The most impressive thing about this place is their cocktails, served in big glass emptied-out pasta sauce jars. You're getting great quantity for your buck and lets not even talk about quality: man oh man are their cocktails good!
Some more opinions:
The bar series - Episode 2: Bily Kun
The second in the series is a bar original even in the name: Bily Kun.
Location: 354 Mont-Royal Est (intersection with Drolet Street) - map
Price: moderate - $11-$30
This is definitely a place that stands out on the busy Mont-Royal street. If you're not going in for the ambiance (the bizarre ostrich heads lining the main wall give you a feel for what the mood is like: very original!), the selections of beers and cocktails will definitely tickle your fancy. This place was so popular after its opening that the owner decided to opened up a second bar exactly opposite it, so that people who couldn't get into the always crowded Bily Kun would have a place to go. Ironically, he named "Plan B" - also well worth the visit.
Some more opinions:
yelp
tourisme-montreal
urbanspoon
Location: 354 Mont-Royal Est (intersection with Drolet Street) - map
Price: moderate - $11-$30
This is definitely a place that stands out on the busy Mont-Royal street. If you're not going in for the ambiance (the bizarre ostrich heads lining the main wall give you a feel for what the mood is like: very original!), the selections of beers and cocktails will definitely tickle your fancy. This place was so popular after its opening that the owner decided to opened up a second bar exactly opposite it, so that people who couldn't get into the always crowded Bily Kun would have a place to go. Ironically, he named "Plan B" - also well worth the visit.
Some more opinions:
yelp
tourisme-montreal
urbanspoon
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