Last week, I did a TV segment about hot and spicy restaurants. It's the time of year when we need all the heat we can get, I figure. And while Montrealers are notoriously hot pepper-averse, I'm not. So I found a local, high quality hot sauce maker and then hunted down … [Read more...] about Hot and Spicy Montreal: Restaurants to Warm you up
Fine Dining
Where to Drink Sake in Montreal (and why right now’s the best time to do it)
This morning on Breakfast Television in Montreal I actually made it through a taste test (well, almost) of six stellar sakes now available in Montreal! Did I even breathe? (See above.) I also talked about why the Montreal sake scene has recently boomed (shout-out to Viet … [Read more...] about Where to Drink Sake in Montreal (and why right now’s the best time to do it)
My Best Meals of 2018 (and Restaurants to Try in 2019)
My year in Montreal restaurants started with a short list: Mon Lapin and Pastel. But as the year went on, it turned into a lengthy one, and I'm afraid I haven't quite caught up yet. Which is fine, because that's what 2019 is for. Why try to overstuff restaurants into 12 … [Read more...] about My Best Meals of 2018 (and Restaurants to Try in 2019)
Ten Dishes and Four Hours of Fine Dining at Pastel
Dinner at Pastel, the fairly new fine dining restaurant in Old Montreal, starts with a heads-up that the meal's going to take awhile. This is a destination kind of restaurant where you come for the evening, explains our server/sommelier. Post-dinner drinks with friends at a … [Read more...] about Ten Dishes and Four Hours of Fine Dining at Pastel
“Waiter, There’s a Vegan at my Table”: Montreal’s Top Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants and Meals
If you're American, you might be feeling that bit of rising panic, that comes up your throat like one too many Tequila sours. It's almost the holidays and you know a vegan. Whether it's for American Thanksgiving or you're a keener planning a Christmas party or dinner, vegans … [Read more...] about “Waiter, There’s a Vegan at my Table”: Montreal’s Top Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants and Meals
Best Montreal Restaurants and Food Hall Options for Thanksgiving Without the Dishes: Eat Out or Order In
When I do television segments, I usually forget to mention something pretty important. Today on Global TV Montreal it was the fact that the Marché Artisans is a quasi-food hall. I said it's in the Queen Elizabeth Hotel, but not that there are different counters where you can sit … [Read more...] about Best Montreal Restaurants and Food Hall Options for Thanksgiving Without the Dishes: Eat Out or Order In
The Best Saké in Montreal is at Le Blossom in the Village
Last year, I worked with talented, food and lifestyle photographer Sylvie Li on a photo shoot of sushi for my blog. I bought a whole, giant, (sustainable) $200 salmon, filleted it, skinned most of it, cut it into pieces a little larger than a deck of cards and sliced some of … [Read more...] about The Best Saké in Montreal is at Le Blossom in the Village
Côte-Nord at Montreal en Lumières: Scallops, Deer and Boreal Flavours at Ikanos
I attended the Montreal en Lumières dinner at Ikanos last night, which featured Chef Glenn Forbes from Tadoussac and Ikanos' chef Constant Mentzas preparing a five-course dinner of seafood, game meats, wild mushrooms and berries. They're repeating the dinner tonight … [Read more...] about Côte-Nord at Montreal en Lumières: Scallops, Deer and Boreal Flavours at Ikanos
Le Diplomate: Small Plates and Natural Wines in Park Ex
This Park Ex restaurants helmed by chef Aaron Langille has been open for a couple years now. It's far from my place and there are always newer places opening, but those aren't excuses for having never gone, especially when the changing, seasonal menu is this exquisite. It's also … [Read more...] about Le Diplomate: Small Plates and Natural Wines in Park Ex
Le Blumenthal: Go for the Wine List, Stay for the Food
You'll never hear me say, "Boy, we really need more bistros in Montreal." There are already great ones (L'Express), very good ones (Café Cherrier) and scores of mediocre ones. But when I heard Le Balmoral in the Place des Festivals, smack in the middle of the high-tourist area … [Read more...] about Le Blumenthal: Go for the Wine List, Stay for the Food