I really wanted to love this restaurant on Lajoie St. in Outremont. Sommelier Lindsay Brennan has some incredible natural Spanish wines on her menu and the knowledge and skill to sell them well. And if Alma were a bar, that would be enough. But since it’s a restaurant, the food … [Read more...] about Alma: A Casual Neighbourhood Spanish Wine Bar in Outremont for People with Oodles of Money
Montreal Restaurants
Provisions Restaurant: An Outremont Restaurant Actually Worth the Price
The problem with living in an up-and-coming neighbourhood is that, eventually, it will up-and-come. Might as well move into one of the most expensive up-and-came ones at the get-go. That's probably what the four owners of Provisions Restaurant thought when they moved into their … [Read more...] about Provisions Restaurant: An Outremont Restaurant Actually Worth the Price
Rum and Sun: Resto Palme Sparkles with Caribbean Fusion in The Village
Resto Palme is a bit like I’d want heaven to be: a palm-filled, airy space a few steps off a dirty street/Earth...with a good supply of agricole rum. Even better, the new Caribbean fusion restaurant on Ste-Catherine East between Beaudry and Papineau has soft linens to dab at … [Read more...] about Rum and Sun: Resto Palme Sparkles with Caribbean Fusion in The Village
Monarque: The Old Port Bistro, Restaurant and Bar with a Touch of Léméac
When you're a French restaurant, you don't call your tom yum soup a "tom yum soup." You say "black cod in tom yum broth." That's much better marketing when you're charging $21 for perfectly tender fish, sustainable shrimp, earthy mushrooms, al dente carrots and blanched spinach … [Read more...] about Monarque: The Old Port Bistro, Restaurant and Bar with a Touch of Léméac
Hot and Spicy Montreal: Restaurants to Warm you up
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
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