I have a favourite place to eat in Gatineau since moving here this year. Really, it was my favourite place in Gatineau before I moved here, and it's worth the trip from Ottawa (or further) if you haven't been to Soif Wine Bar yet. What you need to know: The food … [Read more...] about Soif Wine Bar: The Hidden Gem of Gatineau in Any Season
natural wine
With Montreal’s Wine-Tasting Season Back in Person This Year, There’s No Reason to Wing It at the SAQ
For anyone who likes to make an informed purchase, whether on wine, winter wardrobes, or weird cat barista aprons, the pandemic was a depressing time to be a consumer. Testing before buying was really not a thing anymore. October and November used to be the season of wine salons … [Read more...] about With Montreal’s Wine-Tasting Season Back in Person This Year, There’s No Reason to Wing It at the SAQ
Pichai: Excellent Thai and Natural Wine in Montreal
I'd been hearing about Pichai, a Thai restaurant on the renovated St-Hubert street, for ages. People who spend more time and money eating out than me days were saying you couldn't get Thai this good anywhere else in the city. My standards for Thai are high after a few months in … [Read more...] about Pichai: Excellent Thai and Natural Wine in Montreal
Post-Lockdown Terrasse #1: The SAT in Montreal and a Rooftop Garden Tour
When I got the invite for a press event – my first in-person press event since Covid started last year – at the SAT, the Société des arts technologiques in Montreal, with its exceptional Foodlab restaurant and bar, I of course said yes. So no, I didn't pay for my meal (I did … [Read more...] about Post-Lockdown Terrasse #1: The SAT in Montreal and a Rooftop Garden Tour
Wine Suggestions for the Holidays: Natural Wines, Private Imports and a Rosé to Drink Year-Round
With back-to-back-to-back salons in Montreal this fall, there was plenty to wade through for suggestions for what to drink right now. I headed into the two days of the natural wine salon, Raw wine, fully energized, but ended up not making it to RASPIPAV (the private import salon) … [Read more...] about Wine Suggestions for the Holidays: Natural Wines, Private Imports and a Rosé to Drink Year-Round
Braised Lamb Shoulder with Cumin and Apricots
Comfort. We all crave it. Well, except maybe my friend who winter-ran the White Mountains in a day-and-a-half. But even he enjoys a glass of red wine with his sweet potatoes. In French, the term is "gourmand," but that doesn't translate directly. It's not quite "gourmet" and … [Read more...] about Braised Lamb Shoulder with Cumin and Apricots
Vegetarian Wild Mushroom Risotto
"Rice, say the Italians, is born in water and dies in wine," writes author Margaret Visser in her book Much Depends on Dinner. Would that we could all be so lucky? Hmm...that makes me sound a bit like an alcoholic, when I really just meant that I like swimming... Point … [Read more...] about Vegetarian Wild Mushroom Risotto
“Casual Upscale,” “Fine Dining” and other Silly Types of Restaurants
It all started when I couldn't figure out what to call LOV. When the original location of the vegan restaurant opened in Montreal's Old Port, it was so sleek and delicious that I ignored the downscale vegan burger and poutine on the menu and focused on the exquisite roasted … [Read more...] about “Casual Upscale,” “Fine Dining” and other Silly Types of Restaurants
The Wine Whisperers, Part 2: Coturri Winery, Sonoma Valley, California
I was on a mission. I was spending a week in Sonoma and Napa in search on natural, biodynamic and organic wines. There were to be no trolley tours, no limo tours, and, as one of my favourite Montreal wine import companies proclaims: "No shit in my wine." My next stop? Coturri. … [Read more...] about The Wine Whisperers, Part 2: Coturri Winery, Sonoma Valley, California