SteveW

She's reviewing this restaurant after it opened for only about 3 weeks!

I've heard recently that the main Food Network in the US, has also cancelled Iron Chef. Checking just now the Food Network(US) website, they now only air it overnight at 4am once a week. -Steve

Any more feedback on this new butcher shop? They have been getting lots of favorable press. Are they 'prime' grade beef? -Steve

What happened with Lobel's butcher shop in NYC carrying the best Australian wagyu steaks? Just went on their website to check, & they're now carrying US wagyu(replacing the Australian wagyu). I suspect, they would bring in Japanese Kobe now, with the ban lifted. BTW, there's also Canadian wagyu beef. Anyone here tried Canadian wagyu(I've tried it once & found it very very good, but I haven't tried any other wagyu/kobe beef to compare)? -Steve

What really caught my eye yesterday, was Lesley's very very harsh review of L'Orchidee de Chine in the Saturday paper. I've been looking forward to any new reviews of L'Orchidee de Chine by any Montreal restaurant critic and/or Montreal resto guides since I posted this topic on eG. It has been a Chinese restaurant favourite of Montreal restaurant critics for years & years, & presumably some of them do read the eG Montreal section regularly & noticed the L'Orchidee comments by Montreal eG members. Several people have told me privately that L'Orchidee was never any good. It's a very very bad sign, when they practically attract almost no Asians to the restaurant, don't offer chopsticks unless requested. I'm curious to know if they even have their menu in Chinese(& it's not inexpensive to dine there)?? -Steve

I didn't plan to post my comments about Cocoa Locale. I visited Cocoa Locale for the first time earlier tonight, just after 6pm(unfortunately I don't have time to go earlier in the day). It was open, despite being supppose to close at 5pm on Sundays(the owner Reema was there). After I got home, & saw Alex's comments here. I concur with what Alex said. It's homey desserts, that Cocoa Locale owner Reema is making(only saw baked goods, including some cookies). Got about 6 items, & everything I've tried so far(4 things) has been very good(but I haven't tried the brownies that I got yet), but that's just my opinion. Interested in getting more feedback, of any others who have tried Cocoa Locale. As the owner told me(after I relayed to her, some of the negative comments about her bake shop already), she never claimed to be 'top flight' bake shop. And she also described her bakery items as homey. -Steve

Something that was brought up, but I don't know answer to. Simple question. Why do the gelatin sheets have lines? Is it so that the sheets can be flexible? -Steve

From what I hear, both smoked meat & pastrami originally came from Romanian origins(who knows they both might of began at same location). By my recollection, I have never seen any eating establishment in Montreal offer a smoked meat bagel sandwich. However I've seen smoked meat on pizza & pasta dishes(might of also seen smoked meat on poutine). -Steve

Snowdon Deli on Decarie corner Isabella has corned beef but I would not be able to comment if it is "the best". I've always enjoyed it more than their smoked meat. But can you also get a smoked meat & a pastrami sandwich so you can report back to this board your findings? ← Poutine, I have the feeling the pastrami sandwich you are talking about, is what they also call their regular smoked meat(a couple of eating establisments in Montreal, also call their regular smoked meat 'pastrami'). I checked very closely their menu of sandwiches, when I tried their corned beef last week, & I didn't see pastrami listed(if I saw it, I would also ordered it). Snowdon Deli carry both regular & old fashioned smoked meat(their old fashioned smoked meat is not actually listed on their menu). I find the Snowdon Deli smoked meat(old fashioned & regular), the best in the city. As I said last week, their corned beef is also very very good. -Steve

Traditional corned beef is not smoked. Nor, as claimed upthread, is it spiced (though there may well be people who add spices to the brine). Normally, after brining it is rinsed well and long simmered in fresh water, the best way to rid it of some of its salt. ← Carswell, the corned beef that you describe here I've tried before years ago, at someone's home(several times actually). The corned beef that I tried at Snowdon Deli earlier this week was a very different animal(tasted very similiar to their smoked meat, but not their old-fashioned smoked meat). I'm not 100% certain, but I believe Snowdon Deli told me, that their corned beef is pickled & then smoked. -Steve

His big recomendations include: Informal: Bruniose Bu - "by far Montreal's best and most stylish bar a vin" Formal: Area Le Club Chasse & Peche Cube Raza Toque - "the last meal I ate at Toque was nearly perfect" Bagels: Fairmount Bagels Cheese: Yannick Fromagerie d'Exception - "Anywhere, one would be grateful for this shop filled with the reassuring rich, biological smell that comes from outstanding cheeses." Tea: Camellia Senesis (big kudos) Other (generally) postive mentions: Le Jolifou Au Pied de Cochon (duck breast in a can!?) Rosalie Led Caprices de Nicolas Les Chevres La Chronique. Edward Behr does discuss smoked meat a litte and mentions Schwartz only - but does not seem to a big fan of it in general. He feels that Montreal - suprisingly - lacks good bakeries but says that Le Frommentier is the best in the city and L'Amour du Pain as the best outside of the city. He also discusses the large number of chocolatiers in the city - thumbs up to Les Chocolats de Chloe and Patisserie Gascogne - big thumbs down to Genevieve Grandbois. I really enjoy this magazine - the writing is opinionated and informed (Montreal's Lesley Chesterman contributes in this issue). Not sure how you get a copy though unless you subscribe. ← Haven't checked out the issue yet. From what you say here, it seems that Ed relied on Lesley a lot(some of them exactly mirrors Lesley's opinion). Specifically the comments on smoked meat, bakeries & chocolatiers. -Steve

I've checked at The Main, they don't carry corned beef. -Steve

Good point.If ya ever down to St.Johns' NFLD try the boiled corned beef with peas pudding.Can be found in most pubs,but on a cold windy day,its the best comfort food you can never beat! Another "corned"item" we used to eat in the maritimes was "corned pork necks" Anyone ever tried that? Just to add another note to the topic,do you think that Schwartz's smokes their briskets,thus giving it the name Smoked Meat? Perhaps it was years ago,but I think thay have since changed.Doesn't matter,its good whatever they call it. ← According to legend, Montreal smoked meat was created by Ben's Delicatessen in 1908. Not sure if it's totally accurate. -Steve

I went to Snowdon Deli yesterday, to try their corned beef. I found it very good. Went to Snowdon Deli many times before, & never noticed they had corned beef(never looked out for it until yesterday). It's not as heavily spiced as their old fashioned smoked meat. Otherwise to me, their corned beef tasted similiar to smoked meat. I asked the Snowdon Deli counter person, what's the difference between smoked meat & corned beef, & he quickly responded corned beef is pickled(instead of dry-cured. -Steve

Because they're not the same thing? Smoked meat is made by dry-curing brisket with a spice rub that probably includes coriander, pepper, paprika, garlic and salt, after which it is smoked. Corned beef is made by brining brisket, flank or plate in heavily salted (and sometimes sugared) water, after which it is simmered for several hours in fresh water. Smoked meat and cabbage probably wouldn't hack it here and certainly not in New England. ← Smoked meat is clearly not the same same as corned beef brisket, but can someone tell me the difference between smoked meat and (smoked) pastrami? The foodf network show on the Stage Deli tells us that the pastrami gets a slow simmering after it reaches the restaurant. I haven't seen any definitive answer here, or in other threads, about what makes Montreal smoked meat so distinctive. ← Traditionally pastrami uses the plate cut, while Montreal smoked meat uses the brisket cut(although some pastrami is made with brisket). Plate & brisket are similiar cuts. Plus the spices are different for pastrami & smoked meat. I have a feeling corned beef could be slightly different in different parts of the world(just a guess). -Steve ← But is there a taste difference? Which is better? ← It's a matter of taste which is better. I've heard some people say pastrami is better, while I've heard some other people say smoked meat is better(from the people who have tried the best of both). However many people in Montreal diss pastrami. From what I gather, the difference in taste between pastrami & smoked meat is minimal. They both have Eastern European origins. -Steve

Originally the question didn't come from me(a friend asked me). Until now, I hadn't sought out corned beef in Montreal. Now I'm curious what's available here. -Steve

Because they're not the same thing? Smoked meat is made by dry-curing brisket with a spice rub that probably includes coriander, pepper, paprika, garlic and salt, after which it is smoked. Corned beef is made by brining brisket, flank or plate in heavily salted (and sometimes sugared) water, after which it is simmered for several hours in fresh water. Smoked meat and cabbage probably wouldn't hack it here and certainly not in New England. ← Smoked meat is clearly not the same same as corned beef brisket, but can someone tell me the difference between smoked meat and (smoked) pastrami? The foodf network show on the Stage Deli tells us that the pastrami gets a slow simmering after it reaches the restaurant. I haven't seen any definitive answer here, or in other threads, about what makes Montreal smoked meat so distinctive. ← Traditionally pastrami uses the plate cut, while Montreal smoked meat uses the brisket cut(although some pastrami is made with brisket). Plate & brisket are similiar cuts. Plus the spices are different for pastrami & smoked meat. I have a feeling corned beef could be slightly different in different parts of the world(just a guess). -Steve

A friend was asking me not too long ago, where can I find the best corned beef sandwiches in Montreal. I'm clueless. Any suggestions? -Steve

Don't want to sound too critical. This topic & your topic that you started on Sunday(March 20), should not be in Montreal section. Both would be more appropriate in the Food Media & News section. Didn't want to say anything earlier, with your movie topic, as I'm not the Montreal forum host. -Steve

Marlene, how are the wine markups at Ruth's Chris Toronto compare with Queue de Cheval steakhouse in Montreal(the most criticized Montreal restaurant at eG Montreal, for highest wine markups)? I believe you have eaten at Queue de Cheval several times already. -Steve

Pete Varvaro Jr. is son of The Main(opposite Schwartz's) founder/owner Pete Varvaro Sr.. Pete never worked at Schwartz's. His fries won the 'Best Fries in Montreal' contest in the Montreal Gazette 4+ years ago. He first opened Smoked Meat Pete around 1997 at a different much smaller location also in Ile Perot, and moved to his current location in 2000. I like his smoked meat very much. Personally the most important thing, is getting smoked meat with lots of fat(always order it medium-fat). Medium is too lean for me. -Steve

When I went by Le Petit Milos close to 3 weeks ago, it was closed then(same sign at the door was posted). -Steve

Cafe Olympico reopened at their old location Saturday. Now the whole establishment is non-smoking. They had been operating at a temporary location very close by, following the fire. -Steve

That sounds reasonable. -Steve

.. and also the continuing thing with their group of restaurants(Buena Notte & Globe), being caught earlier for using the Zapper software. It doesn't look good at all for Hotel Godin. -Steve