rcianci

Great news... and great site! The horizontal scrolling is very daring. It flies in the face of conventional wisdom about web design. It's a fitting site for a chef who is a bit of a rebel and an iconoclast.

Bad news, folks. The domain broker Point of Impact Technologies has renewed its registration of the aupieddecochon.ca domain for another year. If the folks at APDC want to reopen their website, they are going to have to come up with a new URL or pay Point of Impact an extortionate fee for their old one. I got this information by performing a domain name search at www.whois.ca. Below is the result of that search. "AUPIEDDECOCHON.CA" is registered. Domain Name: aupieddecochon.ca (1108025) Registered: 2004/12/21 Last Modified: 2005/12/06 Expires: 2006/12/21 Registrant: Point of Impact Technologies Inc. (1080298) Demetri Karavas domains@pointofimpact.com (1077693) +1.2049892005

Clicking on the link takes you to the site of the same domain broker who's had the URL for a while now.

Also, Single Pebble is now in Burlington at 133-35 Bank St.

Here is a basic answer: The Pulblic Markets of Montreal

Brunoise, which is open on Mondays, is on the corner of Rue Roy and St. Andre.

So what about the Joe Beef restaurant? Is it on the site of Charles McKiernan's tavern? Is it a temple of carnivorousness? Do they serve offal? Will a portion of the profits go to charity? Could someone please satisfy an out-of-towner's curiosity?

The Mist Grill has excellent, creatively prepared food. They participate in the Vermont Fresh Network which means they commit to sourcing quality local ingredients. I see from their menu that they they have more vegetarian options than ever. The dining room is a fairly dramatic space being the former mill room and adjacent to a waterfall. Some pieces of the dining room furniture are made from the wooden components of the mill itself. I think it likely you and your families will enjoy your meal there.

In Burlington, check out A Single Pebble, a truly great Chinese Restaurant. Try the Red Pine Chicken and the Mock Eel. Also check out L'amante, Italian style presentation and service using great local ingredients. Signature dish: deep fried squash blossoms stuffed with tallegio cheese and drizzled with Tuscan honey and truffle oil.

How could I forget the Wayside? Their pies are to die for! Especially the maple cream. Plus, in among the typical diner offerings you'll find real old-timey regional dishes such as creamed salt cod, fried pickled tripe, and eggs poached in maple syrup. They offer venison stew during hunting season and fresh lake perch in Winter. And the prices are ideal for a student on a budget.

No Vietnamese places in Montpelier as of yet. I have to drive 45 minutes to Burlington for a bowl of pho. On a side note, I tried the Black Door last night. It's a bistro in name only. New American (crab cakes, fancy burgers) is what they do. Food was good, especially the venison pot stickers. See you around town in your checks and whites.

My favorite restaurants in Montpelier are Connoscenti's (sophisticated Italian), and Royal Orchid (Thai). I haven't tried the Black Door (French bistro meets American comfort food) yet, but I hear from my friends that it's very, very good. The New England Culinary Institute runs several pretty good places. Try the Sunday brunch at the Main St. Grill and Bar or the cakes and pastries at La Brioche. One of the most charming things about Montpelier is its small size. All of the places I've mentioned are, at most, a three minute walk from each other. Welcome to my home town.

Opaline is a very small, very intimate French restaurant with an art gallery in its basement. The food is excellent and the wine list interesting. It is a little difficult to find as it is located down a rather deserted looking alley. If you are looking for a younger crowd, I would suggest L'Amante. Try the fried squash blossoms with Tuscan honey and truffle oil. You will thank me.

Paul, that's dead on. A lot of web designers forget that their first job is to provide an information service. They get side-tracked playing with techie toys like Flash. There are some decent Montreal restaurant websites. Anise and Brunoise, for example, both seem to do a good job in updating their online menus with seasonal changes.

Au Pied du Cochon's website has been down for about a month. Also it appears as though they've given up their domain as well. Oh well. I thought it was a fun site though God knows they never, ever updated it. I will sort of miss it. I used to like to log on to the site from time to time. It would remind me of my last visit to the restaurant and the fun I had there. Though I haven't read any postings about Au Pied du Cochon in a while, I assume it's still there and still great as ever. Does anyone know if they're planning something else in the way of a web presence?

Conosenti's in Monpelier, an often overlooked gem.

I was served fresh wasabi a couple of weeks ago at Soto on McGill. I was sitting at the sushi bar and they grated the root right in front of me. Very fresh and biting. I loved it.