sf&m

Two new flavours: Dark Chocolate & Blueberries Pear and Ice Cider The Chocolate and blueberries is an accurate sorbet rendition of the Quebec Chocolate Covered Bluberries. Dark cocolate with and blueberry tang finish just like the "real thing". The Pear and Icecider is similarily a pear opening with a apple cider finish.. Personally I prefer the single flavour sorbets but these are interesting addition to the HaG palette Would be interesting if they could do some fall flavours like plum, or how about ground cherries? That's an elusive rich flavour. And isn't the french name for them "amour en cage" ?

Here's the thing.... You're not handing over your reviews for free.... you're making an investment to build an audience. If you get that audience, you can monetize it. Besides, if your Flavourville manuscript is sitting in your desk drawer, it's not doing you nor anyone else any good. And Google pays hard cold cash far as I know... of course I don't know if it would cover the Parisian Fall Haute Coutur budget of a hot shot Montreal resto critic.... might pay for the gloves I suppose...

Ok, from the perspective of a Montreal fine dining critic on top of her game, I agree Flavourville may be "out-of-date". But from someone who is visiting Montreal and has never been to L'Express etc it's not. I've used it a lot, still do, and everyone visting from Californa uses it. There is more to Montreal fine dining than the latest trendoid as we all know. A compact professional guide like Flavourville is very useful. Sorry it's out of print. To bad you can't update it. Actually you should put it on the web. Cull what's fallen by the wayside. Do some updates. If your files are reasonably organised it could be put on the web in a few days work. Seriously. You put some Google ads on each page and I am fairly sure you'd make enough for a few nice resto visits per month. And some. With very little extra work. And if you're up for it.... update it regularly with your new reviews. Do you have web rights or can you get the copyright back from ECW?

Annapin, it would be hard to forgoe CC&P and their Foi Gras and Suckling Pig Risotto. MAybe the signature Montreal dish in the last 2 years. And not just that. CC&P ambiance and cool casual service will bring you to another level in fine dining. IMHO. Otherwise if you're looking for top-of-the-line not too expensive Bistro, Bistro Leméac fullfills all the requirements. After 10 pm they serve a Table d'Hot for $22 and it's at a very high level everyday, year in year out. And after Leméac you can take a 15minute stroll down Laurier, turn left on St Laurent, 1 1/2 block to BU for some wine tasting. A nice Champagne flight for instance. You will be very happy by the end of the evening!

Looks good - and you can easily "BU" pre/post. What's the price level?

Yep, and the two pints-for-5 don't last long do they.... I think there is two left... They are from Les Tomates de M. Plante, Mirabel, QC. http://www.jardindessaveurs.ca You can also get them delivered to your house via the program at http://www.jardindesanges.com/ Great source of oldfashioned organic tomatoes ..... Also, while you're at it check out the Iles de la Madeleine ham in the next stall.... ..... Also, this year (first??) I am seeing those small "Lebanese" cucumbers (grown here). They are available at the regular tomato stands. Great sliced up with M Palntes tomatoes and some good olive oil.... ahhh... summer....

For those who did not get an issue of the Gourmet Montreal Issue.... Librairie Gourmand at JTM has batch available NOW! /gth

Ok, so I went! No, ariel i not a Jun I competitor. The chef and sous-shef are japanese but the food is french inspired. With a few asiatic twists. The japanese input is more on the estetics and presentation. Hardly anyone there and I set at the bar where "Karen" served up an excellent Mojito. This was a quick off-the-cuff sampler visit so I elected to just have the "Tartare de Boef Asiatique". Coarsely shopped beef served with "egg confit" (a barely coagulated egg yolk) and sweet potato chips. I was first servced a small amuse-bouch a filo parcel with a lamb ragou.... very tasty Les caprice used to be a fine dining (french) resto and they are now trying to reposition to a more informal space as ariel. Same owner. A small menu with 7 appetizers and 6 mains. Very simple minimalistic format. No table d'hot or tasting menu. The logo presentation is: Ariel Bar à vin | Cuisine local They opend last Saturday and I would say they are still quite tentative in their new format. Certainly worth a repeat with company.

Well, to answer my own question. They are open. Les Caprices de Nicolas website is still functional and the phone number listed there goes to Ariel. Always wanted to try Les Caprices de Nicolas, now it's too late, but I am going to Ariel!

Ahh.... sounds very interesting. Jun I competition? So it is not open yet? ..... any ETA?

COME OOONN!! That's just about the must disgusting piece of xxxx I've heard in a long time. Foodnetwork - Ah... didn't think they could sink any lower. Wrong. A new height in low. And that's not to even getting into the condecending goat herding Quebec village, B.S. These people have no shame???? Obviously NOT. Hmmm, this got to be some kind of some kind of sick joke..... to see the reaction... oh, well.

<delurk> Ribo, nothing weired happend. I think they have a post checking system that triggers on certain words and pops up the post on a management screen. Nothing bad was said unless you take it completely out of context and have no sense of humour. Like a computer program. But I could see why they need a program like that to stop flame wars from bursting open. Carry on with your excellent postings from the Montreal resto scene. I will be listening in.. </delurk>

Good service, bad service.... I guess I'd better zip it up and go away, since all I seem to acomplish is getting threads closed. And poor Carswell mangled. Sorry folks!! It's lurkin' time. Over and Out.

Did not get to spend a ot of time there, but did enjoy it. 1. Tasted a couple of nice Primitivo vines - that's supposedly the same grape as Zinfandel. Elegant old world Zin so to speak. DeParkerized California Zinfandel. Not fancy IGT wines from Puglia. Check out Primitivo Canaletto 2003 Casa Girelli. Code 00597021. $15 per bottle. 2. Went to a Banyul seminar. A white Banyul which name escapes me at the moment was perfect with foi gras. Never had white Banyul before. Memorable. The red Helyos Banyul 2002 was suberb... $72 at SAQ. Seems the were more Italian then French wine represented. I only went on Thursday afternoon and Sunday so not at "peak hours" so the show looked a bit slow compared to the Ottawa Wine and food show in November. Hopefull the kids held the Montreal party flag high on Friday and Saturday night. To bad it's only held every other year. But I can understand why. The wine agents mount some very expensive booths. A bit confusing with the agency system and wines from all regions under each umbrella. Finaly we had the regular booth babe marketing ploy. How about Tequila Rose (yeah, that's pink Tequila) represented by two VERY curvy Senoritas poured into pink tight dresses. I loved it!!

CC&P come to mind, the way totally professional service is handed out, without the fawning and without even breaking a bead of sweat.

I was there last Saturday and enjoyed myself immensely. Had Oyster tripple (three preps), Scallops (seared on one side) and the signature roasted pig risotto with foi gras. Veggies as a seperate platter. - Forget what oysters they were, natural prep was outstanding - Excellent Scallops, maybe too simple prep? - Risotto did not reach the highs of last time - have no idea why. (less foi gras?? rice to heavy? difficult dish) - Frankly the Veggie platter was the high light. 4-5 very distinctive flavours. VERY good. One problem might have been I was not having any wine (dinner company did not want any), it's amazing how wine can manage your palate perception!! One really need to drink wine with such excellent food. It's great, great restaurant, this time maybe hitting a downbeat, but that will certainly not keep me away. These guys are presenting food and environment that is sophisticated, clean and deceptively simple, so there is nowhere to hide. The ride will be different each night. And oh, the lobster was poached in butter. Keller, FL style I guess. Butter is good!! But Lobster is really an inferior shellfish. Don't now why folks insists when Dungeness crab are in season. An east coast thing I suppose. Then.. I never had butter poached lobster, so may I should shut up. /gth

Oops, ribo.... you might be right there! La Paryse is mighty good though - for a burger food fest. La Banquise is at 994 Rachel at Montana. I remember driving by several times before I found it - very late. Open all night. Was the oldest in there. By a factor of 2!. Spuds are highly fried (double) right? Toto, Que lait cru is worth going to also for sure. Great butter and a selection of Fromentier baguettes (best in town). I just like the pace at MdS which is definetly a destination for a visitor. Combination is good!

Great advice you've got there NYC Mike. May I add some "contrarian" input? From a California expat. What can you say about your lunch/dinner dates? Terrific, au courant and chef's driven. Outstanding Montreal! Go! But there might be another side of Montreal you might check out between the driven chefs. A more food oriented, worked in reality that probaly more Montrealers enjoy and can afford as part of their regular life. A side of the Unique Culture of MOntreal. A bit of Paris. Missing from above are the great Bistros of Montreal. AND.... a great specialty of Montreal...BYOW - BRING YOUR OWN WINE. Imagine whipping out a bottle of your sweetie's favourite Champagne (for starters) followed by that oh so irrestible french red wine that has special significance to HER. We're talking LOVE here, right? And you can bring in two bottels to Canda for free, so that's no problem and you don't have to deal with ornery QC wine monopoly. Quality BYOW restos will OPEN even DECANT your wine and serve it in decent stem ware - for FREE. That's right - no corkage!!! Go figure! It's true! There are others here that can recommend BYOW bistros and restos to you. LAst fall I went to La Colombe corner of Duluth and St Hubert. It's been there for probably 15 years, well worked in, very simple but oh so sophisticated in an understated professional way that's hard to find this side of the Atlantic. Classy! To reserve drop in the day before and request the table at the windowed apex of the room! There are many other bistros even more "romantic". Just ask here. Try some funkiness: -Drop into Bily Kun on Mont Royal and St Denis for a Cheval Blanc "La Blanche" sur lie QC beer. Most refreshing on a hot summer night but works in winter too. Also try the weired orange flavoured Czech drink which name escapes me at the moment. The decor is "interesting". "If it's 5 pm, we are at Bily Kun" - words from my latest California visitors. -Also Cobalt bar on St Paul in Old Montreal a bit west of the touristy section. Live Jazz a few times a week. Even at lunch I think. Open to 3 am. They are cobalt-montreal.com - For Poutine & a Burger and Beer drop into La Paryse on Ontario close to St Denis. "Best in town". - Or even funkier, visit The Mad Hatter on Drummond (?) between Maisonneuve and St Catherine for strickly late night Poutine (only) Beer & Pool working mans crawl. Shudder. But not dangereous. Hmm. But above all - don't leave Montreal without going to L'Express on St Denis. Paris by the St Lawrence. Open to 2 pm. Perfect for any time between lunch and that late or early night restrorative after much drink and love making. Sit at the bar and have the bar man treat you. Your wine glass restored to that just so level after every sip you take. The couple next to you eating and smoking and talking and loving as only French people can. And oh, since I am on a roll here. Please buy your cheese at Marche Des Saveurs at Jean Talon Market. The young staff will package your morsels of fine QC raw cheese like they were Jewels. Also less expensive than Que Lait Cru. Enjoy your stay in Montreal!!!

Yes, chrisamirault.... I guess I started that racket. So I should apologize. Sorry about that. I posted comments that were uncalled for - that pushed peoples buttons - and not appropriate in this forum. Did not see all that it led up to and you had to delete - but I should have known better in the first place. However, I might be inappropriate at times but it's not meant to mean spirted, I can assure you. I'll **try** to wise up.... /gth

Also - thanks for the kind reference to my old summer time JTM Pics. But right now I think we need some chillin' pictures we could look at come the heat of summer. Wintertime, especially with a lot of snow is a wonderful short season in Montreal. Sipping a bowl at Caffe IN while contemplating the JTM foraging dash in 30 below... etc. I missed out on a great opportunity in December. After attending a funeral at the church at Henri Julien and Dante we quietly walked back to JTM with the snow falling in huge clean flakes. Like crystal tears in the dark hair of the woman I was with. We dropped into MdS for some QC provisions after which we tucked into a meaty gratin at Prince Noir. A funeral makes you hungry! I wish I had taken some pictures then. So IF we get a new snowfall, please get out there - take pictures and post them. We need them come summer!!

Hey, that's nice!! More of the same!! Of course coming from they guy Who wrote "Taste of Montreal" (riiight) - without even mentioning French inspired food - it has it's "deficiencies": - Paella? - You're buying French and Dutch Cheese? What's UP?? - Ever heard of Marche des Saveurs and QC cheese? - Eh, Barry.... you're not behind the woodpile anymore.... learn how to hold a coffe CUP. - To bad there was not any more snow. That's nice to remember on a sweltering August Saturday - And then the ultimate insult - %$#@! Swartz!!! Will The day ever come when that abomination is permananetly removed as a Montreal "food" destination??? Not soon enough!!! - Suggestion...... maybe keep to Cote de Niege et environs next time.... I am sure there are lot's of Asian hole-in-the-walls that need exposure... But that's nitpicking!! We need a Montreal foodie podcast!!! It's HUUGE! (Gratitious Inside Tiki Bar ref)

I have been to the Ottawa show the last two years and enjoyed myself immensely. Only place I know of where you can taste about 20 Icewines in a day. (IF you have the stamina.) But if you're interested in *wine* you need to be there early in the day (when they open). At first there is an older crowd and not so noisy and packed. OF course after 6 on Saturday it's a wild trolling party for the under 35 set. This year there wasn't much of high end wine, by the second day I was about to scream if a saw another wine label with a cute critter on it. The saddest was a French "wine" in a carboard box by the name "French Rabbit"..... I was surprised that I liked the format with tasting tickets - at Ottawa - worked better I thought then the frenzy of "free" California taste fests (only entrance fees). Salon des Vins should be fun!

Carswell, I agree with you about the condesending tone of that Toronto Star article.... that cheeky attitude towards Quebec plays in the T. burbs I guess. And maybe the price changes (lower!) are fair. However, how about the fact (?) SAQ tried to get a higher price from their suppliers?? True or false? That's what set me off, p... off as I already was about MdS. I grew up with a very similar system to SAQ in Sweden. Monopoly - now about 9 million people market. Quite similar in yearly turn over to SAQ. LAst I checkd about 12 monhts ago, the Swedish monoploy had about double the sales per employee. Much more efficient. The pressure from the EU has done them good. Stores are moderns, prices are fair (lower than here) and the inventory is much much bigger than most private stores in the US for instance or in nearby private store Denmark. So, I am not a rabid privatizer. The SAQ inventory is great. But reform is sorely needed at SAQ, and some ways has to be found to sever the unholy connection between SAQ and politicians. OR - it will be done for them. It's only a matter of time before Gallo and other big guys set up a lawsuit on NAFTA grounds. The achilles heel - I think - is the SAQ greed in placing cheap bulk wine they import and sell at outrageous markups in grocery stores and depanneurs. I think that can be their undoing, because they are in an open market and they prohibit free trade. I am no legal expert but that's my take... Mainly they need some serious external pressure to reform... Then you have the Kafkaesk situation that the Monopoly granted by the citizen of Quebec is not supporting local taxpaying producers that employs same taxpaying citizen. It's treason.

Is it similar in format to the Ottawa WIne and food show in November?

So restaurants in QC that serve wine can't not open a customers bottle against a corkage fee? What is the grounds for that? I know - stupid question.... but it seems bizarre, since SAQ alreday got their nick when you purchased the bottle. Or does SAQ get a special cut of the resto markup? I guess it must have to do with probiting tourist and travellers from consuming wine they purchased somewhere else. There is always a monetary object to SAQ/Alco law regulations and and don't see this one...