iharrison

Good news Canada. As the field producer for the Montreal episode of No Reservations, I have been frantically seeking assurances that the show will air at some point in our home and native land. Finally, this morning, I received this from CTV Travel: Hello Ian, We are going to be premiering the program starting Wednesday February 1st, at 9 PM Eastern Time and this will be it's regular timeslot. Although I don't have a firm airdate for a Montreal/Quebec episode, you can check our schedule on our website at http://www.ctvtravel.ca/schedule/detail.asp and it should give you a heads up as to when the episode will go to air. Also, when I have a firm date I will try to send an email to you informing you of the firm airdate/time.

All right, I jumped to conclusions. My bad. At the same time, you were unclear. After digesting your initial comment ("This is what we need in this forum (hint, hint to some people around here)."), I actually reread the thread from the beginning to see who you were referring to. I didn't twig on cook-em-all since, sf&m's rejoinder notwithstanding, he was not out of line in asking whether jfl91 is in the business (eG policy is that people with a vested interest in a concern under discussion are supposed to declare it). On the other hand, your comment came in a thread about high-end wines started by someone who had recently and repeatedly enjoined people, including me, to stop talking about Quebec wines or certain Quebec wines because, as far as I can tell, they aren't up to his exalted standards. I connected the dots. Unfortunately they weren't the right ones. You have my apology. And, yes, I'm touchy on this issue. Some members of this group have, at one time or another, tried to throw a wet dishrag on discussions about ethnic food and holes in Montreal's gastronomic tapestry. That kind of censorship and blind boosterism is abhorent. IMHO, of course. Funny you should mention the Reichl thread, as your condescending tone and refusal to reply to polite questions or support your claims there or to continue the discussion on this forum also set me up to assume the worst about your comments above. As for real names, eGullet has the good sense to recognize that many participants have valid reasons for using pseudonyms and not to impose a real names policy. There's been considerable discussion of this on other fora; see Anonymity when posting on food and wine boards for the most recent example. And besides, implementing such a policy would deprive brave real-namers of so many opportunities for one-upmanship... ← Apology accepted.

What is it about you newly arrived high-end event lovers that leads you try to tell other participants, many of whom have been around this forum for far longer than you and contributed much more to its success, what they should and shouldn't be discussing? carswell, relax. You don't even know me. "Newly arrived high-end event lovers"? What is THAT? I wasn't trying to tell anybody here what they should or shouldn't be discussing. I've been around here long enough to participate and damn, even if I just joined, I have a right to express my opinion, just as much as ANY member. I was just happy that someone shared the news about the tasting menu. I think the forum would benefit with more event notices like that, whether they be high-end, medium-end or low-end. Jeez. What is with all the bitterness? Did I strike a chord? As for the name change, I'm making a statement about the sketchiness of anonymity in these forums, an issue once raised bravely by Lesley Chesterman. So yes, call me iharrison now. My name is Ian Harrison and my cell is 514 583 3290. If you have a personal problem with me, give me a call and we can discuss it like civilized humans. But don't ream me out for no good reason. It's low and probably beneath you.

Freakin', eh. Way too many posts about affordable eateries, local produce, inexpensive wines, shopping and <shudder> ethnic food. Far too few posts about celebrities, their hangers-on and would-be hangers-on. I mean, we're from Montreal, our standards are high! Thank gawd someone's talking about $300 tastings of overextracted, overoaked, overhyped, overpriced wines served to Beautiful and Very Important People in chic and exclusive settings. Guess sometimes it takes an infrequent contributor to tell the regulars how they should lead their lives. Thanks! ← Whoa dude, chill with the hostility. I was simply agreeing with sf&m that it's nice to read these announcements from time to time, regardless of whether the poster has a "vested interest" in the restaurant. If you read my past posts, you'll see that I've delved plenty into affordable eateries, local produce and ethnic food, most recently in a mini-spat with Vinfidel in a Ruth Reichl thread.

Man, you guys are incredible. This is an awesome list to choose from. If any of you ever make it to Montreal, I am hooking you UP. Just post in the Montreal forum. Katie, I probably won't be there Friday for lunch but Amada looks great. Thanks.

Awesome, awesome. This is gold! Appreciate it!

Great info, thanks for sharing! This is what we need in this forum (hint, hint to some people around here). Do we know the price of the tasting menu?

That's like going out in the North Woods and picking a favorite star out on a clear night. Whaddaya like? Got much time for that lunch to travel to the extreme ends of town? Concerned by the idea of moderately dangerous dining? ← Anything except pretentious high end crap ... I'm from Montreal so I have high standards ;-) ... gimme hidden gems, places the locals know and love but out-of-towners not in the know rarely venture to. I don't mind dishing out mucho dinero if it's absolutely worth the money mind you ...

I'm headed to Philly for a weekend in late Feb and need restaurant advice. Two breakfasts, one lunch, two dinners ... where should I absolutely eat? From high end to casual, throw every suggestion my way please! Thanks.

It's been several years since my last visit to South Beach but I'm headed back this Jan 25-29. Where should I absolutely eat and where should I absolutely not eat? Also, if anyone has any way for me to scam a sweet deal on a room at the Delano, Shore Club or like hotels, please feel free. I'd be indebted. Gracias.

Excellent, thank you all. I thought I saw a degustation on the website ... there was one for $75 I could have sworn. But alas, the dinner was cancelled because of the storm. So my report will have to wait.

Lesley gave it an excellent review back on November 26.

Going to Laloux tonight, is it worth going for the full degustation? I rarely turn down that opportunity anywhere. Help.

Joe Beef will be closed for three weeks during the holidays ... re-opening either Jan 12 or 15, Fred told me today and now I can't remember, damn

I hope Ruth has the sense to not place any faith in your horribly misguided opinions of Montreal. To say that the city does not have good ethnic food is absolutely ludicrous and frankly, insulting.

I agree with Lesley about homegrown Montreal chefs but must vehemently disagree with Vinfidel about the lack of great ethnic eats in the city. Do you really live in Montreal? I wonder. Ruth poses a great question: does a city need to have great ethnic food to be a great food city? Fortunately in Montreal, we need not concern ourselves with this dilemma. As someone with extensive world travel experience, I speak not as someone who has never left the city. I can devour an ethereal goat roti, wonderful falafel, superb empanada, delectable bowl of pho and authentic lamb korma all within several blocks of each other on Victoria Ave. And that is one street Vinfidel. Where do you hang out? Westmount? Yes, I was the field producer for an episode of Bourdain's No Reservations set in Montreal and the province of Quebec as a whole. We shot the episode two weeks ago. I hardly see the relevance, but there it is.

The show will most likely air sometime next June and it should be available in Canada by then, although on what network is a mystery ...

How wrong you are about Montreal Vinfidel. Terribly off the mark on all fronts. Quebec City is quaint by comparison and although Lesley Chesterman (not Chestermint) did laud it in a recent article, she would never tout it as a food city in the same vein as Montreal. But Ruth knows this already. A future issue of Gourmet will attest to that, as will an imminent episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations.

For the record, I like the blueberry ... almost as much as I like the girl behind the counter, her name escapes me now, who I met two Saturdays ago. What a beauty.

I was the field producer for the No Reservations Montreal/Quebec episode that shot here a couple of weeks ago and Jean Talon market was a must. Did you introduce yourself Salomon? I wrote a post last month with the announcement that Bourdain would be in Montreal and the province as a whole with his production crew but I suppose that got lost in the thread shuffle. Lesley Chesterman wrote a great piece in her notebook in last Saturday's Gazette about the whirlwind week he spent here.

These are all great, thank you ... but what about Quebec City? LMK!

What is up people, Anthony Bourdain's Travel Discovery show No Reservations is coming to Montreal, Quebec City and parts in between next month. As a fixer for the show, I have the pleasure to choose and book locales that convey the soul of Montreal and Quebec cuisine and culture to viewers all over the world. Montreal is not a problem but I could use some help for Quebec City. If any of you are familiar with Bourdain's style, either from his books or previous show A Cook's Tour, you know what I'm looking for. Unconventional, unique experiences, wacky characters that double as ambassadors of Quebec cuisine to the outside world, etc. Please send me ideas, any ideas. You can even call me if you wish to discuss further. Ian Harrison 514 583-3290

Le Cartet on McGill has superb coffee I could use a cup or three right now

L'Assommoir on Bernard (corner St. Urbain) serves a great horse tartare

Thanks LC ... Well the menu changes every day which is cool but I ate foie gras with a homemade fig newton, bacon and wild mushrooms, rabbit, a killer halibut dish with shellfish and Nolly Pratt, Cortez oysters and various other insane fresh fat oysters ... desserts were superb and playful, pot de creme with grape jelly, thick hot chocolate and assorted melon balls with lemon sorbet and a muscat soup ... Nice wines by the glass and service with a smile (the waitresses are from Globe, Rosalie and Bronte - no complaints there) ... Plus you have John, the oyster shucking champ behind the bar, so you really can't go wrong - John's in Ireland as we speak, defending his title (good luck dude) ...