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anachemia

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Posts posted by anachemia

  1. I never lived in suburbs so far, it always was city - be it in Canada or abroad, but I never had an opportunity to live in between old abandoned factories...  :blink:

    Okay, so let me get this straight. You say you want to live in a more "happening" part of Montreal than the West Island, but you don't want to live in or be near (1) older housing stock, (2) emerging areas with mixed development, or (3) suburbs. Hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but if you're looking for foodie hotspots, that's pretty much all our fair city has to offer you.

    Yes, we are different than Ontario and the rest of North America. We are poorer as a society, our housing stock is undoubtedly older and shabbier in patches, and our neighbourhoods are not sanitized for your protection. But if you are not able to see through these factors to the true beauty this city has to offer, you are really missing out.

    Keep in mind, you initiated this thread asking for us to recommend foodie-friendly neighbourhoods in Montreal, of which there are 2 fantastic ones - the areas surrounding Atwater and JT markets. You seem to be not only blind but totally closed-minded to the unique and special charms of these wonderful, rich neighbourhoods (particularly JTM), so my advice to you, friend, is to either continue living in safe, sanitized suburbia and be satisfied with Marché de l'Ouest, or follow my earlier suggestion and (say it with me, folks) go back to Ontario.

  2. Dic Ann's just recently opened up a local branch near us on St. Jacques Blvd in NDG, and we have quickly become addicted to their hamburgers, hotdogs & unique sauce. Great fries too, thin & crisp-fried in peanut oil.

    Be prepared to eat them on-site though - I stopped in last night to get some burgers to go, and they refused to put the sauce on the side (!), thus guaranteeing the lower buns would dissolve into mush by the time I got home. Apparently they are paranoid about customers reverse-engineering the special sauce. (C'mon, everyone knows it's just mayo left out in the sun...) ;-)

  3. If you're in the mood for a classic Québecois diner breakfast, I highly recommend Patate Rouge on Crémazie near Saint-Hubert (north side of Metropolitan). Potatoes are perfectly cooked and seasoned, the sausages are tasty, beans are out of this world. Complete absence of pretension here, which is especially nice first thing in the morning ;-)

    La Binerie on Mont-Royal just west of St-Denis is another fairly humble place with great beans. I've only been there for dinner grub myself, but their breakfast menu is quite extensive and seems to offer a good value. Dining room only seats about 15 people though, so I'd imagine the place fills up fast on weekends.

  4. Glad to hear their meat quality may have improved. My husband (a former Texan) and I ate there several months ago and were pretty disappointed. We ordered the brisket and a pulled pork sandwich. The brisket was stringy and tough, and the pork did not have the correct texture for a shoulder cut -- the meat was dried out and chewy, hard to pull off (no pun intended) when you're starting with one of the fattiest chunks of the pig.

    The worst part is, that "pulled" pork sandwich was filled with several large slabs, not even shredded at all! We spoke to the chef and gently suggested the meat was not quite what we'd expected, and he got all defensive and insisted it was totally authentic and cooked perfectly. Didn't exactly inspire us to return.

    Maybe they've gotten better though. Was the pulled pork shredded up properly, as nature intended? How do their ribs compare to other places in town?

  5. Is this place still around? I have to say yes, and no.

    I had never heard of Shan-E before stumbling on this topic earlier today but decided to go check it out. I live not too far away from Lasalle so it wasn't a huge schlep for me. I was impressed with the homecooked quality of the food -- the original poster was right on. Really good stuff.

    Unfortunately, if you can believe it, tonight was their last night in business! The woman running the show is tired of the restaurant business and wants to pursue other things.

    Notably, a party of about 10 longtime regulars brought in a big plant and a card thanking them for years of great food...it was quite touching to observe this. It sounds to me like this place really was a gem.

    Sorry to break the bad news! Thanks for the recommendation, I'm glad I at least got to try this place once.

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