Lesley C

This award is a travesty BECAUSE CCeP was robbed. As for Claude not caring, I wouldn't bet the farm on that. If they didn't care, why boycott the award ceremony? To show how much they don't care perhaps. But that's what they did, and I applaud them for that. And, you know, it's a shame they don't care. This award could be meaningful. Perhaps Chris Johns had no idea what was going on behind the scenes at Garcon, and one could even argue that he shouldn't know what's going on behind the scenes. But considering all the press hype En Route gets going about this award, the big plaques they give out, and the parties they throw, it's a shame they don't do SOME research on the place.

Le Club Chasse et Peche was robbed.

I agree. There were a dozen stands, no restaurant pastry chefs (save for the stellar Patrice Demers) and not a single chocolate company. Sad really, Montreal can surely do better.

Carswell, did you consider brokerage fees? I have been jabbed -- big time -- on brokerage fees that sometimes amount to half of the price of the item purchased. Well of course that's quite a range between a box of chocolates and a coffee machine. Nevertheless, be sure the UPS guys don't nail you with them. I have sent back two items due to ludicrous brokerage fees.

I thought she had a new chef. And now she's posting for another new one? What did that last, a week? This award is a travesty. It's as if the chef doesn't even count. It's all concept. And come to think of it, their concept isn't that strong either. The restaurant that was described in the En Route press relase is hardly the place I visited when it opened. Of course, En Route can do as they please. But I don't think it's fair to the restaurants that came second to an establishment with no chef at the time the prize was handed out.

Unfortunately I wasn't there long enough to get to all the restos on my list, and those included Toast, Panache and Yuzu. I was only there for 3 days and it poured with rain the whole time. Thank God for the restaurants. As for the other places, there's always next year...

So true.

I concur with J-P. It's really that good. Chairs are uncomforatble though, so consider bringing along a pillow!

Susan Spungen, the long-time food editor of Martha Stewart Living has a book coming out this week, Recipes: A Collection for the Modern Cook. Smart one that Ms. Spungen, should be good. Nice to see her coming out from behind the Diva's shadow.

Um, I'm not here to defend Malcolm, however I can't sit back and accept a comment like that. Did someone in management tell you that flat out? Or is it an assumption on your part? As someone who actually writes for The Gazette, I can tell you I never been swayed that way, or for that matter in any way. In fact, the stories about expensive products are often of most interest to them, for instance the one I wrote this morning about white truffles, which made page 1. I agree with cook-em-all, if you aren't happy contact the paper, and to be more specific, the editor of that section.

It's the closing dinner of Montreal Passion Vin, and it's sold out. There's always next year...

for sure now raza and garcon will not have trouble filling their seats this winter Well we'll see. So will Garcon's new chef, who started today. Or is it next Tuesday? Not quite sure.

Have you been to Raza? It's really a terrific little restaurant.

As I just posted on the Vancouver board, good for Montreal but too bad he got the numbers mixed up. I would prefer to leave it at that.

Just for fun, the menu of the Guigal closing dinner at this weekend's Montreal Passion Vin. BANQUET DE CLÔTURE – E. GUIGAL Chef Richard Bastien – Leméac Canapés et champagne Saumon fumé Leméac sur pain brioché et beurre moutardé Tartare de cerf à l’huile de truffe Shooter de fumet de crabe * Médaillon de homard, poire asiatique et bourgots de l’Atlantique, jus parfumé au gingembre et au safran * Bar bio de Nouvelle-Zélande, trompettes de la mort, haricots coco, fumet de crustacés, réduction de vin rouge * Carré de caribou du Nunavut, choux rouge braisé, sauce gibier aux airelles sauvages * Fondue de Valbert sur pain aux noix * Soupe de fruits rouges, sirop à l’hibiscus et basilic, sabayon froid au citron et gousse de vanille Wines that will be presented: Condrieu La Doriane 2004 Hermitage blanc 2003 Saint-Joseph Vignes de l’Hospice 2002 Côte-Rôtie Château d’Ampuis 2001 Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 2000 Côte-Rôtie La Turque 2000 Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 2000 (edited to add wines)

I was 100% not involved in this year's rating

Yeah, it's just too bad he got the numbers mixed up

I fell off my chair

Talk to Angelo, he's the importer. They even sell it there. And for a taste of the best Almeida, try the Porcelana chocolate. I think that's what it's called. It's the one with the flowery wrapper -- very rare and very expensive.

Lenotre Belgian chocolate? Not quite. Lenotre put its name on a couverture by Cacao Barry, which in turn was bought by Callebaut to make Barry Callebaut. I guess it's a round about way to call Lenotre Belgian, but I would think they would prefer thinking of themselves as French.

Charlie Trotter was the guest chef at Toque! twice here in Montreal. I paid $300 for that meal (with wine) and it really wasn't worth even that. Why? Because Trotter has a different service style than most restaurants and it flubbed up the entire service. So wine was poured before plates arrived, or vice versa. I spoke to a waiter about it and he said it was just impossible to adapt to his style on such short notice. Also the portions were beyond small, and really, nothing was spectacular. When he came back the next year I didn't even give it a second thought. I would definitely like to dine at Trotter's, but in his own house, not as a guest chef.

Yikes, and a follow-up letter about that very article www.montrealmirror.com/2005/102005/letters.html (I swear I didn't write it!)

Apparently this place was recently profiled in The Mirror. As for negative comments, SteveW, take a good hard look at the posts. There haven't been any. I made critical comments about another place on St-Denis Street.

You know Tom, I don't really give a stuff what you think and I find it interesting that you assume that I can't afford things when in fact it's a case of chosing not to buy rather than not being able to buy. Big difference. The reason I would hesitate to buy such costly oil is that there are so many good ones for less that are still considered expensive. Also, in cases like this, my thought is that there are a few middle men getting rich in the process. Buy what you want. Bathe in the stuff. Massage your feet with it. Toss it down the drain. Fry French fries with it. I don't care. But I don't see the need for such extravagance, and I'm already a pretty extravagant food shopper.

Cook's Illustrated did a big vanilla extract tasting and they found no difference in baked goods between artificial and the real stuff. So go ahead and toss your money away on the good stuff, but I have bills to pay. That said, I do use beans for custards, creme anglaise and poaching liquid for pears.