Lesley C

Has Claude Pelletier ever gotten a negative review? Too bad Nicolas Jongleux isn't around anymore to give his opinion. He would have a hell of a lot to say on the subject.

OK, I got the name of the place from the Debeur Web site (http://pages.infinit.net/debeur/horaireTV.html) It's: MARCHÉ DE LA VILLETTE 324, rue Saint-Paul Ouest, Old Montréal Tel.: 514-807-8084

He appears to be very old school. I saw his store profiled on the -- ahem-- Debeur show (hate the guide, like the show). His foie gras looks quite nice as well and he makes all his own sausages. Definitely one to check out.

Culatello, you picked the wrong critic to prepare your banquet; Philippe Molle happens to be an excellent chef (ask Francoise Kayler or Robert Beauchemin, and you might have a point). The fact that Molle is still a working chef may be the problem here. He's obviously comparing his style to the style of a restaurant like Cavalli. I was excited to hear Molle was going to review restaurants, but after reading a few, I've lost all interest. The guy ordered tuna and calamari when he went to Vargas Steak House. He barely eats any food and often skips desserts. I mean really, what the hell is that? Half-assed, and I wouldn't hesitate to say it to his face. ace, that critic is now dead, so, your wasting your shame. Look, you can shit on critics as much as you like, but trust me no one is complaining when they get a good review. Well...almost no one. Ask Angelo Baggio what he thinks of critics, or Norman Laprise, or Romano Nadir.

What about that French butcher across the street from Olive and Gourmando? He makes confit. Anyone tried it?

I was there again Saturday night. Lots to like here but I'm not quite as enthusiatic as you Identifiler. The ventilation is a big problem at this restaurant. I sat in a noisy room full of bacon fat smoke all night. Not too pleasant. Anyway, I'll save the details for Saturday's review.

Reading Grimes, I always was under the impression he was a portly man of 50 who wore a bowtie, ordered martinis and hung out with a chicken in his backyard. On the audio, he sounds like a hip 35-year-old. Does anyone know how old he is?

YOSHI sushi? I thought that new place was going to be called FLOW. And when the heck is it opening anyway.

December 9-20

It's truffles baby!! Nine-course menu, $110. I'd post the menu but I can't cut and paste the document I received. Maybe the Chevres boys will post details. Looks awfully good!

Steve, I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't cancel anything. Your radio friend, whoever he is, is dreaming. PM me if you like but please keep this stuff off the board.

I spent two frustrating months trying to make bread from Nancy Silverton's Breads from La Brea Bakery book and probably went through 10 kg of organic flour to keep my bloody starter alive (I once brought it to a friends house to make sure I didn't miss a feeding). The bread I ended up with after all the fuss, was hardly worth the trouble. I can imagine that this book might help a commercial baker get started, but it's a disaster -- as well as a massive waste of time and money -- for the home baker. I don't think I've baked any bread, save for pizza dough, at home since that fiasco.

BTW, the production of foie gras is illegal in Canada, save for Quebec.

Another welcome to chef Antoine . Especially if he is who I think he is. Fireweed, I missed the Pius report in the paper about the money. Can you supply more details. Who is taking the heat for this one? The school principal?

I was at that whisky dinner and wrote about it in last week's Gazette (it should still be on the site). It was quite wonderful.

I'm not too sure what the release date is of the new book. And I'm happy to hear about the radio booking. Wish someone would tell me.

Funny, I'm not too wild about the Creme d'Antan. It sometimes has a metallic taste. But I love, love, love the milk. Everyone should buy d'Antan products because the company is having major problems these days (thanks to the dairy bureau ).

Look hard and you will find quite a few items on your list (as Identifiler said, for Meyer lemons, olives and the mushrooms, you don't have to go much further than the J-T market). If you don't find them, chances are the product did come into the city at one time, and just sat on the shelf. Quebec is a leading manufacturer of powdered buttermilk, but you can't find an ounce of it in our supermarkets. I'm told there just isn't a market for it. My local Metro store used to carry some fantastic Thai chilis, but it turns out I was the only person buying them. But things are slowly changing for the better. And look how much we do have. For instance there are close to 300 brands of cheese in this province. Also, if you talk to store owners, they will often go out of their way to order whatever you want. I wanted Cavolo Nero a few weeks ago and I found it after about three calls. I also talked to an organic farmer who is willing to start growing it next year if there's demand. BTW, you can always make the creme fraiche. I know, I know, it's not the same as the real stuff. But at least you don't have to schlep over to the market. There's a ton of food and booze available in this city. Wine wise, things should be looking up in 2004 when the SAQ lifts the moratorium on new products. You'll find "surprising gaps" in any city's gastronomic credentials -- save, perhaps, for NY. Try finding sushi in Avignon, or peanut butter in Lyon. I can buy a good baguettes and croissants at three places five minutes from my front door. Not bad. As for the restaurants, gripe if you want about "first-rate" ethnic eateries and a lack of European-style starred restaurants. But we have a vibrant chef scene here and a ton of excellent local ingredients. Toque!'s moving into spiffy new digs. That's exciting. The boys at Les Chevres have a great looking mushroom menu going right now and that's exciting. Rumours are running that A BIG FRENCH CHEF might soon be opening up something here, and that's exciting too.

You can make pretty good confit using Crisco. I kid you not.

Thank you Robert (no I'm not kissing his ass, I mean that sincerely ). I'm glad you have a place to put the end to such rumours. I was once accused by a pretty crazy restaurateurs of only giving good reviews to people who paid for them. It was the most ridiculous and insulting comment I ever heard. I don't know where people get these ideas. I guess they saw it in a movie somewhere. HOWEVER, there are guides in Montreal that do only include restaurants that pay to be included, such as the Tourisme Montreal Guide and others (I don't know about the Guide Debeur). But the Tourisme Montreal guide is more of a listing. No real reviews are included (though sometimes they lift quotes from old newspaper reviews).

Hi Amy, welcome to eGullet. You must have been pretty surprised to come upon this thread, but it's actually a pretty good representation of eGullet -- not the tension, but the fact that so many people close to the industry are posting. Thanks for clearing up the details concerning the flying arrangements -- and everything else. (no butt kissing here, I mean that sincerely )

OK, this just in from Mr. Tastet: "En ce qui concerne les ragots dont tu me fais part au sujet du Guide Restos Voir, je suis, comme toujours, émerveillé par le nombre de conneries que les gens peuvent échanger via internet. Ce serait vraiment bien que les personnes qui colportent des choses aussi énormes et aussi ridicules appuient leurs dires de faits réels. Do I care to comment? What do most reasonable people do when they see dog poop on the sidewalk?" In other words, no, restaurants do not pay to be featured in the guide.

BTW, I'd like to point out that this year's Guide Resto Voir is being compiled by Jean-Philippe Tastet (formerly of Le Devoir) who is now at Voir. For those who didn't know, Robert Beauchemin is now at La Presse, and therefore no longer in charge of Voir's guide. Thank you. Carry on.

In the restaurant he was at Le Petit Toscan. But he also works at Cafe Melies (where the sit-down interview took place).

Thanks Steve. And Guru, you know what you can kiss... Oh, and I guess I should take back all the nice things I said about Les Chevres. I wouldn't want anyone to think I was kissing your butt.