Vanessa L.

There is no sommelier program in English in Montreal, or at least none that I have found. There is a fantastic one at George Brown college in Ontario though. If anyone finds an english one in this city that is well regarded please let us know.

Best greasy spoon, Cosmos or Moe's corner snack bar on the corner of Lambert-closse and de Maisonneuve, right across from the old forum. It's open 24 hours and if you're not in the mood for eggs, get a Big Ed burger and strawberry milkshake (drool!). Best breakfast potatoes in the city belong to Le Petit Pistou on the corner of Mount Royal and de la Roche. If you want meat for breakfast and are into NDG, go to Mesquite. This place does some great southern style BBQ dishes for lunch and dinner (pulled-pork, brisket, etc.) Their breakfasts include some of the same stuff and are reasonably priced. For fun decor, I love Bagel's etc. Their blintz's are great. And there's always Chez Claudette if you need a poutine to accompany your eggs. Lastly, Sala Rossa does the best Huevos Rancheros! Make sure you get it with a side of chorizo sausage. I think they only do brunch on Sunday though.

The service at Le St-Christophe in Ste-Rose, just north of the city is fantastic. Warm and professional without being intrusive. Also north of the city is a little place called Le Petit Prince in Morin Heights (the Laurentians) right near the ski hill of the same name. Gaietan (I don't know how to spell it) is the owner and maitre d'. By far the gentlest most considerate host. They used to do an "all you can eat" lamb night on Thursday's that was amazing. His caribou is still the best I've ever had.

I used to work at a place where the Bloody Mary's and Caesar's (I think those might be a Canadian thing) were made with horseradish AND a little dijon mustard added to the other typical condiments. Lots of Tobasco. This thing was practically like drinking a meal and it had its fair share of loyal fans. They were great to start the night off if you were starving and were only planning on doing tapas or cocktail food. To avoid the chunks I just kind of let them settle to the bottom and made sure to order another before my sipping got there.

I work in the catering industry and have worked alongside Dansereau as a bartender. They have half decent food and are relatively well organized, but I found them to have trouble finishing a job. They left boxes of fresh seafood behind in the client's garage and didn't organize any of their rentals before leaving the site. Just a warning. Call Kristine at C3 events at 282-9292. She has a handle on all the large catering companies in the area. Good luck