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unreserved

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Everything posted by unreserved

  1. Does anyone know what happened to the "Good Morning Saigon Restaurant" located on Rideau next door to the Theatre (the name escapes me)?
  2. Ottawa: Ma Cuisine in the Market, but it is not as "industrial" as Paradis. I find it a bit pricey and more for the week-end chef - but it's okay to browse before heading for the farmer's market.
  3. Thanks for the leads. So far, I have tested Colonnade and Johnny Pizza. The latter being more to my taste.
  4. Wondering if anyone knows where to get good take out pizza in Ottawa. I am just about ready to give up. Although I am sure it goes without saying, please no "pizza chain" suggestions. Thanks so much.
  5. The goodwill that Brunoise has fostered over its short existence is not only remarkable, but also very well deserved. While I do not believe that Zach needs anyone (least of all me) to vouch for his professionalism, your indiscriminate word-selection would offend any self-respecting individual especially when written on a public forum and by a stranger. Surely, you can understand that cheekycook? Let’s be honest, your admission that the word may have been “harsh” was hardly sincere considering the four sentences that followed your admission. Montrealers who have had the pleasure to dine at Brunoise will likely not be affected by this thread, but in consideration of out-of-towners, I feel compelled to add my own experience of Zach’s friendly and professional character – actually the compliment is from my mother. I took my mother to Brunoise and after our meal Zach came by our table (as is his habit), spoke with us for a few minutes and when he left my mother said, “What a pleasant young man. His mother should be very proud.” For the record, I had no trouble making reservations. In fact, we arrived early and Zach did not flinch and even asked us which of the remaining three tables we would prefer. Very welcoming. Anthony
  6. Salomon, you are a better person than me. If a restaurant only values my business when it is not busy, I could never bring myself to give them my money. Call it stubborn pride, but I think I have ended relationships for less than that
  7. Milos restaurant has now opened in Athens. Although I have not eaten at the Athens location, I have had the pleasure of dining at the original restaurant in Montreal and I know the New York location is a town favourite. The food is authentic Greek, which does not mean souvlaki! I include the website for your benefit: www.milos.ca If this kind of thing is important to you, then you may be interested to know that when in Montreal, most Hollywood types frequent the restaurant.
  8. It absolutely is worth going out of your way. Only when they are closed do I buy elsewhere and I regret it each time.
  9. Yes it does, just a small one, but thanks for asking. We have even added some more simple plates that might better accompany a terrace.
  10. Unless I am losing my mind, I am pretty sure I enjoyed great lamb at DaEmma’s street level (well, sunken garden style) covered terrace.
  11. Greek (not Turkish) baklava and Arabic baklawa are entirely different breeds. Although I must admit that I have not tried the ones at Le Petit Milos, I doubt they would be the same you would find at Adonis (which is not the best place to get baklawa IMO). As for Gelato, I returned from Vienna last week and I am devastated to report that Montreal really does not know Gelato. I sampled (every day) unbelievably delicious Gelato from a place named Zannoni – if someone can get the recipe to that stuff and bring it Montreal, they would rule the Gelato scene hands down.
  12. ...but the best smarties are sold inthe U.K. in tubes.
  13. I’m a bit confused. You state that Montreal lacks “big spenders” and that Montrealers are “frugal”, but you seem to agree that you do not need to spend a lot of money to enjoy a great meal in Montreal. Does that make Montrealers frugal or shrewd? What exactly IS a big spender? Is it someone who overpays for the sake of overpaying? I suspect it would not be someone who eats in Ville St. Laurent and pays half what they would pay at Milos. Does that make you frugal or shrewd? Or, does it mean that despite what you write, your actions support what just about everyone else is saying on this thread. That is, Montreal has a diverse, exciting and unique restaurant scene and its dining crowd need not overspend to enjoy great meals.
  14. I don’t mean to drag this thread, but I am not sure that the matter should be about chef-ownership as much as chef-direction. Realistically, not many chefs can afford to open a restaurant in the downtown core. Usually, this requires a large investment. This is why most chefs work for other people. The trick is to work for someone that recognises a chef’s talent and respects the fact that a restaurant is, ultimately, only as good as its chef. This is also a good time to distinguish an “investor” from an entrepreneur. Investors are usually concerned only with profits, whereas entrepreneurs commit to activities they are passionate about as they invest much more than their money. Good entrepreneurs recognise the value of a good chef, but understand that bills need to be paid and money is required to purchase top quality products, which in turn, allows the chef to shine. There are a number of these “collaborations” in Montreal, many of which have resulted in fine restaurants. To disregard these restaurants on the basis of ownership, would be the equivalent of disregarding an entire group of journalists simply because you disagree with the current concentration of newspaper ownership, which includes the paper they write for. Thank you for making this thread interesting again.
  15. A food critic expresses an opinion derived from an objective evaluation based on a subjective (but hopefully educated) response to the food. Properly, a journalist should present facts and avoid interpretation or opinion. A food critic is not a journalist. There is nothing wrong with this. I believe it is fair to say that most readers of food reviews are less interested to know the number of carrots served on a plate and more interested to know how they taste. I believe your final paragraph reveals that you agree with my rough definition. If so, why shouldn’t a food critic’s review play a pivotal role in the success or failure of a restaurant? What is the point in offering a critical analysis, if not to help your reader make a decision in line with your positive or negative opinion? You state that your role as a food critic is to “unmask the fakes, reveal the mediocres, try to understand the vision of the chef and whether or not he is able to incarnate it in his cooking…”. If your readers defer to your expertise, why shouldn't they follow your opinion/recommendation? If I do not respect a writer’s opinion because I believe the writer to be unqualified, I do not read their work. Were you simply being modest? Finally, if it is not too much trouble, could you define what you mean by supporting the “métier”, what it means to be “pro-chef” and how the “form” of a restaurant can accommodate for this “support”?
  16. Not tried it, but I think it is spelled Ciroc.
  17. Thank you beans. I did try a google search, but did not find anything helpful. I am obviously not as adept as you are at googling. The vinegar soak seems the way to go. Thanks again, your help is greatly appreciated.
  18. Hello, I have my parents old (but beautiful) whiskey decanter set and although I am aware of the dangers of leaving whiskey inside the decanters due to the lead factor, I was wondering if it is still dangerous if I decant on the same day I intend to serve the whiskey to my guests. Does anyone know? Thanks
  19. Assuming that this thread was intended to get opinions from people who have actually dined at some of the restaurants on the list and not a forum for people’s hurt feelings then I would like to add that I was disappointed with the food at Beckta and surprised that it is ranked fourth on the list. I found nothing modern in employing antiquated plate towering – Although the salmon I ordered was not awful, the best I can say about it was that it was not served cold. I was entertaining a Professor from Italy (never mind the fact that the staff insisted on serving me first despite my directing them toward my guest) and was praising Quebec (and some Ontario) cuisine and thought that Beckta would be a sound choice. I could tell that he was less than impressed but too kind to say. What finished it was when we ordered short espresso – we were served regular coffee, but not in regular coffee cups. This, at least, could have suggested that they had made a mistake – clearly, I was the one who had made the mistake. The look on my guest’s face said it all. I sincerely hope that he does not come across the EnRoute list.
  20. Thank you Carswell for your very informative post. It is very kind of you to take the time to help by sharing your knowledge. Your post supports Fat guy’s description of egullet as "the most civil, literate, intelligent message board site in the history of the Internet bar none".
  21. I have been contemplating whether I should reply for the simple reason that it could appear contrived. I do not know “Restoswillmakemebroke”, I thoroughly cross-examined the staff at Agapes, and most had not even heard of this site. Therefore, my conscience is clear. Why am I being so anal? Well, it is b/c the tables changed this past Saturday and the chairs should follow within a week or two. In addition, I just met with our wine supplier last week and am waiting to see the new layout of the wine list. This seemed a bit too convenient and so I was reluctant to post. Now that I have, I wonder if experienced members can give their thoughts with respect to Agapes wine list. We are trying to keep the number of bottles to a modest 20. The question I have is do you think it is better to cover all the bases by having eg. Merlot, Shiraz, Cab-Sauv., Beaujolais, Bordeaux, Pinot Noir…and only have one choice per or is it better to just stick with a few grapes and have 2 or 3 choices for each? For the moment, we are leaning towards “covering” with a main list and then having a separate, shorter list of wines of higher quality, which will vary depending upon availability and interests such as an Oregon Pinot Noire etc. Finally, thank you Restoswillmakemebroke, we are glad you like our food – regardless of price. As for personality, I am not sure what you meant but with all things, there is always room to improve.
  22. Again, big thanks to everyone – Upon entering NJ International AP I was armed with 7 pages of eGullet suggestions. Unfortunately, after missing the early train to Penn St in N.Y. and then hopping on an Amtrak instead of the regular N.J. line (~24R/T), I did not have as much time as I would have liked. A friend of mine met me in N.Y. and insisted we go to Pastis, on little west 12th street in the meatpacking district. The waiter spoke to us in a very heavy French accent. Naturally I decided to speak to him in French (as I am from Montreal) at which point I realised that his fake accent was his idea of French – amusing. In any event, I stuck with a straightforward salad Niçoise and a glass of white Beaujolais, which I had never tried. I hesitate to judge a restaurant by one salad alone but I will say that I am not a fan of serving wine in 6-8 oz tumblers – maybe I am just old fashioned – many places seem to do it but I still don’t think it is right IMHO. There are so many great places to eat in Montreal and in order to avoid being blasted, I would recommend searching on the Montreal link where you will receive comprehensive information on the Montreal restaurant scene but for the sake of completeness let me just throw a few Montreal spots (I know I am not hitting all the spots): Steak: Queue de cheval / Regional Market: Toqué! / Schwartz: A must (smoked meat i.e. pastrami from heaven). I send my guests to Hotel Nelligan – a beautiful boutique hotel in Old Montreal. I have an interest in Restaurant Agapes (Continental cuisine) on St-Denis/Sherbrooke – It is only proper to disclose What I do want to tell you about is a secret known primarily to Salzburgers concerning a famous coffee spot. One crisp Saturday afternoon I was strolling the old town centre when I noticed a few people walking around with these delicious-looking coffees. Now, in N.A. this is nothing unusual, but in Austria few people walk around with coffee – In their view, coffee is to be sipped and enjoyed while seated (hard to disagree). Well, I still wanted my “take-out” coffee. I searched everywhere and no one had what I was looking for or they were not telling me about it – I finally approached a friendly looking local who was holding a coffee piled with thick cream and did my best pleading. I could tell she was reluctant to let me in on the secret but finally she gave in and now I will tell you: The coffee house is Tomaselli’s and you must go in through the side door – at first you will think this is only the entrance to the toilettes (WC) – crafty Austrians - you will notice an ordinary looking passage that will lead you to the kitchen of Tomaselli’s where you can order coffee, hot chocolate and if they are in a good mood, a pastry. Next, you can proudly walk the streets of Salzburg while sharing quiet smiles with the other “insiders”. Thanks again!
  23. Thank you all very much - I am overwhelmed by your gracious suggestions. I will print them out and take them with me and definitely report back upon my return. If I can ever help any of you out, Montreal and Salzburg are two cities I know very well. Thanks again.
  24. Hi, I have a 10 hour lay-over in Newark on my way to Europe and was wondering if anyone could suggest somewhere to go for an extended lunch or something of that kind. I haven't a clue where the airport is located in relation to the nearest populated area so I apologise if the answer is a no-brainer. Thanks for the help.
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