Hello to fellow forum members.

[François Sinclair-Lamontag]

Hi. My name is François Sinclair-Lamontagne.

Currently I reside in the city of Montreal, Canada.

Love & enthusiasm that I have for food & cooking is limitless.

Healthy dishes & snacks is what I enjoy greatly.

Salad with fresh veggies is one of my favorite to eat & cook, usually it contains lemon & jalapeno.

Browsing through books about nutrition & awesome recipes is one of my favorite pass time.

 

Chicken is my favorite protein, it is followed by seafood & lam. I also enjoy pork & beef, specially when it's well marinated & grilled on a charcoal bbq during summers.

Italian, British & Asian are to name a few of my admired gastronomies. 

 

Cooking has been my passion for the past few years. Restaurant dishes in my area inspire me on occasion.

Edited May 27, 2016 by François Sinclair-Lamontag (log)

[kayb]

Welcome! Anxious to share some of your cuisine ideas!

[François Sinclair-Lamontag]

Thank you.

[Deryn]

Bienvenue a eGullet, Francois.

 

I would love to hear what your favorite restaurants are in Montreal - and what specialties they have that have inspired you.

 

Have you ever been to Au Pied de Cochon? How about to Stash's in old Montreal? Those used to be a couple of my favorites - and I believe both still exist even though I have not been to them for decades now.

[François Sinclair-Lamontag]

Thank you Deryn. The ones you've mentioned I haven't been yet. 

It's not easy to disclose favorites since I always find something good on the menu. I seem to be attracted not just to the dishes but to the whole experience of eating at a restaurant. 

 

Piri Piri is one that I like a lot. It's few minutes from where I live (Mont Royal & Saint-Denis). It's a portuguese chicken restaurant. They use  awesome spicy marinade for their grilled chicken & serve them sandwiches on amazing bread with salad, rice & fries. Their sauce & the grill smell have inspired me to create a marinade for chicken breast. I use lemon, onion, garlic, vinegar, oil, cayenne pepper & sriracha sauce. I cook it in the oven & serve it with salad, basmati rice & potatoes. 

 

Next one that I like is Saint-Hubert which is a well known local rotisserie that takes it's name from the not less known street. They have one of the best gravy sauces of all time. It's delicious with their chicken & also I enjoy to dip my fries in the sauce. An occasional dinner at Saint-Hubert gives me a good boost for exercise the day that follows, since I like to stay fit.

 

Another one would be Piazza Pazza located in a suburb of Montreal across the Champlain bridge. It's an amazing italian pasta & wood oven pizza restaurant & bar. My favorite lasagna is one of their specialities. Their menu gave me an inspiration for spaghetti aglio oglio. I use oil, garlic & onions. I season with salt, black pepper & parsley. 

 

Rosewood located in Old Port is an awesome place. It's also a bar & they have amazing burgers. I started to make home fries after eating at Rosewood. 

 

Rueben's Deli is also a good place. It's located downtown, Mcgill & St Catherine intersection. It's a cool deli & steak house with a retro look. Just like they use rye bread for smoke meat sandwiches, I use rye bread for my sandwiches. It's really delicious. 

 

Japanese sushi is something that I treat myself with on occasion. My favorite would be Kanda. It's a great place with tons of variety specially in the evening. The menu is a bit smaller during lunch.  

Edited May 27, 2016 by François Sinclair-Lamontag (log)

[Deryn]

Thanks for that lengthy rundown, Francois.

 

What eastern Canadian (at least from eastern Ontario and Quebec) has not been to a St. Hubert, I wonder. I think it has become an institution. My daughter grew up going there a lot - I figured St. Hubert was a better alternative 'fast food' than McDonalds when I didn't feel like cooking - and 'free' Toblerone bars at Christmas didn't hurt either. I used to like their sauce a lot myself - till they started canning it (and drying it) and I found out what it was made of - at least in those forms. Unfortunately, I don't think those are the original sauce ingredients anymore since it became a chain. But, hey, once in a while one must have poutine (or just chips and gravy) and I agree theirs is delicious.

 

I haven't been to Piri Piri but may try to find it when I am next in downtown Montreal - based on your recommendation. Thanks. However, of your list, the one that interests me the most is probably Piazza Pazza. More my style of food I think. I see it has generally good reviews and anything on the south side or the west side (i.e. Dollard des Ormeaux) is probably easier for me to find and get to these days unless I take a train into downtown.

 

Stash's serves delicious Polish food (some with some Hungarian and other eastern European influences) - perogies, cabbage rolls, paprikash, etc. and they were very good but for me the very best thing on their menu used to be the apple cake. It is located near the theatre I used to have a season subscription to attend so it was very convenient for dinner before or after. I have very fond memories of that place. Mind you, their food is not what I would call 'spicy' - and these days I prefer Thai foods which are more colourful, bright, cooked a la minute, and at least moderately spicy - but, were I in the mood for something more 'old school' I would definitely seek out Stash's again.

 

Anyway, welcome to eGullet again. I hope you will like it here and post a lot.

Edited May 27, 2016 by Deryn (log)

[François Sinclair-Lamontag]

Thank's a lot. I'm liking it already.

[Darienne]

Greetings François Sinclair-Lamontagne and I, like many others, look forward to your contributions on eGullet.  Just thought that I'd mention that I am a native born Montréalaise although I've now lived in Ontario for the past 50 years.  (yes, I am old. )