Upscale Middle Eastern is still riding high in Montreal – especially with Damas Restaurant at the reins. Inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi and a slew of popular cookbooks from across the pond, Su is dragging well-dressed Westmounters to Verdun, LOV is doing it vegetarian in the Old … [Read more...] about Damas: Gorgeous Syrian in Outremont
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La Sala Rosa’s New Menu: Quality Spanish Classics at an Unbeatable Price
The first time I came to Sala Rosa was on New Year's Eve about five years ago. I didn't even know it was a restaurant then. I thought it was just a live music venue, which is still a lot of peoples' reactions when I tell them it's the city's best kept Spanish secret. My friend … [Read more...] about La Sala Rosa’s New Menu: Quality Spanish Classics at an Unbeatable Price
Gluten-Free Fine Dining at Three of Montreal’s Newest Restaurants: Hvor, Le Fantôme and Candide
Eating out is hard when you're gluten free. Even with a recent resurgence of heritage grains and healthy rice bowls, it's really nice to not always be stuck eating at home. Sure, it'd be nice to go to Patisserie Patrice and buy something gorgeous and flaky and creamy (life's … [Read more...] about Gluten-Free Fine Dining at Three of Montreal’s Newest Restaurants: Hvor, Le Fantôme and Candide
$150 White Truffles That Make a $50 Steak Seem Like a Bargain
Let me preface this post by saying that I believe in spending a little more money on higher quality food. When the average American family and individual only spends 9.7% of their annual disposal income on food (down from 20% in the 50's), I get scared. That's an average. That … [Read more...] about $150 White Truffles That Make a $50 Steak Seem Like a Bargain
Negroamaro del Prete Anne Review
Have you ever opened a bottle of wine that made you stop in your tracks? As in one of the best wines of your life? One that you could drink again and again? No special occasion necessary, except for the fact that you assume it's very expensive because it's so good? And then you … [Read more...] about Negroamaro del Prete Anne Review
Chasing Matthew: Montreal to Aruba and back again
Most people go to tropical islands for vacation. I go for work, which admittedly makes me one of the luckiest people in the world. It's not all glamour, though; I often end up spending a lot of time in my room on my computer while real vacationers take advantage of the water and … [Read more...] about Chasing Matthew: Montreal to Aruba and back again
The Great St-Henri Taco Crawl 2016
Okay, fine, the title's a bit ridiculous, because there couldn't have been a St-Henri taco crawl in 2015 – there weren't enough taco places! But like I said when I threw the "1st Annual Volk/Watson Christmas Extravaganza," there will obvious be more years of this awesome event to … [Read more...] about The Great St-Henri Taco Crawl 2016
From the Top: Toronto, Miami, Aruba, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Sonoma
I guess I should start from the very beginning. I've been on the road (or, more often, in the air) for the last month-and-a-half. From Montreal, I headed to Toronto to celebrate a birthday (not mine, but you can see the gastronomic ramifications from creamy labneh to impeccable … [Read more...] about From the Top: Toronto, Miami, Aruba, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Sonoma
Where to Eat at Montreal en Lumière: The Best Dinners, Lunches, Brunches and Booze From Feb. 18-March 5, 2016
Montreal en Lumière... ...It's the most. Wonderful. Time. Of the year. No, this has nothing to do with Kylie, but I find this version a little less inappropriately Christmas-y than the Andy Williams original. What this is about is a city of great food taking a bleary … [Read more...] about Where to Eat at Montreal en Lumière: The Best Dinners, Lunches, Brunches and Booze From Feb. 18-March 5, 2016
Wines to Try and the Beginning of the Cold-Weather Drinking Season
Craving a glass (or so) of Sangiovese, Syrah or Xynomavro around the end of November doesn't mean you're an alcoholic – it just means you're Canadian. There's a hibernating effect of the cold weather that makes a lot of us want to spend the early onset evenings sipping something … [Read more...] about Wines to Try and the Beginning of the Cold-Weather Drinking Season