Eating out in Montreal

I've been meaning to post about our food adventures here, but every time I open my laptop, it's as though my fingers would go into a void whenever I put them on the keyboard.  Years ago, I used to write poetry.  The words would flow so easily, as they came from the deepest, most intimate parts of my soul.  So writing a descriptive of food should be a piece of cake, right?

When I read food blogs, it seems the writers are pulling those words from deep within their souls; as if they have a personal love affair with their subject.  I imagine when you write about the same subject and since we all eat with our eyes first, you have to be able to convey that visualization to your readers; to make them think they are sitting right there with you, taking in the aromas, experiencing the same sultry textures and tastes. You take them with you on your culinary journey.

I am going to try my best to take you on our journey, so please bear with me as it may be a bumpy ride!  Make sure your seat belts are on and your tray tables are in their locked and upright positions.
Here it goes......

In my search of the city who boasts the claim of the most restaurants per capita, Montreal popped up to stake the claim, along with San Francisco, New York and other major cities. This is what I found on one website:

"The one Canadian city that can make a great claim to have the most restaurants per capita is Montreal in the province of Quebec. With just over 5,000 restaurants in the metro island area, is appears there are at least one restaurant on every street corner. With its diverse immigrant population and French majority, the city has every type of cuisine available from Lebanese to continental French to native Canadian. Some 3,720,000 Quebecois live in the metro area making Montreal the second largest French speaking city in the world. Giving it a restaurant per capita number of 744."

Below that, was this little tidbit of info:

"When you leave Austin you enter Texas so the saying goes. This funky city in central Texas has 1,088 eating places to enhance its reputation as Music City USA. That list includes 128 establishments in or around the University of Texas alone. Austin's burgeoning population is currently 690, 252 making their people to restaurant ratio 634."

With that, lets start with Mexican food or more to the point, the non-existence of it. There are Mexican restaurants, however, there are very few Hispanics here, so the food suffers a terrible mishap.  It's actually an injustice. It's like swallowing a bitter pill with no water to wash it down. There's a thin line between cooking and actually knowing how to cook; how to use spices and incorporate those into something with great flavor.  What we get is void of anything resembling great, much less, good tasting Mexican Food.  Don't even think about ordering a Margarita either.  When you visit and come upon a Mexican restaurant, keep walking.  You will be extremely disappointed. Do not stop/go; do not collect your 200.00.  Move along, nothing to see here.

With disappointment, comes success!  We have found some really great spots, with great food and atmosphere.  A few of them, we try to frequent as often as we can! Below are a few of our favorite spots!

Brit&Chips: http://www.britandchips.com/

We have eaten at some of the best fish-n-chips places in London and Dublin. This place ranks right up there and it is like being back across the pond.  Some of their fish includes Salmon in a Guinness batter, Haddock in a maple syrup batter and others. My favorite is the traditional Cod; the batter is light, not heavy and greasy and for me, it's the best!  Their chips are a nice size, non greasy and are great!  With a pint of one of their beers, this is the ultimate comfort food!

Nyks Pub: http://www.nyks.ca/

This is one of our favorite pubs to go to. It's close by, has a great atmosphere, awesome food and inviting staff.  When we walk in, the owner always asks if we would like our usual!  It's not that we go every night, week or month,  but I think it's more we don't look like the typical resident, so we're easy to remember.  That's what I tell myself, anyway!  They have a parsnip and leek soup that is out of this world!  It's creamy, light and just lip-smacking good!  It is like the comfort you get from being wrapped in your favorite blanket, watching your favorite movie, on a cold winter's day.  We have tried several items on the menu and have not been disappointed by a single thing!

Mechant Boeuf: http://www.mechantboeuf.com/

This is located in Vieux Montreal, which is within walking distance from our house and have been here a few times.  It boasts to having the best burger in Montreal, which I will admit, is pretty good. There's nothing like a hearty burger to satisfy even the most healthy appetite!  It's a great place to meet up with friends for some good food and excellent cocktails!  They also have a quirky DJ, who spins 80's music!  It's a foot tapping, finger snapping, make you want to get up and dance at times, place, while still having a laid back atmosphere.

Stash Cafe: http://www.stashcafe.com/

Another place within walking distance in Vieux Montreal, is Stash Cafe, who serve authentic Polish food.
Poland is on our list of places to visit and this restaurant has made us move that trip higher up on the list.  The view from the outside, of the ambiance on the inside, calls to you and lures you in.  It has that old world, rustic charm, which is both comforting and inviting. The ambiance is made even better by a piano player playing nice dinner conversation music.  The food is traditional, from Barszcz, the traditional Polish beet consomme, to Sznycel Mielony, breaded meat croquettes served with a creamy mushroom sauce and potatoes. It's warm, cozy and just all around, great food!

I hope I have done a good job taking you on this short, culinary journey. There are so many more to list, which I'll add later down the road.  Until then, I'll leave you with this quote:

"Just like becoming an expert in wine–you learn by drinking it, the best you can afford–you learn about great food by finding the best there is, whether simply or luxurious. Then you savor it, analyze it, and discuss it with your companions, and you compare it with other experiences.”
― Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Until next time.....

Winter is over.....or is it?

Since my last blog, the weather has been akin to raging waves on the sea, comparable to being a passenger on the SS Minnow, being tossed up, down and around.

We had days where we packed up and stored the winter coats, scarves, hats and gloves; then a few weeks later, we're getting it all out again.

We had a few bitterly cold days, where the blustery wind would blow right through to our core, no matter how many layers or how bundled up we were; where it looked as though it were snowing up instead of down. There were days when there wasn't a cloud in the sky and even with the sun, that huge sphere of hot gas, blaring upon our faces, it didn't warm us. 

We've also had days when we walked the city without the need of a jacket, where a slight, warm breeze sweeping between the buildings, wrapping around us, giving a glimpse of what's to come and soon we would have the weather we were accustomed to. 

What we didn't have, was a lot of snow.  The locals seemed surprised and disappointed at the "less than normal" winter. We've heard some say it was the warmest winter in 100 years; others have said 20. Regardless the time span, it was not the brutal, agonizing winter we were expecting or even prepared for.  It was cold, or rather, colder than what we are used to.  I also wouldn't go as far to say we were disappointed.

I was hoping it would have been more like taking off a band-aid....just rip it off and get it over with, the pain won't last long. Fortunately for us, Mother Nature controls which boo-boo's she puts band-aids on, and this winter wasn't one of them.  We may not fare so well next winter!

Maybe we brought some of the Texas heat with us; maybe we didn't. Whatever the reason, we're glad the "winter welcome wagon" lost a wheel, which slowed it's pace.

However, unlike the SS Minnow, we didn't take a 3 hour tour; we didn't end up on an uncharted, warm tropical island, and there aren't five other people with us to help ease the transition.

There's only the two of us.  That is enough to keep warm, when it's so very cold outside.  When Summer comes and it's hot, that's what my trusty hand held, portable misting fan is for.