Montreal — Spring 2016: Schwartz's

Of course, a trip to Montreal wouldn't be complete without a smoked meat sandwich from Schwartz's.

Smoked meat sandwich from Schwartz's
It's a classic (it's been around for over 80 years, making it the oldest deli in Canada), and it's the best and most famous smoked meat in the city (arguably in the world). They have the flavour, the fat, and the spice. It is a pile of heaven in between two rye bread holders, and it's the backbone of the Montreal food empire. If you like meat and you like sandwiches, this is all you need. And that, my friends, marked the perfect ending to our little weekend trip to Montreal. I am actually leaving for NYC tomorrow, so I won't be posting anything until next week, but you can be sure that I'll be back with a lot more food porn.

Schwartz's 3895 Boulevard Saint-Laurent Montréal, QC H2W 1X9 (514) 842-4813

Montreal — Spring 2016: Point G

I really wanted to make a trip to Point G because they're consistently rated as having the best macarons in Montreal. It just so happens that Point G is on the same street as L'Avenue, so we literally just had to walk down three blocks to pick up these gems.

Macarons from Point G
Macarons from Point G
(First row: Apricot-Black Tea, Carrot Cake, and Roasted PistachioSecond row: Dark Chocolate, Red Velvet, and Poppy FlowerThird row: Espresso, Chocolate Hazelnut, and Sugar TartFourth row: Fleur de Sel, Maple Taffy, and Crème Brûlée)
Chelsea, Corrado, and I each picked up a box of 12 to bring home with us and, because we couldn't resist, another three each to eat while we were there (I chose Piña Colada, Lime, and Pistachio). They have the perfect texture — crisp on the outside but airy and soft with a slight chew on the inside — with just the right cookie-to-filling ratio, the flavours are refined and incredibly well-executed and they're not overly sweet. Plus, they have a whopping 22 flavours available regularly, and they don't charge you tax if you purchase more than six. With maybe the exception of Kerry's Macarons (which has closed down), they're honestly far superior than anything I've had in Toronto. And they're cheaper. Honestly, I'd even go as far as to say they rival Ladurée. 

Point G 1266 Avenue du Mont-Royal E Montréal, QC H2J 1Y4 (514) 750-7515

Montreal — Spring 2016: L'Avenue du Plateau

So on Monday morning, our goal was to go back to L'Avenue for brunch. I mean, surely, they won't be busy on a Monday, right? No. We were wrong. There was still a line-up. Granted, not as long as on Sunday, but still a good two storefronts down from the actual restaurant. My question is, where the fuck are these people coming from? Don't they have work? Or school? I know they aren't all tourists because aside from us and the Irish ladies behind us, everyone spoke French. Maybe everyone was playing hooky, but either way, we decided just to wait since we didn't make it in on Sunday (and honestly, it's not like we had anywhere better to be). And, hey, if that many locals are waiting in line for this place, it's gotta be good, right? We ended up waiting about 45 minutes for a table, which was shitty, but we also had to wait outside in the drizzling rain, which was shittier, but I gotta say, it was totally worth it. 
Sweet-Savoury-Crunchy Eggs Benedict at Restaurant L'Avenue
After perusing the menu for about ten minutes, I narrowed it down to the Eggs Benedicts, and finally decided to get the Sweet-Savoury-Crunchy option. And I have no regrets whatsoever. It consists of two poached eggs, Black Forest ham, and Swiss cheese on top of panko-crusted, maple syrup-brushed French toast, and then drizzled with hollandaise sauce. And it was so fucking good. It's like, all those things are great separately, but then you put them together, and magic happens. It's exactly as the name implies: the perfect combination of sweet, savoury, and crunchy. You get the best of all worlds. And holy shit, looks are deceiving, because I thought I'd still be hungry after that, but I was ready to burst out of my (very stretchy) leggings after the second piece. I couldn't even finish the potatoes. (And I always finish the potatoes!) Our server was kind of a dick, but I have to admit, this place lives up to all of its hype. Seriously. If you like brunch or you don't like brunch but need something to totally change your mind, you need to come here. 

L'Avenue du Plateau922 Avenue du Mont-Royal EMontréal, QC H2J 1X1(514) 523-8780

Montreal — Spring 2016: Bonaparte

We wanted to do one fancy dinner on this trip, so we had made reservations at Bonaparte, which is inside the historic Bonaparte Inn in Old Montreal. We all decided to indulge in the tasting menu, a six-course meal of "the chef's specialties."

Lobster bisque enhanced with ginger at Bonaparte
Housemade smoked salmon served with truffle oil at Bonaparte
Escargots in parsley fricassee and provençale vegetables at Bonaparte
For the first course, I chose the lobster bisque, rich and flavourful with a hint of ginger; so perfect for the cold, rainy night that we were there. For the second course, I chose the smoked salmon, plush and perfectly cured and served with a tart coleslaw that keeps it light and refreshing. For the third course, while the other two chose the mushroom ravioli, I decided to try the more unexpected choice: the escargots. They were cooked perfectly: soft with a nice chew, not tough or rubbery. I've never had them served any other way but drenched in garlic butter, but here, they serve them atop chopped tomatoes with garlic and olive oil on a sheet of filo dough that rounds out the flavour and texture of the escargot really well. It was followed by a most refreshing palate cleanser of pear and tarragon sorbet that I could see being a big seller at a gelato stand in the summer time, and then our main courses appeared.

Beef filet mignon seasoned with five peppercorns and cognac at Bonaparte
A symphony of homemade desserts at Bonaparte
I was craving steak, so I got the filet mignon served in peppercorn and cognac sauce, with parsnips, snow peas, green beans, potatoes, and mashed yams. The meat was so tender that it was practically melt-in-your-mouth. A perfect portion, and beautifully presented, too. Finally, for dessert, a sampling of their bestsellers: Palais Royal, red berry bavarois, cheesecake, and mandarine Napoleon liqueur crème brulée (my personal favourite). Paired with a cup of Earl Grey, it was the perfect ending to a gorgeous French meal. Service was impeccable — everyone was knowledgable, polite, welcoming, and attentive — and the ambiance is intimate and cozy, decorated in classic French Empire style, and is perfect for both group parties and romantic dates. If you're looking for well-rounded classic French cuisine in Montreal, Bonaparte is the perfect place to go. 

Restaurant Bonaparte 443 Rue Saint-François-Xavier Montréal, QC H2X 2T1 (514) 844-4368

Montreal — Spring 2016: Cacao 70

The next morning, we decided to go to Restaurant L'Avenue for brunch, which has dominated many "Best of Montreal" breakfast/brunch lists. But once we got there, we saw a line-up that spanned the entire block. And that's when we remembered that it was Sunday. Because of course everyone is out to get Sunday brunch, and we were total idiots for thinking that we'd just be able to walk in and get a table. (Again, rookie mistake.) We waited for about 15 minutes (in the rain) and realized that we wouldn't get a table for at least another hour and we were starting to get hangry by then. We noticed that there was Cacao 70 across the street, which is known for brunch and desserts and has consistently good ratings (they have a few locations in Montreal, and were so successful that they recently opened a location in Toronto, too), so we hopped on over there instead and vowed to return to L'Avenue the next day. 
Moka from Cacao 70
Fresh fruit and dipping chocolate from Cacao 70
Italian Sausage Frittata from Cacao 70
Intense Black & White Chocolate Crepe Roll from Cacao 70
To start, hot mugs of Moka, made with espresso and your choice of Cacao 70 classic hot chocolate (I chose milk chocolate). It is a true mocha, semi-sweet and rich in both coffee and cocoa flavours, and not overly milky or watered down. We all agreed it was one of the best we've ever had, and certainly beats out any and all coffee chains (Starbucks, I'm looking at you). Then we ordered our mains, all of which come with a plate of fresh fruit and dipping chocolate to start (after devouring all of it in about 2.8 seconds, I wondered why all fruit plates don't come with a side of dipping chocolate). All three of us ordered the Italian Sausage Frittata, which is served piping hot in an iron skillet. Eggs are mixed with tomato, spinach, Italian sausage, and parmesan, and then baked in the oven, making the eggs softer and silkier and airier (almost like custard) and ensuring that the flavours are retained in the eggs. I like frittatas more than omelettes for this reason, and the ones here are surprisingly excellent. Of course, given that we were at Cacao 70, we had to try something sweet off their menu, so we decided to share the Intense Black & White Chocolate Crepe Roll, which consists of two crepe rolls, one with dark chocolate and one with white, that are dusted with Belgian cocoa powder and served with whipped cream and even more dipping chocolate. I can definitely appreciate it as someone who is impartial to chocolate, but it is very sweet; a true chocoholic would probably be able to handle eating the whole thing on their own, but the portion was perfect for the three of us to share as a brunch dessert. 
Oh, and the guys that were in line in front of us at L'Avenue? They were still waiting for a table by the time we got our bills.

Cacao 70929 Avenue du Mont-Royal EMontréal, QC H2J 1X3(514) 507-2210

Montreal — Spring 2016: La Banquise

Hello! I am currently on vacation from work, and just came back from a weekend road trip to Montreal with my friends Chelsea and Corrado. As you might have guessed from the title of this post, our sole purpose for this trip was food. I've been to Montreal several times before so I didn't really feel the need to do the touristy stuff, and while there are plenty of shopping areas, the retail tax is higher in Quebec than it is here in Ontario, so we didn't feel the need to do any shopping, either. We did, however, walk almost everywhere (probably about 6 km total) so at least we got to see the city up close and could feel less guilty about eating so much.

"La T-Rex" Poutine from La Banquise
First things first: poutine. Toronto has gotten some decent poutine over the years, but even as a proud Torontonian, I have to agree that the poutine in Montreal can't be beat. Arguably one of the best and most popular restaurants for poutine in Montreal is La Banquise. We arrived in Montreal around 6:30pm on Saturday, checked into our Airbnb condo, and then walked the 2.6 km to La Banquise (you know, after being in a car for five hours, walking is pretty nice). So it was around 9:00pm by the time we got there. Of course, it was also Saturday. Rookie mistake: There was a line-up all the way down the sidewalk. But let me tell you, it was totally worth the 45 minute wait. Corrado got "La '3 Amigos'" (hot dog sausage, pork & beef sausage, and merguez sausage), Chelsea got "La Kamikaze" (merguez sausage, hot peppers, and tabasco), and I got "La T-Rex" (ground beef, pepperoni, bacon, and hot dog sausage). Each topped with real, fresh, massive cheese curds with the most satisfying chew, and smothered with thick, rich, flavourful gravy. Fries are substantial enough to hold its own against the heavy toppings and not to get super-soggy under all the gravy, but are still soft and mushy in the best way possible. (If you don't like your poutine with all the bells and whistles, don't worry; they have original and smoked meat versions as well.) Moreover, the servers are all pleasant and efficient, and the place is open 24 hours. If you like poutine, or you wanna try poutine for the first time, La Banquise is a must-visit. 

La Banquise994 Rue Rachel EMontréal, QC H2J 2J3(514) 525-2415

Montréal: Weekend in a Nutshell

The boys and I decided to go on a random road trip to Montréal since we all found ourselves having the same weekend free. It all started with talk about eating smoked meat sandwiches at Schwartz's, and then we were determined to make it happen. So, here's what happened:

Smoked meat sandwich at Schwartz's (fat-cut, of course)

333 Rue de la Commune Ouest (Old Montréal)

Walking down Rue de la Commune Ouest (Old Montréal)

Walking down Rue Saint Paul (Old Montréal)

Les Chuchoteuses by Rose-Aimée Bélanger on Rue Saint Paul (Old Montréal)

Walking down Rue Saint Paul (Old Montréal)

Italian sausage poutine from Montréal Poutine (Old Montréal)

Smoked meat pizza from Montréal Poutine (Old Montréal)

Random horse pulling a carriage (Old Montréal)

Street performer juggling two swords and a flaming baton while standing on a ladder made of sword blades

A street mime playing an accordion (also one of the scariest things I've ever seen)

Driving down Boulevard René Lévesque

Not pictured:

• Driving to Montréal in a crazy rain storm
• Way too many cups of coffee
• Way too many cigarettes
• The 3 km walk from our hotel to Schwartz's
• The 3 km walk from Schwartz's to our hotel
• Playing Cranium until 6:00am
• Being in awe of myself for guessing the word 'congregation' during the charades portion of Cranium

Needless to say, the weekend was way too short.

Schwartz's

3895 Boulevard Saint-Laurent

Montréal, QC H2W 1X9

(514) 842-4813

Montréal Poutine

161 Rue Saint Paul Est

Montréal, QC H2Y 1G8

(514) 656-0935

Montréal: Exploring Old Montréal

It's like a European city! But in Canada!

And that is the end of my Montréal posts! Back to your regularly scheduled program.

Montréal: Chez Suzette

On Wednesday, we decided to spend our last day in Montréal exploring Old Montréal. My friend Leah (who works for MAC in Montréal) met up with us for lunch down there, 'cause I hadn't seen her since we went to make-up school together. We thought we'd catch up over French food since we were in Montréal and all, so we went to Chez Suzette for crêpes.

Crêpe aux crevettes

Crêpe aux crevettes (innards)

Crêpe la Montréalaise

I got the crêpe aux crevettes and Shawn got the crêpe la Montréalaise. The crêpe aux crevettes is stuffed with Matane shrimps and topped with creamy lobster sauce and cheese, then baked. It is super rich and decadent, but so worth every calorie and fat gram... I don't know why we can't find crêpes like this in Toronto, but yeah, this was ridiculous. Ronsee got this as well, and we were still talking about its deliciousness five hours later. Shawn's crêpe la Montréalaise is stuffed with ham, Swiss cheese, and topped with Béchamel sauce. A fail-safe option for those who are less adventurous, but delicious nonetheless. Both were super-satisfying, and filling without making us feel sickly or bloated. This is really a great place to go if you like crêpes — there's far more variety in crêpes, both savoury and sweet, than any place I've been to in Toronto. If you're ever in Old Montréal, definitely stop by Chez Suzette. It's kind of touristy, but it's a really quaint and cozy spot in a gorgeous area, and the food is super-tasty. And French.

Montréal: La Banquise

After our exploration of the Underground City (a.k.a. my make-up shopping excursion), we went back to the hotel where I had a two-hour nap and then joined the boys for a few games of Bang!. To me, this is how vacation should be — doing whatever the hell you want with no set schedule. (Also, naps are glorious.) After our fourth round of Bang!, we realized that it was already past midnight. And that we were all hungry. So we made our way to La Banquise, a 24-hour restaurant that is famous for their poutine.

Poutine T-Rex

Poutine T-Rex (cheese, gravy, and meat, oh my!)

Imagine the best poutine you've ever had. The Poutine T-Rex is probably a hundred times better than that. That is to say, this poutine is the best I've ever had. The Poutine T-Rex is not for the faint of heart (or vegetarians, for that matter): a mountain of golden fries layered with rich gravy, massive cheese curds, ground beef, sausage slices, pepperoni cubes, and pieces of bacon. C'est glorieux! There is a reason why La Banquise is on nearly every "Best of Montreal" list, and why it's completely packed at 1:00 in the morning on a Wednesday. Even native Montrealers come here for the poutine. Yep, it's that good. And they have a whopping 28 different poutines for you to try devour. Unless you're vegan, you have to go to La Banquise at least once (or 87 times) in your life.

Montréal: Inglot

We spent the rest of the afternoon on Tuesday exploring the Underground City, but the only place I really wanted to go to was the Inglot store (in Place Montréal Trust). There are five locations in Canada and all of them are in Québec, and I was determined to get some new palettes while I had the chance. I bought a couple of eyeshadow palettes two years ago at their store in New York City, and forgot just how amazing their eyeshadows are. Seriously, nearly every single one, regardless of the finish, is smooth, soft, and buttery, with amazing pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. They were having a palette promotion, so the 10-pan palettes were $79 instead of $89, and the 20-pan palettes were $158 from $175. I prefer the 10-pan palettes because they're more portable and easier to organize, so after playing around in the store for nearly an hour, I came out with four new Freedom System 10-pan eyeshadow palettes:

Top row: AMC Shine 17, AMC Shine 44, Pearl 414, DS 483, and AMC 61

Bottom row: Pearl 419, Pearl 433, AMC Shine 49, DS 465, and Pearl 422

AMC Shine 17, AMC Shine 44, Pearl 414, DS 483, AMC 61, Pearl 419, Pearl 433, AMC Shine 49, DS 465, and Pearl 422

Top row: Pearl 450, AMC 75, AMC Shine 40, Pearl 423, and DS 458

Bottom row: Pearl 446, AMC Shine 14, AMC Shine 42, and DS 491

Pearl 450, AMC 75, AMC Shine 40, Pearl 423, DS 458, Pearl 446, AMC Shine 14, AMC Shine 42, and DS 491

Top row: Matte 323, Matte 343, DS 477, AMC 58, and AMC Shine 44

Bottom row: Matte 365, Matte 345, Matte 338, Pearl 415, and Pearl 426

Matte 323, Matte 343, DS 477, AMC 58, AMC Shine 44, Matte 365, Matte 345, Matte 338, Pearl 415, and Pearl 426

Top row: AMC Shine 15, Matte 361, Matte 362, DS 495, and Matte 366

Bottom row: Pearl 429, DS 493, Pearl 439, Matte 388, and AMC 65

AMC Shine 15, Matte 361, Matte 362, DS 495, Matte 366, Pearl 429, DS 493, Pearl 439, Matte 388, and AMC 65

The eyeshadows are available in five types of finishes: Matte, Pearl, DS, AMC, and AMC Shine. Other than matte and pearl, I have no idea what the other three finishes mean, and neither the salesgirl nor the website explained them to me. Also, the numbering system is horrendous. I wrote down the number of each eyeshadow underneath my palettes, because it will be nearly impossible to remember which shade is which number. Moreover, you have to use either a really strong magnet or an X-Acto knife to get the pans out of the palettes 'cause there are no grooves to remove them with your finger (like with the MAC palettes). But, even after all of that, their eyeshadows apply so beautifully and are such a good price (I got these for $6 an eyeshadow, with the palette costing $18) that they are totally worth getting. Even their matte shades are buttery and pigmented! If you like a huge range of colours in your make-up at a great price with fantastic quality, you definitely need to check out Inglot. It's a make-up artist's dream.