Le Pick Up Dépanneur has been organizing foodie workshops for a while now and when I heard there would be a course about fermenting, I knew it was the perfect chance to give it a try!

I’ve heard about fermenting a few times now and how eating ingredients that went through that process can be good for your health. A very good example is sauerkraut and it is actually the simplest one to make!

The workshop started at 8pm at Pick Up and our teacher was Haley Butcher from 100% Ferment. We were separated in two groups to chop a pile of carrots and coleslaw.

The crowd was fun and made of every type of person and age. It was great to get to know each other while working in the dep’s kitchen contrary to a lot of places that only make you watch and taste.

I ended up leaving with cans of red and white sauerkraut and spicy carrots in turmeric to ferment and a ready made portion of yogurt to make more at home.

I really enjoyed my evening and for $20, I left with knowledge and products!

Check out Le Pick Up Dépanneur’s website for more workshops. The next one is on May 19th and you will learn how to make your own backyard smoker.

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I don’t cover much coffee places here in Montreal even though tea and coffee take huge part of my daily life. I have reasons for this.

I did an amazing road trip last year driving from Las Vegas, Nevada all the way to Oregon, Portland. Las Vegas wasn’t really for me but California and Oregon were both beautiful and different.

One thing that brings them together is their amazing coffee (and wine, of course)! To my surprise, each and every cup I had was close to perfection and I felt like I was watching a cook doing it’s thing in the kitchen but for coffee. One example is the drip coffee easily found in any good coffee shop:

The coffee shops also work very hard on their look and I had the pleasure to visit some amazing places during my trip.

I think Montreal is getting there but coffee is still not something that rings with the city’s name when people visit this town. Until then, here’s a list of places* to check out!

Entre le Café et la Plume (photo at the top)
Café Neve
Café St-Henri (only drip coffee in town from what I heard)
Pikolo Espresso BAR
Caffè in Gamba
Kahwa Café
Café Olympico
Café Myriade

*I only included real coffee shops and not restaurants or stores that serve great coffee

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Le Maître Chocolatier is located on Sherbrooke past Guy. It was my first time visiting the establishment offering a counter of sweets and a great array of delicious C.G. teas on the first floor and a tea house on the second floor.

I had been invited for my birthday by my sister so we made it a big family outing. We were happy to get seated right next to the smooth live band which became the main entertainment for my nephew.

If you’ve never been to a tea house like me, the concept is pretty simple. At Maître Chocolatier, the service is offered between 2pm and 6pm from Tuesday to Sunday. The price is fixed and includes a generous meal and a tea of your choice.

A tray with all the available teas for the day was left at our table for a few minutes. I had already met the creators of C.G. Teas back in December so it was easier to find what I was looking for. Their teas can be very sweet and flowery so I recommend sticking with their Pu-erh selection for something more deep in taste.

Once we made our choice, we were all brought cups which got refilled without having to wait or ask during the afternoon. The food trays also arrived, we got two since we were four excluding my cute nephew who was still rocking with the band. We were encouraged to eat the bites from bottom to top so it pretty much made for a 3-course meal.

For the first course, I really didn’t care for the cucumber sandwich and egg sandwich that were both dry and tasteless. The polenta, foie gras and duck were delicious though!

On the second course, it was time for what had made Le Maître Chocolatier a staple in Montreal, their scones! That’s one thing they really master and the vanilla cream and jams that accompanied them were all delicious. It was definitely my favorite part of the meal.

We finally got to the third course, it was quite hard to get it started. The trays don’t look like much at first but you soon realize that you’re getting more than you can have which is great for the eye. I tried different types of cookies and chocolates and they were all decent but I guess I’m sold to my favorite chocolate places and I didn’t find them amazing.

We ended up leaving 2 hours later which made for a lovely afternoon spent in good company. Now the catch is that the price is quite up for all that fun, $38 per person. Even though I really enjoyed my time at Le Maître Chocolatier, I don’t think I would go back often for that price.

My recommendations:

• Look out for promotions on deal websites as they usually offer two for one coupons so that you only pay the taxes and tip;
• Visit their counter and take some scones and tea to go for a fun afternoon tea wherever you wish and for half the price.

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Le Gros Jambon has been open for a while. The little dinner concept is behind the owners of L’Orignal, a restaurant I have yet to try.

I visited the dinner a few weeks ago on a Saturday morning and easily found available seats as soon as I came in.

It took a little while to get our part of the counter cleaned up and to give our order because only the kind man at the cash seemed to have this job so even if the cooks had no orders in, they weren’t doing anything to help. Let’s say that it’s a bit awkward when they are standing in front of you for 5-10 minutes and not saying anything back to your confused faces.

The menu is simple and that’s how I like it. Our server mentioned the specials of the day and to my understanding, a lot of things are fried here, even breakfast sandwiches!

I decided to go with the most daring plate for brunch, fried chicken and waffles with beans and potatoes on the side. I heard about it so much in the states, it was about time I gave it try!

It was actually very very delicious and I would have eaten my whole plate if I didn’t felt chest pains towards the middle of my meal

Le Gros Jambon won me over with the best fried chicken I’ve had in town so far. The waffles were made with horseradish which I did enjoy at first but after a while, it was a little bit too much for that big of a portion.

One last thing: it’s probably something that people don’t notice anymore since it’s always been so bad in dinners and breakfast venues but their filtered coffee was actually delicious and not burnt. Good enough for me to just go in to grab a coffee to go with a lunch box or pastry from the cute front of the restaurant.

LE GROS JAMBON
ADDRESS: 286 Notre-Dame W.
PHONE: 514-508-3872
ALCOHOL: N/A
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: Yes
CREDIT CARDS: Yes
PRICE: $20-30 (oj is expensive and not mentioned so the bill can go up fast!)

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Big in Japan BAR opened just a few months ago and it’s already the new hot spot in town. I have to say that I’m not a big fan of the Big in Japan restaurant located at the corner of Des Pins but this new project at the corner of Rachel is quite amazing!

First of all, I have to emphasize on how underground it is. Even though I work close to the bar, I have tried many times to locate it without writing down the address with no success.

It was only during La Nuit Blanche that I finally stepped inside, and that, after walking all around the corner for 20 minutes looking for the door based on an online description.

Even after opening the discreet red door, I was doubting if I was really at the right location until I reached the end of the hallway to a gorgeous room full of people getting their drink on. The bar is shaped in a tree with the classy staff working in the middle.

For having traveled to Tokyo a few years ago, I fell in love at first sight and let me explain why. Japanese bars have the habit of selling full whiskey bottles and marking your name down so you can come back and enjoy it until it’s done. This is exactly what the new Montreal bar is recreating and people are loving it! Instead of storing them in the wall like I was used to, the bottles are fixed to the ceiling and makes for a beautiful design overall.

Big in Japan BAR offers hard liquor, cocktails, beer, wine and little Asian bites such as Kimchee or Edamame. I drank Whiskey Sours all evening and really enjoyed their version of it but I would love to buy a bottle in the future – as soon as I have more than $200 to spare!

Try this new bar before it’s terrace season, it’s definitely worth it!

Big in Japan BAR
The red door next to Patati Patata

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I’ve been meaning to talk about Magpie for a while now but I never had the media to go with it. It’s actually become my number one date night location, at least for the winter, for my couple so I try to leave my iPhone out of the way!

But after four visits, I think it’s about time that I cover a place that I enjoy so much!

Magpie has been open for less than a year on Maguire in the Mile-End. The location is nicely decorated and the main attention is brought to the semi-open kitchen and the beautiful wood-fired oven. You can also take a sneak peak at their meat storage room separated by glass doors next to the bar.

The best way to start the evening is to order a cocktail and get some oysters. All the drinks I’ve tried at Magpie were delicious and made by someone not kidding around. With time, I’ve gotten used to order the awesome Bloody Caesar which lasts me until dessert! The rim is covered with steak spices and pickle juice is added to the concoction for a great kick.

For the appetizer, I like to start with the meatballs. I believe they are made of veal and are served with a San Marzaro tomato sauce. The best part about it is the big piece of bread to share which is covered in butter and warm from a quick stop in the oven.

I find their pizza very generous so unless I’m going back home right after, I usually share one pizza so there’s nothing left to take out. Their margarita pizza is the simplest but most satisfying pie! It’s pretty, delicious and goes perfectly with Magpie’s spicy oil.

After all of this, if you can make it to dessert, I can testify that the crème brûlée is pretty good!

Magpie is a charming pizzeria for a week night out. Since it’s in the Mile-End, it does get crowded pretty fast so reservations are a must. The food is delicious and even items as simple as a Cesar salad can stand out on their menu. The only thing Magpie has been criticized for is the service that can be very slow. The staff doesn’t really give a constant service to the customers and tends to forget them once food has been delivered to the table.

Overall, I would have to say that it’s all worth it and it’s one of the best pizzerias in the Mile-End.

*All media from this post comes from Magpie

MAGPIE
ADDRESS: 16 Maguire street
PHONE: 514-507-2900
HOURS: Detailed here
ALCOHOL: Yes
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: Yes
CREDIT CARDS: Yes
PRICE: $60 for two

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Lallouz opened last year and already has three locations in Montreal, on St-Laurent, St-Zotique and Ste-Catherine. Its concept is clear, pay $12 and you will be satisfied.

I tried the restaurant on St-Laurent corner Mont-Royal recently and simply loved it! We were about 16 people and it was easy for us to all sit together at a big wooden table. As soon as we sat down, many pitchers of the lemonade of the day were brought to us – mixed with fresh mint leaves and just enough sweetness.

While I was browsing the one-page menu, which I love in restaurants, our server left many types of salads with baskets of warm bread. I really loved the eggplants and the fresh tomatoes.

These salads are all unlimited so there’s no problem if you want more but it’s good to leave some space for the main dish.

The entree is the only item you choose at the beginning of your meal. In general, you get to pick two kinds of kebab either with meat or cheese. They are served on the same warm bread that accompanies the salads with a base of red cabbage.

I went with the lamb kebabs and loved it. They were perfectly grilled and the mix with the sauce and red cabbage made it once again a fresh bite. I have to say that I started getting full a little bit too soon because of the bread that is present from the beginning to the end but it’s something that I now know and I will probably enjoy the salads alone on my next visit.

I really enjoyed Lallouz and its original concept. I think it’s a great location for lunch since the service is fast and the price is quite cheap for what you get. Extra points for the decor and relaxing dining room.

LALLOUZ KEBABERIE
ADDRESS: 4561, St-Laurent | 69, St-Zotique E. | 1327, Ste-Catherine E.
PHONE: N/A
HOURS: N/A
ALCOHOL: Yes
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: Yes
CREDIT CARDS: Yes
PRICE: $12 during the day

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I was invited a few weeks ago to the Première Bulle event featuring the relaunch of Sieur d’Arques Cremant de Limoux. I’ve known the product for a while so it was fun to see its new modern look but same lovely taste.

Compared to a lot of sparkling wines, the Première Bulle is actually dry and not too sweet so it makes for a great drink all night. The Globe made a delicious raw bar for the evening and the combination was perfect.

I definitely suggest it for your next dinner party if you don’t want to spend too much on champagne but still want to avoid the cheap over-sweet taste found in many sparkling wines. Find at your nearest SAQ here.

*All photos from this post were provided by Première Bulle

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I was invited to a media event held by Télégraphe at the new specialty food store FOU D’ICI, a while ago. Located on Maisonneuve and Bleury, it’s the perfect stop to pick up a few things for a delicious dinner if you happen to be downtown.

The evening was very well organized and encouraged each media guest to taste and discuss some of the key and local products featured at FOU D’ICI.

I started by tasting tea and shortbread cookies made from Myco Sylva’s mushrooms.

My second stop was a well-known product to me, La Fourmi Bionique cereals which taste way too good to be organic!

I got to finally taste the cornetti from La Cornetteria in Little Italy, another advantage to visit FOU D’ICI if you don’t stop often in Little Italy.

The pearls by Corfia were fun to try with an array of fruits and maple sugar all covered in chocolate! They also offer interesting custom products if you get in touch with them, like chocolate business cards.

The sushi from Chef Malmi were amazing creations. It’s been a while since I’ve had such fresh and tasteful sushi in Montreal.

FOU D’ICI also features a to-go counter with delicious meals that can be heated on location or easily at home. The team of cooks is directed by Chef Bergeron, a charming man who knows how to upgrade our last minute meal ideas.

I suggest you stop by next time you are in the area and browse the alleys for fun and local products that could highlight your kitchen. It’s definitely not the place to fill your fridge, unless you have a big weekly budget but it’s a good spot to treat yourself on a lazy week night.

*All photos for this post are from the media event and were made available by Télégraphe

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Le Point G, the g spot in English, is straight up the best location in town for macarons. This awesome dessert from France is becoming more popular each day here in Montreal. Get a nice box or a pyramid to share amongst friends and enjoy it with a glass of champagne!

Suite 88 brings delicious and design together with their amazing creations. From an array of truffles to real chocolate shooters, you will definitely finds a product for each type of person you are buying for, including you of course! The reason to keep going back: their hot chocolate in many exciting flavors that turns in a mousse if you can’t finish it all and place it in the refrigerator.

Amazing photos from UniqueBoutiquesBlog.com

Cocoa Locale is a charming cake shop owned by Reema Singh. Her cakes are all made with love and covered in flowers. Each one looks a little bit different making it unique for the client. The cupcakes are the main reason why I am sold to Cocoa Locale. Pass by and choose one between lemon, vanilla and chocolate chai and you will think twice about buying another mass produced cupcake in the future!

Photo from LeModeDuJour.com

Olive & Gourmando is one of my favorite locations for lunch items, especially their sandwiches which are to die for! On week-ends, I also like to pick up a pastry or two to enjoy at home. Their selection is quite exciting and everything is baked fresh on-site. I especially recommend their palmier available from noon!

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