come out and support this quirky Montreal filmmaker and his funny Valentine..opening night giveaways and director in house.
“They’ve done it again” was my first impression when I walked in to the dimly lit restaurant with a very bright future. The latest brainchild from acclaimed local restaurateurs (and husband and wife team) Travis Champion and Monika Terlecki is sure to delight locals and tourists. I’ve known Travis and Monika for over a decade (man I’m getting old) and have come to appreciate and respect their fine taste for all things culinary and their attention to the details that make dining out experiences memorable ones.
Two years ago, Monika and Travis were part of the 5-member team that founded one of the most successful restaurants to have launched in the city over the past decade. Looking for a new challenge - and location - Monika and Travis found a gem at 479 Saint Alexis, in Old Montreal, on the corner of Notre Dame (head down McGill, turn right on Notre Dame, and the first street after Saint Pierre is Saint Alexis).
Like many of the standout restaurants in the Old Port, you won’t find any signs donning the entrance, but once you find L’Orignal, you’ll know exactly how to find your way back, thanks to the menu that greets you and the friendly team that serves you.
The location is in a greystone on one of the more quiet streets of our Old City. Words can’t describe the atmosphere, but one word of caution: make sure you don’t walk through the glass entrance that greets (maybe it was the wine/martini/scotch… but I digress).
Of course, any dining experience boils down to food, and not surprisingly, I was quite impressed.
Some of the starters will leave you wanting more: the lamb mini burgers in particular are insanely tasty.
L’Orignal offers an impressive array of tartares that cater to vegetarians (cucumbers) and meat lovers (tuna, salmon, duck, beef). But with a name like L’Orignal, you the focus will be on meat and seafood.
Filet mignon, veal shank, fish and chips, bison meat and a mushroom risotto are just some of the dishes that catch one’s eye on the menu, which ranges from $18 to $52 (for an intriguing filet mignon with maple syrup whiskey!).
L’Orignal opens tonight… I’ll be there with moose antlers on!
Here are directions to L’Orignal.
Name: Mesquite (www.mesquite.ca)
Address: 3857 Boul. Decarie (MAP)
Tel: (514) 487-5066
Cuisine: BBQ, Cajun, Creole, Southern
You know, when I walked into Mesquite, I wasn’t intending on reviewing them. But when the place ruined my Friday night, I changed my mind. As much as part of that decision was grounded in veangance, another part was grounded in a sense of civic duty to spare others a similar fate of dropping thirty bucks a head on third-rate BBQ.
Now, the place did have a bunch of reviews from the local mainstream media laminated and hanging on the wall, so I guess that it’s my word against that of established and respectable journalists food critics. So if you want to gamble that kind of cash, time, and appetite away, that’s your call. If you’re not a gambling (wo)man, though, you might want to give me the benefit of the doubt for at least as long as it’ll take to read the next few paragraphs.
For starters, the ambiance was sterile, non-descript, and looked like it was inspired by last season’s Pier 1 Imports catalogue — except that the decorator wasn’t actually working a Pier 1 kind of budget. Basically, it feels like what might happen if Denny’s went after the upwardly mobile thirty-something market.
I walked in at about 7pm on a Friday, but there wasn’t music playing, and the lights were all the way up. It was lucky that I’m a CCR fan, though, because when the music finally came on, though, it tuned out that the management’s idea of southern soul is the double-disc of CCR greatest hits beign played over and over again..
The staff seemed to be there mostly to entertain each other than actually try to sell you anything off of the menu. Before they’d taken our drink orders, they were asking us if we knew what we wanted. We suggested starting with drinks and, had I known, I would’ve ordered two beers instead of one because once that the last I saw of them until the food was abruptly dropped on the table.
Now, normally, I’d guess that anyone who ordered something called pulled pork deserved whatever they had coming to them, but the staff seemed to really be behind it before they disappeared, so I gave it shot. It turns out that pulled pork is one of the most tender ways pork can be prepared. At Mesquite, though, that texture is drowned out in B-list sauce that tasted as though it came out of the club-pack aisle. The waitress had described it as tangy, but if I’d been a suicidal diabetic, I would’ve been in heaven – literally, pun intended, and all that jazz.
The vegetarian fajitas were similarly disappointing. The veggies were served on a skillet, but were nothing more than a mound of onions with a few peppers on top for appearances. Although the guacamole was impressive (and tangy, unlike the house BBQ sauce), there wasn’t much of a spoonful of it to go around. Furthermore, the only other condiments were equally meagre portions of bakes beans (wtf?) and Monteray Jack cheese (also wtf?). No sour cream and no salsa.
Our meals done, the waitress still hadn’t been by to (1) ask us how things were, (2) inquire as to whether she could get us anything else, or (3) refill our waters – something that would be nice after so much sugar in the BBQ sauce. So it wasn’t a surprise that trying to get some coffee, dessert, or the bill was a challenge.
My advice to you, then, if you’re in the NDG area and are craving some fine Cajun or Creole cuisine is to check our La Louisiane. About a five minute drive from Mesquite, the food is delectable and the service exceptional. Mesquite, on the other hand, is a cookhouse-con, scamming you into paying bistro prices for diner quality.
CT Moore also blogs full-time about new media at the Gypsy Bandito Vlog and about search engine marketing at the SearchAnyway Blog.
Name: Jardin Asean (www.jardinasean.ca)
Address: 5828 Sherbrooke. O (MAP)
Tel: (514) 487-8868
Cuisine: Szechuan, Sushi, Dim Sum, Thai
As far as Asian tasting menus go, Jardin Asean is probably one of the best bets in the city. All four of their cuisines are available a la carte or all-you-can-eat. Depending on the night, the all-you-cab-eat ranges between $23-$26/person, and you can mix and match cuisines.
What’s nicest about the sushi is that you don’t have to pay for what you don’t eat. It also doesn’t suck which is surprising for anything that comes with all-you-can-eat attacehd to its name. In fact, except for the roll that feature cream cheese and lox, it’s remarkably good sushi sushi.
The Szechuan can be hit or miss, but it’s never disappointing. The dim sum is like what I imagine Chinese home cooking would be like. There’s also a seaweed salad that is possibly the daintiest (whatever the f**k that means) appetizer I’ve ever had.
Jardin Asean also features a list of specialty or exotic drinks that I’ve never tried, but they sure do seem colourful in the pictures on the drink card. Another bright and colourful beverage, come to think of it, is the green tea. It comes in glass pots, and is a shade of green that’s not unlike Mountain Dew. It tastes fine, though, so I drink it anyway.
As far as ambiance goes, it’s not a place to bring a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd date — in case the all-you-can-eat menu didn’t already lead you to that conclusion. As impressive as all the reds against a backdrop of stained wood is, they remind you constantly that you’re in a Chinese restaurant.
The service, finally, is neither bad nor good. The staff are just friendly enough that tipping them 15% is just plain fair. Especially in light of how much you can eat for twenty-five beans, you could probably tip them 20% and still come out ahead.
CT Moore also blogs full-time about new media at the Gypsy Bandito Vlog and about search engine marketing at the SearchAnyway Blog.
Since I consider myself both a geek and a gourmand, I thought I’d let you all know about the upcoming Geek Dinner Montreal. For those not in the know, Geek Dinners are events when local (and passing through) geeks sit down together to break bread and bounce ideas off of each other’s neural networks.
If you’re into Web 2.0, social media, or the local tech scene, you should probably come check it out. Mitch Joel has all the details over on his blog:
Tod Maffin from the CBC - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - and Blogger over at TodBits let me know that he is coming to Montreal and game for a Geek Dinner.
We’re going to do our best to keep this a bit smaller, but here are the details (as of now):
- Geek Dinner Montreal with Special Guest Tod Maffin.
- Tuesday, September 11th, 2007.
- 7:00 pm.
- Location to-be-confirmed.
Here’s how it works: based on the amount of people, I get us a reservation at a local Montreal restaurant (usually somewhere around the St. Laurent/Prince Arthur area). If you would like to join us, there are three ways to make it happen:
1. Email me your full name, email address and the company you work for.
2. Leave a comment below with the same information as above.
3. Check out the Facebook Event I created over here: Geek Dinner Montreal With Tod Maffin.
Everyone who comes pays their own way. Recording and taking pictures/video is always welcome. […]
My one major request is that if you RSVP that you are coming, please make sure to not stiff us. The restaurant is kind enough to allow us to make a reservation as a group, but because of the size, if anyone does not show, they wind up losing the business (and I wind up looking bad).
CT Moore also blogs full-time about new media at the Gypsy Bandito Vlog and about search engine marketing at the SearchAnyway Blog.
Name: Pushap Sweets
Address: 5195 Rue Paré (MAP)
Telephone: 514-737-4527
Cuisine: Indian, Vegetarian
A block east of the Decarie Expressway, just behind the Hotel Ruby Foo’s, is arguably the best channa in the entire city. Affectionately known as just Pushaps to regulars, the menu is cheaper than McD’s and entirely vegetarian.
The great thing about Pushaps is the tali plate. Every day, there’s a different combo of rice, bread (puri or chapati), curry, vegetable, and your choice of either lentils or channa (chick peas). Ordering with the chapati usually ensures that the tali is vegan, but ask ahead whether any of the veggie dishes have cheese in them.
Nowhere in Montreal have I come across channa this good. Mind you, it’s heavily spiced — not hot, just spicy. So if you’re ordering for a child or your palate prefers things on the blander side, go for the lentils — also good, just much milder.
There is, of course, an a la carte menu, but they’re not known for it. Don’t get me wrong, I ordered off it once, and wouldn’t complain about a thing. It’s just that the size, quality, and price of the tali alone is irresistable. Throw in a couple samosas or pakoras (all made on site) in at the start, and you won’t leave hungry.
As their name suggests, Pushaps also excels at desserts. Like the samosas and pakoras, these are made on site, so their frequently fresh. In fact, there are usually short take-out line-ups for their sweet. On some days, they’ll offer up to two vegan dessert choices — regrettably not as sumptuous as the non-vegan varieties.
Despite Pushaps appeal, it’s neither conveniently located nor ambient. Although it’s easily accessed from Decarie, it’s further north than Jean-Talon. The atmosphere, moreover, is rather shabby in a diner kind of way. Long story short, it’s no place to woo a romantic interest, but perfect for breaking bread with vegetarians.
CT Moore also blogs full-time about new media at the Gypsy Bandito Vlog and about search engine marketing at the SearchAnyway Blog.
Name: Eggspressions
Address: 3979, rue St. Denis (MAP)
Telephone: 514-282-8037
Cuisine: Bistro, Continental, Meditteranean-Moroccan-French Fusion
Another one of the nondescript sunny terraces on St. Denis, Bistro Côté Soleil has one of those menus that accommodate just about any non-vegan melange of patrons. Whether the service, quality, and over all experience, however, is good or bad seems to (in my experience) depend on the time of day.
The bistro was something I discovered as a weekend shopper. I’d pop in for breakfast, brunch, or lunch, and it was always pleasant. The kitchen seemed to out-do itself each time I returned. The service, moreover, wasn’t just efficient, it was warm and personable. Breakfast through lunch at Bistro Côté Soleil is akin to popping-in on some distant bon vivant French relatives.
During the evening, however, the service seems to range from inefficient to outright hostile. I’ve found the evening staff has trouble at half-capacity. When this happens, the staff seem to get grumpy. On one occasion, a waitress even had the gall to suggest to me that the foreign inedible I found in my food was put there by me.
Long story short, if you’re out shopping on St. Denis and need meal to break up the afternoon, or if you’re one of those Plateau hipster sleazeballs who takes your one-night-stands for breakfast, then the Bistro Côté Soleil is a solid choice. On the other hand, if you’re looking to unwind over a decent meal or just trying to make that date a one-night-stand, go another half a block north on St. Denis to the SAQ and hit up one of the bring-your-own-wine place on Duluth.
CT Moore also blogs full-time about new media at the Gypsy Bandito Vlog and about search engine marketing at the SearchAnyway Blog.
The Gazette’s Roberto Rocha covers online video startups and talks about WatchMojo.com’s growing video business, here.
Well, you may love it or you hate it. But being a Montrealer, or even someone who’s spent a little time in Quebec, you’ll have come to realize it’s a way of life. Something you can’t avoid seeing on a menu or smelling in everyday life. While, I have never been a hardcore poutine fan, I won’t lie, I do enjoy some cheese, grazy and fries every now and again. That was until I moved to Australia. As you can imagine, (if you’ve ever left Quebec before) not everyone in the world eats it!? I know, foolish people right?
After over a month across the world travelling Australia, to my incredible surprise I rolled across ‘Lord of the Fries’ in Melbourne, which had a big sign claiming all the sorts of fries they had. And as I’m sure you guessed… they had “French Canadian ‘Poutine’ fries!” Ohhh boy, I whipped out that cash faster than you could say “oui, je veux un pop-tart.”
So like every other Quebecois who has ever walked by the ‘Lord of the Fries,’ I had to say, “Well, I’ll tell you if it’s good or not. I’m from Montreal.”
But, what I wasn’t prepared for was the fact the guy serving me would be from Montreal… more specifically Longueil. Oh, the poutine. Bringing Montrealers together since some drunk guy decied to throw some curd cheese in his fries and call it a meal.
there is an ice bar open in Montreal! if you’ve ever been curious about what it feels like to sip champagne while your extremities freeze, come on down to the terrace (well, in the summertime, currently it is a frozen wonderland) of Le Garcon at 1112 Sherbrooke (and Peel). Thursday’s opening was as cozy as an ice haven could be, with oysters and chestnuts presented as appys, and champagne and hot wine changing hands as freely as the fur-coated waitstaff changed shifts. it’s kind of a strange concept to stay in an ice hotel (willingly sleep on a bed made of ice, though the selling point is a thermal sleeping bag and reindeer pelts) or get married in an ice chapel, or even watch a movie in a theatre made of ice, but the sculptures and structures are truly amazing. go on down and get a drink, it brings a whole new meaning to “on the rocks”. oh, and watchmojo was there, so there are videos to come in case you miss it…
