When thinking outside the box just isn't enough
Here at Food & Drunk, we often talk about what’s going on locally. Yet to frame the city’s food beat, it’s important, once in a while, to place things in a global context. As I did last year, I wanted to take a moment to look back at what mattered in food in 2014. Here’s an eclectic list of […]
The other night I was having a few drinks at new-ish, over-loud Plateau bar, Les Torchés. About one hour in, an adjacent bachelorette party chose to launch into a glass-shattering a cappella version of “I Believe I Can Fly”. This was the perfect moment to escape out onto Mont-Royal and test out a nearby sausage […]
We humans love our traditions. Some have persisted for valid reasons. Others? Well, I think on some level, we just enjoy the drug of empty repetition. I’ve long been an eager proponent of the history, rituals, and heritage of the meal. But sometimes, we confuse the latter concepts. Some traditions are really just calcified habits […]
Once upon a time, you had to venture north of Rosemont to get a proper pupusa in Montreal. Before that, it was even harder. I was all the way in Santa Barbara, California, when I first tasted the addictively comforting El Salvadorian treat. That was ten years ago, and since then, we’ve been lucky to have a few Montréal […]
There’s something depressing about witnessing Sainte Catherine Street’s potential-ridden Faubourg slowly and steadily decline, year after year. Even the meagre optimism sparked by Grumman 78’s presence quickly disintegrated in 2012. The food court–impossibly–churns on with stalwarts like Bangkok and Yuki Ramen, but empty retail space has been outpacing fresh menu items for almost a decade. Rejoice. Japote, a stall […]
Many dream of opening a restaurant. Unfortunately, cash, logistics and a litany of permits can nip that dream in the bud. But for Montréal cooks and eaters, World Restaurant Day has brought salvation. The world’s “biggest food carnival” touches down in Montéal again next Sunday, August 17, from noon until midnight, enabling 34 would-be restauranteurs to to share their “cuisine éphémère.” We’re […]
This is Part Three in our series on innovative, socially-minded Montréal food start-ups! Check out Parts One and Two! Two cat cafés are set to open this summer in Montréal. If all goes to according to schedule, Montréal’s Café Chat L’Heureux and Le Café des Chats Montréal will be the first two permanent cafés of their kind in North America. […]
This week, we’re in part two of three celebrating innovate or socially-responsible food startups around town! Check out Part 1 here, and stay tuned for Part 3 next week! — When I last caught up with Maurin Arellano Frellick, she was in the midst of cooking Sunday dinner for a group of whisky-loving nuns. The time […]
The French term for sustainable is durable. The word, in many ways, evokes something more than just environmental attention or corporate buzz-speak. We’re brought to think of things lasting, enduring, persisting, radiating outward to all the circles to whom they serve. For Samara Davis, durability is a daily motivation. After finding herself out of a […]
Gallons of rain and new beer characterized the 21st edition of the Mondial de la Bière at Palais des congrès. While I didn’t have the liver (or the cash) to sample all 270 premières on tap, I still managed to round up a short list of “solid bets” to last you through the year to come. So file them away for next time you intend to spice up […]
We’re nearing beer o’clock. More specifically, we’re nearing the most highly-anticipated 60 hour stretch of conspicuous beer consumption of the year. It’s called the Mondial de la Bière. Unlike your average worknight, where access to Porto Alegre or Farnham microbrews can be tricky to say the least, a quick métro ride will suffice to sample over 500 types of […]
For years now in Montréal, I’ve only been able to find good biryani at friend’s homes. Some would say that’s because proper biryani must be home-made, preferably with love, affection and patience—and eaten immediately. It’s true that the subtly-oiled grains of basmati do not age gently. Leave them out a few hours and flaky becomes crunchy, an altogether unpleasant quality for most grains […]
Perched atop Anatolia, a purveyor of Nutella pizza on rue St-Mathieu is the de facto hidden gem. It’s got all the required attributes: nonexistent street presence, unpretetentious dining room and a wealth of unexplored flavours. What’s more, it’s very rare, if not unheard of, to find an Egyptian restaurant in the heart of downtown Montreal. Once you make it up the stairs and […]
This Thursday, the Habs kick off their 34th playoff rendez-vous with the Bruins. At least one pundit is calling for a 7 game tussle. Do you know what equates to? Twenty-one hours of screen time, multiple weeknight drinking sessions, and, if you’re lucky, a sprinkling of good food. Back at series outset, BlogMTL highlighted some viewing […]
For fans of the majestic—yet fleetingly-open—Terrasse St-Ambroise, this was a landmark weekend. After a soft launch on Friday, the historic McAuslan brewery flung the doors open to a brand-new pub: Annexe St-Ambroise. Spurred on by devout local Terrasse clientele, I was on hand to check out the new Annexe St-Ambroise in its first evening of regular operation. […]
To me, spring in Montréal means a renewed appreciation of open air food and drink. Translation: Banh Mi on a park bench, coupled with cold lager. It might well be the city’s most underestimated pastime. You’ve probably heard of banh mi. It’s that magnificent cultural collision that succeeds, against all odds, at marrying French and Vietnamese […]
