Pages

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Restaurant Review: Le Filet

Le Filet

A Perfect 10 on 10.


Address: 219 Avenue Mont Royal, Montreal, QC H2T 2T2
Phone:(514) 360-6060

Food, service, and atmosphere. All 3 were present upon my visit to Le Filet. Food- exquisite, Service- impeccable, and décor- understated, yet sophisticated.

Though not new to the Montreal restaurant scene, Le Filet has definitely not lost its splendour. With each dish just as good, or better than the last, my date and I left fully satisfied and raving about our meal to all of our friends.

Just as impressive as the food was the service. Our waiter recommended dishes and wines, and was quick to check-in on us every so often. No detail was missed.

Let's talk food.

The menu is short and sweet. Not overwhelming, but just enough options to please everyone. Seafood is the star. The "First Set" is composed of Japanese-inspired raw dishes, while seafood is also present in all five of the "Second Set" items. The "Third Set" offers fish, meat, and vegetarian choices. The dishes are served tapas style and the waiter recommended about five dishes for two people.

We went with the following:

"First Set"

We started with 4 "Oysters with pizzazz"- 2 with jalapeno and maple crisp, and 2 with miso gratin. An amazing start to dinner (set the bar pretty high).

"Oysters with pizzazz"

Next was a delicious tuna tartare with egg confit and nori tempura. Highly recommended.

Tuna Tartare

"Second Set"

Grilled octopus, Israeli cous cous, meyer lemon coulis.

Grilled Octopus with Israeli Cous Cous

Crab risotto, asparagus, shellfish jus. Please. For your own sake, do not miss this dish. 

Crab Risotto

"Third Set"

Pork flank, seared scallop, soft polenta. On point. 

Pork Flank with Seared Scallops

Dessert

Maple syrup square, whipped cream, pecans. A Canadian's dream. Not too sweet and topped with whipped cream...what else could you want? On that note, Happy Canada Day everyone! Enjoy your Monday or Tuesday off, and TRY THIS RESTO. You won't regret it.

Maple Square

Restaurant Le Filet

Le Filet


Reservations: Definitely.
Date night: 100%. Save this one for special occasions (or don't...). Either way, go.
Attire: Dress up!
The damage: $$$$

Mind, Taste, Love.









Montreal Maven Montreal restaurantsLe Filet on Urbanspoon

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Restaurant Review: Les 3 Maria

Les 3 Maria

The West Island gets a taste of Portugal.

4886a Boulevard Des Sources, Dollard-Des Ormeaux, QC (514) 683-1333

The surprising location of this restaurant should not diminish your opinion of it. It is located in a strip mall on Sources in DDO. West Islanders are lucky to have this place so close by. There is a fair share of great Portuguese restos in the city (Romados, Piri Piri, etc.), but Les 3 Maria is delicious, inexpensive, and definitely a contender.

The place is small with diner-style décor. 4 tables line the wall across from the take-out counter, and there was only 1 waitress (who was very helpful and attentive!). But once your food arrives, you won't care about the size, or look of the place!

Let's start with the fries. Move over OJ, I've found some competition. These fries share similarities with Orange Julep's, but are crispier and tastier. They season them with spices and just the right amount of salt. Next, the star of the plate- the chicken. It's cooked on a charcoal grill, and you know it's fresh since it takes 15-20 minutes to get to the table. I highly recommend you order it spicy if you can handle it! It will arrive perfectly spiced, juicy, and flavourful. And don't forget to ask for their amazing piri piri sauce on the side- it adds the perfect punch.

Chicken Plate

We also ordered the chicken sandwich, which comes on fresh bread, filled with moist chicken, and piri piri sauce (also served with fries)- highly recommended.


Chicken Sandwich Plate

For dessert you NEED to try one (or two, or three) of their Natas- a traditional Portuguese custard tart. Light, and delightful!


Portuguese Natas

Overall, this restaurant easily won me over. Definitely worth a trip to the West Island. Pick-up is also a good idea as the resto is pretty small and they don't have a liquor license yet.

You should go!

Reservations: Yes, there are only 4 tables and it fills up fast.
Date night: It depends who your date is- but I was totally fine with it :)
Attire: Super casual.
The damage: $

Mind, Taste, Love.









Les 3 Maria on Urbanspoon

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Lifestyle: Montreal Backyard BBQs

Barbecue Season in Montreal

BBQ Eats & Essentials

When summer arrives in Montreal (finally.) there is nothing better than having a bunch of friends over for a backyard BBQ.

Coming up with a menu that will please everyone could be stressful. And considering the weather is finally beautiful, you want recipes and ideas that are quick and easy to prepare (so that you could veg by the pool all day!).

First thing you need to know: I am not a chef. Nor have I ever taken any cooking classes. But I love experimenting with ingredients and trying new recipes. A lot of ideas are ones that were inspired by Pinterest, fellow bloggers, friends, family, and Foodgawker (my favourite pastime). So I can't take full credit here.

Next time you're throwing a BBQ, don't even give it a second thought- here's your menu:

Drink options
-Sangria: A must at any outdoor BBQ. It doesn't feel like summer until you're holding a glass of sangria by a pool. The trick here is to make it in advance so that the wine gets infused with whatever fruit you choose. Green apples, lychees, limes, lemons, and oranges work well. Citrus is always a good idea with sangria. Add some triple sec, white cranberry juice, and club soda for some flavour and fizz. Just taste as you go along to make sure the ratio's good! In my eyes, the more fruit, the better!

White Wine Sangria
-Pink lemonade beer: Girls rejoice!  I found a way for us to actually enjoy our beer. I wouldn't consider this much of a recipe, but it was just too good not to share. Store bought pink lemonade + beer + sliced strawberries + sliced lemons = refreshing and super pretty beer to impress your guests! (Again, I didn't use any specific measurements here- just poured and tasted until it was right.)

Pink Lemonade Beer
-Beer bucket: A necessity. Fill an ice bucket with ice and make sure its stocked with a good selection of beers, so that everyone's happy. :)

-Iced tea: Always a refreshing choice and so easy to make from scratch. Boil water, use about 4 tea bags of your choice if you're making quantity (and depending on how strong you like it). I find black tea is best, but you could go with green, or whatever you prefer! Don't oversteep- it will start to taste bitter. You're better off using more tea bags and steeping for less time. To sweeten, use sugar while the water is still hot so that it dissolves (or make a simple syrup if you would prefer to add sweetener later on). Don't refrigerate right away! I've made this mistake and the tea gets cloudy. Let it cool first, then refrigerate, and you're good to go!

Food options
-Watermelon, feta, and mint salad: This embodies summer. Serve as a salad, or as little stacks using toothpicks to hold them together

-Grilled corn with a homemade compound butter: garlic compound butter is one option, but add herbs and spices to make it colourful and fresh.

-Sweet potato fries with sriracha mayo dipping sauce: honestly, go with the store bought fries...good shortcut and you could easily find ones with no additives (just add some sea salt and paprika)

-Burgers with gourmet toppings: We went with bacon, caramelized onions, mushrooms, brie cheese, grilled pineapple, and avocado- you could also serve arugula, fried eggs, onion rings, etc. With burgers, anything goes.

-Hot dogs: My weakness, so make sure to have some ready if I'm invited.


Dessert options
-Home made ice cream sandwiches: you can either pre-make these and individually wrap and freeze them, or have an ice cream sandwich bar! Bake 2-3 types of cookies (shortcut: buy the cookie dough pre-made to save time). Buy a couple of different ice cream flavours (go with unique flavours that pair well with the cookie dough), or make your own if you're Martha Stewart! Let people choose their combos and assemble their own sandwiches!




-S'mores on a stick: skewer some marshmallows onto wooden sticks, melt chocolate, dip marshmallows into chocolate, and roll in crushed graham crackers (I bought these pre-crushed)- do this in advance and refrigerate so they set!




-Key lime pie or Strawberry short cake: Essential summer desserts.

Other ideas
-Grilled peaches topped with goat cheese crumbled walnuts and drizzled with honey
-Bruschetta
-Layered dip (made with guac, salsa, sour cream, bean dip, and cheese) with corn chips
-Grilled corn salad with coriander, black beans, and tomatoes (instead of serving it on the cob)

What will you serve at your BBQ? I love new and creative ideas so share below!





Monday, June 16, 2014

Restaurant Review: L'Atelier D'Argentine

L'Atelier D'Argentine

Chops & Chimichurri

355 Rue Marguerite d'Youville, Montréal, QC H2Y 2C4


I wanted to take my boyfriend out for his birthday and some criteria had to be met. I wanted 1) a great location, 2) cool menu, and 3) great atmosphere. After thinking about it for some time, I decided on L'Atelier D'Argentine: a resto that neither of us had ever been to, in the Old Port, with a unique Argentinian menu (criteria 1 & 2...CHECK!).

Upon entering the restaurant and seeing firsthand the beautiful décor (very similar to its previous occupant- DNA), I knew that the 3rd criteria had been met :). SUCCESS! The restaurant also had a very nice lounge area- dimly lit with music and a full bar.



The menu had some interesting items with definite Argentinian influence and a wine list filled with options from South America. We went with a salmon sashimi in a passion fruit dressing to start, followed by spinach and tomato gnocchi (not very Argentinian, I know, but I couldn't resist...) and a rib eye steak. The steak was a tadddd overcooked, but the chimichurri and salsa sauces that came with made up for it and were both flavourful. 

Salmon sashimi

Spinach and tomato gnocchi

Garlic and parsley fries

Rib eye steak

For dessert we had a crepe filled with dulce de leche (a South American staple) and caramelized bananas served with a square of semifreddo. Yummy and beautifully presented!

Banana/Dulce de Leche crepe


Our meal at L'Atelier D'Argentine wasn't perfecttt, but the night itself was just what I wanted. Good food, great atmosphere, in a sweet location. After my visit, I realized (aside from the classics- Moishe's and Gibby's), Montreal is lacking trendy, modern steakhouses like the ones scattered throughout Miami and New York (STK, BLT, Morton's, etc.).

SOOO...To all you entrepreneurs out there- I've found your gap in the market! GO! Open an EPIC steakhouse in Montreal. K thanks. Oh and p.s. I am totally opened to Mtl steakhouse recommendations (maybe we do have some good ones that I'm not aware of?), so COMMENT!

UPDATE: just thought of Queue de Cheval (soon to re-open), and 40 west (but that is quite far for us city people)- I want more!

Reservations: Recommended.
Date night: Impress your date with some Argentinian flair!
Attire: People were actually dressed pretty casually, but I dressed up for the occasion. 
The damage: $$$ (we're in Old Montreal...)

Mind, Taste, Love.








L'Atelier d'Argentine on Urbanspoon

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Montreal Events: Grand Prix Weekend / Resto Review: Slang LabOManger

Grand Prix Weekend

The usual and the unexpected.

Olympic Stadium, Crescent, and Monkland


The Usual - Food Truck Frenzy.

Though not technically associated with the Grand Prix at all, the Food Truck festival at the Olympic Stadium just happened to fall during this action-packed weekend, and it was just that- PACKED. Some friends and I arrived early, so we were able to overindulge in some of the innovative and delicious food truck grub (without the crazy lines). Others who arrived later were not as lucky. The huge Olympic Stadium field became cramped and over-crowded, and the line-ups were about 30 minutes long. This event, which happens the first Friday of each month, is really worth a try, but I HIGHLY recommend you arrive early. Check out the yummy pictures below!

Food Trucks @ Olympic Stadium
Pas de Cochon dans mon Salon
Boston Cream & Caramel Dougnuts
Lucille's Lobster Roll
Flavour-infused Beers
Gluten-Free Food Truck!
Nutella Waffle
Gluten-Free Arancini Perfection
Apple Crumble Grilled Cheese (Gargantua)
The Usual - Crescent Street Festival.

Another annual happening is the Crescent Street Festival. The street was booming (as always), but nothing new or exciting was going on. The atmosphere is always a fun one, and walking up and down crescent, or grabbing a seat on one of the many terraces to listen to the live music are both good options. However, I recall doing the same exact thing last year. Though we had a good time, there was nothing novel about our time on Crescent. Montreal signed a contract guaranteeing the Grand Prix will be held in our city for the next 10 years, so Crescent has plenty of time to redeem itself!

Crescent Street

The Unexpected - A Local Affair.

Final stop for Grand Prix weekend was my dear old Monkland Village. Monkland is a quaint street in NDG with a couple of restaurants, cafés, and some neighbourhood bars. This weekend, the street was transformed into the unexpected backdrop for a Grand Prix Weekend street fair. There were activities for kids, so families weren't alienated, but there were also DJs, food trucks, and terraces for an older crowd. There really was something for everyone.

I also checked out Monkland's latest addition, Slang LabOmanger. The restaurant has a terrace overlooking the charming street, but take a step inside and you won't believe you are on Monkland. Adorned with retro light-fixtures, and exposed-brick walls, the place has a really trendy, industrial feel. Knowing that this used to be a video rental store deems the design even more impressive. In tandem with its laboratory theme, tables are set with beakers as both candle holders, and water pitchers, and small details throughout the menu contribute to the feel as well. A brightly-lit, white open-kitchen is the focal point of the restaurant, contrasting the rest of the dimly-lit interior.

The menu is creative with items including grilled octopus with lemon pop rocks, onion soup dumplings, and bacon wrapped matzoh balls. The drink menu also aims to please with a bacon caesar (YES...I said bacon) and a mojito served as a slushie. This is definitely a welcomed-addition to Monkland Ave. and will give young NDG locals the nearby hotspot they've been waiting for. See what we ordered below!

Reservations: Yes! But they don't take reservations for the terrace as of now (first come, first serve)
Date night: Definitely. It has an intimate atmosphere and unique drink menu. Sure to please!
Attire: We're still on Monkland, so no need to get TOO fancy. Trendy/sophisticated and you're set.
The damage: $$$ (definitely more expensive than the typical neighbourhood restaurant, but there's a price to pay for style and atmosphere)
Bonus: Cute terrace.

Where did you hang out this Grand Prix Weekend? Any new hot spots, or the same old?
Slang Lab
Cocktail Menu
Starters
Bacon Caesar
Slushie Mojito
Grilled Octopus w/ Pop Rocks
Onion Soup Dumplings
Lobster Pad Thai
Interior Design

Mind, Taste, Love.