All That Glitters Gala

A Night at the Museum

I recently attended the All that Glitters Gala at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. The gala benefited Crohn's and Colitis Canada, a very important organization devoted to research and putting an end to the suffering caused by Crohn's and Colitis- for good. I was startled by the prominence of the disease in Canada. The following statistic really struck a chord: "1 in every 150 Canadians is living with Crohn's or Colitis- a rate that ranks in the highest worldwide" (Crohn's and Colitis Canada). Even more alarming, "the number of new cases of Crohn's disease in Canadian children has almost doubled since 1995" (Impact of IBD Report 2012, Crohn's and Colitis Canada). These statistics are eye opening and demonstrate the importance of searching for a cure to end Crohn's and Colitis for life.

The event was put together by an incredible team who gathered some of Montreal's finest restaurants and culinary talent! The food was impeccable and the generosity of the local restaurants in providing seafood, meat, salads, pastas, coffee, desserts, and more for a crowd of over 300 people, must be noted. Their devotion to our community and to this significant cause is remarkable.

Some of my favourite items from the night included Oysters provided by Joe Beef and served by Choice Harbour with a classic mignonette, apple mignonette, and Smoke Show hot sauce. Majestique was serving their famous giant hot dogs on buns by Hof Kelsten. Nora Gray brought their A-game with giant meatballs with tomato sauce and basil. Tavern on the Square impressed with homemade cavatelli with tomato sauce, mozzarella di bufala, and basil. Steve's Fish Store brought us the freshest fish. Succulent rack of lamb by Wolfe Montcalm. Ryu with their delicious sushi. Our beloved Moishes provided beef tartare and smoked salmon. La Sirène with their famous Lebanese salads, and Tuck Shop with the most adorable blinis topped with smoked salmon. For dessert, Boulangerie Le Fournil had a magnificent display of cake pops, trifles, and squares (a bakery in Westmount that I definitely plan on visiting in the near future!), and Cocoa Locale brought their sweet miniature cupcakes (my personal favs!). Caffeine-fix was brought to us by Tunnel Espresso Bar in the form of smooth and creamy lattes. As you can tell, this was definitely a "star"-studded event..a real culinary affair! I was so full, I didn't even get to try all of the delicious-looking food, so be sure to check out the full list of attendees below!

Majestique

Majestique - Hot Dogs

Tavern on the Square - Homemade Cavatelli

Smoked Salmon and Spinach Pie

Bagels on Greene - Bagels

Boulangerie Le Fournil - Strawberry Shortcake

Beaux Gateaux - Carrot Cake

Beaux Gateaux - Oreo Cake

Tunnel Espresso Bar - Latte

Boulangerie Le Fournil - Assorted Pastries and Desserts

Boulangerie Le Fournil - Cupcakes

The dinatoire (really more of a dinner after all the food I tasted!) was followed by a fundraiser, and finally a concert by Montreal-born Adam Cohen and his band. We all left with a cute parting gift complete with chocolates Galerie au Chocolat, David's Tea, and macarons by Dopo cena.

Please visit these restaurants who continue to support our community all year long, and definitely consider putting this event on your social calendar for next year! See the full list of restaurants who supported this cause below- all of them did such an amazing job, and if you haven't already, definitely check them out!

Restaurants, Caterers, and Bakeries

Bagels on Green

Beaux Gateaux

Beijing

Boulangerie Le Fournil 

Burger Bar

C&C Meat Packing

Caldwell

Chez Nino

Dopocena

Farines Etc. (Vegan Desserts)

Galerie au Chocolat

Grumman '78

Hof Kelsten

Honey Martin

Java U

J&R Butcher

Joe Beef served by Choice Harbour

Lucille's

Majestique

Moishes

New Victoria Fish Market

Nora Gray

Patisserie Cocoa Locale

Ryu

Steve's Fish Store

Tavern on the Square

Tuck Shop

La Sirene

Starbucks coffee

TCBY

Tunnel Espresso Bar

Traiteur LT

Wolfe Montcalm Catering

For more information on the cause, or to find out how you could get involved, visit the link below.

www.crohnsandcolitis.ca

And on behalf of the committee responsible for producing such a lovely evening:
"A special thank you to Java U catering for coordinating all of these delicious restaurants, and a shout out to Max Ruiz and Marley Sniatowsky from Choice Harbor for helping us solicit restaurants."


Mind, Taste, Love.

OYSTERMANIA

I had my first OYSTERMANIA experience on Friday night at Vertigo STK + Bar and highly recommend you opt for a night of oysters and alcohol at such an affordable price, while you still can!

There are 10 participating Montreal restaurants who are all offering 12 oysters and an alcoholic beverage for $10 until April 16th. Don't miss out! If you don't buy your tickets in advance, you are still able to take advantage of the deal at the restaurant, but the drink will not be included. You can use the ticket starting at 5:00 pm, a GREAT 5 à 7 idea for you and your office pals. Buy your tickets at the link below:

http://www.restomania.ca/toutes-les-offres/oystermania-huitres-10-au-16-avril/


Mind, Taste, Love.

Montreal Events: Vicolo Restaurant & Bar Opening Event

Vicolo Restaurant & Bar Grand Launch Event

Though trendy restaurants line the streets of the Plateau and Old Montreal, they are harder to come by in the heart of downtown Montreal. Not to say there are not tons of delicious places to pick-up food, or grab a bite downtown, but it is difficult to find a place with both delicious food AND atmosphere.

Enter Vicolo.

Situated smack in the middle of downtown, right near the Bell Center, Vicolo Restaurant & Bar is here to cater to our need for a chic restaurant that also delivers in the food department. "Vicolo" literally translates to "Back Alley", and has done a good job at creating a space that transports you right to modern Italy.

The launch party was really well organized and showcased all this place has to offer-  from the food and the cocktails, to the young and trendy vibe. The night started off with a spread of cheeses, dried fruits, nuts, charcuterie, olives, and bread (made even more perfect with a glass of wine in hand). Mini prosciutto and mushroom risottos were passed around along with some burrata crostini, duck confit ravioli, and fried calamari. Later on we also got to savour their pizza and succulent meat.

With DJ Abeille playing the perfect tunes, cocktails, food, and wine galore, and a good-looking group of Montrealers in attendance, I'd say this was a successful night. I will definitely be back to try some of Vicolo's menu staples such as their Roasted Cornish Hen, and Linguine Alla Vongole.

Take a break from the hustle and bustle of downtown and step into this cool urban back alley.

Best of luck to the Vicolo team and thank you for having us! What a great event!

Mind, Taste, Love.

Montreal Events: Chocolate Week (Part 2)

Chocolate Week (Part 2)

Juliette et Chocolat.

525, promenade du Centropolis, Laval (Québec) H7T 0A3

To top off chocolate week (like the perfect cherry on top!), I was fortunate enough to attend the opening of Juliette et Chocolat's latest location in Centropolis Laval. Firstly, I don't go to Laval very often, so I was SO impressed by how Centropolis has been built up. There are countless trendy restaurants, and family-fun activities. I will definitely be making a trip over there for dinner and some Putting Edge one of these days. Secondly, Juliette et Chocolat, already a Montreal staple, has really outdone themselves!

The place is quite big and gives you the option of taking something to-go from the "boutique", or sitting down and ordering. The fall-themed event was, to say the least, DELICIOUS. To sum it up in one word: chocolatey. We were served fondue, truffles, brownies and hot chocolate, as well as other sweet treats. I also took-out a delicious tiramisu in an adorable mason jar for later.

If you live in the Laval area, or are looking for a good time (dessert, glow-in-the-dark mini-golf, and a movie perhaps?), make your way to the latest Juliette et Chocolat! To all who organized this sugary event- thanks for the sugar buzz and the good times :).

CHOCOLATEY BONUS
Baking with chocolate: Dark Chocolate "Almond Joy" Granola (for you chocolate AND coconut lovers)

Recipe (made 2 full jars of granola- keep sealed and should last for about 2 weeks)
-3 cups of old fashioned rolled oats
-Almonds (as many as you desire- I like to keep them whole, but you can chop them too & feel free to substitute with any other nuts)
-Pumpkin seeds
-2 tablespoons of maple syrup
-3 tablespoons of coconut oil (warm in microwave to melt)
-1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
-1 teaspoon of salt
-Dark chocolate bar roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 325 and line baking sheets with parchment paper. 
Mix coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. 
In a separate bowl mix oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds (and any other nuts)
Pour wet mixture over dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated
Spread mixture onto baking sheet(s)
Bake for 10 minutes, then stir.
Bake for another 10 minutes and let cool.
Add the dark chocolate while the granola's still warm if you want it to coat the granola, or add in when cool if you want chocolatey chunks!
All Done!

Pack it in a jar and use some parchment paper and ribbon to decorate and label the top, and VOILA! The cutest gift for fall!

Make your own variations and send in your pictures, or tag me on instagram! I am always looking for new ideas.

Well, that just about sums up chocolate week! Stay tuned for the next post on an incredible restaurant I tried this weekend!

Mind, Taste, Love.

Montreal Events: Chocolate Week (Part 1)

Chocolate Week (Part 1)

L'Académie du Chocolat Opening and Some SHTICKS.

There's no such thing as too much chocolate!

As you may already know, I have declared this week CHOCOLATE WEEK on the blog. The reason behind this week's theme? Well, there are two. 1) When fall comes around and the temperature decreases, my coffee, tea, and CHOCOLATE intake increase. 2) I happen to have a few events this week that revolve around heavenly chocolate. Some say chocolate is bad for you, some say to eat dark chocolate for its antioxidants, I say...who cares??? The world is a better place with chocolate in it.

So the first event of the week was the opening of the Chocolate Academy, or L'Académie du Chocolat at 4850 Molson Street in Montreal. The event was so classy and well done, and really brought to light that this establishment takes their chocolate seriously. There were espresso shots mixed with melted chocolate, chocolate samples, chocolate sculptures, foie gras dipped in chocolate, chocolate wine pairings, and miniature chocolate desserts. Aside from all of the chocolatey-goodness, there was also some seriously impressive food: hors d'oeuvres, Dunn's smoked meat, sushi, waffles, tartare, and amazing paella cooked right outside! There were demonstrations showing how to make chocolate sculptures, do-it-yourself stations, and the staff were clearly all professionals. It was truly an amazing event and everyone needs to check out their website (http://www.chocolate-academy.com/ca/en/) for courses they offer and more information. They have some really intense courses for those of you looking to polish your already expert skills, and some beginner courses (the macaron class caught my eye!). Could make a great gift too!

Next up, Shticks. Intrigued by their name alone? You should be. Not only are these cookies delicious, they also came about in the sweetest way. A father who baked cookies with his daughters in the shape of "Shticks", realized that he had perfected the recipe and had to share them with the world. I was lucky enough to sample a batch of their new peanut butter chocolate chip flavour and will definitely be back for more. The only way to describe these: ooey gooey, peanut buttery, chocolatey, bliss. I am not lying when I tell you they melt-in-your-mouth. If you like your cookies crispy, these are not for you, but for those of you who are into chewy chocolate chip cookies accompanied by a tall glass of milk, place your order by e-mailing: shtickscookies@gmail.com. Have them delivered to friends on a birthday, or just because. Or order them for yourself. Ya, definitely order them for yourself.

Drool.

CHOCOLATEY BONUS
Favourite chocolate product of the moment: dark chocolate almond butter spread- AMAZING and healthy -ish? Antioxidants, right? Perfect for breakfast on a toasty english muffin :).

Mind, Taste, Love.