I recently visited Montreal from Aug 3 to Aug 10. What a treat for both my tummy and my eyes! I’m actually going to dedicate TWO blog posts to the “food” part of my trip. Does that give you an indication of how much food I ate? LOL

Here’s a list  of restaurants that I tried.  Sadly I didn’t make it to Joe Beef as they were closed. Sniff.

Garde Manger:  What did we order? The lobster poutine, Foie Gras with brioche and a blueberry sauce, and the Walleye. We sat at the bar in the back and loved both our food and the cool yet casual vibe of this restaurant. PS almost went back another night for the Foie Gras dish – it was that good.

Au Pied Du Cochon; This is my 3rd time to this restaurant in the past 7 years and I keep ordering the same thing! Foie Gras Poutine and Cromesquis Foie Gras (basically deep fried squares and when you pop them into your mouth – foie gros oozes into your mouth). This visit I felt like I need to add some vegetables to balance the meal and it didn’t disappoint.

L’Gros Luxe: Noticed that they had a poutine sandwich on the menu AND deep fried avocado. Didn’t take me long to add L’Gros Luxe  to the list of restaurants I wanted to check out. There’s a reason why they just opened their second location…great food, great prices and friendly staff.

Olive & Gourmando: This restaurant seems to be packed ALL the time. I went an hour before closing and it was still full of customers (minus the line ups). It was a good strategy not to go for breakfast or lunch seeing as I’m not fond of line ups. The waitress told me that #24 on the menu is a popular salad so I ordered it. It was SO pretty and SO tasty. Just what I needed. I can see why this is a popular spot for tourists and for locals.

Brit & Chips; One night I was looking for a casual restaurant that wasn’t far from Old Montreal and this restaurant fit the bill. Just perfect.

Ceviches: Oh what a treat to discover this restaurant. Love. Love. Love this restaurant. Again – another casual restaurant and exactly what I was looking for. I wish there was a restaurant like this in Toronto!

 

Just so you know – I followed three blogs that were instrumental in helping me decide which restaurants to go to!

1. www.mtlblog.com

2.www.willtravelforfood.com

3. www.shutupandeat.ca

For more information:

Garde Manger 408 Rue St. Francois Xavier, Montreal (514) 678 5044

Au Pied Du Cochon 36 Avenue Duluth Est, Montréal  (514) 281-1114

L’Gros Luxe  3807 St-André  514-447-2227 OR 150 Bernard Ouest  Mile End 514-507-8883

Olive & Gourmando 351 Rue Saint Paul Ouest (514) 350-1083

Ceviches 152 Rue Napoléon, Montréal (514) 419-6391

Brit & Chips 433 Rue McGill (514) 840 1001 or 5536 Cote-des-Neiges, Montreal (514) 737-9555

 

 

Yummy Market is a grocery store that caters to the Eastern European Community. As you know – I’m adventurous when it comes to food so visiting Yummy Market is always a pleasure as there’s a good chance I’m going to try something new!

Their store on Dufferin St looks like this:

The first thing you notice when you walk in is wide varieties of bread (with samples too).

They also carry a huge range of Kefir.

I bought this product – but sadly I haven’t tried it yet. Its still in my fridge. My. Bad. It’s a milk flavoured soda and to be honest…I think I’m a teensy bit afraid to try this.

I also bought some pickles. I adore pickles and love them even more when they aren’t in a jar!

There’s no shortage of a feta cheese, meats, candy and more! I promise you that visiting this store will be a (tasty) adventure.

Happy Grocery Shopping!!

For more information:

Yummy Market:  

North York Location: 4400 Dufferin Street, North York, ON  Phone: (416) 665-0040

Store Hours: 9 am to 9 pm daily

Maple Location:1390 Major Mackenzie Dr. W. Maple, ON  Phone: (905) 417-4117

Store Hours:
Monday – Sat. 8 am – 10 pm
Sunday 8 am – 8 pm

 

Last year I went to this event for my first time and was totally impressed for many reasons.(Click here for last year’s blog post).

This year, The Stop’s Night Market takes place on June 17 and 18, 2014 from 7 pm to 11 pm.  I’m writing you to encourage you to buy your tickets quickly (as in now) as they go on sale today (May 1st). Seriously – this will be a sold out event.

Why should you attend?

-you are going to taste some spectacular food plus it’s all-you-can-eat. No tickets required!!

-you are going to be able to enjoy alcoholic beverages too! (think: beer, wine, and more)

-each vendor has a unique space which makes for a visually appealing experience. (no 6 ft tables draped in white linen…not even close)

-you are going to support an amazing cause.

-the location is perfectly accessible.

I should mention that there are different food/drink vendors each night – kind of cool!.

Note: I met one woman last year who bought tickets for both nights. #smart #move.

Hope to see you there!

For more information:

Twitter: @theStopCFC

Facebook: www.facebook.com/thestopnightmarket/

Website: The Stop Community Food Centre

I’ve just returned from my 7th visit to Las Vegas with my mom. Our trip includes a lot of suntanning (with sunscreen) and eating. Naturally I did a lot of research before our vacation started and made a point of researching restaurants that were OFF the strip. You see, a few years ago we learned that there’s some amazing food to be found that’s NOT on the Strip. Here’s a list of the restaurants that we enjoyed that were just a short cab ride away from our hotel.

1. Night #1: Hot N Juicy Crawfish – we discovered this restaurant a few years ago and even though we try not to go back to the same restaurant twice….we decided that we HAD to go back to this restaurant. The seafood is beyond fresh and we love how your meal arrives to your table in a steaming hot plastic bag. Naturally plastic bibs and even plastic gloves are given out to guests. Not to mention…a roll of paper towels are on your table  as well.

Top Left: The meal arrives. See how happy we are? Top Right: What our table looks like AFTER our meal. Bottom: Love the fact that they have been on The Cooking Channel.

2. Night #2: Chada Thai & Wine. I discovered this restaurant after posting on Chowhound. I then read enough fabulous reviews on Yelp and Urbanspoon to know that we would definitely  be dining a this restaurant. We were NOT disappointed at all. I asked our amazing waiter (Bank) to assist us with selecting 4 dishes and he delivered 4 perfect items. The food was fresh, flavorful and light. My mom and I were beyond happy.

Top Right: Pad Hed (Shitake and Shimeji mushrooms stir fried with brussels sprouts and lotus root). Bottom Left: Yum Kai Nok Kata (Fried Quail eggs topped with dry shrimp, cilantro, onion. Spicy lime dressing). Bottom Right: Pla Nua Tod (crispy beef tossed with rice powder, spicy tamarind sauce, onion and mint, served with fresh cabbage).

Not kidding: I would order all of these dishes again in a heart beat.

Save room for dessert!

 

Night #3: In – N – Out Burger. I don’t know where to start to describe this burger. Let’s just say it’s perfect and this restaurant makes me happy (just like the song…sorry, couldn’t resist). In-N-Out Burger has never chnaged their menu and there is a reason why they haven’t changed it. THERE IS NO NEED. Sadly I forgot to order the Animal Style French Fries which is on a “secret menu” and was kicking myself. #nexttime.

I also discovered a restaurant called Eat which is only open from 8 to 3 during the week and on weekends from 8 to 2 pm. The reviews I read were outstanding so off we went on a cloudy day for lunch. Even though I love sitting in the sun, I was thrilled that we had this day to discover this restaurant and go shopping!!

Top Right: Cinnamon Biscuits with warm strawberry compote Bottom Left: Green Chili Chicken Posole Bottom Right:Truffled Egg Sandwich.

On our last night: We celebrated the end of another mother/daughter Vegas trip with our usual jello shots from Fat Tuesday & Chippery inside Caesars Palace. We’ve been going to this little gem of a spot for 6 years to enjoy this $2 treat. LOL.

As you can see, I had another amazing trip with my mom and would like to thank her for this perfect birthday gift. I’m so lucky have a mom who also loves to travel, sit in the sun and eat good food. I’m already looking forward to spending my birthday with her next year in Vegas!!

For more information:

Hot ‘N Juicy Crawfish 4810 Spring Mountain Road, Las Vegas,  702 891 8889

Chada Thai and Wine  3400 S Jones Blvd. Las Vegas, 702 641 1345 (reservations recommended)

In-N-Out Burger (2 locations in Las Vegas)…4888 Dean Martin Drive or 2900 W. Sahara Ave.

Eat 707 Carson St. Las Vegas (702) 534 1515

Fat Tuesday & Chippery: Forum Shops at  Caesars Palace, 3500 Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas.

 

I recently discovered a website called “Stay at Blue Mountain”. To sum it up , they rent out chalets that are equipped with luxury appointments and are perfect to accommodate families, large groups, team building retreats or executive getaways.

The chalets are within walking, or skiing distance, of the Blue Mountains activity area. Not to mention, that these large chalets sleep between 16 and 20 guests and are equipped with EVERYTHING YOU need. From indoor and outdoor swimming pools, hot tubs, fireplaces, barbecues, air conditioning, saunas and WIFI…they have a chalet to suit your needs.

It was a tough choice but we selected the SUMMIT RIDGE chalet which offered 8 bedrooms, 2 “common areas” with flat screen TV’s, 4 bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen and an outdoor hot tub (the selling feature for me).

 

Many years ago, I was a special events coordinator and part of my job description was hiring caterers and working with them to develop menus for cocktail parties, dinners and events. I truly loved this part of my job. I’m no longer in that industry but I still enjoy checking out new caterers, learning about food trends etc. Therefore, I was pretty excited to attend the launch of O&B Caters. 
Yes – that’s right – O&B – as in Oliver & Bonacini. After 25 years in the restaurant business, they have finally decided to launch a catering division!

The dishes that I sampled at the launch were superb and I have no doubt that guests at any function would also be impressed.

Seriously – how gorgeous is this presentation?.  This dish had it all – delicate flavours, presentation and textures. See the three “brown/white” chunks – well that’s QUINOA BRITTLE! I don’t know about you but that’s certainly not something that I usually see  in a salad, when I go to a catered event. O&B Caters certainly take things an extra step!!

And there’s more gorgeous presentation…

I simply adore presentation. Sorry – if I’m repeating myself. But it’s so true.

But there’s more to catering than just a good menu and amazing presentation. There’s a whole team behind a caterer that also adds to the success to an event – i.e professional staff, decor, and a creative team. No doubt about it – O&B Caters delivers on every level.

For more information:

O&B Caters: 416.364.1211

events@oliverbonacini.com

Twitter: O&B_Caterers

 

 

Did you know that Jamie Oliver  recently launched a new line at Sobeys? The line, labeled Compliments presents: Jamie Oliver Discovers Canada, was a year in the making and includes a range of 14 amazing dishes. For example…Herby Lemon Flattened Chicken made with Certified Humane chicken, Scrumptious Seafood Pie and Sweet Cherry Focaccia. Each recipe features the best of Canadian flavours. Not to mention, each product was tested, tasted and approved by Jamie Oliver.

Recently, I had the opportunity to sample each and every one of these dishes at an event! (squeal).

I have to be honest…the frozen section is not an aisle that I normally frequent. But after the opportunity to sample these dishes, I will be frequenting this aisle more often. I simply could not believe how tasty these dishes were. Every single one was a winner!

Top left photo: Lemon Flattened Chicken.  Bottom left photo: an assortment of breads (that I shouldn’t have eaten but I couldn’t resist)
 Top Left : Scrumptious Seafood (a winner), Top Right: Old School Holiday Ham. Bottom Left: Beef Blade Pot Roast. Bottom Right: An Assortment of Tasty Dips

I usually make my own crisp for dessert,  but I would serve Jamie Olivers’ Mixed Berry and Apple crisp in a heart beat. Seriously….THAT GOOD.

Please take a peek at this unique line of products, the next time you visit Sobeys. You will be blown away by the value and the quality.

 

Are you looking for a “unique” gift? Well, Samba Days might be the answer!! Samba Days is all about giving a unique “Gift Experience”. Infact there are over 70 different experiences to choose from. There’s Body and Soul experiences, Golf experiences, Adventure Experiences and more.

Naturally I selected the  Gourmet Getaway Experience. I simply activated my gift card, picked the location for my Gourmet Get away and booked the date when I wanted to go.

Pretty cool, if you ask me.

We chose to go to the Westover Inn which is located in St. Mary’s, Ontario.(about 2 hours away from Toronto). We could have selected from over 14 different properties throughout Ontario but this one caught our attention.

We weren’t disappointed with our Samba Day Gourmet Getaway experience at all! We were impressed with the property, the accommodations and the food!!

My dinner consisted of a beautiful 4 course dinner – Spinach Salad, Walnuts, Blue Cheese and Pancetta with a Roasted Pear Vinaigrette, an amuse bouche, Grilled Beef Striploin with Dark Ale and Madagascar Peppercorns with Roasted Fingerlings Potatoes and a warm apple tart for dessert! Could not complain.

My breakfast was equally as delicious. It was difficult to chose from the menu as there were so many delicious sounding options!

Seriously…if you are looking for a unique gift….please consider Samba Days!

For more information:

Samba Days: 1 888 95 SAMBA

Disclosure: I was approached by Samba Days to experience one of their gift cards. However all opinions in this blog post are my own.

1. Goat Cheese Infused Chocolates: I sampled one of these chocolates from a vendor at Wychwood Barns. If you like savoury more than sweet – then this chocolate is for you!! What a combo.

1. The Macallan Breakfast Orange Marmalade:  I purchased this unique sounding product from the Milky Whey in Stratford, Ontario. Silly me, I only bought ONE jar. What on earth was I thinking?

3. A Pistachio Muffin from Coffee Culture in St. Mary’s Ontario. Never saw this flavour before and was totally surprised when I saw how green it was on the inside.

Did you eat anything amazing this past weekend? Please do share…

 

Remember I mentioned that I went to three food shows in one week? Well, Rendez -Vous Quebec was the last one. This is a much smaller show than Grocery Innovations or CHFA but that’s just fine with me (and my waistline).

I’m sure this won’t surprise you, but I discovered a few interesting products at this show. In particular…these chocolates. These were NOT just your average chocolates. You want to know what they were filled with? Not what you were expecting!! Ready? (drum roll). ….Foie Gras!! Yes. ..Foie Gras oozed into your mouth when you bit into one of these logs. Seriously. Delicious.

I also enjoyed some amazing Quebec cheese. There is certainly no shortage of cheese makers in this province.

 I also stumbled across a new product from Smoke which I can’t wait try at home one day soon. I’ve been a fan of this company for years and something tells me I’m going to have a new salmon dish to serve. #happydance

One last item that caught my attention were these gorgeous looking Christmas ornaments that were made out of CHOCOLATE.  Stunning.

I left the show with the feeling that I need to visit Montreal sooner than later. This province really does produce some serious chocolate, beer, maple syrup, cheese, dairy products, bread and more!! I’ve blogged about my love for Jean Talon Market and Atwater Market before and I know I will be blogging about it again in the near future.

Many thanks to Bureau du Quebec for inviting me to Rendez -Vous Quebec!!