Recent Reviews
Casa Tapas (rue Rachel): I ended up spontaneously going here for a late night dinner with Stripper Lover, after we were unable to get reservations at the desired time several nights earlier. Once again Casa Tapas made for a very interesting dining experience. I started things off with a cherry apertif which was both potent and sweet. SL and I then both ordered the gazpacho soup for appetizer. The gazpacho is served blended and not refrigerator cold, so it was different than what I have experienced elsewhere, but it was good. The soup had a flavor of red peppers and was somewhat mild as compared to other varieties of gazpacho I have had. We then ordered six entrees: fried calamari, steamed mussels with spicy tomato sauce, shrimp croquettes, chicken with olives, sliced lamb with olives and red peppers, and artichokes with aioli. All were good. Most interesting was the chicken which was served skewered, grilled and served with a red pepper & olive tapenade which was delicious. The only disappointments were that the fried calamari was served with a slice of lemon but no dipping sauces, and Stripper Lover was unable to order two additional dishes as takeout (SL was told there is a "no takeout" policy, much to his consternation and bewilderment).
Medusa (1224 Drummond)- Ate dinner at this Italian restaurant with 3 other board members. The food was good. I had the linguini with clam sauce. The portion was on the small side, but otherwise no complaints.
Picasso (unknown location) - Had a below average breakfast here with Stripper Lover. This is a blue collar, diner type restaurant that I would rate a full notch below Nickels on St. Catherine. My scrambled eggs were served medium rare, meaning they were one step above a soupy consistency. The coffee was tasteless, and as in most diner type breakfast establishments, sugar alternatives like Sugar Twin or Equal or Splenda were not offered. The potatoes (hash browns?) were only halfheartedly fried and were also tasteless. This restaurant is located in the same building as Les Amazones Strip Club, and I have been told that the hungry strippers can often be seen eating here after their shifts.
Restaurant Szechuan (Notre Dame, Old Montreal) - This place appears to be a somewhat upscale Chinese restaurant both in decor, ambience, and prices, but I found the food to be only slightly above average. The house salad is served with a very bland dressing and should not be ordered.
Restaurant des Goveurneres (Place de Jacques Cartier): This is a cafe located at the top of Place de Jacques Cartier. I ate lunch here and ordered the smoked salmon salad, which was average and way overpriced.
Jano (St. Laurent): I had dinner here with SL. This Portuguese restaurant serves decent food at affordable prices. I sampled the green cabbage soup which was tasty if not what I was expecting, and the grilled calamari which was good but somewhat bland in that it was just served with lemon and no sauce. I ended up dunking the calamari in the hot sauce that was served with Stripper Lover's chicken.
Arahova (Original one on St. Viateur): Had lunch here with a board member. I enjoyed the souvlaki pita. Very tasty, but a bit undersized as far as souvlaki sandwiches go.
Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream (De Maissoneuve near Crescent & Place de Jacques Cartier locations): I made two trips to B&J to order the Baklava Ice Cream. Simply put, it is the best ice cream currently on the market, bar none!
