New Montreal Restaurant Thread

[EagerBeaver]

Restaurant Le Bourlingueur 363 Saint-Francois-Xavier Rue, Old Montreal

On our second evening in town, Chercherfemmes and I mutually decided to try a French-Alsacian restaurant in Old Montreal called Restaurant Le Bourlingueur:

http://www.lebourlingueur.ca/

There is clearly a German influence evident in the preparation of the dishes we ordered. CCF ordered La choucroute Alsacienne, essentially the house specialty, a mixture of pork, a kielbasi-like pork sausage and a veal sausage in a stew of sauerkraut and potatoes. This was served table de hote style, meaning CCF got a soup or salad, bread, and a dessert with the entree.

I ordered the chicken breast stuffed with goat cheese and sundried tomatoes. It came baked, the stuffing something of a puree, with a side of roasted potatoes and sauerkraut.

For dessert we each got a small piece of vanilla cake served with a vanilla pudding-like sauce.

F: 7.5
A: 8
S: 9
V: 8.5

 

[EagerBeaver]

Restaurant Stash Cafe Bazaar, 200 St. Paul, Old Montreal

While dining at Restaurant Le Bourlingueur the prior night, I noticed the sign for "Stash Cafe" directly across the street. I then recalled that about 5 years ago, I saw this Polish restaurant reviewed on Rachel Ray's hit Food Network TV show, "$40 and Under." I mentioned this to Chercherfemmes and I found myself dining the next evening with CCF at the Stash Cafe:

http://www.stashcafe.com/dinner.html

Stash Cafe is serving authentic Polish cuisine reminiscent of many of the dishes I ate growing up. The one I liked the most was Golabki, stuffed cabbage rolls, which is exactly what I saw Rachel Ray order here on her TV show. I mentioned this to our waitress, a blonde haired woman who is also apparently the owner, and she reminded me that she had served Rachel Ray when they did the Food Network TV show on Stash Cafe.

The Galobki was quite good and as I remembered it, served with roasted potatoes and a shredded pickled beet salad served with a vinegar-horseradish dressing. Polish food is a bit heavy and not for the diet conscious, and we left feeling quite filled.

F: 9
A: 9
S: 8
V: 8

 

[EagerBeaver]

Sushi Palace, 1017 Saint Laurent, Chinatown

Sushi Palace was without a doubt the biggest disappointment of my trip. I went there on my last night only after realizing the wait at old standbys like Beijing and Le Maison VIP was going to exceed 30 minutes. Sushi Palace is apparently a chain, but their location in Chinatown is totally out of place and totally out of psynch with who they are trying to be. Chinatown is filled with moderately priced restaurants serving mostly locals, whereas Sushi Palace aspires to be a tourist trap catering to those who don't care what they spend. This makes them totally unlike any restaurant on the block. They should be on Crescent Street, not in Chinatown, where restaurants of this ilk really do not exist.

I ordered $26.39 worth of food but it sure did not seem like it. I walked out feeling like I ate practically nothing, and nothing I ate left much of an impression on me. Small portions - the salad I ordered was two mouthfuls. The trick they have is to serve everything in twos (except the Nigiri, which you get in very small single portions), and then make you order as much overpriced food as possible. No prices on the menu and no repeat, ever. I will be disappointed if the locals in Montreal permit them to last at this location beyond this winter. My guess is they will be thrown out of Chinatown on their asses.

F: 7
A: 8
S: 5
V: 2

 

[EagerBeaver]

Jardin Nelson, Place de Jacques Cartier, Old Montreal

Jardin Nelson is my favorite go to restaurant in Old Montreal for salads:

http://www.jardinnelson.com/pdfdoc/menu-jardin-nelson-2012-eng.pdf

I had my best lunch on my recent trip at Jardin Nelson. This time I tried the Cartier, a pasta salad served with pesto sauce, spinach, cherry tomatoes, avocadoes, sundried tomatoes, mangos, kalamata olives, shaved parmesan cheese and served lukewarm. Delicious.

F: 9
A: 8
S: 9
V: 8

 

[smuler]

Le Jurancon

I went to Le Jurancon on Sunday morning at 10:30, when it opened

It is located at : 1028, St. Zotique East, Montreal, H2S 1N2

It was highly rated for brunch, and I really wanted a nice one

So I had the Auvergne

It was a nice Eggs Benedict with a house made slab of bacon on each

The bacon was of a high quality..

It had a side salad, along with some potatoes with Garlic

Also, a nice fresh glass of OJ

Please note the bottomless cup of coffee

I don't drink it, so I can't comment...


http://translate.google.com/transla...=pzz2T63OI-ng0QHQvZDFBg&sqi=2&ved=0CFoQ7gEwAA

Conferring on my notes, it was 17, all in...
Parking was easy to find, and the bike path passed by the corner

Best Regards

Smuler

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Qing Hua, I would say you should consider yourself challenged.

I love Mai Xiang Yuan and have eaten there many times. I also love Qing Hua and have eaten there many times, most recently about two hours ago. I would say that Qing Hua is the leader by quite a long way, both in freshness, quality and in the expanse of their offerings. This is not to disparage Mai Xiang Yuan in any way at all; they are quite fabulous. It's the broth that puts Quin Hua over the top.

With the opening of a second Quin Hua on St. Laurent just down the street from Mai Xiang Yuan, I'll probably see them a bit less frequently.

 

[Doc Holliday]

SUBWAY, Complexe Desjardins food court

A few days ago i decided to go all out & stopped by the Subway located at the Complexe Desjardins food court. I was staying at the Hyatt Regency, so the location was convenient.

I decided to go for the trio & chose a Spicy Italian sandwich on wholewheat bread (12"), with a roasted chicken noodle soup & a bottle of diet coke as the beverage. On my sandwich along with the usual slices of peperoni & genoa salami, i chose green peppers, salad, black & green olives, onions & hot peppers. I choose mustard for sauce, and told the young lady at the counter not to put cheese in my sandwich. I'm not found of cheese....all it does is make you fat. I don't mind cheese curds or cheese on a pizza, but that's about it. Fat, fat, fat....that's all cheese (and other dairy products) is basically good for.

The soup was pretty decent....i'd say maybe a 6 out of 10. The chicken noodle soup they serve at Reuben's is way better...by far. The diet Coke was also very good, but that was to be expected. As for the sub, i can't complain. It was tasty, decently-priced, and very nutritious. All together, it cost me about $13, tip included. I will repeat & i do highly recommend.

 

[Doc Holliday]

SUBWAY, Complexe Desjardins food court

A few days ago i decided to go all out & stopped by the Subway located at the Complexe Desjardins food court. I was staying at the Hyatt Regency, so the location was convenient.

I decided to go for the trio & chose a Spicy Italian sandwich on wholewheat bread (12"), with a roasted chicken noodle soup & a bottle of diet coke as the beverage. On my sandwich along with the usual slices of peperoni & genoa salami, i chose green peppers, salad, black & green olives, onions & hot peppers. I choose mustard for sauce, and told the young lady at the counter not to put cheese in my sandwich. I'm not found of cheese....all it does is make you fat. I don't mind cheese curds or cheese on a pizza, but that's about it. Fat, fat, fat....that's all cheese (and other dairy products) is basically good for.

The soup was pretty decent....i'd say maybe a 6 out of 10. The chicken noodle soup they serve at Reuben's is way better...by far. The diet Coke was also very good, but that was to be expected. As for the sub, i can't complain. It was tasty, decently-priced, and very nutritious. All together, it cost me about $13, tip included. I will repeat & i do highly recommend.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Thats actually not correct Mister. Cheese has very few carbs, almost none. little carbs = Little fat. Potatoes and beans have lots of carbs, those things will make you Fat. So go ahead and eat all the cheese you want.

Oh well, maybe you're correct. However, most people i know that absolutely love cheese and need to include it on everything they eat are all fat.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

SUBWAY, Complexe Desjardins food court

A few days ago i decided to go all out & stopped by the Subway located at the Complexe Desjardins food court. I was staying at the Hyatt Regency, so the location was convenient.

Have you tried La Belle Province? You'll love it.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Have you tried La Belle Province? You'll love it.

Nah, too much of a grease pit for the doc.

But stay tuned for my upcoming reviews of Burger King & Harvey's. :eyebrows:

 

[Doc Holliday]

BURGER KING, Centre Eaton food court

I was hungry & felt like having a good meal the other day, so as i walked through the Eaton Centre, i remembered that there were some many fine dining outlets at the food court area.

As i made my way around the food court & inspecting the various food outlets, one of them in particular caught my eye: Burger King. Why? I'm not sure why, but one of the two clerks working the counter was a fairly nice looking 40-something ebony beauty who was about 5'1 and weighed maybe 190 lbs. Don't ask me why, but once in a while in a blue moon, the doc enjoys the sight of a beautiful ebony woman.

I nervously approached the counter & could barely utter two words when the young lady asked me: "What will you have, son?" Oh, my heart began pounding & the sweat began to drip down my forehead.....i had forgot to select what i wanted to eat!

I quickly glanced at the menu & ordered the #2, which was a combination of a Whopper (no cheese!) with fries & beverage. Here, they call it a Trio. It barely cost me $7 and it took approximately 3 minutes and 14 seconds for my meal to be ready.

I sat down next to a couple of burka-wearing hotties & began to inspect my burger. It consisted of a large beef patty between two hamburger buns, with mayo, onions, a tomato, mustard, ketchup & a pickle. It was absolutely yummy!!!

The fries were also very good & i sprinkled a little bit of vinegar onto them to add to the flavor. I opted not to put any salt on them....i try to stay away from salty foods for health reasons.

As beverage, i had a medium diet coke. Gotta watch those calories, you know! The coke had some ice in it & was very refreshing. All in all, eating at Burger King was a very positive experience & i highly recommend it! You can't beat that price for a very good, quick meal!

 

[Doc Holliday]

McDONALD'S, Place Montreal Trust food court

One recent morning as i headed downtown, i wanted to eat something light for breakfast. I figured i'd stop by the Tim Horton's nearby at the Scotiabank movie theatre (a.k.a. Paramount). Since there was a huge lineup inside i figured i'd check out the Eaton Centre food court instead. However, on my way there, i remembered that there was a food court (Winners) on the lower level of Place Montreal Trust. Since i was already there, i figured i'd check it out.

I looked around & nothing got my attention. However, when i noticed the McDonald's concession stand, i remembered that they make a fairly decent BLT bagel sandwich. As i approached the counter, i was served by a fairly attractive, middle-aged asian woman who didn't look very friendly. Of course, i could be wrong, since appearances can be deceiving. I'd estimate the lady to be about 55 years old, 5'1 & 135 lbs.

I first had considered ordering two BLT bagel sandwiches, but since i'm careful about what i eat, i made a last-minute decision & opted for the trio, which consisted of one BLT bagel, a hash brown & a medium coffee with 1 cream (as per request). I found that this was a bargain at under $6.

The bagel sandwich consisted of a toasted bagel bun, with the usual may, bacon, lettuce & tomato. It was very tasty & the hash brown was also very good. The coffee was hot & the whole meal was very good. I highly recommend this breakfast meal for the avid hobbyist who doesn't have much time to spare between his scheduled appointments.

 

[Doc Holliday]

HARVEY'S RESTAURANT, 1232 Peel street

I needed to take some money out at the Caisse Populaire Desjardins located on Peel street, adjacent to the HMV store. As i carefully put my cash money into my pocket, i noticed that there was a Harvey's Restaurant located across the street, a few doors away from Depanneur Peel. Not having eaten anything for the most part of the day, and not planning on seeing any ladies later in the evening, i figured i'd venture across the street & order a couple of Harvey's great burgers.

However, once i got inside, i began to feel somewhat guilty & decided to order two grilled chicken sandwiches instead. Why did i feel guilty? Because i hadn't eaten any hamburgers for the past 3 months. I'm careful with what i eat, you see. As i approached the counter, i was greeted by a friendly-looking middle-aged man of South American decent, possibly from Peru or Bolivia. "Bonjour, missier, que pu j'ai faire pour vous?", he asked me in his broken french. The gentlemen, who i estimate was approximately 5'4 in height & weighed approximately 130 lbs, appeared very friendly, so i smiled & told him in my 'accent parisien' that i wanted "deux sandwichs poulet grilles", which means two grilled chicken sandwiches. I declined the fries & the drink, and the whole thing cost me under $9, which is very reasonable for such a meal.

I had eaten the grilled chicken sandwich in the past & it was very good, similar to the one made by McDonald's. My sandwiches were ready within 5 minutes, and i was asked to chose the condiments i wanted on my sandwiches. I chose lettuce, tomato & mayo. Yummy!!

I rushed to my room & couldn't wait to feast on my two grilled sandwiches. I hadn't had anything to eat in over 8 hours, so of course, it only took me approximately 4 minutes and 13 seconds to finish them off.

I highly recommend!

 

[Mod 8]

Hello Doc,

Despite what you may seem to think, many members find this thread to be quite informative and useful. Your recent posts regarding fast food franchises appear to be nothing more than an attempt to poke fun at members who are actually doing their best to provide helpful information for all members. If you have a review of a restaurant other than the fast food variety, please feel free to post it. I am quite sure that everyone is aware of the style and quality of food served in food courts and fast food establishments and there is no need to post such reviews here in this thread.

Mod 8

 

[Doc Holliday]

Mod 8, i wasn't aware that i was breaking any rules.

I simply was sharing my personal experience eating in the beautiful city of Montreal. In no way was i attempting to poke fun at any of the other members who enjoy this thread, like i also do. I believe that you may have jumped to conclusions there with unfair (and unproven) accusations. Hmm, where did i see this in the past? Oh yes, the infamous "Cleo's" thread.


Not everyone enjoys wasting tons of $$ in fancy restaurants, so i figured i'd give the budget-conscience hobbyist some valuable info on how to eat well in Montreal without having to spend a small fortune on food.

Should i start a new thread dealing with fast-food types of restaurants?

p.s. Mod 8: No disrespect, but seriously, don't you have anything better to do than to poke your nose in this thread, where no harm or foul is being done? Why attempt to provoke things & appear like the bad guy?

 

[Doc Holliday]

THE KEG, 5 Place Ville-Marie

I ventured into the place a short time ago with a friend of mine. Until then, i had never eaten in a KEG, however, i have been there in the past to have a few drinks at the bar.

When i walked in, i was greeted by two friendly, incredibly hot-looking young ladies. When they asked me if i wanted to sit at a table, i mentionned to them that i was supposed to meet a friend of mine at the bar. Our plan was to meet up at the bar, having a couple of drinks, then sit down at a table to eat.

As we were enjoying our drinks (i had ordered a blue, my friend had ordered a KEG caesar), i noticed a middle-aged man & a gorgeous young blond woman staring in my direction. Suddenly, it hit me: "Hey, i know this young woman!"

We hugged one another & she introduced me to her date, who happened to be one of the gentlemen who's sometimes visible on the boards. For obvious reasons, i will refrain from naming who they are, other than to refer to them as 'Romeo & Juliet' in this thread.

My buddy, who is not a hobbyist, recognized the young lady since he had seen her on my arm several times in the past, and greeted the gentlemen like they had been friends for years. Everyone got along great, and the alcohol was flowing!

Approximately 20 minutes or so later, a sexy young waitress came over & told us that our table was ready. We invited the couple over & all four of us sat down & ordered another round of drinks.

Along with my buddy, i ordered the Prime Rib, which is one of the house's specialities. He took his medium-rare, while i took mine well-done. He asked for fries, i opted for the mashed potatoes. The gentleman with the lady ordered a New York steak, and to be honest, i do not recall what the young lady ordered since i was way too busy all evening long admiring her considerable busom! :thumb:

Prior to receiving our main dish, my buddy & myself had each ordered a shrimp cocktail, which was absolutely excellent! The shrimps were huge, they were prepared just right, and the horseradish sauce was very good.

Once dinner over, we were sent a round of tequila shots, and we all got up, toasted one another to quite an evening we had, and drank the tequila, something i hadn't done in ages. To my surprise, it went down quite well, as opposed to the last time someone got me to drink a shot of Jameson's.

The food was excellent, and the ambiance was tremendous. Next time if i happen to return, i will opt for the two lobster tails.

The eye-candy walking by our table was a sight to behold! However, they had some competition from the lady sitting at our table, and i must admit that i was quite envious of the gentleman accompanying her.

All in all, i walked out of the place having spent approximately $80, including tip. It was great value for what i had ordered, and we all had a wonderful time.

I strongly recommend.

I have never been to the KEG restaurant located in Old Montreal, but i plan on checking it out the next time i'm in town. This time, though, i plan to take a young lady out on a date & hopefully we'll have a romantic dinner together...just like the couple who we met last week at the KEG. :eyebrows:

 

[spacecadet]

I was waiting for a MOD to come comment on your recent posts Doc. I completely agree with Mod 8.
Giving us 3 reviews on well-known fast food franchises isnt what this thread was created for. I'm sure Mr Holiday is, that you are fully aware that you were not posting to inform anyone on any hidden gems restaurant wise or warn us about restaurants we should steer clear of. Although somewhat amusing, your reviews don't really belong in this thread. Giving us detailed analysis of what the person who served you looked like and nationality, height, weight, gender has no relevance at all.

if you did this to get attention of a Mod, which is what this clearly is, please start your own thread . maybe you can call it : `Click here to waste 3 minutes of your life reading my useless posts`

I really enjoy this thread when new restaurants are mentionned and you're just cluttering it up with nonsense...

Just my 2 cents

 

[Doc Holliday]

Spacecadet (does the name fit or what?), you are entitled to your opinion. However, at least 8 persons have contacted me since yesterday to tell me they appreciate & enjoy very much reading my 'restaurant' reviews. It may be nonsense to you, as you put it, but to others, they appreciate the time i put in to write my reviews. They show that you don't to spend a fortune on restaurants whenever you travel to Mtl to enjoy some of the world's finest.

Just like i told others who have objected to my escort reviewing style in the past, you are not forced to read them if you are not happy with my reviews. Here's a suggestion: why don't you put your money where your mouth is and contribute some of your reviews once & for all? Your participation is always welcome by the food-lovers of this fine forum.

 

[spacecadet]

I've done some contributions in the Massage threads in the short time i've been here.
The nickname I use might fit as I did work for the Canadian Space Program for a short period of time when I was in university..
I will probably contribute to this thread sometime in the near future. But i stand by what I said earlier.
And btw, quoting the way the `Peruvian or Bolivian`looking server spoke is a tad racist imho...