Wow, 10 days since my last post… Time sure flies! I’m in the middle of re-orienting my life right now and I’ve got a number of things on the go. I didn’t realize it had been so long though: my apologies.
It was cool Monday here in Montreal, with temperatures hovering around 20 degrees with large clouds providing a dramatic skyline and a healthy breeze. I had a decadent weekend of eating and celebrating with my mother and her beau who were in town for the weekend from Toronto. They had a delicious meal at Lawrence on Friday that I offered her for her birthday. They shared oysters, a pig’s cheek asparagus and mostarda appetizer(one of the best dishes ever…) and a poached duck leg with puy lentils, kale and radishes, as well as sea bream with zucchini flowers, chanterelles and mussels. For dessert they shared a strawberry tart, and a ginger rhubarb layered ice cream cake they make. I’ve tried and savored each one of those dishes and I can declare with confidence that it made for a great evening of eating.
Just found this impressionistic painting of Lawrence. Check out the artist’s site at http://jermin.wordpress.com/
The duck was from a farm called Au goût d’autrefois on l’Île d’Orléans, an island near Québec city. The owner, Jacques Legros and his wife, work tirelessly to provide what must be one of the most ethically admirable animal products in all of North America. Not only are their ducks, geese and turkeys well treated and loved, but they taste fantastic, due to a healthy and varied diet of different high quality grains.
Jaques Legros feeding his animals
After eating what some refer to as neo-rustic english cuisine at Lawrence on Friday night, Carolina(my wife) and I joined my mom and her partner for an evening of fancy Turkish food at Su, a restaurant on Wellington in Verdun, Montreal, where Fisun Ercan, the chef and owner, plates aromatic and colorful dishes from the country that bridges Europe and Asia.
Chef and owner of Su, Fisun Ercan
It was a first time at the restaurant and we had a very good meal. I was very pleased to see them serving lamb from Kamouraska, a Québec lamb that I particularly enjoy. They live by the mouth of the St-Lawrence and the feed they graze is slightly salty due to the sea water mixing with the river and the sea winds bringing with them some of its flavor. The meat is fantastic, and SU did the lamb justice. Here’s what I ate:
Kuzu pirzola Grilled fresh lamb chops marinated with mountain herbs, mint, sumac and pomegranate infused olive oil, bulgur and seasonal vegetables
I sucked on those chop bones in an attempt to get at every last bite of meat. Fantastic. Thank you Kamouraska, and thank you Fisun and Su!
I recommend the restaurant and urge people to explore what Verdun has to offer. I was very pleasantly surprised by how charming it is.
Following a night of lamb infused sleep, the four of us woke up for another round of food: this time, some Montreal bagels, smoked meat, cream cheese, sun dried tomatoes, and a rhubarb and almond loaf from the pastry shop Rhubarbe. All of this we enjoyed sitting on a picnic table in parc Laurier near one of Montreal’s cutest neighborhoods. Picnicking is something I don’t do enough!
Pastry Chef and owner StephanieNow THAT’s a bagel!Parc Laurier
It was a great weekend. Eating brings us together.
Tuesday the 28th of June was a day to be remembered by looking back at the food we ate. It was our first day in NY, and I had planned a host activities; eating, coffee, galleries, and museums. Things didn’t quite go as planned, but our day was fulfilling and very rewarding, especially from a foodie perspective.
It all started off with a breakfast at Pies and Thighs, a southern eatery in Williamsburg. Small and casual the restaurant gives the impression of being in someones small kitchen, where street signs are collected and hung from the walls, where kids and adults have fun with arts and crafts and where a counter of the most delicious and self indulgent looking pastries bring in locals and foreigners from far and wide for copious amounts of eating and pleasure. This is no holds barred eating: you’re not going for its healthy qualities; instead you go because the food in comforting and homey, perfectly executed and delicious.
Chicken and wafflesthe Hippie Banjothe chicken biscuit
A bright and sunny day, Carolina and I were eager for some new experiences and Pies n Thighs did not disappoint. My chicken and waffles were one of the best things I’ve ever had. Personally, the secret to a great breakfast is a careful balance of sweet and savory elements, with both enhancing each others qualities and flavors. In this case, the salty element was none other than wonderfully deep fried chicken. Thick and crunchy, the batter wasn’t oily or soggy, and the chicken inside remained juicy and wasn’t too fatty. The blackberry waffles on the other hand were moist and flavorful, with a delicate paper thin crispy layer on the outside providing some textural support for the dough. Thankfully, this dish isn’t to be found in Montreal at the moment, cause it’s a dangerous one…
Carolina’s Hippie Banjo consisted of good cheddar cheese, eggs, avocado, tomatoes, sprouts and mayo on homemade Anadama bread. The sandwich was finished off in a buttered pan, and was a nice mix of decadence and simplicity. The bread was amazing.
Josh’s Chicken Biscuit, a popular item, was a crisp butter pastry with a fried breaded chicken breast and some hot sauce… oh boy. There’s nothing really to be said I guess, but here goes anyway, the pastry was light and dense in the way a good butter pastry is; deceiving you into believing that it’s not as bad for you as it really is, and the chicken was once again moist, and offered the requisite bread crumb crunch. The hot sauce finished it off, with a nice spicy kick, and the result was a heart clogging nightmare of a dish, in the best of ways…
The Strand Bookstore
We left more than satisfied and took the subway into town. We had planned on going to the New Museum, but it was closed. We made a stop instead at the Strand Bookstore, a jewel of place for anyone with any interest in reading or/and books. (2 pleasures that are not necessarily associated…) We spent some time perusing and reading the first lines of books we’d heard about, or had already read. I remember reading the first line of a Virginia Woolf book that was beautiful. I wish I remembered what book… Merde! I’ve never read her, but I’ll be buying some of her work next time I’m at a bookstore. Truman Capote once wrote that “From the point of view of ear, Virginia Woolf never wrote a bad sentence…” *The Paris Review.
After buying two Roberto Bolano books, we chose to walk to the High Line, an urban garden built on an old unused freight railroad spur. Almost 2 kilometers long, it weaves its way up the west side of the island, starting in the old meat packing district and going all the way up past 30th street. It’s an amazing example of creative urban planning. With numerous well kept plants and a walkway with benches and view points spread throughout the project, it’s become both a tourist attraction, a place for locals to read and relax, and a new green space in Manhattan.
Before getting there we walked through NYU’s spreading campus, Soho; which is lame as far as I’m concerned, but happened to be on our way; and some amazing townhouses in the lower west side. Somewhere along the way, we had lunch at a semi fancy Mexican restaurant.
habanero salsa-spicy, delicious.
Unfortunately, I can’t remember the name or location of the restaurant, but I do think that it was on Hudson st. The highlight was the Habanero sauce that came with the corn chips. Very spicy, very good. I can’t remember what exactly it was that I ate, but it involved enchiladas covered in an herb and cheese sauce. Carolina’s dish was stuffed with chicken and potatoes, but wasn’t as good as mine…
The high lineThe High Line
We then walked down the High Line, got off in Chelsea, and did some gallery hopping.
Afterwords, we enjoyed very good espressos at a small chain called Joe. With 6 locations in NY, this is a good alternative to chain coffee such as Starbucks… The coffee was fruity, with a nice acidic finish an oily texture and “lasting crema”.
Tired after a long day of walking and stimulation we returned to my cousin’s apartment, relaxed and planned our evening…
Amongst a row of industrial buildings is an unassuming facade with a window protected by metal grating, a small wooden bench, an ATM machine, and a door over which a red sign with the name Roberta’s is written. What hides within is one of Brooklyn’s hippest restaurants. Housed in a former garage, Roberta’s, a pizzeria, is a popular destination for locals and visitors alike; with a large outdoor waiting area where drinks can be had, and what appeared to be a radio station booth.
With 2 relatively large rooms, on Tuesday night when the 5 of us went out for dinner, the place was packed and we waited over 1 hour for a table. During that time, we drank, I shared some thoughts about the Quebec separation issue, and we wondered what alternative cities we’d like to live in.
I remember not being that enthusiastic about the pizza toppings they proposed, but the crusts of the pizzas being served had black bubbles of burnt dough exactly the way I like it, and I remained excited about the prospect of biting into a slice of traditionally cooked pizza. We also ordered a plate of charcuteries and cheeses, as well as a salad. Unfortunately, the food was so so. The pizzas were good, with the margherita as our agreed favorite, but there was nothing that distinguished them from other good pizza places I’ve been to to warrant the kind of attention Roberta’s has been getting. The crust was good, but the sauces and toppings were a bit lifeless…
Don’t get me wrong,Roberta’s is a good restaurant, with above above average pizzas and a fantastic atmosphere. They have also initiated a fantastic project whereby they currently grow 20% of their produce in green houses behind the restaurant and in a backyard garden not too far away. This kind of progressive approach to owning a restaurant adds to its charm. The menu changes with the produce available, and as a customer it’s nice to know that some of what your eating comes from, literally, a few meters away. And so, Roberta’s, hidden away amongst poorly used industrial warehouses and garages, in an area yet to be developed, is in some ways a community project as well as an eatery, and through this, they’ve achieved a measure of popularity and appreciation that is deserved. I’d definitely return, but it wouldn’t really be for the food…
Healthy Taste Buds 