In case you didn’t have enough of my rich, messy, and gluttonous post about poutine, (who really ever has enough rich food) I bring you more devilish food from Montreal. I’m not going to lie and say that I wasn’t extremely excited to go to Au Pied de Cochon, in fact I was giddy all day before we made our way, practically skipping, to a foie gras filled evening. Au Pied de Cochon means leg of pig, and in case you were wondering, pig leg is on the menu. I know that may not seem appealing some, but people all over the world have been cooking with pig feet for years and years. Those rich sauces and stews you love from that fancy French restaurant in your neighborhood most likely has used a pig foot or two for flavor, but don’t think about it too much. The flavors are just too good.
When you come here think French cooking, the richness, the butter, the flavor; but we are not in France, so although Quebecers speak the same language as their counterparts overseas, they do things a little differently. For one, they use their famed maple syrup, which chef Martin Picard drizzles upon some of his popular dishes. My amateur palate would describe the food as French comfort, a meal that Montrealers are proud to admit will keep them warm in the winter.
The menu is a little intimidating including tongue, kidneys, ears, and other goodies that would leave most American children with their mouths shut. For an appetizer (entree in French) we chose Plogue à Champlain, a type of foie gras. The foie gras was seared perfectly and melted like a piece of butter in your mouth. As if the guilt hadn’t set in from eating rich duck liver, the foie gras sits atop a slice of cheese, bacon, a pancake, and potatoes. The dish is then topped off with chopped apples, parsley and maple syrup. It reminds me a little of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and maybe dessert all wrapped up in one. It’s delicious, addictive, and extremely filling.
Duck in a can was our main course. Stereotypically foodies tend to shy away from any food that comes out of a can. My experience with Spanish conservas, food preserved in a can, has taught me differently. They can be quite costly and delicious, therefore the duck in a can seemed like an interesting option.
The duck is cooked within the can after it is dropped in boiling water. This method can be compared to sous-vide where food is slow cooked in an airtight plastic bag, however our server explained that the duck in a can is cooked no longer than 7 minutes, to ensure the juiciness of the duck. He opened the can in front of us and the truly amazing part about the dish was its presentation after our server placed its contents over the toasted bread and potatoes. You will notice the well placed sprig, dangling from the top of the dish. The breast of duck is accompanied with a thin layer of duck fat, foie gras of course, butter-braised cabbage and a sauce that seems made for this dish and this dish only. It’s a good thing all of this sits atop mashed potatoes and toasted bread because you will need something to sop up all the sauce when you are finished.
My interest in Au Pied de Cochon was no doubt influenced by Anthony Bourdain’s trip to the restaurant when he visited Montreal. Chef Martin Picard told his server to keep giving food to Anthony and only ‘when he dies stop.’ I knew that Au Pied de Cochon would be an enjoyment of excess and I wasn’t disappointed.
Most rooftop bars are impressive because they have the city as their backdrop. If they offer cocktails, a relaxed and chic atmosphere, people will be drawn to the establishment. While walking around downtown Montreal near the famous Crescent Street, my friend and I were looking for a new place to grab a beer or glass of wine. We passed by Hotel De La Montagne and the doorman suggested that we try their rooftop bar. We never heard of the place but otherwise obliged, since we didn’t have any other plans for the evening. La Terrasse Magnetique, quickly became one of my favorite places to go for cinq a sept. Cinq a sept, 5-7, is happy hour in Montreal. La Terrasse is the rooftop bar of Hotel De La Montagne, where drinks are fairly priced, the ambiance is relaxed, and there is a pool, although I’ve never seen anyone actually go inside it. The crowd is around mid twenties and up, which is a welcome change from the many bars and clubs near Crescent street that are sometimes packed with people taking advantage of 18 year old legal drinking age of Montreal.
You can see Crescent Street from the terrace.
Inside the lobby of the hotel there is another bar that will make you feel like you entered a 1950’s cabaret in Paris, where women wear plumed hats and the men have slick mustaches plastered to their faces. La Cabaret caters to an older crowd, or the occasional business person and client, and it often has a pianist and the occasional live performance.
Another popular restaurant and club that provides beautiful views of Montreal is Altitude 737. It is a restaurant and bar that later opens as a nightclub. Word on the street is that the food is overpriced and underwhelming, a combination I’d rather avoid, so I opted not to pay the hefty price tag. Again the major appeal is the view, and like other sky high restaurants, you will pay for the ambiance. I did however go to the nightclub and again I wasn’t too impressed with the club itself, but the view is beautiful at night. If you decide to go, be prepared to pay an entrance fee.
While walking on Ave. Mont Royal, we stumbled across a small bakery called Point G. After a few minutes and some nudging from a friend of mine, I realized that Point G is in fact the term for G spot in French. Oh those clever Quebecers. Quite an interesting spin on marketing if you ask me. A couple blocks away, there is a restaurant called Au Chaud Lapin, which is a French expression for being well, hot and bothered. I sense a theme brewing on this street.
chaud lapin – someone consumed in sexual pleasures.
Sexual innuendo aside, Point G deserves a taste. It is located in the heart of the trendy Plateau section of Montreal, amongst many other bakeries; however what sets this one apart is their colorful macarons. It has been a year since this little macaron boutique opened in Montreal, which explains why I didn’t know about it last year. The French macaron trend has been gaining a lot of popularity, with tiny shops popping up in many big cities. This colorful macaron is different than the coconut macaroon you may have had before, although both are made with egg whites and almond paste.
We tried the caramel et fleur de sel (caramel with a bit of salt), pina colada, and coquelicot (a red flower similar to a poppy). They were all very interesting, especially the fleur de sel which had a combination of sweet and savory. I would say you must try the coquelicot because it is most unlike any typical dessert flavor. Their blog has a full list of flavors. All were yummy and inspire me to try baking these treats, however I have a feeling it won’t be easy.
Cultural legend says that poutine was invented after a customer suggested putting cheese curd on his fries. The owner obliged to the request and responded with some snark saying,ça va faire une maudite poutine, “it will make a damn mess.” If you’ve seen poutine you know what he’s talking about. Poutine is a damn mess, an indulgent mess that makes you feel somewhat guilty enjoying the chaos, however if you are a fan of comfort food trust me you will enjoy.
Poutine is a fairly easy concept.
First you fry some potatoes.
Top the fries with cheese curd.
Cover with gravy.
Before you turn away in fear and dismay you must keep an open mind for this national food. Poutine is the perfect dish after a night of heavy drinking, especially in a city like Montreal known for its blistering winters. No doubt the heavy goodness will keep you warm and most likely completely full for days after eating. Poutine is the perfect complement for a Jersey girl who is accustomed to frequenting NJ diners, although I have never had the courage to order the “disco fries” that don many diner menus. So in Montreal I embarked on the greasy, artery clogging journey into the world of cheese covered fries. La Banquise is a Montreal staple and any true Quebecer will tell you to eat here at least once. When I first arrived in Montreal a year ago I was told to try one of the many poutine dishes at the local resto and to my shame I never did, therefore this trip I was determined to do so. First off, anyone hoping for a light meal at La Banquise will be utterly disappointed, so don’t even bother entering its doors if you plan on ordering something like a salad. Psh and why would you? What with the delicious, damn mess that awaits you. La Banquise will have at least 25 different poutines at a given time, a promise ensured on the menu. The various poutine dishes stray from the classic poutine recipe. After offering an Italian poutine years ago to much appraisal, La Banquise decided to play around with the menu and make more adjustments. Since then customers are able to enjoy such dishes as the Poutine Kamikaze, Poutine Mexicaine, Poutine Pizza, Poutine Vege, and Poutine Obelix, concoctions that include pepperoni, sausage, veggies, and chicken along with the traditional ingredients.
Below is the Poutine Pizza which I ordered. The Poutine Pizza has pepperoni, green peppers, and mushrooms along with the traditional ingredients. It is strange that these ingredients do resemble the taste of pizza, although I’ve never had my pizza covered in gravy before.
A friend ordered the Poutine Ole Ole which I must say was one of my favorites. On top of your fries you will have the cheese curd, meat sauce, hot peppers, and Tabasco. Mmm bring on that heartburn.
Montreal has a lot to offer to sweet-tooth foodies like myself. There are plenty of patisseries, bakeries, dessert cafes, and cupcake shops to choose from. One of my favorites however is a small local bakery, owned by one woman. She calls her work a one woman show. She works on her own, baking and handling the register. The kitchen is out front so you see exactly how the cakes are made.
It may sound corny but the cakes taste like they’ve been made with lots of love.
Reema Singh is the owner/founder of Cocoa Locale, and she is located on Avenue Du Parc, just north of Avenue du Mont-Royale. Some of the cupcake (and cake) flavors I tasted were, strawberry, vanilla, lemon with coconut, chocolate chai, and chocolate mint (all really yummy although I think lemon with coconut was my favorite). The cake is moist and tastes homemade because well they are. The shop is her home afterall, she is the only one baking. There are regulars who come in and greet Reema asking her questions only a friend would know. I left my camera in the shop and called. She answered and remembered who we were and kindly put aside my camera for me to pick up. The baked creations she decorates with a small flower, a nice touch if you ask me.
The shop is cute, decorated with vintage photographs. Oh and the best part. There is a swing!
For my first night in Lima I stayed at Inka Lounge Hostel in Miraflores. The hostel arranged for someone to pick me up at the airport for $15, which is a very reasonable price for the 30 minute cab ride from the airport to Miraflores. In Lima it is customary to negotiate the price of the cab ride before you enter, since there are no meters in the cabs. Do not forget to handle that beforehand if you want to avoid headaches later on. My driver was holding up a sign with my name on it amongst what seemed like hundreds of people waiting in the crowd for their prospective customers. He was very friendly and chatty, especially with all his swine flu questions. Suddenly I was an authority on the matter because of my American passport (note to self – start using the Spanish one).
When we arrived, I was tired and frankly a bit delirious from the flight. I didn’t have any soles to give the cab driver a tip, but later I felt less guilty when I found out that taxi drivers in Peru don’t expect tips. Although my cab driver seemed a bit hesitant to say goodbye, so I’m assuming many Americans give tips anyhow. When I arrived there was a group of people sitting in the common area of the hostel watching a movie. If I wasn’t so very much looking forward to the feeling of my face hitting something resembling a mattress I would have tried to meet some new people, but I decided to check in as quick as possible and make my way to my room. Clearly sleep trumps socializing when fighting the effects of a sleeping pill.
The guy at the front desk Edgar was extremely helpful, and if I do say so myself, rather good looking. Still the sleeping pill won over the urge to keep talking to a handsome stranger. When I got to my room it was clean and had two beds. Finally the moment I’ve been waiting for.
The Inka Lounge Hostel is located in Miraflores. As hostels are concerned it is pretty standard although I would recommend it to anyone. I stayed in the single room and it was quiet and comfortable and cheap, a perfect combination after a long flight.
