Archives for posts with tag: Restaurant

DF+EF; we’ve done our homework here!

By tammyschmidt
March 7, 2011 //
10

Welcome to the world of De Farine et D’Eau Fraîche!

DF+EF is a dreamy new pâtisserie on Amherst that has the perfect combination of creativity and expertise. They have just opened and they are sure to be a huge success.  DF+EF is near Robin, right across the street from the community centre Ste-Catherine d’Alexandre which is also boasting a beautiful new mosaic trim and a new green roof.

Here is a baker’s dozen of the finest features that set DF+EF apart from Montreal’s pâtisseries.

  • A cordial proprietor and convivial staff.  The owner, Marilu, along with Cathy and the other staff always smile and ask how we are doing.  It’s so nice to chat a bit, and suddenly feel at home.
  • Sweet imagination. No need to head to Paris for a treat. It is all right here ranging from a small guilt-free bite to a larger indulgence; boule au chocolat et crème pâtisserie, tea cakes (à la rose is my favourite so far!), cookies in a multitude of shapes and flavours, homemade Pocky, caramels, muffins wrapped in charming brown paper, scrumptious cakes and pastries.

crème brûlée... Earl Grey flavouring

The earl grey crème brûlée was everything you want in a crème brûlée.  A nice crunch of caramelized sugar on top and incredibly creamy, nicely chilled down below.  I love the creative flavour combinations; earl grey, milk chocolate with earl grey and lavender, or vanilla.

works of art

Miniature wedding cakes are a specialty. Each one is a work of art; modern, sophisticated and unique.  I can see them being featured at many types of special occasions like graduations, showers, anniversaries and milestone birthdays.  I recently ordered a chocolate tart with caramelized bananas and Irish creme and it was perfect for my chocolate-loving friend.

  • Composting coffee cups for take out coffee.  Marilu rightly states that most people will not recycle a paper coffee cup, this is why she has made special efforts to import composting coffee cups all the way from Australia.
  • Fun. Over the last several weeks, we have done our homework in researching the place.   We have developed a rapport with the staff and they have occasionally brought a small taste of something to try.  While we have been in, we have tried to do our part in taste testing new caramel flavours, such as one with coriander and apricots (yum!), a little carrot cake, a new type of cookie, and bite of caramel popcorn.  We love it here!

    creamy caramels


  • sweet and savoury

    Something savoury.  If sweet treats do not suit you, then there is always a little something savoury.  I have a friend from New Zealand who has lamented for years that there are no savoury muffins in all of Montreal.  She is in for a treat when she returns to the city in April!

  • An enticing breakfast sandwich made with their own english muffin, 1 year old cheddar from l’Ile-aux-Grues, farm fresh bacon, an organic egg, little bits of green sprouts, red pepper and Kewpie japanese mayonnaise.  It is the best breakfast sandwich I have ever tasted.

  • Filling, healthy lunch features. The lunch specials are perfect for the type of weather we are experiencing at the moment.  They are hearty, real food, with home-made flavour, made by someone who loves to cook.  The lunch special pictured above is a curried chicken in a cashew sauce, served with jasmine rice.  This is my kind of lunch!  The paninis are unique, deluxe and satisfying.  The tuna panini is nicely accented with feta, artichokes and black olive tapenade. And if you like, it can be served with a small portion of potato chips and a soup or salad.

  • fine cappucinos

    Many people come just for the fantastic speciality coffees, teas and hot chocolates served all day long.

  • It speaks volumes that DF+EF uses organic sugar and eggs in all of the baking.  They also use organic milk, cocoa, tea, fair trade organic coffee and some organic spices.  Flavour is key, so they also use local meats from Nordest and local cheeses.

    boule au chocolat et crème pâtisserie

  • Fair-trade, organic Coco Camino sugar served with coffee and tea.
  • Beautiful tea service.


  • You can take it with you, too. Everything can be made to go and there is a plethora of little treats lining the counter, ready for quick pick-up.

  • comfort

    And I have not even mentioned the décor! Large elegant windows, fascinating wall treatments that remind us of icing as well as beautiful and comfortable furnishings with the adorable DF+ EF logo stamped on the tables.

So, take a little time and spend it in De Farine et D’Eau Fraîche.  You are in for a treat!

1701 rue Amherst

Open Monday to Friday from 7:30 am until 6:00 pm; Saturdays between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm; and Sundays from 11:00 am ’til 5:00 pm.

Find out more on facebook!

bisou!

Tammy Schmidt and Natasha Henderson, Montreal.

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Categories Food, Uncategorized

dominion

By tammyschmidt
March 2, 2011 //
0
Postcard of Dominion Square in Montreal, Quebe...

Dominion Square

The Dominion Square Tavern is a wonderful Montreal restaurant that is steeped in history. The Dominion’s recent incarnation as a restaurant has only been open for just over a year, however the place has been around since the late 1920’s.

Situated in the heart of the Golden Square Mile (once Canada’s richest neighbourhood), the Tavern was originally adjoined to the Dominion Hotel. The hotel burned down in the 1930’s, but thankfully the Tavern survived the blaze. The Dominion had been Montreal’s first Gay Bar during the 1970’s. Only in 1988 were women allowed past its doors due to a new law.

Thankfully, throughout the years the owners and managers of the space have maintained the charming décor in true Roaring Twenties style. Much of the décor seems to be either original or actual period work. The terrazzo floors are bordered by porcelain-tile wainscoting, and some of the ornate brass lamps hanging from the ceiling still have pull-chains hanging from their bases. The walls testify to the  ‘Dominion’; the coat-of-arms for each province hang there. Somehow the soft leather winged chairs are curved to perfectly coddle your kidneys. This comes in useful after sampling the cocktails. There is so much more to sit back and take in. The Dominion is perfect for pondering.

Tuesday's lunch plate: seared trout

Besides the decor, history, the charming clientele and the pleasantness of the wait staff, there is the food. A winning idea in the Dominion is the daily lunch special: The Dish of The Day. One main dish, with a side salad or soup is $20. A glass of wine or pint of beer is an additional $6. The lunch special of seared trout is light and satisfying.  Perfect for a Tuesday! On Thursday, the Duck Confit is simply amazing. In this one leg of duck, there are about five distinct attributes. It is rich, succulent and meaty. There is an indescribable divine tenderness in the meat, fat and skin that is just all-out flavour. A few little thinly crisped potato pieces add a crunchy treat, and the hollandaise sauce that surrounds the duck could not be any more appropriate.

pulled pork sandwich; delicately flavoured yet hearty. Very hot fries.

Starter salad and side salads are fresh, made from watercress, with bits of herbs such as dill and fennel added. The dressing is light and tasty, smoothing the path for the healthy greens to be digested.

I happily ordered the Pulled Pork sandwich on two separate occasions. This sandwich is lightly flavoured with a tangy mustard and fennel sauce. The bread is a house-baked bun, large but not overwhelming. A very generous pile of steaming hot fries accompanies the sandwich, and an overflowing, marvellous bowl of house mayonnaise accompanies the fries. The fries stay hot for a good long time, as fries in good restaurants tend to; I am quite certain that they are cooked in duckfat. A starter salad is a good idea if you order this, to try to fill up on greens before diving into the huge pile of delicious fries and sauce.

ploughman's plate: a chance to try headcheese

Except for the micro-brewery beers, the drinks at the Dominion are all made in-house. This goes for the syrups as well as the filtered water. The house even makes its own tonic water. In the case of the latter, the gin and tonics are quite simply the best in town. Not only is there a good choice of gins for the mix, no other G&T tastes quite like theirs. There is absolutely no harm in establishing a cocktails budget to make the round of the Dominion cocktail menu.

All of the above are served in excellent glassware. Beer pints are, simply, adorable in their roundness. Beer just tastes better when it is served in a large, rounded glass! Perhaps this aids in the appreciation of the beer’s bouquet.

celebrating a birthday with sticky toffee pudding and homemade coffee ice cream



If you still have room, finish off your meal with a sticky toffee pudding, a nutmeg donut, or anything that suits your fancy from the dessert menu. You will not be disappointed.

Dominion Square Tavern, 1243 Metcalfe Street Montreal. Monday-Friday 11:30 to midnight, Saturday 5pm to midnight. 514-564-5056 Reservations welcome.

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Categories Food

El Chalateco, El Salvadoran Pupuseria

By natashahenderson
January 10, 2011 //
0

The décor is always festive.

One of the joys of living in a cosmopolitan city such as Montreal is the grand variety of restaurants. We recently enjoyed a couple of meals at El Chalateco, an El Salvadoran restaurant located steps away from the Beaubien metro.

A full, nourishing meal.

Pupusas, the national dish of El Salvador, are a specialty of the house. They are served as a street-food in El Salvador, and here in Montreal at El Chalateco they are served on a plate with accompanying house-fermented cole slaw. A pupusa is a filled, fried corn tortilla. They come with a tasty tomato sauce and a spicy hot sauce on the side.  One of our favourites is Queso y loroco, which is filled with cheese and an asparagus-flavoured flower called loroco. At $2.25 a piece, one pupusa is insanely inexpensive, so it’s only polite to order at least two or three of them.  If you come as a large group, you have the option of ordering large amounts to be served family-style.

The Queso y loroco pupusa is a must-eat.

Besides pupusas, there are many other dishes to be tasted at El Chalateco. Vegetarians will be happy here; there are not only veggie-based pupusas but a healthy handful of other meatless choices. Vegans can enjoy a bean pupusa with the fermented cole slaw, and there is a delicious-looking plate of beans, rice, and vegetables.  Flexibility is an option because the kitchen is small.  About three people make the food as it is ordered.

Layers: Fried tortilla, beans, cucumber, cole slaw, guacamole, egg, sweet onions. Delicious and refreshing.

For meat-eaters, this restaurant provides many satisfying choices. Among the appetizers are traditionally-cooked tamales. The masa is infused with other flavours because it is wrapped into a plantain leaf along with other ingredients such as olives and chicken. The tacos Salvadorenos are crunchy rolled-up meat-filled tortillas, served with veggies and a very hot sauce. With a pupusa they are a plentiful good lunch, or they can indeed be eaten as the appetizers that they claim to be. Another specialty of the house is the El Salvadoran version of the Québécois “Hot Chicken” sandwich, the Pan con pollo y escavechi. It is enormous and full of not only chicken and flavours, but vegetables too. The sauce is rich (but not overly so) and delicious. Pastelitos de carne are hot, crunchy packets of spicy goodness.  Definitely give them a try.

In a word, the food here tastes of nourishment.  The dishes are made with care, served hot and are nicely filling.

Pastelitos de carne are the "petits cousins latins de la tourtière."

Even though our visit was in the dead of winter, the ultimate summer drink had to be tested. El Salvadorians call it ‘Michelada‘, which is a mixture of lager, salsa juice and lime served in a mug with a spiced and salted rim. One sip led to dreams of relaxing in the shade with the good company of several drinks shared with many friends.

There are some good dessert options.  Bite into a Torreja.  It is a warm and delicious french toast-like dessert.  It has a depth of sweetness that makes my heart race.  Chocolate caliente is a rich, full-tasting and lightly spiced experience. Although my mug stayed very hot for a full half hour, my hot chocolate was always easily drinkable. Chilate is the choice for a ‘super-sized’ dessert or a meal all in itself. ‘Chilate’ is a warm and filling drink thickened with corn flour and spiked with a sprig of lightly crushed cocoa seeds. Drinking Chilate is thought to strengthen someone and it is often served to the convalescing.  It seems like a good meal for this time of the year.  The drink is served inside a calabash gourd, accompanied by a dish filled with slices of fried sweet-potato and a plantain; these are garnished with a sweet, cinnamon sauce of cooked plums. Each taken in turn makes for a delightfully filling combination.

Chilate!!!

The atmosphere in El Chalateco is relaxed, family friendly, yet quietly festive.  There are always seasonal decorations suspended from the ceilings, it looks like the place is ready for a party. It is clean, inexpensive, friendly, and welcoming.  It is easily a go-to place in the Beaubien area!

(El Chalateco, 520 Beaubien Est, 514.272.5585)

El Chalateco is licensed, so if you do not want coffee, water, or Horchata, you could have a glass of wine or beer to go with your meal.

Tammy Schmidt and Natasha Henderson, Montreal

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Categories Food

Trois Experiences: Trying To Eat Vegetarian In Meat-Loving Restaurants

By natashahenderson
November 1, 2010 //
2

Experience #1: Khyber Pass Afghan Restaurant

by Natasha Henderson, Montreal

In recent months, I have been working on becoming 95% vegetarian. When I tell people that I have a Once-A-Week-Meat-Eat, they usually laugh and say “then you’re not a vegetarian!”. That is true. I am not a full vegetarian. However, I am aware that there are many, many positive things about being mindful of what one eats. I think it is necessary to understand that if you buy a typical “steak”, this piece of a cow will have been born, raised, slaughtered, and chopped up in the factory-farming system. I would prefer to not support that system. So, I am trying to be more vegetarian both at home and in restaurants.

Fried Eggplant with Yogurt

I recently enjoyed a trip to an Afghan restaurant in Montreal. The Khyber Pass is a medium-sized restaurant, decorated to feel cozy with richly embroidered and decorated tapestries and textiles on the walls and ceilings. For a textile-loving-girl such as myself, this was a wonderful distraction. However, once the food was served, attention shifted from the surroundings to the table.

The meal began with little flat squares of Afghan bread, served warm in a basket. Dipping sauces accompanied them. The sauces were delicious, and varied greatly in flavour, colour, texture, and spice. This all went well with our wine… my group of six people all brought our own wines. The corking service is a delightful advantage of many restaurants in Montreal.

I had walked by the Khyber Pass several times before, usually stopping to read the menu posted outside. Cauliflower, yogurt, eggplant… all looked delicious to me. Of course I also saw lots and lots of lamb. When my friends and I were settled inside, I mentioned what I’d seen on the menu, and my own assumptions about Afghan cooking (lots of lamb). Fortunately, our waiter overheard me, and corrected me. “In Afghanistan, lamb is only cooked for celebrations. Here, Canada, every DAY is a celebration.” His explanation clarified why most every dish on the menu featured lamb. All my friends ordered various lamb dishes (I heard that it was “divine”.) I went Veggie.

My order: Red Lentil and Fresh Coriander soup, Fried Eggplant with Yogurt appetizer, Veggie Combo main dish (eggplant, cauliflower, spinach, okra, and three types of Basmati rice), dessert was a delightful Rosewater with Pistachio pudding.

Red Lentil Soup with Fresh Coriander

The soup was a tangy and pleasantly warm beginning, what one would expect from a spiced lentil soup. Not “remarkable”, but for the warm-up dish, who’d want that? It was similar to soups I make at home. Perfectly fine.

I had the fortune of dining with friends who were so kind as to share their appetizers. Once I’d bitten into it, I realised that my pal’s dumpling actually was filled with (a very tasty) meat. Well, I recommend it for someone who likes their meat, and is looking for something filling and satisfying. They reminded me of my Mom’s “won-tons” that she’d make at Christmas. Deep-fried triangle pockets, filled with hashed meats and diced onions… delicious indeed. I wouldn’t order them, personally, because on a Once-A-Week-Meat-Eat diet it would, perhaps, be a little disappointing.

Meaty Dumplings Ooops!

Another wonderful appetizer that was fortunately shared was the spicy Pumpkin Borani. This was a stewed pumpkin, softly mashed, baked in a small casserole. Served with yogurt and tomatoes, it felt warm and stick-to-your-ribs, full of both vitamins and comfort. The subtle taste of pumpkin was allowed to glow forth in this wonderful dish, I would eat it every day if I could.

My Main Plate

As for the main plate, my friends didn’t offer forth any of their lamb. Granted, I didn’t ask to try any of it, but I think they knew it would be good. There certainly were no complaints! I found my gently flavoured Basmati rice to be divine, the spinach and yogurt and eggplant were all very rich yet homey-tasting. I could feel the vitamins and nutrients concurrently providing energy and flavourful pleasures. Pure and healthy comfort-food.

Everything that I ordered this day, I would order again. Next time, though, I must have some of the Pumpkin Borani, perhaps two or three of them!

Natasha will continue her voyage into Vegetarian Cuisine in Non-Vegetarian Restaurants next week, with a visit to the Bistro Sur la Riviere…

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Categories Food
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