Tasty Montreal

For someone who enjoys good wine and food, Montreal is an exceptionally wonderful place to be or live in. The city contains so many different enticing restaurants, cafes, bakeries and fine food retailers that the gourmand personality is well served.

However, behind the glamorous and relaxing ambiance aspects of eating out, there is a whole hospitality and restaurateur business with all the waiters, chefs, owners and staff operating behind the scenes behind that succulent filet mignon or crème brûlée.

In 2010, rumor had it a mediocre restaurant in the city’s Quartier Latin would go under a hundred thousand on the market. A booming 24-hour place downtown could cost as much as a million and a half Canadian dollars. One British gentleman used to say that feeding people is the best profession since the human need to eat is permanent.

Perhaps, the business is indeed all it is made up to be but the work is very hard. Some entrepreneurs complain of the endless hours, constant worrying and ruthless competition. Businesses can go down in a matter of months, as when several commerces on the Main (St.-Laurent) had to close down due to lack of clientele brought on by extensive road renovations. A similar situation happened with Sainte-Catherine Street in the vicinity of the Bleury intersection, where a jewelry store had to abruptly cease operations.

Restaurant Kaizen. © Provincequebe.com

In the unlikely case that none of the marvelous lieux de rendez-vous that the virtual capital of Quebec has to offer fails to seduce one’s culinary inclinations, then there always remains the option of cooking. Montreal’s food chains include IGA, Metro, Marche Richelieu, Mourelatos, Loblaw’s, Maxi, Provigo and Super C. Marche Jean Talon is renowned for its fruits and vegetables, while Marche Atwater is exquisite when it comes to conserved products such as honey or spices. Many of these outlets have online and telephone shopping capacities, so once that is taken care, the time has come to choose a recipe.

For example:

IMPERIAL PANCAKES

Ingredients*:

500 grams (roughly 1 pound) of all purpose white flour
1 L milk or light cream
3 table spoons of sugar
2 eggs, yolks and whites separated
2 individual packages of dry instant yeast
2 table spoons melted butter
Salt
Cooking oil

Preparation:

Most grocery stores carry the instant yeast without the need to wait hours for the dough to rise repeatedly, but reading the instructions should help alleviate any lingering doubt. Dissolve the yeast in a third of the warm liquid chosen and the sugar. Let rest for 10 min.
Stir in the flour, egg yolks, salt and butter to reach a mixture slightly thicker than the chipotle southwest sauce texture.
Let rise once only.
In a separate bowl beat with a mixer the egg whites with a little sugar and/or fresh lemon juice.
Incorporate the mousse to the batter. With a ladle pour small quantities on the pan with hot oil.
Cook pancake on until both sides turn a golden brown colour.

*All quantities, times and procedures may vary depending on one’s products and apparatus.

Suggested toppings for pancakes:

Salted – cheese, mushroom sauce, ground fried meat with onion, ham, humus
Sweet – chocolate, berries and fruit, whipped cream, ice cream, caramel

Photo : Public domain Images

Restaurants:

Multiple locations upscale delivery service

A la Carte Express (ALCE)

514 933-7000

Creperie & Cremerie
• Hawaii Cocktail
1645 Maisonneuve St. W.
514 933-8887

Fine Dining

Queue de Cheval

1221 Boul. Rene-Levesque W.
514 390-0090

Gibby’s

298, Place d’Youville
514 282-1837

Cavalli Ristorante Bar

2040 Peel St.
514 843-5100