Category

Quebec

Category

The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old is a great gift this holiday. It is available at all government-owned liquor stores across Canada for a pretty affordable price of under $100. The price will fluctuate from province to province, but this smooth Scotch is at a great price point that won’t disappoint.

Taste

It has a golden sun colour to it. As you take your first wiff, you can really smell creamy butterscotch with a hint of toffee apple, candied orange, vanilla custard and newly felled oak on the nose. It’s very aromatic!

When you take a few sips, it has hints of honey, wood spices and citrus, balanced with raisins and caramel. As you finish your sip, the Oak lingers, which is warm and sweet at the back of your throat.

We prefer to have it neat so you can really take in the flavours of the The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old. Of course, you can have it on the rocks or alternatively a dram of it to your coffee or tea. The vanilla custard notes go well with crème-brûlée or pumpkin pie at the end of the meal.

Charcuterie Board Pairings

Of course you can’t just have a glass of Scotch without some delicious accompaniment. You can get cheesey with a simple charcuterie board to have a few nibbles before dinner begins.

To accentuate the butterscotch and caramel flavours of The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old, they suggest a young manchego, French sheep’s milk cheese, or any earthy pecorino.

If you can’t find those at your local grocery store, you can go with some light cheeses like a light Brie or light Cheddar. It gives a nice mouthfeel without overpowering the Scotch.

It’s a great way to enjoy the Scotch, have some bites while continuing your conversations with friends and family.

Pasa-Doble: A Classic Coaktail Twist

You can also make cocktails with The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old. This is a take on the classic Old Fashioned with American style, distinct European flair and a clever Canadian twist. It’s perfect for the holidays.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/3 oz. The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old
  • 1/2 oz.  Amontillado Sherry
  • Pinch of smoked salt
  • Drizzle of Canadian maple syrup

Instructions:

  1. Add all ingredients and ice to a mixing glass. Stir gently with a bar spoon for 10 seconds.
  2. Strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 

Final Thoughts

The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old is good on its own and paired with a charcuterie plate, or turned into a cocktail. It’s versatile and at a great price point. Highly recommended!

Website:
https://www.themacallan.com/en

This Mother’s Day, you can give a sweet surprise for Timbits lovers out there. It is available exclusively for Mother’s Day weekend on Saturday, May 12th and Sunday, May 13th starting at 8am each day and while supplies last. If you’re mom has a sweet tooth for Timbits, she’ll find this alternative a sweet touch outside of traditional flowers.

It’s not the first time fun delicious bouquets have been created in Canada. There have been ketchup chip roses and even fried chicken bouquets.

Each bouquet comes with a variety of 24 long-stemmed Timbits, wrapped and ready to give to mom. The Timbits Bouquets are available for $12.99 plus tax at participating Tim Hortons Restaurants. The bouquet includes flavours like chocolate glazed, old fashion glazed and sour cream glazed to name a few.

#TimbitsBouquet Contest

To spread the love on Mother’s Day even further, Tim Hortons is giving Canadians in three cities – Toronto, Calgary and Montreal – the chance to nominate a mom to get her very own Timbits Bouquet hand-delivered in an exclusive Tim Hortons Flower Truck just in time for Mother’s Day.

If you are live in the participating cities, you can nominate a mom by posting why she deserves her own Timbits Bouquet on Twitter or Instagram using #TimbitsBouquet between May 7th and 10th.

Websitehttp://www.timhortons.com/

We met up with BraisedandConfused when I was in Montreal for a few days. She suggested we have dinner at Kaza Maza as they have stellar Syrian food. I’ve never had Syrian food, so it was definitely an adventure. They can be pretty busy, so reservations are highly recommended especially when you are going in groups. Montreal is big on reservations, so on busy weekends…you are basically out of luck without reservations.

On certain nights, they will have live music as you dine. The interior isn’t large, but you should be able to be ok with a group of 4.

Complementary olives and peppers arrive at the table. The peppers are quite spicy and contains a bit of liquid inside, so you will need to be a bit careful eating those. Olives tasted great too, but some people naturally don’t like the taste of olives. It’s a personal preference kind of thing.

Fattouch Salad ($11/$14) has lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, radishes, parsley, mint, pomegranate, sumac and fried pita. CanuckGirl loved this salad and so did I! It contains various types of greens that go well together quite nicely.

Mutabbal Beets ($7) has mashed roasted beets, tahini, yogurt, lemon, garlic, parsley and olive oil. It’s a very pretty color due to the natural color of the beets. You could dip this into pita bread. This was CanuckGirl’s favorite dip.

Baba Ghannouj ($7) has grilled eggplant, tahini, yogurt, garlic, lemon, parsley, olive oil and pomegranate. I really enjoyed it’s amazing taste! I would definitely order this again!

Lamb shank with Friki ($19) has lamb shank, wheat whole smoked, roasted nuts mixed with butter, yogurt cucumber sauce with mint, garlic and raisins. The lamb is quite meaty and tender! I loved the texture of the wheat and the ingredients in it. Definitely my favorite dish of the night.

This is the yogurt cucumber sauce the comes on the side for the dish.

Kabab with cherries and pine nuts ($19) has kefta grilled and then simmered with sour cherries and topped with pine nuts. I personally didn’t love the cherries in the dish because savory and sweet things that are combined together is a bit strange for me. It’s just a personal preference of mine. CanuckGirl did enjoy this dish a lot as the meatball were moist and full of flavour.

Overall, Kaza Maza has good food and I was glad I was able to try it during my time in Montreal. CanuckGirl said it was one of her most memorable meals during our entire trip.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Good service
  • Make reservations

We Rate Kaza Maza:

Address:
4629 Park Ave
Montréal, QC

Website:
http://www.kazamaza.ca/

Kaza Maza on Urbanspoon


View Larger Map

Schwartz’s Deli is an iconic restaurant in Montreal and is known to have huge lines! As I was in Montreal, I knew I had to have a taste of their smoked meat. People around the world have been raving about this place, so I had to see for myself if it lives up to all that hype. PLUS, Celine Dion and her husband own a portion of this restaurant.

As I left CanuckGirl to hike up Mount Royal by herself, I headed over to Schwartz’s. Exercising is good and all, but I can exercise in Vancouver too. I know, I’m horrible…I just love food.

There was a huge line outside and it would probably take 30 mins to an hour to get a seat. I decided to bypass the line by ordering takeout. If you do get takeout, you just walk through the door and no one in the line should bother you.

The restaurant is very narrow so no wonder they can’t fit too many people here. For takeout, just walk up to the right of the restaurant and order, then pay on the left side of the restaurant near the door.

I got my sandwich and found a park to eat at, I was sad that the sandwich was so small. FYI, when eating at a park, you will probably attract a few birds and squirrels….so guard your sandwich.

Mmm… look at that meat.

The meat was very thickly cut, fatty and very tender! The cross-section of the sandwich does look quite amazing, but it’s still not that large of a sandwich. Since it was only $6.15, it was a decent price. I have never seen any other restaurant have such thickly cut smoked meat. Any smoked meat needs mustard, but it sucks how it had to be the usual yellow mustard.

Overall, I loved it and I would go again just for their meat. If you have no patience for lining up and just want that sandwich fast, do takeout and you will save yourself lots of time.

Words of Wisdom:

  • A must-go spot for tourists
  • Under $10
  • Long lines
  • Must get the smoked meat

We Rate Schwartz’s Deli:

Address:
3895 Boulevard St-Laurent
Montreal, QC

Website:
http://www.schwartzsdeli.com/

Schwartz's Montreal Hebrew Delicatessen on Urbanspoon


View Larger Map

Rotisserie Romados is located in Quebec near the Plateau Mont-Royal area. It was recently named one of Canadas Top 50 restaurants. When looking at the list, it was the only one that was under $10. I just had to check this little place out since I was in town for a few days with CanuckGirl. They are best known for their chicken rotisserie!

During peak hours the lines can get quite long. Nonetheless, don’t let any lines discourage you because it is quite quick to get to the front. At the back of the restaurant is where you order the chicken and on the right is where they have pastries and baked goods.

The menu is in all french, but you can use your iPhone is translate what is says. Majority of items are under $10, which is awesome. If you don’t know french, they speak english too.

1/4 Chicken Breast with Fries and Salad ($7.09) is basically a mound of salt and peppered fries. I asked my chicken to be spicy. It also comes with a large bun.

The fries tasted good and the chicken was succulent. The only let down was the salad because some of the leaves were not fresh and a bit wilted and turning black.

1/4 Chicken Leg with Salad and Fries ($6.29) CanuckGirl said she enjoyed it.

The bread that comes with it is good, but it’s gonna make you super full. CanuckGirl and I couldn’t finish ours with our meals, so we just took it back to the hotel room for later.

Overall, it was a very filling meal for cheap! It’s not the most healthiest meal, but it’s worth the price. Definitely check it out!

Words of Wisdom:

  • Limited amount of seating, most people do takeout
  • Under $10
  • Friendly staff
  • Must get the chicken!!

We Rate Rotisserie Romados: 

Address:
115 Rue Rachel Est.
Montréal, QC

Rotisserie Romados on Urbanspoon


View Larger Map

Resto la Banquise is located in Plateau Mont-Royal and is known to have very good poutine. It is open 24 hours, so University students can go any time to chow down on delicious poutine. They have tons of variations of poutine and are known to satisfy all the crazy poutine lovers.

CanuckGirl and I came here since we heard it was a must-try place for poutine. It’s not the most healthiest, but at least there is a park nearby.

We had the option of sitting inside or on the patio. We chose the patio since it was a very nice day outside. In case it rains, there is a tent above the seating.

Obelix Poutine ($8.25) is topped with Montreal smoked meat, cheese, and gravy over a bed of fries. The cheese was slightly squeaky as it rubs against your molars when chewing. It was quite good, but I am not used to eating a large amount of fries.

Classic Poutine ($5.95) has cheese curds and gravy over a bed of fries. CanuckGirl also liked it and is the most authentic! She ate everything off her plate, so I am sure she enjoyed it.

Overall, it’s a great place to get poutine. It’s open 24 hours, so you can go anytime without worrying it will close. They also have other items on the menu, so you don’t need to get poutine.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Classic Poutine is always good
  • Open all the time
  • Indoor and outdoor seating
  • Service is a bit spotty since they have so many customers

We Rate Resto La Banquise:

Address:
994 Rue Rachel E
Montréal, QC

Website:

http://www.restolabanquise.com/

Resto la Banquise on Urbanspoon


View Larger Map

L’Express is located on the plateau in Montreal. The serve authentic French dishes and it’s usually packed every night. It’s best to make reservations because most people in Montreal rely on reservations. CanuckGirl and I decided to go to L’Express without reservations and got a seat at the bar fairly quickly. Even though people will make reservations, not everyone shows up, so there is hope for those with no reservations.

As we sat down, we were given complementary bread with butter. The bread was quite hard and the butter was solid too, thus making it hard to spread.

You also get a jar of complementary little pickles. I love pickles so I naturally ate them up. I didn’t eat the whole jar, but I was very tempted to.

Octopus Lentil Salad ($16.55) the lentils is hidden under the thin slices of octopus. The sauce around it gives it a it of acidic taste which compliments the dish nicely. THe octopus has been well prepared and very tender.

Shrimp Risotto ($20.30) had lots of shrimp for the portion size and very creamy. CanuckGirl also said it was a good portion for dinner too since other places can give you less.

Duck Confit Salad ($24.40) had lots of warm duck on top. Since duck is naturally oily, it made the bed of salad quite oily. It’s still pretty good. Duck is delicious and tender.

Overall, it was good French Fine Dining experience. The only disappointment was over the service. Our main server ignored us most of the evening, so we had to always resort for asking questions to an alternative server. We had a hunch that the server was acting snobby because we did not order wine. We were quite bitter over the service since it was clear our server was treating all of the other customers much better and having long conversations with them.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Make reservations to have a seat at a table
  • You’ll usually get a bar seat without reservations
  • Fine Dining
  • Decent prices

We Rate L’Express:

Address:
3927 Rue Saint-Denis
Montreal, QC

Website:
http://www.restaurantlexpress.ca/

L'Express on Urbanspoon


View Larger Map

BraisedandConfused suggested we give Le Gros Jambon Diner a try when we were in town. CanuckGirl and I went when we were in the area for Cirque Du Solei. They serve simple diner style food such as mac n cheese, burger, pizza, hotdogs and salad.

All seating is in rows, so you can’t really sit down with a large group. It’s best to come in small groups. Even if you are eating alone, it won’t feel awkward either.

Since it is a diner, they have some cool retro posters all over the wall.

Bottled Coca-Cola gives it a nice look in the diner. I love bottle Coca-Cola! It taste slightly better than in those plastic bottles.

Duck Confit Mac & Cheese ($11) was ordered by CanuckGirl and she just loved it. Its has a good amount of duck confit and is oh so cheesy!

Four Cheese Grilled Cheese ($8) has a side of fries and coleslaw too.

The fries are a bit limp, but they have a bit of a sweet taste to them for some reason. They do look quite brown, but don’t let the color discourage you.

The grilled cheese was VERY CHEESY! The cheese wouldn’t stop oozing out. I would suggest a napkin if you don’t want it accidentally getting on your clothes.

Overall, great diner concept and delicious food! I’m sure it’s not the most healthy for you but isn’t comfort food done right.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Limited seating
  • Good decent prices
  • Mac and Cheese is a must

We Rate Le Gros Jambon:

Address:
286 Notre Dame O
Montreal, QC

Le Gros Jambon on Urbanspoon


View Larger Map

After meeting up for dinner with BraisedandConfused, she took us to Les Givres for some post-dinner treats! Les Givres specializes in artisan ice cream. It is all made in-house and made with the best ingredients. They always try to come up with some crazy flavour combinations that tastes great.

Once you enter, there is the counter on the left and seats on the right. It’s really a great spot to just chill after dinner.

They have a good amount of flavours to choose from, so I am sure you will find something that tickles your tastebuds.

If you aren’t into ice cream, they have other desserts such as chocolate mousse cakes and macarons.

We grabbed a few and just stole a little bit from each other so everyone could try a bit of the flavours. There is coffee, pistachio and green tea. These all had strong flavours and were very enjoyable, the downside is that each scoop is about $3, so it’s not cheap at all.

Green Tea (matcha) Ice Cream

Apple Pie Ice Cream is another one we got after our initial 3 types. The taste is very subtle and you can start tasting the flavours once you stumble upon the apple pie pieces inside.

Overall, great place to just chill and catch up with friends or just anything.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Made in-house
  • Can be a bit expensive for ice cream

We Rate Les Givres:

Address:

3807 Saint-Denis
Montreal, QC

Website:
http://www.lesgivres.ca/

Les Givrés on Urbanspoon


View Larger Map

Jean-Talon Market is located in Villeray near Jean-Talon Station. It is a market full of fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and plants. The local farmers come here to sell their goods. They open daily at 7am! CanuckGirl and I headed over here one day as we heard this place is pretty cool to walk around and try some produce.

On one end of the market, it’s a bunch of shops selling food and there are a few tables to sit down.

A majority of the market is outdoors under a roof and many tents. It’s a great stroll in rain or shine.

There are rows after rows of amazing smelling produce. I honestly think this place is so much better than a grocery store. $1 for a box of strawberries!!

What I love most about the market is how you are able to sample the produce before purchasing. Even if you don’t intent to buy that product…you may be tempted to after tasting how sweet and fresh the items are.

Overall, it’s a great place for locals and tourist to shop. There is a ton of produce and makes for a good stroll.

Address:

355 Rue Jean-Talon E
Montréal, QC

Website:

http://www.marchespublics-mtl.com/English/Jean-Talon/

Jean Talon on Urbanspoon


View Larger Map

St. Viateur Bagel and Cafe is known best for their freshly made bagels. It is a family owned business since 1957. They are open 24 hours and sell about 1000 bagels each day! This isn’t their original location, but they still make fresh bagels here too.

CanuckGirl and I were passing by and we just had to have a taste of their famous bagels!

Right at the counter of the cashier, you can see them make all the bagels. They are very fresh! If you look into the oven, they have a few dozen in their making. It’s really fun seeing them work their magic.

Their mascot is called sesame and he can be seen depicted on their bags, murals and interior decor.

Sesame Bagel ($0.70) was still very hot when we got it. We decided to get this flavour since the mascot is a sesame bagel. It was the most mazing bagel I’ve ever had. 1000000x better than anything in Vancouver. We ate this bagel right away and it was crunchy on the outside and super hot and chewy on the inside.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Must get the sesame bagel and eat it right way!
  • Cheap
  • Can’t sit down in the cafe if you are just ordering a bagel

We Rate St. Viateur Bagel & Cafe

Address:
1127 Ave Du Mont-Royal E
Montréal, QC

Website:
http://www.stviateurbagel.com/

St-Viateur Bagel & Café on Urbanspoon


View Larger Map

Walking around Montreal, I found that there were more Van Houtte Cafes in the area than Starbucks. I guess it isn’t’ too strange since Van Houtte is based in Montreal Quebec. Since I always need a cup of coffee to get my day started, I thought I would try this place out.

The interior is large and modern. Plus, they have wifi access, which is awesome especially for people who need to lounge around.

The cups even have their logos on it.

The latte tasted good and had a pleasant aroma. It’s good to have something besides Starbucks for a change.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Free Wifi
  • Decent coffee, decent prices
  • Nice interior to chill

We Rate Cafe-Bistro Van Houtte:

Address:
1 Place Ville-Marie
Montreal, QC

Website:
http://www.vanhoutte.com/

Café-Bistro Van Houtte on Urbanspoon


View Larger Map