A Ruelle of One's Own

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2011-09-14T09:57:00.000-07:00

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Photo du Jour

2010-12-02T18:20:00.000-08:00

Holiday lights appearing around the neighborhood as we inch into December.

Photo du Jour

2010-11-30T10:32:00.000-08:00

Seasonal transition in Parc Lafontaine.

Au Jardin Botanique ~ Fall 2010

2010-11-27T17:49:00.000-08:00

An autumn evening stroll through the outdoor gardens of the Jardin Botanique. Each autumn (generally from mid-September through the end of October) they feature The Magic of Lanterns show at the Chinese Garden. The lanterns are a riot of color and reflection, with a different theme each year. A great place to take kids, though adults who crave a more peaceful wander should plan on going on a weekday evening, since the weekend crowds can get overwhelming. (Only so many strollers fit down those narrow pathways.) If you missed this year's lantern show, mark your calendar for next fall. Meanwhile, there is always something to enjoy in Montréal's botanical gardens year-round.

Menu du Jour ~ La Panthère Verte

2010-11-27T15:19:00.000-08:00

If you have a craving for "Golden balls," La Panthère Verte/The Green Panther is the place to get them. And you can be reassured that their balls are fresh and organic. So what are their Golden balls exactly? Well, as their menu puts it: Yemen style falafel balls juggled into a pita bread accompanied with crunchy salad and covered with tahini sauce. Unlike so many falafel balls, which can be as light as lead, these balls are bright and airy. What makes the sandwich great, however, is the cushiony-soft pita pockets and the tangy salad into which the crunchy balls are nestled, the vegetables dressed just right so that they complement the falafel without overwhelming it. I tried one of their other sandwiches but came back for the balls. The last time I was there, I also got a flavorful bowl of pea soup, warming on a chilly day. According to their website, they've also just opened a brother restaurant downtown on Mackay if Mile End is out of your way.

La Panthère Verte

66 rue St-Viateur Ouest

(514)903-7770

Photo du Jour

2010-11-11T07:38:00.000-08:00

Sunset light on the tree tops and Stade from the Jardin Botanique ponds, Autumn, 2010.

Photo du Jour

2010-10-30T10:57:00.000-07:00

Autumn in Parc Lafontaine, before the leaves fell and the water disappeared till spring.

image+nation 23

2010-10-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

2010 marks the 23rd edition of the image+nation LGBT Film Festival, 10 days of queer-themed films from around the world: shorts and features, dramas, comedies, and documentaries. Check out their program online to see what interests you. Some of the films, like Howl, celebrating Allen Ginsberg's famous and infamous poem, will receive later mainstream attention; others are unlikely to get noticed off the festival circuit, so catch them while you can. In addition to Howl, we have tickets for Children of God, a drama set in the Bahamas; You Choose, a pansexual Spanish film from transsexual director, Antonia San Juan; From Beginning to End, a "taboo romance" from Brazilian director, Aluisio Abranches; and Making the Boys, a documentary about the making of the gay 1970 classic, "The Boys in the Band." Bon cinéma!

Photo du Jour

2010-10-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

Autumn in the city, 2010.

Wall Philosopher du Jour

2010-06-13T17:39:00.000-07:00

I heart my ruelle, too.

Photo du Jour

2010-06-12T09:04:00.000-07:00

Porte du Plateau, early summer, 2009.

Menu du Jour ~ Ta Tourtière Australienne

2010-06-10T10:16:00.000-07:00

I must confess I've never been a fan of la tourtière, the classic Québec meat pie. Even in my meat-eating days, it was too meaty and greasy for my tastes, no offense to Québec grandmothers. My partner harbored even greater ill will against the tourtière, literally, since he'd had a very ill childhood experience involving tourtière and licorice. On the other hand, I love pie, and good dough combined with savory fillings, so Ta, the relatively new casual restaurant specializing in "tourtière Australienne," captured my interest, especially after reading several favorable reviews of the place.

Ta is run by a husband and wife team, the husband, Don, hailing from New Zealand, and his wife, Mélanie, Québécoise. So combining a Québec classic with Australian touches makes a lot of sense. And--with low prices and pies perfectly sized for breakfast, lunch, or a snack--visiting Ta makes a lot of sense for anyone craving a delicious hit of comfort food. They have a small seating area and outdoor terrace (where one can watch a corner of the park and the Avenue du Parc traffic zip by), or you can take a bunch of pies home for easy reheating.

Meat-eaters have a great selection to choose from. Non-meat-eaters like myself have a limited selection (hint for menu expansion), but we tried all 3 non-meat pies--smoked mackerel, spinach, and potato (great with ketchup); curried vegetable and sweet potato; spinach, mushroom, tomato, and ricotta--and they were all winners. Well-seasoned, excellent dough, not too big, not too small. Really hit the spot on a cool, gray spring day. They also have an interesting selection of desserts, including "Anzac biscuits" and "Afghans," both of which were new to my sweet tooth.

I hope they do well, because I want to keep going back.

Ta Tourtiére Australienne
4520 avenue du Parc
(514)277-PIES (7437)

Wall Philosopher du Jour

2010-06-10T08:45:00.001-07:00

Photo du Jour

2010-06-07T13:36:00.000-07:00

Summer sublet? Plateau, 2010.

Wall Philosopher du Jour

2010-06-03T17:42:00.000-07:00

Photo du Jour

2010-06-03T17:31:00.000-07:00

A favorite, timeless Mile End shopfront, Hollywood Coiffure Pour Hommes/Men's Hairdressing on Fairmount Ouest.

Signs of Spring

2010-05-31T14:58:00.000-07:00

How quickly early spring comes and goes in the city. One day it is winter, the next it is spring, with a few negotiations back and forth between seasons, then we leap towards summer.

Here are a few of my favorite signs of spring, gone for now, but back again same time (approximately) next year:

A crisp, sunny day in March, when the first spring laundry hangs in the ruelles.

In the Québec woods, maple sap is flowing, which means Bilboquet is open for the season and scooping out their famous tire d'érable (maple taffy) ice cream. Combine maple ice cream with the sugar-on-snow one would find at a cabane à sucre and you get sweet maply heaven. Those with dental work should chew cautiously: some of the taffy pieces are enormous and enormously sticky.

Bilboquet ice cream can be found in several Montréal locations, but we frequent their Outremont shop:
Le Glacier Bilboquet
1311 avenue Bernard Ouest
(514)276-0414

I confess to being a zeppole virgin, until this spring, when I came across a zeppole thread on the Quebec Chowhound board. How have I missed these all my life? Basically, zeppole are an Italian pastry cream or sweetened ricotta filled donut traditionally made to celebrate St. Joseph's Day on March 19. Fortunately, they're typically available at Italian bakeries not just on St. Joseph's Day but in the weeks leading up to Easter. Unfortunately, most of those weeks had passed before I knew to grab them while I could. Next year I plan to compare and contrast zeppole from all the recommended Montréal bakeries.

The creamy wonders we sampled were from:

Boulangerie Clarke
29 rue Saint-Viateur Ouest
(514)276-7827

Alati-Caserta
277 rue Dante
(514)271-3013

And early spring in Montréal wouldn't be complete without a visit to Papillons en Liberté (Butterflies Go Free) inside the main greenhouse of the Jardin Botanique. The butterflies usually arrive sometime in February (when your aversion to the Québec cold is about as strong as theirs) and flit about until the last week in April. The weekends have too many children ignoring the Don't Touch signs, so if you can go during the week, it's much more relaxing.

Now, on to the last weeks of spring and summer!

Wall Philosopher du Jour

2010-01-28T09:08:00.000-08:00

Photo du Jour

2010-01-26T09:56:00.000-08:00

"After the Wave," a snow drift in a Plateau ruelle.

Farewell, Kate

2010-01-24T16:52:00.000-08:00

The McGarrigles have long been a Montréal folk music treasure, so it was with great sadness that Montréal had to say farewell this week to the irreplaceable Kate McGarrigle, sister to Anna, mother to Martha and Rufus Wainwright.

I have fond memories of seeing the McGarrigles several times over the years, both in Vermont and in Montréal. Their performances were always endearingly modest and ramshackle affairs, unpolished one moment, transcendent the next, or both at once. I remember the director of Burlington VT's Flynn Theater announcing the sponsor for the evening, the resulting applause drawing Kate and Anna prematurely to the stage. They retreated, embarrassed, then quickly returned; immediately the audience was theirs.

I remember a Christmas concert in Outremont a few years ago with the extended clan. It wasn't quite fully rehearsed, so there was much laughter and ribbing one another and shifting of chairs and needless apologies for the mess. They were family, and we were all included. The last time I saw Kate and Anna together was back in October when Emmylou Harris was in town. I suspected they might come out for a few songs since they've long collaborated with Emmylou, and indeed they did, their unique McGarrigle harmonies circling Emmylou's voice, the deep musical friendship between them obvious.

On our way to Montréal from Vermont this past Friday, we were lucky enough to hear a rebroadcast of a 1993 interview and concert with Kate and Anna on NPR's Fresh Air in honor of Kate's passing. As we drove across the Champlain Bridge on a brilliant winter's afternoon, the warm sun slanting across the cityscape from the west, Kate, who lived in the city, raved about the bakeries in her neighborhood and said that Anna had to come into the city from the country to get good bread. They sang "I Eat Dinner," which was about Frida Kahlo but also--Anna chimed in--about Kate. As we arrived in the heart of Montréal, they were singing "Love Is": "My love has no reason, has no rhyme. My love cross the double line."

Montréal will miss you, Kate. May the music live on.

Photo du Jour

2010-01-23T09:59:00.000-08:00

Downtown Montréal rises from the snow-covered river, 2006.

Wall Philosopher du Jour

2009-10-31T17:05:00.001-07:00

Photo du Jour

2009-10-28T10:52:00.000-07:00

Autumn in the Plateau, 2009

Au Marché

2009-09-02T11:06:00.000-07:00

It's late summer, which means the Jean-Talon Market is overflowing with tomatoes (even though this was not a stellar summer for the tomato). It's when baskets and baskets of plum tomatoes make their annual appearance and get carted away by the nearby residents of Little Italy.

While plum tomatoes can be used as is, another option is to slow roast them until they become like sun-dried tomatoes. Slow roasting tomatoes couldn't be easier: Cut them in half, line them cut side up on a baking pan, drizzle on some olive oil, some chopped garlic, salt and pepper, and let them cook at a low temperature--say, 200F--for 6 to 8 hours. Perfect for pasta, bruschetta, or as an ingredient in a Mediterranean relish alongside grilled fish.

Photo du Jour

2009-09-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

Blue Stick Garden, 2006, created by Claude Cormier

The garden was part of the International Flora Montréal 2006 exhibition in the Old Port along the Lachine Canal.

Au Jardin Botanique ~ Mid-Summer 2009

2009-08-28T11:18:00.000-07:00

A Mid-summer stroll through the outdoor gardens of the Jardin Botanique. Take a picnic lunch to the ponds, then spend the afternoon seeing what's in bloom. For rates and information, visit the Jardin Botanique website.

Menu du Jour ~ Tataki Sushi

2009-08-28T09:25:00.000-07:00

Tora-Tora (tuna, spicy sauce, asparagus, masago, tempura) rolls, salmon and tuna spring rolls.

There are lots of generic (i.e. not very good) sushi joints around Montréal but Tataki isn't one of them, fortunately. It's a tiny place in the Plateau, short on atmosphere (there are a few tables that are perfectly adequate for lunch, but it's not a space that encourages relaxed lingering) but long on freshness and handmade attention to detail. The friendly couple behind the counter makes it to order while keeping the prices reasonable.

Tataki Sushi
61 avenue Duluth Est
(514)842-5580

Wall Philosopher du Jour

2009-08-28T08:49:00.000-07:00

Menu du Jour ~ The Sparrow

2009-08-24T18:07:00.000-07:00

We had lunch at The Sparrow just before they closed, temporarily, for a vacation and maternity break. The Sparrow, only open for breakfast and lunch and cash-only at the moment, is on the Mile End stretch of The Main (St-Laurent), a stretch that can be cruel to restaurants since it doesn't get the kind of foot traffic the lower Main receives. But the Sparrow--when it's open--has been drawing crowds for its refined and inventive British pub fare. The decor is sparely pub-by with a hipster vibe and cool bird-patterned wallpaper. We shared two appetizers--stuffed zucchini flowers; skate, chicory (endive to me), and anchovy--a side of frites mayonnaise, and two desserts--baked peaches and ricotta; chocolate cake with clotted cream. Rather fancier and richer than our usual lunch, but worth the caloric splurge.

A.J. Kinik's review of The Sparrow from earlier this year.

The Sparrow
5322 boulevard Saint-Laurent
(514)690-3964

Photo du Jour

2009-08-24T15:25:00.001-07:00

Farine Five Roses, 2005

A short history of Farine Five Roses sign, discussions of its significance in the Montréal skyline, and the struggle to preserve it amid corporate shake-ups can be found here and here.

As of today, the sign--usually with a few gaps in its neon--still greets visitors to Montréal who arrive via the Champlain Bridge.

A Ruelle of One's Own?

2009-08-06T10:56:00.001-07:00

Before I became a part-time resident of Montréal in 2003, I had no knowledge of Montréal's network of alleyways, or, to use the more elegant-sounding French word, ruelles. Alleyways are not unique to Montréal, but Montréal's between-street streets are almost like a parallel city, one more akin to a village than an urban center.

I first began exploring the ruelles of my neighborhood, The Plateau, then expanded my wanderings to other neighborhoods, including Mile End, which has several of my favorite ruelles. (I'll feature various ruelles in future posts.) What I like about the ruelles is that they offer a glimpse into the everyday private lives of Montréalers; in other words, you can be something of a Peeping Tom, without getting arrested. Peek over and through the eclectic collection of walls and fences to find backyard gardens, some well-tended, lush with flowers and greenery, others overgrown and neglected, filled with discarded objects, others paved over and used for precious parking. In the early evenings, a particularly pleasant time to wander ruelles in summertime, you hear the clatter of silverware, the popping of wine corks and clinking of glasses, the burble of water features.

Children play in ruelles, safe--mostly--from traffic. People bicycle through them to avoid the urban rush. Dogs and cats love them. (As do skunks, as we discovered this summer when one visited our dining patio.) While the neighborhood streets of Montréal tend to be fairly unified--aside from those places where urban "renewal" projects left their unfortunate mark--the ruelles consistently surprise with their mad architectural hodgepodge. Some are tidy--a few beautified ones have been designated "Ruelles Vertes"--others decidedly grungier, requiring watchful stepping, particularly in springtime. You'll come across abandoned mattresses and sofas, obsolete computers and TVs, appliances and curious artworks. And hanging everywhere from porches and balconies: laundry, laundry, and more laundry, each clothesline a unique banner.

Then there's the graffiti. While there's no shortage of graffiti in all parts of Montréal, the ruelles tend to attract graffiti philosophers, statements and questions that can amuse or mystify, make you shake your head in recognition or puzzlement. (Wall Philosopher du Jour will be a regular feature of this blog.)

Though I've wandered some of my favorite ruelles countless times, each time I rediscover favorite miscellany and discover something new or changed, and that's without taking the seasons into consideration. A summer ruelle is entirely different from a winter ruelle. An autumn ruelle hints--with a last splash of brilliant color--at the shorter, quieter days ahead. A springtime ruelle offers--once the winter puddles dry up and the dog poop and debris are cleared away--promise of the long (and this year, wet) summer days to come.

Beyond riffing on the Virginia Woolf title, I chose "A Ruelle of One's Own" because the ruelles represent to me the sense of surprise and discovery that I find in Montréal as a whole. Though the ruelles of Montréal are not private, as you wander them you may feel as if you are being let in on something private. It's an interesting--and, for me, inspiring--sensation in a busy city; the sense of being part of a community yet also the sense that you can claim, for a few moments anyway, a small piece of it for your own. Montréal may not be the most beautiful or grand city in the world, but that's one of its charms. It doesn't wear all of its riches on its sleeve; you have to work a little to find them.