Menu du Jour ~ La Panthère Verte

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

Menu du Jour ~ Ta Tourtière Australienne

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)

Menu du Jour ~ Tataki Sushi

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

Menu du Jour ~ The Sparrow

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