Dining Outside

Photos: September 3, 2016

There is a restaurant we really like. It has a lovely terrace across one of Old Montreal's narrow streets from the restaurant itself. In summer it is lovely to eat there. On colder days it is also lovely to eat inside in its cosy and welcoming atmosphere. The wire fence surrounds an archeological investigation - the site of Canada's first parliament pre-confederation. They were burnt down in 1849 by rioters. You can learn a little more here.



The waiters have to cross the street along with other pedestrians to deliver the meals.



Caleches pass by with tourists  enjoying the atmosphere. It is lovely to sit and just enjoy the historic buildings nearby.

Almost Gone

Almost Gone, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

Photo: August 31, 2013

August is petering out and soon the rush of September will be here. The cooler temperatures will bring new energy and the new school year brings a resumption of activities, concerts and other delights.

But for now, a slow glass of wine and a good dinner in a Greek restaurant. Dreams of travel and life at a quiet pace - as the Greek music wafts over me. Feeling mellow

Unwinding

Unwinding, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

We're into renovations - so many decisions from paint colours, to lighting to tiny details. Heads spinning we decided to unwind at a local bistro. After we arrived the rain poured down, but we were in a mellow haze - good food, wine and a delightful atmosphere. My view - a reflection of things in the restaurant as well as the outdoors - perhaps a metaphor for my inner thoughts as a I deal with the outward realities.

Pirates

Pirates, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

We decided to go for dinner before the concert. The restaurant we used to like was closed so we dropped in on the one next door. What a hoot. What used to be based on the theme of New France is now a pirate restaurant. There is a cover charge for the entertainment. All the serving people "work for the pirate boss." There was a game area (we were given card money), a singer, people circulating as various characters. The serving staff played their parts well.

It was quite a contrast to the concert we attended next - Clavecin en Concert with music by Couperin. Though the director of this concert series, Luc Beauséjour,  has quite a comic streak. Here is his promo video (in French and music)  for the concert.

Dual Purpose

Dual Purpose, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

Today I had lunch at the restaurant in Osgoode Hall in Toronto. What a treat! This is the restaurant of the Ontario Law Society. The decor is from another era. The great hall in which it is located is lined with legal books. Dishes, necessary to the restaurant perch on the shelves beside them.

Large stained glass windows are located above the shelving letting light into the room. It is not uncommon to see lawyers in their robes, dining here as the courts are also located in this building.  We took the opportunity to wander around part of the building, enjoying all the architectural details. The Great Library is a jewel - with an ornate ceiling and beautiful etched class windows.


 Here is a wood carving from the Barristers' Lounge - my hommage to the Year of the Dragon. I certainly hope to go back and explore more. It is an amazing historical building.

Oh- and the food was fantastic - lobster bisque, Arctic char, a crepe filled with bananas and served with ice cream with pistachios, wonderfully brewed coffee - a feast.

Ready to Eat

Ready to Eat, originally uploaded by susanvg.

While I enjoy cooking, the day to day regularity gets me down. So it is always nice to meet a friend and enjoy a meal cooked in a restaurant. Both of us can relax, select what we want and leave without having to deal with the cleanup. I always enjoy a meal that combines lots of vegetables with whatever protein I choose. Add some fresh ginger and my palate is pleased. This Vietnamese restaurant provided just what I wanted. Pleasure on a plate and good conversation.

Beautys

Beautys, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Shot from my car while stopped at a red light.
Beautys is a landmark in Montreal. It was opened in 1942 by Hymie Sckolnick. You can hear him on YouTube They are known mainly for their breakfasts (served all day). On weekends people line up to get in for brunch.  Eat in a booth or at the lunch counter. I have to admit, I have only been there once, but family members from out of town go on a pilgrimage there when they come into town.

Note: if you are wondering why it is spelled without an apostrophe, it is due to our language laws in Quebec. Signs have to be in French so we have many places with names with absent apostrophes.

July 18/10: Porgy and Bass

July 18/10: Porgy and Bass, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Title thanks to my daughter. She is a Gershwin fan.

Sometimes birthdays last a day, other times they extend over several days as one celebrates with friends and family. Tonight my family was all available so we went to a restaurant to enjoy good company, great food and some wine. Molivos is a Greek restaurant with great appetizers and fish that is grilled. There was a nice selection, A few of us shared porgy and bass (Mediterranean bass not endangered Chilean bass). No singing other than singing the praises of the wonderful food.

Daily Shoot: Find something that's out of context today, natural or staged, and make a photograph.( The lobster was live - walking over the fish.)

July 15/10: La Gargote

IMG_6884, originally uploaded by susanvg.

A milestone - one of those birthdays that launch you into a new decade. I look at it as a beginning - time to re-prioritize. I've done that thinking - July 15 was just the day to celebrate.

On a too hot evening we decided to eat outdoors on the terrasse of La Gargote, a French style bistro in Old Montreal. The terrasse is across the street from the restaurant, so the waiters have to watch the traffic as they fill the orders. Sometimes noisy with traffic, other moments more tranquil, we sat under trees appreciating any small breeze. Often a caleche would come by, the horses plodding on the pavement as tourists gawked.

Many summer plans this year to celebrate this new decade. I'll be writing and photographing, but posting only when possible. In a week this sweltering heat will be a memory as we head up to Arctic. A great adventure awaits...

May 3/10: Bagels in Quebec City

May 3/10: Bagels in Quebec City, originally uploaded by susanvg.

I had to make a quick trip to Quebec City (Sainte-Foy, actually - a suburb of Quebec) for work. I drove there in the morning and worked with a colleague. We took a break for lunch and went to the local bagel place. It was a surprise to me to find a place that actually makes bagels much the way they are made in Montreal - even baked in a brick oven, heated by a wood fire. We Montrealers take our bagels seriously. We have several bakeries which have their ovens going 24 hours. I featured one bakery a while ago in this blog. Although some make designer bagels with ingredients like blueberries or sundried tomatoes, most feature the standard poppy seed or sesame seed bagels. And there is nothing like carrying home a bag of bagels, still hot from the oven. It is rare that the number bought is the same as the number unpacked at home.

Jan 2/10: Dining

Jan 2/10: Dining, originally uploaded by susanvg.

This is one of my favourite restaurants, one of the first Sechuan restaurants in Montreal. It originally opened in a depressed part of downtown Montreal some forty years ago. I first went there with my brother-in-law, George, who grew up in China. He was considerably older than I. Having been born in Austria, his family fled to China as the Nazis took over. George introduced us to dumplings and Peking duck. He held a big banquet there when his mother turned 75 - dish after dish came out of the kitchen, each a culinary treat.

Later the restaurant moved to a more affluent area. They still prepare food well, but have tempered their recipes to please North American palates. I learned to love spices here, but now I have to request spicier versions of my favourite dishes. My children learned to use chopsticks as we dined. Many memorable occasions have happened here from dinners with friends to lunches with colleagues. While I love to try new places, I am always happy to come back here; it's a bit like coming home.

Day 344: Fish

Day 344: Fish, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Tropical fish in neon colours
you swim in your small box
looking out through the window
at a world so foreign
to your own
Stores flash their neon lights at you
pale imitations of your tropical hues
while on the other side
people dance to pulsing sounds
Can you find peace in your watery home?
Ignore the outside events
or does it invade your haven
bringing you the stresses
of the twenty-first century?

Day 223: Scavenger

Day 223: Scavenger, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Lunch today outside at a lovely Greek restaurant. Towards the end of the meal this little bird came along and snatched some crumbs off the next table. A young girl then started putting out small pieces of bread. Soon the bird's friends came to join the feast. These birds were fairly skittish.

Last year I was sitting in a Paris cafe. The birds there sat right on the table and tried to take food right from your plate. They were obviously used to people and were pleased that more kept coming to order food for them.

Day 219: Chez le Portugais

Day 219: Chez le Portugais, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Dinner out at a Portuguese restaurant, we sampled petiscos - the Portuguese version of tapas. Delectable, delicious, tasty - we lingered over this feast, savouring every morsel, sipping on white Portuguese wine and enjoying the music of fado playing in the background. An evening on the Mediterranean right here in Montreal.

Day 165: Gibbys

Day 165: Gibbys, originally uploaded by susanvg.

On my children's birthdays, they get to choose the restaurant for a family dinner. My daughter, ever sentimental, chooses Gibbys (click if you want to know the history of the building) because we always went their with my father for her birthday. Gibbys is located in what used to be the stables in a complex that served the Grey Nuns. Part of the structure dates to the 17th century and part the 18th.

Inside the ceilings are fairly low, with large wooden beams. The inside walls are stone. The restaurant is known for steak, with sizable portions. So good to be together as a family which is not easy to arrange with varying work schedules and family members living out of town. We only celebrated three weeks late this year.

Day 121: Chinese Lanterns

Day 121: Chinese Lanterns, originally uploaded by susanvg.

These lanterns hang in a Chinese restaurant in Casselman. This town, mainly French-speaking and Catholic, lies in a farming area. Yet even in towns like this there is often a Chinese restaurant. I admire immigrants, who leave their homes and start over in the midst of a foreign country, with a foreign culture. There are almost no people of visible minorities in this area, yet the owners of this restaurant had the courage to set up their establishment here. That is one of the hallmarks of Canada. Unless one is of First Nations' extraction, we all come from immigrants, some came 400 years ago, some arrived today. Our major cities are becoming a colourful mix of cultures and smaller towns are learning to embrace the differences new immigrants bring. There is sometimes friction; change always requires adaptation. In the long run, we are all richer as we learn about and explore each others' culture.