Lemeac - Refinement and Style all in one

The 411

Up on Laurier, Lemeac is a place that has had some solid chatter among foodies for some time. It’s a French bistro on a part of Montreal that I am in love with; the street and restaurants have an air of refinement and reputation for good food. I have seen Lemeac’s reputation for brunch on various foodie sites and have always been curious about it. How would it be, is it all hype, what will the prices be, will it be worth it? All these questions have been swimming in my head for over a year and this time I decided to take the plunge and explore it. Lemeac had something in store for me.

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2009 A year in Brunch

Well, Ladies and Gents, it has been a busy and tasty year with many new places that have been reviewed. In fact, we almost did 50 reviews: some were great and some were awful (which I consider those to be my public service announcements/paying for transgressions in a past life). So, in keeping with last years “Best Of 2008″ posting, I feel it is fair to see what 2009 brought us. I kept most of the same categories from last year but felt that adding some new ones would be interesting. As always, if you feel that I have missed a place that you really like feel free to contact me by clicking on the contact tab up top.
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The Sparrow - A place so nice I went there twice

The 411

The sparrow has got to be one of the places with the most buzz. I have gotten emails about it as well as read various forum postings raving about this place. Unfortunately, I’m slow to getting around to places especially since the places I get to see are scheduled a month in advance. Even though I may not be the first one to write about this place I can still feel good knowing that it is still an undiscovered gem to many others. Situated on St Laurent street south of St Viateur, The sparrow stands where the old Mile End bar used to be. Its name takes inspiration from the bird which is not native to North America but rather brought over from England and that is a great way to describe this gem of a place. Originally intended to be a bar with food, the liquor license took a long time to get so upon meeting a chef from England they decided to start focusing on food, and with just a tiny kitchen, have been pumping out amazing food that draws inspiration from England pub style cuisine mixed with Montreal’s unique brunch flair.

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Petite Ardoise - Small name with big taste

The 411

For the longest time I have passed by La Petite Ardoise and have always been curious for how brunch would be there. I would see people going in and eating but for one reason or another I never got a chance to try it out. It just so happened that a few weeks ago a friend of mine tells me of an amazing place on Laurier street that they love, and it turned out to be La Petite Ardoise. So one Saturday afternoon off we went to check it out and see what this mysterious little place is all about and what we found surprised me and helped complete my list of places to eat on Laurier street.

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Le Cagibi - A Vegan adventure

The 411

One of the greatest challenges I come across while reviewing places is offering reviews on the vegetarian options, and in particular, the vegan options. Although personally I’m neither a vegetarian or vegan, I can see how difficult it can be to go out and find someplace to eat that offers something vegetarian/vegan on the menu. Things have come a long way in the last 30 plus years when you would have a hard time finding a menu item without meat in it. Many of the places I’ve gone too have some vegetarian menu items and they taste amazing. This is an easy thing to do when you deal with eggs, waffles, pancakes. Now vegan is another issue; it’s hard to find vegan items on a menu and often an item will be almost vegan if it was not for one small thing in it. I usually end up looking for fruit cups on the menu, which although are great and tasty, they aren’t really impressive. So all this to say, when we decided to go to Cagibi I was excited to find and review another place with not only vegetarian options but with vegan options as well (other than a fruit cup). So now that the stage is set lets take a closer look and see what we have on our plate.

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Em Cafe where art and food meet

The 411

Situated on Parc Street just south of Bernard, Em Cafe is a place you would likely miss. Yet, when you step in you will see how it is more than an unassuming place and that it manages to serve up a laid back atmosphere where one can sit down and have the hours melt away.

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Mosaik - Your friendly neighborhood spot

The 411

Way up at the tip of the Mile end you will find a local gem called Mosaik. It’s a hit with the locals and seems to have quite a following. The crowd is somewhat mixed with families bringing their kids and a few younger people from the area stopping in for bite and coffee to ease into their day.

At 1st glance

Once you push past the really stubborn front door (which lets in the cold so don’t sit near it) you immediately notice some nice stained glass artwork suspended and a bunch of drawings made by kids suspended under a funky ceiling light. The stained glass is accented by the fact that Mosaik is at a corner of the street and the large windows let in tons of light. The ambiance is very comfortable and laid back; it really has that neighborhood charm. Once you are settled in you feel as if you are in not in any rush and can decompress with no lineup and no pressure to get out and pay your bill.

Bagels etc… it’s bagelicious

The 411

Bagels Etc is one of those places that people have been telling me to see for some time but I never get around to checking it out. Those who recommend it are big fans of it, so one nice Sunday, off we went to explore and it did live up to the hype. Bagels etc. has been around since the 1980’s and has made for itself as a great little brunch place that offers more than just bagels. They bang out delicious meals, and do so in a funky and laid back atmosphere. (more…)

Places to eat Brunch in the Plateau and Mile end

The following is a map of brunch and breakfast places you can find in the Plateau and Mile End. I defined this area by the political riding from the city of Montreal. The southern most point is Sherbrooke, the west sides are University and Hutchison (once you’re north of Pine) with Iberville on the east end and Bernard at the northern tip. I have also included the McGill ghetto since it is rather close by and small.

The Plateau/Mile End offers many good and well priced options. Two of the main areas of concentration are Mount Royal and Bernard street. In some instances you can walk 10 feet in any direction and find a place to eat brunch. So take a look and see what you feel like. Also, if you feel I missed some places please feel free to comment by posting a reply.