Café les Entretiens – and all that jazz

The 411

Laurier street is an amazing street, with small shops, local bakeries, and great little restaurants. I often find myself going here and a few weeks ago was no exception when I was having brunch at Byblos with some friends. After which I went around walking on Laurier and saw some interesting brunch places that looked quite tasty. One spot in particular caught my eye and ear; and that was Café les Entretiens it had an amazing interior with tall ceilings and had a piano inside and jazz music pouring out.

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Quoi De N’oeuf – another jewel in the Atwater crown

The 411

As some of you may or may or may not know I have become fond of the Atwater market area – it’s a place filled with great little shops, green spaces and great food. There have been a couple places that have been serving up some awesome dishes here and brunch is no exception. So when when my friend told me about one of his favourite places in the area I could not resist the chance to check out another place in the Atwater market area and chow down on some good eats.

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Burgers & Benedicts – Much more than just burgers

The 411

For almost one year I have had my co-worker ask me to review Burgers & Benedicts. Being one of her favourite places, I got to hear one of the best pitches for how good it was. Now, there’s two things in this world I can’t say no to; one is food; and the other is a new place to have brunch (technically they can be considered the same thing but who cares). So one day we got some co-workers together and went out check it out.

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CLOSED

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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Fruit Folie – Bursting with fruit

The 411

St-Denis is a street where all you need to do is walk a little bit and find a nice gem of a place to eat, and brunch is no exception to this rule. Fruits de Folie falls into this category by providing well priced food and tons of fruit on most of your plates (as the name implies). Although this is my first time coming to Fruits de Folie, I know a lot of people who have spoken about it for quite some time now, and the peer reviews all follow a similar theme of lots of fruit and very affordable. Now since I can’t disagree with those two ideals, off I went exploring.

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Breakfast at Tiffany’s

The 411

For almost a year I have had people asking me to check out Tiffany’s, but I never really got around to it and also, its situated in an area that I am rarely in. However, this Christmas an amazing thing happened when a friend of mine gave me a gift certificate to Tiffany’s and not only did it highlight the fact I really love brunch but it gave me the motivation to check it out. Now I need to state the obvious: the name chosen for this place is awesome and it makes choosing a tag line that much easier for this post. I mean how can you go wrong with something that makes everyone think of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”

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Ghetto Superstar

The 411

Going back to it’s inception in 1963, anyone who ever went to McGill University or lived in the McGill ghetto knows about Place Milton. Walk in the McGill ghetto and ask any student – they will not only point you in the right direction but they may even tell you a few stories on how their morning-after hangover recovery was aided by this place. Place Milton is a local legend in the McGill ghetto; its no nonsense menu and fair prices have brought people into its seats for years.

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A truly memorable trip

The 411

Up in Outremont on Bernard Avenue you will find a truly unique place with one of the nicest terraces that any breakfast place has to offer. This nice little place is squeezed between a bunch of other terraces but Cafe Souvenirs is definitely the one you should try, and while you’re at it don’t miss out on the food.

At 1st glance

When you walk up to the Cafe Souvenirs you automatically get drawn into its warm atmosphere and attention to detail which is one the many things that makes it unique. Although I will likely mention the terrace another 2 times, I really suggest you enjoy a seat on it since there is nothing quite like it on a sunny afternoon. The attention to detail is amazing with small unique things that set it apart. The glass bottles of water on your table are each a different colour and shape (there’s even one that looks like the tower of Pisa) as are the coffee mugs. Inside the cafe the hooks for jackets are actually golf club tops; it sounds odd but it works. One should also note that there is wifi available although don’t be a camper and stay there for 4 hours because line ups form. The main criticism is the lineups; when it’s grey and snowing it’s not an issue, although when the sun is out, there is a big lineup forming for a small amount of tables and the patrons can get aggressive; you have to be on your A game to make sure you get a seat and clearly communicate with the hostess who is often overworked running from table to table. My tip is get there early or get comfy (you can use the park bench nearby). (more…)

Fleury Flourishes

The 411

When I first was introduced to Zagrum I was shocked how such a unique breakfast place would be on Fleury, an area you would not assume had an abundance of good breakfast food.

At 1st glance

At first glance I saw a pretty modern place that did not have that “breakfasty” look to it. Although every time I go I like the clean open area with tables all about, a good view into the kitchen and a nice terrace during the summer. Zagrum is also wheelchair accessible, although the washrooms are not.

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