Cafe Griffintown (Brunch Edition)

31 Jul

For the first time in a long while, I went to brunch where the choice of location wasn’t made by me. As one starts to become known within his friend circle as the “restaurant guy”, usually I am the one tasked with the selection. Not this time around as a couple of friends decided it was time that I tried a favourite of theirs closed to their neighbourhood (and one I actually have had on my list for some time), Cafe Griffintown.

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Located on Notre-Dame street just off de la Montagne, this cafe has just a beautiful space to work with. High ceilings, exposed brick walls, beautiful aged wood floors, metallic accents with an open kitchen and a terrasse to boot, I love pretty much everything about this space. Add some great jazz and big band music in the background and you have a cafe that I could spend hours at.

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But enough about the interior design, you want to hear about the food because frankly this is a food blog after all. The brunch menu is one of breakfast classics with some unique twists as well. To start, I ordered a glass of their “Palm Spring” – a mixture of fresh papaya, banana and pineapple juice. Great balance to this juice – not too sweet, not too sour, just a nice refreshing drink on a warm summer day.

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As a main, I went for the crab cake and eggs. Homemade crab cake with sunnyside-up eggs, a side of bacon, a smoked and marinated jalapeños remoulade and a fresh salad. The crab cake was nice and dense with crab meat – no excessive binder here. The bacon was cooked as I like it – not crispy and the eggs were cooked as listed. The remoulade was not nearly as spicy as I expected (which for me is a good thing) and provided a nice tang to the dish. The only miss for me was the salad as it really didn’t have a reason other than to make the plate seem larger. No dressing to really speak of and the lettuce honestly didn’t seem all that fresh. If we ignore the salad, the rest of the plate is a winner.

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One of my friends went with the Mac & Cheese – L’Ile-aux-Grues, Swiss gruyere, Bierbrier beer with a side of bacon, poached eggs and some greens. The poached eggs were well done, the bacon was cooked the same way as mine was and the macaroni had great flavour. Both cheeses and the beer used in the Mac & Cheese added a nice creamy sharpness to the dish but not one that would feel overbearing and heavy towards the end. The greens used here also seemed fresher. A very nice dish that I definitely would want to try next time as my own main.

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My other friend went with their Canadian breakfast – 2 eggs your way with a side of meat (chorizo, bacon or prosciutto), potatoes, toast and a green salad. The eggs (scrambled in this case) were solid, the potatoes had good flavour and the bacon was cooked as the previous 2 dishes had been. The green salad was actually like mine which was disappointing but the real star here was the bread. Nice thick cut pieces of fresh bread grilled well and buttered. Every time I get bread like this in a restaurant I am reminded of my desire to bake my own sourdough bread. I definitely need to get on that. Anyway, solid dish apart from the salad once again.

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After our meal, we sat there for another hour so clearly we felt right at home in this cafe. What can I say… my friends make good restaurant choices. I taught them well. Just kidding. Anyway, they were spot-on with this choice and it led to a great Sunday brunch. People in the Sud-Ouest region either living there or visiting, look no further than Cafe Griffintown for all your brunch needs. I only wish the live Jazz they have during the week was also there during Brunch. Then we would have probably stayed there a few more hours.

Cheers!

Cafe Griffintown
1378 Notre Dame St W
(514) 931-5299

Griffintown Café on Urbanspoon

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Food Trucks – Le Cheese, Pas d’Cochon dans mon Salon, Meatball MTL, Dim Sum MTL, Boite à Fromages

29 Jul

Bouffons Montreal 2013 has come and gone officially. A great event that gave many people the opportunity to check out many of the different food trucks for the 1st time. In the past year, through a couple of Just for Laughs presentations I saw, I got to try a few more trucks to continue my explorations of what we have available to us.

Up first, Le Cheese – a truck all about cheese and the different ways one can enjoy cheese. On my first visit, saddened by the Fried Cheesecake being sold out (more on that later…), I went for their special of the day – a fried onion, bacon and swiss grilled cheese. A nice size sandwich – the bread had a great grilled crisp exterior and the combo of onions and bacon gave a nice fatty sweetness to the sandwich. The swiss wasn’t completely melted to my liking but honestly a minor quibble. Still a great sandwich.

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As luck would have it, I got the chance to walk by Le Cheese again a few days later when I went back to a final go-through and they had the fried cheesecake still available. 3 mini pieces of cheesecake deep fried and covered with a strawberry coulis. The cheesecake itself was nice and the strawberry coulis added some sweet fruitiness. The batter really had no flavour to speak of but at least it didn’t get in the way of the cake. A solid dessert.

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Le Cheese
On Facebook and Twitter @LeCheeseTruck

Le Cheese Truck on Urbanspoon

Next up, from the crew from La Salle à Manger, the trailer that is Pas d’Cochon dans mon Salon. These guys use charcoal grilling to deliver some great BBQ. They also offer some oysters and a few other items for some variety. They were one of the first “trucks” present last year during the festival run and have come back for some more – although their lack of a true truck prevents them from being part of the trial run in Ville-Marie.

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Their pulled pork sandwich is what they are known for so of course I would have to try one. What a beast of a sandwich this thing is. Huge portion of pulled pork, covered with a sweet tangy barbecue sauce and stuffed in a bun. Quite honestly, you pretty much need a fork to lighten the load before biting down on the sandwich proper unless you’re cool with getting BBQ sauce all over yourself in public. The pork itself is quite tender – it just falls apart as one would expect from great pulled pork. The BBQ sauce has a nice balance between sweetness and tanginess which I appreciate and the bun does a great job of soaking up all that sauce. Well done all around.

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Pas d’Cochon dans mon Salon
On Facebook and Twitter @Pas_d_cochon

Pas D'Cochon Dans Mons Salon on Urbanspoon

Meatball Montreal is a truck that specializes in…well… meatballs of course! On this evening, they had 2 options – classic meatballs or a BBQ variety – as well as lemonade and potato salad. Given what I had already had eaten, I decided to stick to just the classic ones.

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In one order, you get 2 meatballs with two pieces of bread, some tomato sauce, fresh basil and freshly grated Reggiano cheese. The bread was nice and crispy, the tomato sauce provided a nice tangy flavour and the fresh basil and Reggiano provided some bite but let’s be honest… none of this matters if the meatballs aren’t up to snuff. Thankfully, these meatballs are quite good. I think the key thing with meatballs is texture. Firm enough to hold together but still tender enough to really let the flavours of the meat and binders to come through. Perfect in this case. The meatballs could be cut quite easily just using a fork but they didn’t fall apart afterwards. A great and unique truck concept that truly stands out from the crowd.

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Meatball Montreal
On Facebook and Twitter @Meatball_Mtl

Fast forward to a couple of days later where, other than the fried cheesecake mentioned earlier, I got to try 2 of the more unique trucks we have going around. First up, we have a Dim Sum truck!! Just let that sink in for a moment….. I have to give major props to the folks who though this one up because this is, in theory, a great truck option and would that really brings a different flavour to the party. This very colourful truck offers a number of combos using some Dim Sum staple items.

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My sister and I went for combo #4 – a BBQ pork bun, a shrimp dumpling and a Sui Mai dumpling. The bun was probably the worse thing here – the pork itself had a nice BBQ flavour but the bum was completely flat and quite dry. The steamed shrimp dumpling was great and the Sui Mai was solid although pretty much pork with one mini shrimp instead of a true mix of the two. I love the concept and this has the potential to be a great component to our regular truck lineup.

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Dim Sum Montreal
On Facebook

And lastly, from the Plateau boutique of the same name, we have Boite à Fromages – a truck all about Raclette – in this case, the basic raclette dish of cheese melted on top of potatoes. Using that base, you can select from a few extra combination of ingredients added on top of that.

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I decided to go a little crazy with my selection and went with apples, caramel pecans and fleur de sel. Loved how the sweetness of the apples and pecans paired with the fleur de sel and the richness of the cheese. The potatoes, as always with raclette, provided a nice means to enjoy the unique flavour profile here. Very cool idea from these people and my only though once I was done was that I wanted to try their other options as soon as possible. I think that speaks volume to the quality here. Very well done.

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Boite à Fromages
On Facebook and Twitter @boiteafromages

Cheers!

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Madrid 2013 – La Tasquita de Enfrente

28 Jul

On our second night in Madrid, we decided to find a nice sit down restaurant where we could enjoy a more refined Spanish meal. After some research, we settled on La Tasquita de Enfrente, a small but well reviewed restaurant run by Chef Juango Lopez Bedemar. The restaurant is located just north of Calle Gran Via and from the outside, other than the numerous Michelin rating stickers from over the years in the window, you really wouldn’t guess this was much of a restaurant. However, if there’s anything I have learned from my trip in Spain regarding restaurants, it’s don’t judge a book by its cover.

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Walking inside, we entered a small but colourful-looking dinner room. The walls are covered with paintings of different styles and signed images of various people – most of whom I don’t recognize but who appear to be Spanish politicians or celebrities. Nice relaxed lighting and some gentle music in the background. So far, it sets up for a nice meal.

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Our waiter presents himself and explains that there is no menu at this restaurant. The chef changes everything daily based on what it gets from the market. We were recommended the tasting menu where you are at the whim of the chef – although you can make some requests and he will adjust for them – or if you want, you can go “a la carte” where the chef consults with you and makes a few dishes based on that. We naturally went with the tasting menu to truly experience what this restaurant is about. One member of our party requested no meat so we all ended up with no meat throughout our tasting. Ended up not being an issue – even for a meat lover like myself.

First up, a Mushroom cream soup that my camera decided didn’t like its look so I have no picture of it. Very smooth texture with wonderfully earthy tones. You could taste the freshness of the mushrooms throughout. A very nice way to start the meal. Next up, a king crab salad with homemade crisp. As it would be throughout the meal, the Chef prepares his dishes very simply – he allows the freshness of the ingredients to do the talking. Here, wonderful crab meat with a bit of binder, some bread crumbs and a little bit of roe on top. A great appetizer.

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Third course now, we got a cold Spider Crab soup. Great seafood broth with hints of tomatoes in the base. The crab meat itself was delicious and added a nice texture to the soup. I am not a big cold soup fan but this one worked for me on all accounts.

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Next up, egg fried sardines with some bacon bits on top. When one thinks of sardines, one tends to think about sardines in a can which I absolutely hate. This was nowhere near that. Nice crisp of both the skin and the coating around the sardine. The meat inside was nice and flaky. Overall, there is a nice richness to the dish without any oiliness or being too heavy which was a good thing given we were only halfway through the meal!

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To counter that richness, the Chef then presented us with a very simple but again wonderful dish of mixed mushrooms. Just a few different varieties of mushroom presented in different ways (chopped, shaved, sliced) and tossed in a little oil. Amazing how many flavours one can get with such a simple dish. Great follow-up to the sardines.

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The next 2 dishes were truly new experiences for me. First, we got fried Hake necks with a aioli of mayonnaise, garlic and Hake neck broken down. The fried necks were wonderful – very rich and fatty texture. Our server described them as the best part of the Hake and I would agree. The aioli didn’t work for me though. While a very unique idea of incorporating the neck into the sauce, the aioli was devoid of any real flavour to add to the fried necks. It ended up just being an textural addition to the dish. It was the one thing over the course of this meal that really didn’t work for me.

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The final pre-dessert course was brown butter stingray. I had no idea what to expect from stingray. It ended up being like ribs but instead of red meat, you got flaky white fish in between each rib. Great quality of fish here and the brown butter sauce was perfectly executed. Nice richness added to the white fish.

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On to dessert, we each got 2 items – a pistachio tiramisu and a spanish pain perdu. Given my hatred of coffee, tiramisu tends not to be something I enjoy but this one worked for me. The pistachios added a nice nutty flavour which helped to dull the coffee for me. The pain perdu was quite good as well. Very sweet richness with the crispy sponge cake on top for a nice textural crunch. A good way to cap off a wonderful meal.

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It didn’t look like much walking in but boy was this a great meal! The cool thing throughout was seeing the chef come around numerous times to see how we were enjoying things and at the same time, seeing how each table had slightly different dishes one to the other. There truly is no pre-set menu – even for one night! If ever you go to Madrid and are looking for a way to truly experience Spanish cuising outside of the usual Tapas fare (which are amazing don’t get me wrong), you won’t go wrong checking this place out.

Cheers!

La Tasquita de Enfrente
Calle Ballesta, 6,
28004 Madrid, Spain
+34 915325449

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Barcelona 2013 – General Travel Log

24 Jul

Finally, after many distractions and false starts, I’ve have gotten around to this post!

A few months ago, as a vacation, I was in Spain for 10 days visiting both Barcelona and Madrid. There will be a few other posts on some specific culinary experiences that I had while I was there but I figured I would start with a overview post about my time there food-wise – specifically in Barcelona. When one talks about Spain from a culinary point of view, we think about Tapas, Manchego cheese, Iberico and Serrano Ham, amazing seafood and wine. Well… I got to enjoy all of that and then some while on this trip.

We made a concerted effort to try and follow Spanish timeline food-wise and get the true experience. We seeked out tapas bars, markets, cafes and terraces in order to try Spanish food. We weren’t in Spain to eat French and Italian. We didn’t do much research beforehand to plan anything. Starting in Barcelona, our hotel was located just off the Ramblas – the main tourist throughway – but more importantly, just a couple of minutes away from the Gothic Quarter, the old district of town where there are numerous small but amazing joints without any of the tourist-gouging prices or bad food.

In our first night in town, we tried a tapas bar just off the Royal Plaza (Playa Real). It’s called Bodega Biarritz and is insanely small. My apartment living room is almost bigger than the seating space here. Their menu is one of pretty “classic” tapas dishes so a perfect way to start the trip.

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We started with an order of Patatas Bravas, a stuffed puff pastry and Cod Fritters. Patatas Bravas are fried potatoes covered with a spicy tomato “Bravas” sauce. The sauce is really the thing here…. tangy at first but quite spicy in the finish. The puff pastry is good as well but nothing special. The cod fritters were wonderful – nice, fresh cod meat with a nice crispy exterior.

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Next up, we ordered meatballs on top of a potato tortilla, grilled sausage and smaller meatballs covered in bravas sauce. Both meatballs were moist and tender. The sausage had a nice kick to it and the potato tortilla was great. Soft interior with a crisp exterior, the texture was much flakier than your usual corn or flour tortilla. Add to all of this some beer and a great Mojito and you have a wonderful introduction to true Spanish tapas.

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The following day, we went to the famous La Boqueria Market to check out Pinotxo Bar. This tiny bar counter located inside the market doesn’t look like much but it has been showcased in a number of publications worldwide including Food & Wine and the New York Times. Once we actually were able to grab some seats (there are only about a dozen stools present so expect to wait a bit), I was ready to dig in. Upfront, it amazes me the quality of food that comes out of a space that small. The pictures probably don’t do it justice enough. Every tiny inch of space is used to its maximal capacity. Somehow 5 cooks and the owner, the very jovial fellow in the pink and blue vest, fit and crank out great stuff.

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First up, a chick pea salad with some garlic, parsley and a few other spices that I didn’t catch as the owner who ended up serving really doesn’t speak English. Amazingly fresh and flavourful, I am really not a chick pea fan but this dish turned me around. The chick peas were cooked to the right consistency and the mix of spices and herbs really enhanced their natural flavour. Great starter.

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Next up, a plate of snails cooked with a mixture of tomatoes and garlic amongst others. Once again, great combination of freshness, texture with simple but strong flavour. I have never eating so much snails at one time in my life and it was great to try them in a preparation other than one involving tons of garlic butter.

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Following that, we got a plate of fresh grilled squid with some chick peas, olive oil and a balsamic vinegar reduction. The squid was perfect, the chick peas provided a nice earthy balance to the squid and the balsamic added a nice touch to the whole time. Great plate of food.

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Lastly, we went with fresh langoustines boiled, slightly grilled and with garlic butter. Simple but perfect overall. As was true throughout my time in Spain, the seafood was amazingly fresh and of high quality, so the natural flavour of the langoustine shone here beautifully. All in all, a great experience that I highly recommend anyone who goes to the market check out. I don’t think you will be disappointed.

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The next day, we got to check out some more tapas places. First up, big props to the corner cafe that serves the following plate of Manchego cheese.

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Honey, pecans, fig sauce and huge pieces of Manchego…. there is a reason why we went back again a few days later. The quality of each component was wonderful and really made me wish I could get a similar plate at my corner cafe! For now, I will do so at home.

That evening, we did a mini tapas crawl. The first location was Euskal Etxea which specialize in pintos which are snacks like items usually skewed on a piece of bread. All the items were laid out on the bar where you make your selections. Once eaten, you keep the toothpicks from each and that is how they add up your bill. Totally a different set-up then I am used to. The items here were mostly meats, pates or cheese. All good but nothing really exciting.

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After that quick stop, we went literally across the street to a more typical tapas bar, El Xampanyet. This tiny bar was cramped, loud and had tons of paper napkins on the floor a.k.a a good tapas bar from all appearances. Once we wiggled our way up to the bar, we dove in. Ham on breadsticks, mini spicy sausages, roasted potatoes topped with cheese and tomatoes, marinated fresh anchovies and goat cheese stuffed mini peppers. All fresh and delicious. Add to that a couple of pints of beers and we’ve had ourselves a great night.

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I have a few more places to showcase but as mentioned initially, that will be done on a few separate posts that will appear shortly (I hope…). Having now had the true tapas experience in Spain, I found a nice appreciation for that style of dining. Every Tapas place we went to, I left feeling satisfied but never completely stuffed to the point of inactivity. Hopefully this mini tour has given you a sense of the kind of food one can experience in Spain. Now… I just want to go back!

Cheers!

Bodega Biarritz. Ciutat Vella, 1881, Barcelona, Spain. 08002
Bar Pinotxo. Mercat de la Boqueria, 466-470, Barcelona, Spain. +34 933 171 731
Euskal Etxea. Placeta Montcada, 1, 08003 Barcelona, Spain. +34 933 10 21 85
El Xampanyet. Carrer de Montcada, 22, 08003 Barcelona, Spain. +34 933 197 003

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Mini Food Truck Roundup – P.A . & Gargantua, Winneburger and Monsieur Crémeux

15 Jul

Summer has truly arrived in Montreal and with it comes festival season. Place des Arts becomes the center for festival after festival as people come to enjoy some Jazz, some dancing and as is the case right now, some laughter as Just for Laughs has started up. Last year, Just for Laughs made headlights as they had a event for food trucks (le Souk) where people got to try Grumman 78 and others for the 1st time along St-Catherine street. This year, they have kicked it up a notch with Bouffons Montreal – up to 41 trucks (!!) being located all around Place des Arts for the next 2 weeks. Food truck heaven…. it’s a beautiful thing.

This past weekend, I was able to make his first visits to the area to continue my quest of trying all the trucks. First up, I hit up P.A. & Gargantua from some grill-cheese sandwiches. Gargantua is all about gourmet grill-cheese using local Quebec cheese, unique breads and adding some extra goodies to make an awesome sandwich. On this day, they were using cheddar from L’Ile-aux-Grues and a Mie au lait bread. I decided to try the bacon sandwich – which adds bacon, shallot confit and smoked butter.

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Off the bat, the bread is grilled perfectly. Nice colour and crunch while keeping the interior a little soft to go with the melted cheese. The bacon, to my pleasant surprise, was actually thick-cut bacon and not overly crispy so it added a nice fattiness to the sandwich. The cheese was warm and melted all the way through but maintained some thickness to it so it wouldn’t just fall out of the sandwich. Great richness came out of that cheddar. This wasn’t some cheap Velvetta cheese here. The shallots and the smoked butter added a nice notes as well but thankfully didn’t overpower the flavour of the cheese and the bacon. Well done overall.

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P.A. & Garguntua
On Facebook and Twitter @pa_gargantua

P.A. & Gargantua on Urbanspoon

Next up, there was the Winneburger from the fine folks at Nouveau Palais on Bernard street in Mile End. This old school looking winnebago serves up classic summer BBQ fare – burgers, chips, milkshakes and lemonade. I decided to go for the regular burger and a lemonade to get a sense of their offerings.

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The lemonade was solid – sweet and freshening. Perfect for the hot summer during which it was consumed. The burger came with cheese, onions, lettuce and a tomato. This was a perfectly executed classic burger. The beef patty was nice and juicy without being too messy to eat on the go. The bun had the right level of crunch on the outside with the nice soft interior. All the vegetables were fresh and classic for a burger. This burger is exactly the kind one hopes for when having a nice BBQ back home. Just a classic item done right. Quite nice.

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Winneburger
On Facebook and Twitter (through its parent restaurant) @NouveauPalais

Lastly, this round-up needs a dessert to finish it and hey, whaddaya know…. there was an ice cream truck to enjoy! Chef Martin Juneau and his team at Pastaga (love their brunch if anyone is looking for a good brunch spot) have created Monsieur Crémeux, a bar all about slushies and soft serve ice cream. They do vanilla ice cream and then offer different augmentations to said ice cream – in the form of different sundaes or a Mont Blanc.

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I decided to go for the pecans, maple bites and maple syrup sundae. Off the bat, the soft serve vanilla ice cream is killer. Nice soft silky texture with a great vanilla flavour. Great base to add some sweeter additions. The maple and pecan crunch added some nice contrast to the smooth ice cream and the maple syrup… well it’s maple syrup people. You all know what that adds to a sundae. Just a great sundae – the perfect summer treat as you walk around downtown taking in the sights and sounds.

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Monsieur Crémeux
On Facebook and on Twitter (through its owner) @martin_juneau

All in all, a great weekend of food trucking was had by all. I’m still not sure if having all the food trucks parked 5 minutes by bike away from my place for the next 2 weeks is a blessing or a curse but at least I know I will eat well! Hopefully you all get the chance to see what Bouffons Montreal has to offer.

Cheers!

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Maine 2013 – The Ramp Bar and Grill

4 Jul

If one visits Kennebunkport and take the lovely, long scenic drive past all the cottages and the waterfront inns to Cape Porpoise, you eventually get to a gravel parking lot that overlooks a bay (Goat Island Light according to Google Maps) and that has 2 restaurants: Pier 77 and The Ramp. While Pier 77 looks lovely, we turned our attention to the Ramp for this particular afternoon visit.

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When that is the view I have before entering the bar, you are rather spoiled. Anyway, The Ramp is a small bar located directly under the Pier 77 restaurant and has the look of a sports bar on steroids. Every inch of this place is covered with retro sports paraphernalia (a little too New England focused as a Montrealer but I’ll let it go this one time…). Any time a bar has an old Montreal Forum seat, a NBA backboard & hoop and autographs from Bill Russell, Bill Belicheck, Red Auerbach and Arnold Palmer in the men’s washroom, you know you’re in a sports fan’s dream. As one such sports fan, I loved every minute of this.

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Now, if this was just a simple sports bar, that would be one thing. However, this place actually rocked a great food menu on top of all that. The offerings go between typical bar food and more upscale stuff that highlights great seafood as one would expect in Maine. Spinach salad, a Greek mezze dish, Carolina style BBQ, burgers, fish and chips, a seafood stew, etc… All of that sounded great but we went for other options.

First, some onion strings with a smoked tomato ketchup. The plate was huge and delicious. The onions strings were nice and thin. The coating around the strings provided a nice crunch without being overbearing. The ketchup had a wonderful smokiness which added a nice note to the dish. A wonderful appetizer all around.

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For the main, there was only one option here: the Lobster roll. My first one of the trip, it was served with some homemade chips. The chips were nice and crisp as one would expect from chips but the real star here was the lobster roll. Beautiful fresh lobster pieces with just a little mayo, some celery and some scallions into a wonderfully buttery grilled bun. The naturally great flavour of the lobster is allowed to shine here. The overuse of mayonnaise is always a bad sign in a lobster roll. There was none of that here. Just the strong desire to eat another one!

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So great food, nice quirky sport bar look and atmosphere with a killer view… pretty hard to beat that overall combination. If every you are in the Kennebunkport area of Maine, you must check this place out. I am sure you find something to enjoy. Now I just need to go back when there’s a game on….

Cheers!

The Ramp Bar and Grill
77 Pier Road Cape Porpoise Harbor
Kennebunkport, Maine 04014
207 967-8500

The Ramp on Urbanspoon

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Maine 2013 – Bob’s Clam Hut

4 Jul

When one is in Maine, you can expect to spend most of your time eating amazing seafood. People who know me also known that I am a fan of the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives show. When the possibility arose that I would be close by one of the spots featured on the show, I couldn’t help but want to check it out. So, on our drive down to Maine from Montreal, we stopped over in Kittery to check out Bob’s Clam Hut.

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Bob’s is pretty much exactly what you would expect from a local joint that over time has become well known with travellers and tourists all while the Kittery Outlets have developed around it. It is a typical looking New England Seafood diner/ fast food joint with line-ups, loud speaker call-ups for orders, pickup windows, a huge menu and sadly high prices for what you think you are ordering. However, for me personally, if the food holds up, these are all minor complaints.

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First up, we had the clam chowder. Now, at Bob’s, the chowder does not have a rue. This gives their chowder none of the creaminess one associates with a typical chowder. It still has nice fresh clams and chopped up potatoes so you still get the taste you want. The difference comes as the richness you would get from the rue comes from the buttery broth. A little too buttery for my personal preference but a good “chowder’ nevertheless.

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My mother had the lobster roll. Didn’t try it so nothing I can say here except that I love the size of the lobster pieces they use. Thank you Maine for reminding me what a REAL lobster roll should look like.

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Bob’s Clam Hut is known for their fried clams so of course I would be having fried clams. Now, they have 2 varieties – Bob’s and Lillian’s (named after their long time employee who passed away earlier this year). Bob’s go straight into the flour mixture (3 parts corn flour, 2 parts white flour). Lillian’s gets a egg-wash before going into the flour. Anyone who was watched the Triple D episode knows the “debate” about which is better. I decided to order “the Clams 2 ways” and try them both. The order came with a side of fries that I would describe as underwhelming so let’s focus on the clams. Both varieties came in the same basket and honestly the differences between the 2 are pretty minor. Essentially Lillian’s have a crunchier texture but the taste stays the same in my opinion. Great fresh clams although they were a little oilier that I would have like. The homemade tartar sauce was quite nice as well – nice and creamy with a little crunch from the pickles. There was also cocktail sauce but I hate that stuff so we won’t talk about that here.

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I am happy that I got the chance to try out Bob’s Clam Hut. It is always nice to add a place to my “Triple D” list of visited restaurants. I enjoyed the clams but it probably didn’t necessarily hit the high notes that I had hoped for. Part of that may have been my expectations, partly the overly “commercial” feel and partly the price. I don’t usually ding restaurants on cost but 23.00$ for the basket I got seems a tad excessive. Given their level of fame, I really shouldn’t be surprised by these issues but I had hoped for otherwise. In the end, I would recommend going to try their clams but as a snack to share amongst your group and enjoy a Maine staple.

Cheers!

Bob’s Clam Hut
315 US Route 1
Kittery, Maine, USA
207 439 4233
On Facebook and Twitter @BobsClamHut

Bob's Clam Hut on Urbanspoon

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La Sandwicherie Zoe’s

2 Jul

A nice Sunday on Mont-Royal. The first one in the while. The sun is out, the tams tams are starting to play and hey, whaddaya know? More food trucks to enjoy! This time around, I get the chance to try La Sandwicherie Zoe’s and their gourmet sandwiches. Always love a good sandwich so I was very much looking forward to trying out this outfit.

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On this day, Zoe’s was offering a couple of sandwich options with two sidedishes and some desserts. Off the bat, I am a big fan of offering both small and large versions of each sandwich as it allowed me to try both in one shot! Wonderful!

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First up though, I decided to try out the tempura vines. Vine leaves stuffed with rice fried in tempura and served with a yogourt sauce. A very unique dish – loved the texture differences between the leaf, the rice and the crispy tempura coating. The yogourt sauce in theory added a nice cool creaminess to the dish however I personally felt the sauce to be too liquid so it didn’t coat very well to the fried vines. The flavour was quite good so it is a minor complaint.

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Now on to the sandwiches. The first option was the “Figure-tastique” – grilled chicken, poached figs, goat cheese pesto and some arugula in a fresh bun. When you first get the sandwich, you are stuck by the green color of the pesto. The bread is nice and moist and the chicken was grilled well without being dry. Absolutely loved the sweetness of the figs and the arugula added a little pepper to the mix. I was a little let down by the pesto because it didn’t end being as strong of a pesto flavour as I had expected. The goat cheese creates a nice creamy texture to it however. In the end, I enjoyed the sandwich but would have loved more pesto and more figs!

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The second sandwich was “La Cochonne” – Roasted pork flank, coleslaw and Coing confit. Loved this sandwich from A to Z. The Flank had a nice fattyness to it and the slaw adds some freshness and crunch. The real surprise here for me was the coing. Never had this particular fruit before but it added a wonderful tropical sweetness to the sandwich which paired very nicely with that pork. I will definitely order the large version of this one next time I have a chance!

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Finally for dessert, I tried the Brownie Pop. My phone ate the picture for some reason so no visual support for this one – essential a mini brownie on a popsicle stick. A little disappointed here. The brownie had a nice chocolate taste however it was a little dry so once I bite into it, it completely fell apart off the stick it had been stuck on. Also, they add crushed peanut in the dish to come with the brownie. However, there is no chocolate sauce or anything sticky on the outside of the brownie for said peanuts to attach to, so you just end up eat it separately. Would have been nice to combine the peanut to the brownie to create a nice textured bite. Again, just a minor detail but one that could have made a difference.

All in all, loved the unique sandwich combos and the overall menu of Zoe’s. A few minor quips here and there but nothing to discourage anyone from trying out Zoe’s if you are in the mood for a good sandwich. Check em’ out!

Cheers!

La Sandwicherie Zoe’s
On Facebook and Twitter @zoefoodtruck

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Landry et Filles

2 Jul

A raining weekend doesn’t stop the hungry and most certainly won’t stop my quest to check out all the new food trucks here in Montreal. This time around, Landry et Filles were set up near the George-Etienne Cartier statue off Park Avenue (if you haven’t guess by now, that’s the closest official location near my apartment…) so I headed up on bike to see what they were bringing to the Montreal Street Food scene.

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On their website, Landry et Filles states that they aspire to pay homage to tradition all while creating new classics. The menu they offered on the day I was there seemed to match nicely with that “mission” statement. Some traditional homestyle dishes focusing on fresh and local produce. A relatively smaller menu compared to other trucks around but no issues with that on my end. There were certainly enough things here to peak my interest.

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First up, I tried the strawberry lemonade. A nice refreshing beverage – the hint of strawberry adds a extra sweetness with the tartness of the lemon. A perfect summer drink to enjoy on a hot summer’s day – not that it was hot that day but regardless… it fits the experience I was dreaming up for myself that day, so let me have it please.

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Second, something completely foreign to me: A Matane Shrimp Ploye. A Ploye is a New Brunswick dish – essentially a pancake of both buckwheat and wheat flour usually cooked only on one side. The flour mixture creates a light and somewhat airy crepe-like base to which Landry et Filles added some Matane shrimp, apples, lettuce and a wasabi mayo as a binder for the whole mixture. The shrimp was nice and fresh as one would expect from locally sourced shrimp. The apples added some crunch and a little sweetness to the mix and the wasabi mayo added just the right level of heat to the dish. All in all, a very nice well executed dish. It is a cool thing to try something completely new to you from a food truck and for that thing to be perfectly satisfying.

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Finally, for dessert, I chose the lemon pie-on-a-stick. Pretty self-explanatory here. Great lemon flavour throughout with a nice crust at the bottom. The outer shell of the pie keeps the whole thing together until you bite into it. Perfect mini play for one’s sweet tooth.

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All in all, a lovely collection of dishes to be had from Landry et Filles. I was strongly interested in the Meatloaf sandwich but I wasn’t hungry enough and honestly I didn’t have enough money in my pockets anyway. Based on one of my friend’s reaction to said sandwich, I clearly need to catch up with Landry et Filles at least one more time this summer. Looking very much forward to it and I hope you enjoy as well.

Cheers!

Landry et Filles
On Facebook and Twitter @landryetfilles

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Chaud Dogs

29 Jun

Another day, another food truck to try. This time around, I biked over to the George-Etienne Cartier statue on the slope of Mont-Royal to give Chaud Dogs a try. Chaud Dogs is, as one could probably guess based on their name, a truck that specializes in gourmet hot dogs. Everything they use is 100% homemade – be it the handmade sausages themselves down to the mustard and ketchup they use. They have a focus on using seasonal ingredients and a desire to support local farmers through local markets. An awesome concept that I believe we can all certainly get behind.

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On this day, the truck was offering a homemade corn dog, a ‘Wu Dog”, black bean salsa, house fries, bottled water and a Lemon Thyme soda. While there was some temptation to try everything, I held off and decided to stick to the two dogs for this particular visit. If the dogs held up, then I would be back at some point to try the side-dishes.

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First up, the Chaud Dog corndog. A nice housemade play on the classic pogo. The sausage itself was quite good and the corn batter around it had a slight sweetness. The batter had a nice crisp to it on the outside but was thick enough to be nice and moist inside. Add to that homemade ketchup and mustard on top and you have a solid offering. If you don’t like pogos, I don’t think this will change your mind but for the rest of us, this corndog will do quite nicely.

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Secondly, the “Wu Dog”. A very unique Asian-inspired play on the standard hot dog. Here you have a grilled sausage with a sesame/poppy seed bun, marinated carrots and Daikon radish,crispy chicken skin and hoisin sauce as a condiment. Big winner for me on this day. Each individual component was well done and created interesting contrasts in terms of both texture and flavours. In particular, the use of the marinated vegetables and hoisin sauce really added a lot for me. I loved the chicken skin but honestly their presence made it hard to actually bite into the hot dog as one would want to do. I ended up eating most of it separately and leaving myself smaller pieces to actually bit into on top of the hot dog. Regardless, a very creative option to be offering in this truck.

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Two for two so far in my food truck experiences this year. Love the fully housemade concept, the creativity and the flavours that Chaud Dogs brings to the party. If one is craving a good hot dog, Chaud Dogs is definitely one you want to look for this summer in the street of Montreal!

Cheers!

Chaud Dogs
on Facebook or Twitter: @chauddogs

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