Upcoming Food Charity Events

May 25, 2013 · 0 comments

in Food Media

Table of Hope and Boomerang

I’ve got some exciting news! Two amazing food events are hitting Montreal with a bang in the next couple weeks. Not only will they satisfy your latest food cravings, but will also make you feel good too. As you’ll see, these are food-focused charity events benefiting two causes close to me. Both are going to be a blast, and I couldn’t be happier to help out. Here’s all the info you need.

Table of Hope

Where: L’Arsenal – 2020 Rue William, Montreal, QC, H3J 1R8

When: Tuesday, May 27th @ 6:30pm

Table of Hope will raise awareness for disadvantaged school-aged children in the community and raise funds for Share the Warmth. As one committee member Lindsay Woods (who also helps run wrgmag.com) explained to me, “The event is fun and accessible too! The idea is, you show up after work with friends and co-workers and get to mingle between tables hosted any of the over 40 participating restaurants! So it’s easy to jump from restaurant to restaurant and try their best dishes! There will be great alcohol and spirit sponsors as well as some amazing deserts (8 different dessert restos that showcase all facets of the sweets we love!).” Couldn’t have said it better myself.

Some of the amazing restaurants include the Taverne, L’Orignal, Macaroni Bar, Faberge, Le Boucan, Diablo’s, Miss Pret a Manger, Leche Desserts, Imadake, Gaufrabec, and many many more!

Why is this event close to me? It’s a simple. When I used to work at Italian specialty food store, Cavallaro, the day old bread was always donated to Share the Warmth. At the beginning of every day, it was nice to see the bread being picked up knowing it was going to feed hungry people who are less fortunate. As a food blogger, it’s nice to give back to the other side of the food world that isn’t glorified by tweets or instagram pics. I feel lucky to help in this way.

Tickets are $125 (a portion is tax deductible), and can be purchased at the door or on the phone. More info can be found here. Follow them on Twitter and Facebook from the links below.

Facebook: Table of Hope

Twitter: @TabledeLespoir  #EAT2FEED

Boomerang 2013

Where: Espace Reunion – 6600 Rue Hutchison, Outremont, QC, H2V 4E1

When: Saturday, June 1st @ 7:30pm

Boomerang has been flying under the radar for the last five years, so now it’s time to hear what they’re all about. What started out as a simple backyard barbecue to raise awareness for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (JDRF), has evolved into what will be the biggest event they’ve put together so far. With over 300 guests expected to attend at Espace Reunion, Boomerang is promising a fun filled event with live music, a dance show, raffles, silent auctions, and of course the food! I’m looking forward to feasting on some delicious oysters from Mother Shuckers, a Dic Ann’s food truck, milkshakes and onion rings from Chee Burger, Wok Cafe, Krupcakes, and one of Oprah’s favorite new things, David’s Tea (please don’t ask how I know that).

So, why does this matter to me? I have a couple people in my general surroundings where Type-1 diabetes is present in their daily life. The 10-person organization known as Boomerang contains of a few members who also have Type-1 diabetes, or where this disease has affected their lives in some way. As a third party organizer for JDRF, Boomerang takes pleasure in putting together a wonderful fun event to raise awareness and funds for this. I am honored to help spread the word about this event.

Tickets are $30 in advance, $40 at the door. You can contact the Boomerang team by contacting Ali Antolin (aantolin [at] boomerangonline.org). Be sure to follow them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook from these links:

Facebook: Boomerang 2013

Twitter: @Boomerang_2013  #throwbackboomerang

Instagram: Boomerang_2013

 

Hope to see you all there!

 

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Unrest in the Restaurant Scene: The Blogger View

April 8, 2013 · 0 comments

in Food Media,General Food,Trends

taking pictures of food - Photo credit: http://elitedaily.com/elite/2013/nyc-restaurants-banning-diners-pictures-food/

Last week, Lesley Chesterman, the fine dining critic for the Gazette, wrote probably one of the most interesting articles I’ve ever read from her: Unrest in the Restaurant Scene. I believe; however, the title of the article may be a little farfetched since I don’t see it as “unrest”. I see it as the evolving diner. The opinions of the panelists were eye-opening and very informative. Readers got a chance to see what the restaurateur and/or chef thought about a diner’s behavior before, during, and after a meal.

When I go out for dinner, I don’t expect every service to be the greatest I’ve ever had, or the food to be the most delicious ever. I expect professionalism. You know when you have a good waiter, when you have a bad one, and when you have one that’s just ok. You know when you’re eating a well-conceived dish, as opposed to something thrown together. It’s nice to find out how something was made, how many hours something was smoked, where a dish came from (for example, it’s their grandmother’s recipe), and even where a chef developed the inspiration for the menu. All this adds to the experience of a meal.

Since this article caught many people’s eyes, I thought it would be a great idea to hear from the local food bloggers. We answered every one of the questions posed in the article. Try not to think of this as a response or us disagreeing with what was written in the original article. It’s merely our views of the interesting questions. Some of us answered in English, and some en Français. The bloggers are:

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Montreal Highlights Festival at Buonanotte with Chef Peter McAndrews

March 24, 2013 · 0 comments

in Restaurants

2013-02-28 19.34.38

Each year, The Montreal Highlights Festival brings together locals and tourists where the attractions feature mostly arts and entertainment shows. For us foodies, the part I along with many others, pay the most attention to is of course the fine dining segment. Some of the best chefs from a specific country as well as another city, take over a restaurant to cook a fixed menu “highlighting” their unique cooking styles. This year, I was very excited to hear the featured country is Argentina and the other featured city is Philadelphia. The food is always fantastic, and it makes everyone feel exclusive since the meal being offered is one-of-a-kind, and will only be served in over one or two nights. As much as the Argentinian angle intrigued me, I chose to go with something a little more familiar, with a chef I’ve heard a few things about and at a restaurant that’s been in the news a little bit over the last month or so.

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Recipe: Cacio e Pepe (a recipe of 1′s)

February 8, 2013 · 3 comments

in Recipes

cacio e pepe

Cacio e pepe is one of the simplest Italian dishes, and also happens to be my absolute favorite. It’s warm, comforting, cheesy, peppery, salty, and buttery. What could make any dish better than that? I was immediately inspired to cook this dish after seeing a special issue of Gourmet Magazine (I miss it) on the drugstore shelf. This issue features 103 pasta dishes, where one of the first recipes is cacio e pepe. Their recipe is a little different than my version below, mainly because of the different measurements, and the suggestion to not use a microplane to grate the cheese. I used one, which worked just fine. I find my way a little simpler, and not as fussy. It’s really hard to argue with Gourmet, but judging from the magazine pictures, mine looks creamier. Try both if you’d like.

Cacio e pepe (pronounced: kachio eh peppe) is a traditional Roman dish, literally meaning cheese and pepper, which is essentially the entire recipe. Ok, there’s a few more ingredients to it, but the type of cheese and cracked pepper make the dish distinct. When making cacio e pepe, I strongly suggest one thing: USE FRESH PASTA! Life is too short not to use fresh pasta. In this case, your selection should be spaghetti. If you can make the pasta yourself, great (recipe for dough below). If not, I suggest going to the Atwater Market, Cavallaro (on Sherbrooke St.), Pasta Casareccia, Milano’s, anywhere in little Italy, or if you’re Italian ask your Nonna to make it for you. You may be wondering why I call this “a recipe of 1′s”. That’s because each ingredient’s quantity is “1″ of something…you’ll see what I mean. The prep time is the longest part, if you’re making your own pasta. If you’re buying it FRESH, it’s a 10 minute dish at most, including prep time. Once the fresh pasta hits the boiling water, the total cooking time of the entire dish is about 4-5 minutes, so be prepared to work quickly. Enjoy the simplicity that is cacio e pepe.

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Montreal’s 1st Poutine Week and Giveaway!

January 28, 2013 · 29 comments

in Food Media

Poutine Week

Part of the reason why I created this blog and why I truly enjoy interacting with my readers is to inform them of great places to eat. Food is engrained in our city and makes our joie de vivre distinct. As much as I like dining out at some of the great restaurants in Montreal, sometimes there’s nothing more that I want than a good poutine. Whether it’s to warm up after a game of shinny in the winter, at 4:00 am on the weekend, or anytime really. I’ve learned after eating  many varieties, poutine is always a good idea.

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Food Guy Montreal’s Best Bites of 2012

January 1, 2013 General Food

2012 is in the books. This year, Montreal saw a plethora of new dishes and interesting events occur, resulting in the wonderful evolution of our fair city’s food scene. Street food took on new life and amazed us all, different takes on classic dishes became new favorites, and special, original menus shined. There’s also the [...]

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Classic Potato Latkes: Don’t Mess with Tradition

December 9, 2012 Recipes

Hanukkah is here! It’s time to cook and eat potato latkes, one of my favorite things at this time of the year. This is the type of recipe where the classic, bubbie-style latke holds true, meaning, don’t mess with tradition. The best potatoes to use here are russet, since they fry really well. Most recipes [...]

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Wings ‘N Things: Welcome Back!

December 6, 2012 Restaurants

It’s not uncommon for restaurants to close eventually, although it’s usually sad when they do. With the evolution of a typical customer’s tastes, a change in the surrounding neighborhood, and general interest, some places unfortunately don’t last. They close and people move on. What’s very rare is when a restaurant re-opens. What’s far MORE rare [...]

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Blackstrap BBQ: Montreal’s First Authentic Southern Barbecue

October 10, 2012 Restaurants

Lately, barbecue places are popping up around Montreal more an more. This does not strike me as a surprising trend, so allow me to explain briefly. Food media has been glorifying food for years. The Food Network, magazines, online cooking videos, and food blogs (including foodguymontreal.com…guilty!) bring the exciting part of food to the forefront [...]

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My thoughts on Macleans’ 50 Best Restaurants in Canada

October 3, 2012 Food Media

On Sunday, I was lucky enough to get a reservation at the Au Pied de Cochon Cabane a Sucre to experience (yes, experience because that’s what it is) their fall menu. After our first course, I needed some air, so I went for a brisk walk on the long porch. As I was taking in [...]

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