For breakfast the last morning of the conference we were in for a treat of St. Viateur bagels, lox, capers, onions and cream cheese. Presented by Half Your Plate, I accompanied mine with a delicious fruit smoothie.

The surprise treats of Cacao Barry chocolates were provided at our morning break. Chocolate always gets me going. These were exquisitely crafted.

Another Montreal icon provided our lunch. Schwartz’s brought in a mini deli for our pleasure and we noshed on cole slaw, pickles, just sliced Montreal smoked meat and potato chips.

The mini tastes of sugar pie were a lovely touch. Around this table I connected with Maria of She Loves Biscotti.

And then before you knew it, the conference was over but since I was not departing for a couple of days, I still had more eating to do. Montrealer Evelyne was available to be our tour guide again and Joann, Michelle of The Tiffin Box and I hopped the metro for Marche Jean Talon where we tasted fine local wines, ciders and vermouths and took photos of the colourful produce  which was displayed so beautifully.

That evening Marlene, Joann and I pressed Montrealer Kimberlie to suggest her favourite local spot for dinner. Bouillon Bilk was an amazing way to crown the weekend with its sleek decor, personable staff and exquisite food. I am told that only locals frequent the place and this maybe because it is located in the most inconspicuous spot. After much indecision and deliberation, I chose carpaccio beef as my appetizer and a second starter of tortellini as my entree. Both provided perfection with each bite. These women were so generous in sharing their life stories and friendships were cemented. My photos could never do justice to the beauty of our plates.

We walked back to the Westin through Chinatown and detoured to the bar before all going up to perch on my roomie’s bed for additional chatter. We clearly were not ready for the weekend to end. In fact, before I clicked off the light that evening, I registered for the 2016 conference edition in Toronto where Food Bloggers Canada was born. And for me time in Montreal did not end. The next morning, before the Ontario entourage left for the train station, Charmian and I had one last treat together: Portuguese Custard Tarts that she had acquired on the walking food tour of Old Montreal and had stashed in our room fridge.

Moving from the Westin to nearby Zero 1 Hotel, I was smack in the middle of Chinatown. Hearing from other bloggers that Pho Bang New York was the place try, I ordered a shrimp pho to go. I slowly dished it out in my hotel room, not wanting the fragrant broth, crunchy veggies and silky noodles to disappear too quickly.

Soon after, Kimberlie, who had become more and more of a dear friend by the minute, arrived to the lobby for one last rendezvous. We each sipped a drink at Brasserie T and ordered a Parmesan Fondue to be considerate of the sleek little restaurant and its lovely staff and to tie us over until dinner.

Parmesan Fondue was the very first Quebec dish I sampled on the first night on my honeymoon, thirty-one years prior. Good food has the power to produce a life long memory.

We made our way by Metro to the illuminated lantern display at the Botanical Gardens before sharing an “old school” dinner of shrimp noodles, watercress and sizzling beef in Chinatown at Le Maison VIP before we finally said good-bye with embraces and commitments to keep in close touch.

And still my Montreal indulgences continued with my last chocolate croissant at the hotel and an order of poutine at the airport.

FBC 2015 in Montreal, where new friends were made over tables laden with food.

Kath’s quote: “Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious.” ― Ruth Reichl

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

Our table mates for dinner on Friday evening were pre-determined for us, a FBC custom that I particularly love. I had the pleasure of sitting with Heather Travis of Heather in Heels who I met when she chose me to be a Beef Ambassador for Canada Beef a number of years prior. It was lovely to get caught up. I also came to know Kimberlie better, however she was across the table and so our conversation was limited.

I missed our traditional Thanksgiving Turkey dinner a couple of weeks prior as we had been en route to Milan from NYC. So I was pleased to know that Turkey Farmers of Canada was the host and that Tasty Turkey was the theme of the evening. Turkey in some form was incorporated into every course offering including a turkey confit-rillette salad, turkey paupiette and turkey sausage wonton (my personal fav)

and a turkey skin brittle which garnished our brioche bread pudding. I heard a number of my fellow bloggers comment that the dessert was a miss and that the chefs at the Westin should not have made this attempt. I personally thought that it was very inventive.

I loved the cheese course! Entertainment that evening was a variety of short food films, curated by Devour the Food Film Fest.  Some films were non-sensical, others I very much enjoyed. I really appreciated the Jackson-Triggs Reserve Merlot that was served to accompany the meal.

The next morning Burnbrae Farms and Gourmet Garden put on a scrumptious breakfast. I chose such a decadent omelet: ham, mushrooms, smoked cheddar and a truffle brown butter sauce!

These pecan croissants were delicious too.

Key note speaker Ricardo delighted the audience by sharing his tumultuous journey and making us cookies!

 

Dairy farmers of Canada put on our lunch of cream of tomato soup and a variety of grilled sandwiches. I selected a half crocque monsieur and another half of tuna melt.

Canadian Lentils hosted Saturday’s entertainment and dinner. A number of cirque troupe artists from Cirque Eloize performed for us intermittently throughout the evening. I am impressed over and over by the skills of Montreal-trained cirque performers.

Our appetizer of smoked and fresh trout tartar was accompanied by a apple, lentil sprout and fennel salad as well as a red lentil hummus and lemon crème fraiche and was inventive and delicious. I thought that the brown lentil blini was chalky and less successful.

The lentil strudel curry on braised beef cheek was immensely satisfying and the inclusion of spinach, cashews and a lemongrass coconut sauce was a lovely offset of the richness. I avoided the lentil chocolate cake as I was concerned that the chocolate might keep me awake that evening. I loved the Australian Wolf Blass “The Entertainer” wine that accompanied our feast.

Running out of space for these musings, so see Monday for part three.

Kath’s quote: “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.-James Beard

Live Simply, laugh often, love deeply.

 

I am proud and grateful to be a part of Food Bloggers Canada as a Regional Ambassador representing Manitoba and Saskatchewan. In 2013 I attended their first conference and last year I was unable to do so as it was my youngest daughter’s wedding day. I was very fortunate with the dates this year. I had just returned from Tuscany and New York two days prior and after enjoying a couple of lovely days at home, I repacked and jetted off again. I added a couple of days prior and post-conference for a variety of reasons and as I write this, it is the Tuesday morning after the conference and my 5th day in Montreal.

I speculate that there will be other conference recaps written that will detail the wisdom disseminated by the presenters. I intend to write about, what I always write about, the people I met and how we bonded over food.

Arriving on Thursday afternoon with fellow Manitoban Ashley Fehr, The Recipe Rebel, we checked in and headed up the street to Old Montreal to have a nibble to tide us over until the evening.

A silky bowl of carrot soup and a thirst-quenching local Griffon Blond at Le Bistro Du Magasin did the trick as we got to know each other a wee bit. We had previously me but only briefly in the middle of a Manitoba cabbage patch. Le Bistro is a cozy spot attached to a fabulous gift shop.

That evening Montreal blogger Evelyne of Cheap Ethnic Eatz organised a group dinner at BEVO Bar + Pizzeria, within walking distance of the hotel. Even on the walk over, friendships were being forged. Kimberlie aka The Finer Cookie sat kitty corner from me and as soon as we made eye contact, I knew that we would become fast friends and so we did. Also present were my roomie Charmian Christie, The Messy Baker, Marlene Cornell, of Urban Cottage Life and Joann Blondin of Joann Blondin. Little did I know that evening that these fine ladies and I would become new friends.

An overflowing plate of charcuterie and marinated vegetables not only sustained me that evening but also provided my Monday lunch. BEVO was very accommodating of our large group and I understood that their fennel, orange, pecan salad was a huge hit.

The next morning I found my way to Maison Charles Faure, a patisserie that I discovered when I visited Montreal in July of this year. A really tough decision was made between the almond croissants and the chocolate one that I ordered. When my fork penetrated the crispy/ flaky exterior the air swooshed out and deflated the pastry like a flat tire. The internal texture was soft and chewy. As I sat with my cafe latte in the beautiful sleek white shop, I watched the neighbours as they nipped in for their croissants to go.

Thanks to Marsha Knapp of You Gotta Eat This for the her copy of the photo and permission to post it.

I attended Andrew Scrivani’s photography workshop to learn to explore the capitalization of natural light and about how props can assist you in the telling of you tale.

Of course we all took photos of the working lunch of wraps that was served.

That evening we assembled for a networking cocktail party with a variety of sponsors displaying their products. Eggs, molasses, mushrooms and lentils put out delicious fare including a devilled egg with the twist of crispy bacon, marinated beef skewers, falafel, romesco & Havarti bites, beetroot & lentil bruschetta and mushroom crostinis. I could have just eaten these fabulous treats for supper.

Running out of space for these musings, so see tomorrow for part two.

Kath’s quote: “What draws people to be friends is that they see the same truth. They share it.”-C.S. Lewis

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

Commencing the next day with a scrumptious breakfast of an “everything” omelette at our home-base of the Marriott Chateau Champlain, we were off on a walking/tasting tour of Old Montreal.

Our first stop was the exquisite Notre Dame. Having visited Paris’s Notre Dame, I was equally enthralled.

 

Our next stop was at Cantinho de Lisboa where crème brulee-like tarts called pastéis de nata were served to us.

Colourful macaroons created by pastry aficionado Chef Christian Faure enticed us into his pastry shop. The subtle shades of a lavender one caught my eye and melted my tongue. The highest compliment I can pay to Chef Faure, who was visiting with friends at nearby tables in the Maison, was that the macaroons surpassed my memories of those eaten at the legendary Landeree on the Champs-Elysees in Paris!

I am well aware that Quebec cheese makers are amongst the greatest in North America and certainly the best in Canada. I understand that it is because their ancestors brought their cheese-making skills with them from Europe. The Bourlingueur Bistro presented them perfectly with a simple torn  baguette so as not to camouflage any of the taste.

This restaurant is just down the street from the Bourlingueur. Marked only by the white square sign, the food I imagine must speak for itself.

These lovely ladies made me miss my sisters.

Marche Bonsecours.

Haut Bois Normand is the maple syrup brand that friends from Quebec bring me as gifts. The purity and clarity of their product is unsurpassed, in my humble opinion. We were treated to maple syrup beer and visited with one of the handsome family members at his shop in Marche Bonsecours.

Some members of our party zip-lined at this spot.

We returned that evening for dinner and to take in the International Fireworks competition with Britain entertaining us in Old Montreal on the 4^th of July. The irony of this was not lost on us.

Montreal….I cannot wait to return.

Kath’s quote: “I think Montreal is the most amazing city … A paparazzo today gave me advice on where to get a coffee. She’s all, ‘I notice that you like this place, but I was thinking that because you like it so much you’d probably like this other place. Go around the corner, go left.’ I was like, ‘Gosh, thank you. They don’t make them like you in L.A.”-Olivia Wilde

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

My fascinating and delicious trip to Montreal continued on day two. The perfect way to explore Montreal’s tasty and diverse neighbourhoods was by electric scooter as we did the next morning. Being perched behind tour leader and fellow foodie Melissa Simard founder of Tours de la Table was an added bonus.

We wound our way through the neighbourhood of Plateau Mount-Royal until we reached this perfect vista of the cityscape.

Along the way, the former home of Leonard Cohen was pointed out to us.

Centrale Culinaire in Mile End is a communal kitchen set up for catering and small-scale food production. Being a food stylist, I was also fascinated by the collection of wares stored for the photo shoots.

We stopped at various stores and shops in the neighbourhoods.

Another stop was at this 65 year old bagel stop where I learned that a Montreal bagel is distinguished by three characteristics: they are hand-rolled, they are put into a bath of honeyed water and then baked in a wood-fired oven.

We only had time for a quick stop at one of the largest fresh markets in North America: Marche Jean Talon.

I could have stayed at the market for hours meeting the multigenerational stall keepers and perusing their succulent offerings.

After safely returning our scooters we walked back through this beautiful park to catch the subway “home”.

If you recall home for the weekend was the Marriott Chateau Champlain where room service greeted me with refreshments and succulent chocolate covered strawberries. A fascinating day.

Kath’s quote: “Suzanne takes you down to her place near the river”. – Leonard Cohen