If you’ve come to Montreal and want to try their famous dish called poutine then I have found the perfect restaurant. It’s called La Banquise.
It’s a small place, so it fills up quickly.
They have 31 types of poutines on their menu and this includes 2 vegan options.
There are so many flavor profiles to choose from. It can be hard to narrow down, plus they have two sizes, regular and large. I recommend the regular size, it’s perfect for sharing.
I ordered La Classique. This is the traditional style poutine with French fries, cheese curds, and brown gravy. The fries reminded me of boardwalk fries with a sweetness. The gravy was savory and slightly salty. The cheese curds held their shape and added a great texture.
I also ordered La Elvis. I wanted to try one of their unique flavors. This was ground beef, green peppers, and mushrooms on top of the French fries. The flavor reminded me of a Philly cheesesteak just without the cheese. The savory flavor of the meat was delicious. The peppers added great flavor and the mushrooms, with their earthy taste, complemented the fresh flavor of the green peppers.
These were amazing poutines. By the time I left there was a line out the door and around the block. I would recommend getting there when they open to avoid long lines.
If you are interested in heading to Disney Springs, go on an empty stomach because they have so many great restaurants to choose from. We went to Jaleo by Jose Andres, a Spanish restaurant that offers unique dishes from Spain.
Ordering a pitcher of Sangria is a must. They have several options to select from, we just went with the traditional red. It had a hint of spice to it.
All the dishes come out tapas style, so it’s easy to share around the table.
The Plato de Queso Manchego was sliced Manchego cheese, which is sheep’s milk cheese. It is creamy and has a tangy flavor. It paired perfectly with the Cinco Jotas, which is acorn fed Iberico ham.
This special ham is aged 45 days. The presentation is amazing. They bring the meat over to your table and carve it in front of you. This Iberico ham just melts in your mouth. The fat that was on this ham was like butter.
The Pimentos Piquillos de Queso Cabra is another class Spanish dish. It was seared piquillo peppers and they were filled with goat cheese. The peppers were sweet and had no real heat. The tangy cheese was an excellent complement.
Then it was time for the main dishes to start arriving.
Chorizo Casero con Pure de Patatas al aceite de Olivia is a dish consisting of house made chorizo sausage served with mashed potatoes. The sausage had nice heat. It was tender and full of flavor. The mashed potatoes were creamy. There was a little sauce poured on top that acted like gravy for the potatoes.
Pollo con pisto Manchego is grilled chicken thighs with a traditional vegetable stew. The chicken was moist and full of flavor from the spices. The stew acted like a sauce.
The Tortilla Espanola is an omelet made of eggs, onions, and potatoes. This was a great dish that was perfect for dinner with the savory flavor. It did not feel like a breakfast dish even though it was an omelet.
Even with all the food we enjoyed, it was time for dessert.
Flan al ostllo tradicional de mama Marisa con espuma de crema Catalana is a classic Spanish custard with “aspuma” Catalan cream and oranges. It was creamy. It was the best flan I have ever tasted.
Pan con Chocolate is a chocolate custard with caramelized bread, olive oil, and brioche ice cream. The presentation of this dessert was beautiful.
The chocolate custard was extremely rich and sweet. I was only able to eat a few bites. The brioche ice cream was delicious. It was creamy and sweet with a subtle unique taste. The best way to eat this dish was to combine the custard and the ice cream on your spoon. It blends the two flavors together.
Just in time for dessert, we were able to enjoy the Flamenco dancers, and the band that started performing around the restaurant. It was the perfect conclusion to our amazing meal.
If you are in Disney Springs looking for a great place to eat, check out Jaleo by Jose Andres. Visit their website at www.jaleo.com
If you are looking for is a perfect place to watch football, soccer, or any other sport, then check out Fado Irish Pub in Atlanta, Georgia. It has a fun feel of a British/Irish pub inside.
There were a few things on the menu that I was looking forward to trying. The first item out was the Cheese Dip and Wedges. This was creamy cheddar and pepper Jack cheese made into a dip with pico de gallo mixed throughout. They served Boxy Wedges on the side. I haven’t had these since I was in Ireland. Irish boxy wedges are made from mashed potatoes formed into a loaf. It is fried until golden and crispy then sliced. They are unique and delicious.
Next out was the Reuben sandwich. This classic sandwich was served on marble rye bread with coleslaw on top and beautifully shaved corn beef. The flavor was fantastic. The French fries on the side were a nice touch.
The final dish out was the Shepherd’s Pie. It came with a side salad. The creamy mashed potatoes on topped were sprinkled with parsley and had a crispy layer. The meat and vegetable mixture was extremely savory. It was the perfect comfort food on a cold day.
If you are in Atlanta and looking for a place with fantastic comfort food, then check out Fado Irish Pub. Visit their website www.fadoirishpub.com
If you head down to Fremont Street in old Las Vegas, you’re going to come upon a really interesting restaurant called Evel Pie.
This restaurant is themed for Evel Knievel. There are photos, bikes, and other memorabilia decorating the walls.
You order at the counter and when your order is ready, they call your name. Simply go up to the counter and pick up your food.
I ordered Grandma’s Meatballs. These are three large meatballs per order which is perfect for sharing. They’re served with Evel’s tomato sauce. The meatballs were tender with a lot of flavor.
You can order pizza either buy the slice or a whole pie. I decided to go after just a slice. I ordered the Cheesy Rider. It’s the plain slice of pizza with mozzarella cheese. It’s a classic and it really hit the spot.
They have a great happy hour from 2 to 6 PM so check them out if you’re on Fremont Street and want a little taste of old Las Vegas.
If you want to have dinner at a popular restaurant on a Friday night, then The Keg is the place to be. Just make sure that you have a reservation to ensure you get a table.
We had a nice table at the window. The table was more casual with comfortable leather seats that made it feel like a lounge.
I started with a Sangria. They made it beautifully. It had bubbles from the Sprite they added. It had a great sweet and spicy flavor.
We started with a few appetizers to share. The crispy cauliflower was the first thing out. It was tender and had a little heat because of the seasoning they sprinkled on top. They served a chipotle hot sauce on the side as well as a lime aioli. They were perfect for dipping. I really enjoyed mixing both dipping sauces together.
The Mushrooms Neptune was an extremely rich dish. They took mushroom caps and stuffed them with crab meat and cream cheese. Then they ran it through the salamander (broiler) to put a crispy layer of cream cheese on top.
The crab meat was sweet and complemented the slight sour taste of the cream cheese. The mushrooms were tender and the perfect vehicle to serve the crab and cheese.
For my dinner I got Filet Mignon with Lobster & Crab. The tender filet was grilled to the perfect medium. The seasoning was the best blend of salt and pepper. The crab meat and lobster (both Atlantic and Norway) were placed on top of the filet. It was then covered with a lobster hollandaise sauce. There was also asparagus and baby carrots served on the side. I had a baked potato and I decided to get it twice baked, that way the cheddar cheese on top was a little crispy.
The gilled Top Sirloin was also ordered the exact same way. The difference was the baked potato came loaded.
The appetizers and steaks were so filling there was no room for dessert. The meal was fantastic and I recommend everyone check them out. thekeg.com/en/locations/old-montreal
If you are looking for something unique to do in Montreal, I would recommend you check out Aura. It is a spectacular light/music show that is preformed at the famous Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal.
When you walk through the doors of the Basilica, you will be walking into darkness which is a major contrast from the light outside.
Once your eyes adjust, you will start to see the lights and candles that adorn the altar at the front, the ceiling, and the side displays. It is absolutely beautiful. It is awe-inspiring, especially when you remember you are in a place of worship.
The show is amazing. The music and lights help tell the story of the Earth’s creation. The lights dance on the ceiling and walls as the audience watches the changing of all four seasons.
You watch the great flood with the sound of rain and thunder all being created by music.
And to finish, you see the rainbow and the promise of a new day with triumphant music.
For those that are religious and know the Bible, you will recognize the imagery. For those not interested in the religious aspect, you will still enjoy the music, lights, and technical aspects of the show.
It is perfect for the whole family. Get tickets in advance to ensure a spot. The seating is open so get there early to have a seat close to the middle.
After the show, the Basilica is open for everyone to explore. I encourage you to walk around and look at the beautiful sculptures, stations of the cross (which are beautiful oil paintings), artwork, and the craftmanship of all the carved wood.
When visiting Montreal, I was able to visit a beautiful family Italina restaurant called Bravi with one of the owner’s cousins. Since we had a huge party, we had a preset menu, but almost everything on the regular menu came out. We did not go hungry tonight.
When we walked into our private room, we were greeted with wine and Focaccia. It was absolutely delicious. Everything happened so fast when we arrived that I did not even get a chance to snap a photo. The wine was called Tullum. It was an amazing red wine. We ended up drinking may, many bottles.
After a little socializing, we all sat down at the table and the starters all came out. If there is one starter that I would suggest you try it is the Bruschetta with goat cheese & caramelized onions. This was to die for! It was the onions that made this dish so delicious. They were sweet and complemented the tang of the goat cheese.
The Calamari Fritti was extremely tender. The breading was light and crispy.
Do not shy away from the Grilled Octopus. I have never been much of a fan of octopus, but the preparation of this dish completely changed my mind. The flavor was fantastic, and it was so tender. It melted in my mouth.
The fried bocconcini was essentially fried cheese. It was lightly breaded. They served marinara sauce on the side for dipping. It had wonderful flavor of oregano and basil.
The Charcuterie board were enormous. There were piles of Italian meats. The quality of the meat was superb. The meats that they included were Mortadella, Hard salami (cut into thick pieces), and Prosciutto. The Prosciutto was so lean, it just melted when I took a bite. This was some of the best Prosciutto I have ever eaten.
The next course out was the pasta, which was Rigatoni Romanoff. The homemade rigatoni pasta was tossed in a Rose sauce along with shallots, spinach, and parmesan cheese. This dish was so creamy. The sauce was amazing and soaked up wonderfully into the pasta.
Up next was the salad. This was a classic salad with freshly made Italian dressing.
The main entrees started arriving and I had a hard time deciding where to start. The Branzino was roasted seabass with vegetables and roasted potatoes. The fish was flakey. The light caper butter sauce they put on top made the overall fish buttery.
Veal Scaloppine Ortobosco might be a mouthful to say, but you will your mouth will thank you for ordering this dish. The veal was served in a white wine sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, and a demi-glaze. The veal was so tender, no knife was needed. The sauce was savory and the perfect accent to the veal and potatoes. The mushrooms added texture without adding that earthy taste.
If you like lamb, then be sure to order the Costolette di Agnello alla Rustica. This was a grilled rack of lamb in a port wine sauce. The presentation was beautiful. I tried a little of this since I am not a fan of lamb. The meat was tender and seasoned to remove that gamey taste.
Even with all the food that we ate around the table, no Italian meal would be complete without desserts. The Tiramisu was very traditional. It was extremely creamy and had a wonderful espresso taste.
The Limoncello Cake was light. It had fluffy icing that had a hint of lemon flavor.
There were large plates of fresh fruit that also came out to the table. These plates were loaded with cherries, grapes, strawberries, pineapple, and watermelon. It was extremely fresh.
I would also recommend the cappuccino. It was perfect to sip while enjoying the desserts.
If you are in Montreal, I would highly recommend visiting Bravi. It is a little out of the city but worth the Uber ride.
Located in Old Town Montreal is a premier steakhouse called Mechant Boeuf. They are known for their butcher-cut, dry-aged beef and seafood.
They have a beautiful skylight in the restaurant that opens up between the two buildings. It brings in so much natural light into the restaurant.
We started off with delicious red table wine and freshly made hot rolls. The bread was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
For my starter I got the CauliflowerSoup. This soup was pureed. I was creamy in texture. The flavor of the cauliflower was not overpowering, it was subtle.
For my lunch I ordered the Tagliatelle Cacio e Pepe, which was a homemade pasta with parmigiano Reggiano cheese and black pepper.
Tagliatelle is a type of pasta that is wide and long strips. It is thinner than fettuccine and wide than linguine. The pasta was tender and I could tell it was homemade because it did not have a starchy texture.
There were a few chopped up truffles mixed throughout, which added an earthy flavor. This complemented the cheesiness.
This was a great lunch. There are plenty of other items that looked delicious when they came out of the kitchen including the cheeseburger and the ribs.
I got to go on a river cruise in Montreal (Guided Evasion Cruise). We left from the Du Port do Montreal. This was a fun way to see Montreal from a different perspective and to learn about the city and history while on board.
The ship was really nice. There was an indoor covered level. This is where the bar was located. There are also servers walking around taking food orders.
There is an outside section of the boat that is all the way at the top. You will get a nice breeze sitting up there. If you get cold easily, make sure you bring a jacket.
It was fun to have a mimosa and learn all about Montreal.
