Dinner At Magnan, Montreal

The expression on my friend's face says it all. Oooh, that looks good too, she whispers ! Decisions, decisions... and Margarete thought it was going to be a no stress evening out. Little did she know, but Magnan located in Pointe Saint-Charles is known for serving one of the best roast beef in town. Yes, true... and its other claim to fame is featuring a culinary seafood festival, offered when in season. Yummy.

Scenic Montreal: McGill College Avenue

This is McGill College Avenue, a wide and grand downtown street that runs north-south from McGill University's Roddick Gates to Place Ville Marie. Despite the fact that it's only 4 blocks long, it's one of the most scenic streets of downtown Montreal. With the crabapple blossoms almost at their peak this past weekend, it was the perfect time to kick back and have my breakfast in one of the cafes that spill out onto the sidewalks. Then I headed off to do some shopping on St. Catherine Street which is only a couple of blocks from where this photo was taken.

A Classic Montreal Depanneur

In Quebec, the typical "depanneur" store open beyond normal hours and days of other businesses. In actuality, it's truly a corner store supremo, one that gets you out of a bind... Whether you're suddenly short of butter or milk for your favorite cake recipe or out of beer and wine when unexpected guests come over, it's your life saver ! Personally, at this depanneur in St-Henri, I buy my lottery tickets and catch up on the local gossip... :-D It's a bit like Coronation Street, but in Quebecois French !

Bad Fashions in Montreal

Sorry for the bad photo ! But, I just had to post this pic of a window display in a discount fashions boutique. I pass by often with my dog Kaiah... just to have a laugh. They change the windows often but it always ends up looking like a parade of hookers.

Montreal Fashion: Les Cours Mont Royal

In my opinion, Les Cours Mont Royal, located in downtown Montreal, is truly a haven for the fashionistas. Bar none ! Looking for everything from that funky, hip urban look to the button-down offerings of Harry Rosen ? ... DKNY, Aritmetik, Kiki and Co., Suteki, Giorgio Femme, Three Monkeys, Matinique, Club Monaco or Enrg- X Change ? ... and more. Get it here for sure !

Montreal's Hockey Temple / Forum Pepsi AMC

The "Forum" used to be a legendary temple to hockey and a concert venue. Now, it is the "Forum Pepsi AMC", which is a mall with a wide assortment of shops: Future Shop, sports bar/video arcade, restaurants and SAQ (liquor Store), the AMC 22 movie screens, bowling alleys, a health club, a comedy club and more... The only features that set this mall apart from its competitors are the stars of entertainment and sports personalities that are set into the sidewalk in the entrance way and the less than appealing design of the building.

Underground Metro Vendors

A typical Montreal "underground " Metro vendor. These "hawkers" usually sell counterfeit Fashion brand names: Calvin Klein, Chanel, Diesel, Gucci, Hugo Boss, etc... Merchandise run the gamut from sunglasses, t-shirts, perfumes and colognes, handbags, costume jewelry to scarves and headgear and beyond. But, buyers beware, they're here today and maybe not tomorrow.

BIXI at MENS

Corner de Maisonneuve/Stanley Streets... heart of downtown Montreal. This BIXI station is strategically located providing easy access to these bikes for locals and tourists alike. They're very popular with the locals because it's really another form of public transport and you get to be outdoors and benefit from the exercise. Tourists can rent them out for an hour and tour the city at their own pace. There's also a "Metro" station just right around the corner and a handful of Montreal's premiere fashion shops / department stores and deluxe hotels are also a stone's throw away. And, conveniently right in front of my favorite Montreal men's fashion clothing store, MENS (1150 deMaisonneuve W. ). In my opinion, it's expensive here but well worth it: quality fabrics and workmanship and exclusive styles ... and not too trendy. An item bought here will usually last me for many years. You know what they say: you get what you paid for !



Plougastel Bakery Café

After snapping some photos in Little Italy, I met a friend for late breakfast. We headed over to her latest find and currently her favorite lunch spot in the area, the "Plougastel: Boulangerie - Patisserie". It's actually a bakery and quaint café combined. My friend introduced me to the friendly owner and he was very enthusiastic and proud to show me all the baked goods on display. The "baker" was nearby and he explained to me that they only used natural ingredients - nothing artificial and that everything was baked, by him, on the premises. The address is: 6527 St. Laurent Blvd./corner Beaubien. See you there and bon café !

Milano in Little Italy

Milano at 6882 Saint-Laurent Boulevard is in the heart of Montreal's "Little Italy" or " La Petite Italie" in French. Come here for your specialty Italian cheeses ( like real mozzarella di bufala ! ), olive oils and fresh homemade pasta and everything else Italian ! Coffees, canned tomatoes, whatever. This is where I bought my Bialetti Moka Express Stovetop Espresso Pot. It's wonderful.