AnimaBlue "Have fork, will travel!"

What is a better way to end the day after strolling through the scenic little town of Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, than sitting on a terrace by the water and nibbling on some fine tasty fixings?

The savoury food and drinks were just the perfect end to the perfect summer day.

Our long leisurely walk long the boardwalk worked up our appetites and we headed gratefully into the shady part of the terrace at Annies Resto Bar.

Being by the water put me into the mood for a taste of the Carribean, so I decided to order the Jamaican Jerk Chicken sandwich. A friend & I decided to share a pitcher of white wine sangria & that was a refreshing counterpart to the tangy spicy hotness of the Jamaican Jerk Chicken.

My sandwich came with tomato, lettuce, onion and a nice big crunchy pickle. All their sandwiches and burgers are served with choice of fries or salad. I chose the fries, which were nice & spicy & topped off with a dash of sea salt.

My biggest challenge was trying to figure out how to eat the sandwich because it was HUGE. A nice big, soft kaiser bun.

The Jamaican Jerk Chicken was a very tender charbroiled chunky selection of meat, slathered in the yummy goodness of Jamaican jerk spices.

Hot hot hot! Good good good!

If you like to spice up your food, this spicy selection made my mouth get up and do a happy boogie.

The big pitcher of white sangria went down smoothly and quickly to quench the fire started off by my chicken and fries.

It was a good-sized pitcher too. We each had about 3-4 glasses out of it, with lots of fruit. It had a kind of peachy zest to it. The waitress thoughtfully asked us right away if we wanted to have the sangria split on our bills. My share of the sangria came to 11.30, a great deal.

2 of my friends had the Veggie Delight salad with the Asian sauce that had big chunks of tofu in it. They both sang praises of the Asian sauce, one of a few salad dressings offered with their salad.

I had a bit of a hard time choosing from the menu, because lots of meals sounded tasty. They have a much greater selection than is what is posted on their website.

I have to admit when I called in & found out they didn´t take reservations, I was worried about whether the group of people I brought there would find room on their terrace.

And when we pulled up to the terrace at the end of out day, the terrace was packed & hopping.

But the servers led our group of 11 to our tables right away & our drink orders were quickly taken. Our waitress was super-friendly and served our happy little gang very quickly. It was definitely service with a smile. Just great.

From the terrace we had a lovely view of Lac St-Louis, and we enjoyed watching the sailboats and jet-skis go by, as we had a long leisurely chat over some tasty food & drinks.

Ah this was the good life.

Their website:
http://www.annies.ca/

Chez Alberto is a quaint little Portuguese bistro where the food and drinks are cheap, and the music flows with good times!

You can choose from their more than 10, 000 song titles in English, French and Spanish!

Food
Here is a small sample from their menu,
prices range from $9-$12:

Mix Spécial d’Alberto
Chicken Brochettes
Shrimp Brochettes
Mixed Brochettes
Marinated Filet of Pork
Grilled Calamari
Lamb Chops
Portugese Sausage
Italian Sausage

*These dishes come with house fries and/or rice, green salad with a house dressing, and an entrée of olives and bread.

Drinks
Some Drink Specials (more drinks available):
Draft beer 2,25
Pitcher of beer 8,50, 10,50
(Molson Export, Carlsberg, Saint-Ambroise Rousse, Sleeman Rousse, Sleeman Silver Creek)

Pitcher of Heineken 15,50
Pitcher of Sangria 10,50
(special house recipe)
Smirnoff Ice 5,00
Cocktails 4,00
Shooters 3,00 & 4,00
Non-alcoholic beverages also available.

The Mix Spécial d’Alberto is my favorite, which includes chicken, sausage, and pork, as well as French fries, rice, and a little salad. All made with the Chef (and owner) Alberto´s secret sauce. Very yummy, fresh and very filling. Lots of food for a small price, that includes the taxes.

I took a group of people there & everyone raved about the food & the prices. Someone in our group actually came up to me to say he thought the bill was wrong because it was so cheap! But I told him that was the price. :)

Directions
Bistro Chez Alberto is a short walk from St. Michel metro station, which is on the Blue line.

Mesa 14 is my favorite Mexican resto in Montreal.

I was an aficionado of the place before they changed owners, when it was Mexicali Rosa´s, and I am still a fan today.

The revamped Mesa 14 became more of a lounge-y kind of place to it, with groovy music and subdued lighting in the downstairs bar area. Upstairs, there is still a folksy kitschy feeling to it, with it´s cozy fireplace, and Mexican knickknacks and bandieras all around.

And then the food!

My absolute fave is their 90210 Taco Salad – billed as the salad that is so big it needs its own area code. It IS.

Packed chockful of a yummy arrangement of veggies (pepper, tomatoes, lettuce, onions and more), with thick – and I mean thick – chunks of fresh chicken. And this really tasty creamy sauce kind of like a chipotle – but not. Not sure what is in there, but it´s good. The sauce comes on the side and I usually ask for a second helping of it – and they don´t mind bringing it.

The whole salad is served in a HUGE taco bowl, a BIG edible taco that you can eat your way through. Light & crispy.

What I like about Mesa 14 is that they give you these free nachos to much on while you order & wait for your drinks and food.

Their fajitas are also great. I love the chicken fajitas & they come with a side helping of guacamole, sour cream and salsa with lots of veggies, a container filled with bread, and the dish is brought on a very hot platter – watch your fingers – nicely piping hot. It´s still steaming.

They have quite a drink list. The Mojitos are awesome and wonderfully minty.

They have a great Happy Hour as well:
Maragarita, Daquiris $4.50
Draft beer, a few other beers $4.00
House red, white wines $4.00
Bud, Bud Light 2 for $6
Bramha beer (Brazilian…like a Corona) 2 for $7

They also have a long list of REALLY WICKED martinis for about $8.00, but they’re really BIG ones (3 ounces).

They also have some tasty desserts.
Their Deep Fried Ice Cream is just decadent. That´s the only word for it. Forget about calories for the night if you try it.

I also like their Mexican Apple Pie, which is a tortilla filled with apples and more apples, with a dash of cinnamon, and served with French vanilla ice cream.

I love going to Mesa 14.
Gee, I have a craving for Mexican food now.

Bayou Brazil is my favorite Brazilian resto in town.

If you’re very daring…try the Alligator!
Quite an original taste (no it does not taste like chicken). Kind of a gamey texture to it & is served in a very savoury sauce.

I am also a big fan of their Jambalaya:
a tasty mix of seafood, rice, chicken, sausage, and yummy veggies.

Lots of food…the courses seem to keep coming.

Great service in the resto, as well. The waiters are always coming around to fill your water glasses and see if you need anything else. A nice family-run resto, with lots of green plants hanging overhead and soft bossanova music playing through-out.

In my opinion, Juliette & Chocolat has the best, highest- quality hot chocolately drinks & desserts in town.

I´ve been to this location many times.

Once with a group of less than 10 people, sometimes with a friend or two, and a few times on my own, alone.

I love it.

I´ve tried various hot chocolates on the menu & they are made with fresh, very rich, thick chocolate made on the premises. I am also a fan of their buckwheat crepes.

Here is a warning about this busy location:
It´s in the hottest, most happening spot in the Quartier Latin area, near at least 3 cinemas (Quartier Latin, NFB & Cinema Quebecois) and a whole slew of restos and small little hideaway bars.

As they say – location, location location.

So expect to wait for a table when you go in.
They take NO reservations. This place is just too popular.

I´ve been there early in the day & late at night, and during all the times, the place was hopping with chocoholics.

But this chocolately experience is worth the wait.

One of my very faves & most original chocolately treats sampled here?

The Spicy Sunset. It´s a chocolately beverage with alcohol, cardamom and a few other special things.

Imagine what a chai-like beverage would taste like if it danced the rhumba with some decadent alcohol. Hot. Yum.

Scrumptious chocolate delight.

Where do you go for a decent bite to eat when shopping for bargains on St. Hubert St?

There is this bright little splashy spot with filling food and some amazing Belgian fries, on Plaza St. Hubert.

Walk into Fast Fou (translated as Crazy Fast) and your eyes will need a moment to adjust. Bright red and yellow walls with paintings of well-known Quebecois singers will make your eyes pop.

Then have a seat and refresh yourself with the lemon-flavoured water with fresh lemon slices in it that the server will bring to you right away, after giving you the menu.

This is a very popular hang-out with all the people who work in the area, and sometimes can be buzzing with chatter, other times be completely quiet and calm.

They have a great breakfast menu, if you want to have a bite before the shopping day ahead of you.

Or have a nice decent lunch with their extensive salad selection, burgers, many types of club sandwiches, paninis, smoked meat and baguettes.

What´s really neat about their fresh paninis is that you can order a half-panini or whole one, depending on how hungry you are. It comes with a small carrot salad with raisins it it.

Just feeling a tad peckish?

Well then by all means try one of their servings of Belgian fries, which come with different mayos. You get to pick 2 different mayos. My 2 fave mayos are the curry & pesto ones.

You get a really good-sized basket of Belgian fries, that seems to have no bottom – a really nice heaping of fries.

So plop yourself down into a banquette or small table with your shopping bags, rest your tired feet & chomp down on your chow.

Located in Plaza St. Hubert, not far from Beaubien metro.

Bon appetit, mon ami!

Hello India is tucked away in the basement across the street from the Peel metro station (Stanley exit) & you just might miss seeing it if you blink.

But don´t just blink.
Stop. Stay awhile. An Indian feast awaits, served with attentive unobtrusive service, in a richly decorated Indian oasis in Montreal.

This resto has a few of the bests for me:

Best Mulligatawny soup. You´ll taste every delightful spice floating in this rich sea.

Best Chicken Tandoori. The chicken is so tender it doesn´t melt in your mouth. It dissolves gently, deeply, and oh so happily. The spices are just right and thoroughly soaked into the meat.

Best chai tea. Hello my cardommomy new best friend.
No other place in town beats their chai. And I´ve tried lots & lots. This is actually the place I first tried chai tea. And there has been no looking back since.

Hello India also has a nice range of Balti dishes, cooked fresh onions, capsicums, tomatoes and with a large healthy helping of coriander. You choose how spicy you want it.

Oh and here is a tip:
Print out the 20% off coupon from their website & present it before ordering:
http://www.alloinde.com/

When you try Hello India, you´ll keep saying hello hello hello to a new & fabulous Indian treat.

There is one thing wrong with Buffet Maharaja:
This Indian buffet is so good you always eat more than you should & come out of there weighed down by your overly-happy belly.

There are many Indian places I love in Montreal.

But this is the best Indian buffet place that I´ve tried.

You´ll go for seconds, thirds, fourths, fifths and more.
Hey just TRY to save some room for dessert!

Check out the great deals (taxes & services not included):
Monday to Wednesday Buffet
Lunch………………………$10.99
Dinner……………………..$14.99

Thursday to Sunday Buffet
Lunch………………………$11.99
Dinner……………………..$16.99

I went with the Cheap Ethnic Eatz gang for a lovely Sunday lunch. Thanks for organizing, Nocton! :)

Mmm I sure love that fluffy naan bread that is the best to scoop everything up.

My faves were the Tandoori Chicken, made with saffron and yoghurt-basted chicken broiled in their charcoal oven & the Chicken Korma, tender morsels of chicken in a rich creamy sauce. Throw in a few pakoras and samosas and yum yum they went into my tummy.

I was so full I decided to end it off just with some fresh fruit, to lighten up my over-stimulated palate.

I needed a really nice, looooooong walk to digestive all that Indian yumminess.

I have one word to describe a Senzala Samba Supper:
exquisite.

I brought a group of 22 people there for supper & it was a Ritz Carlton 5 star kind of night.

At Senzala at night, you can sample the tastes…and the sights and sounds of Brazil.

Samba Show

• Included in the price of one of their group menus

As you sample tasty Brazilian cuisine, watch the Samba show with Pablo Ramos and his group: Samba Dancers Rio Style, and their wildly brightly plumaged costumed dancers.

When you book a group at Senzala, you are offered a choice of group menus.

We had the Menu 1 at $34 (taxes and tip not included):

1. Entrees:
Grilled eggplant with sesame butter
OR
Mango salad with lime and cilantro
OR
Lamb artichoke with tomato sauce and pine nuts

2. Soup

3. Main dishes:
Roast chicken breast with cranberries
OR
Grilled Salmon fillet with mango and coconut milk.
OR
Feijoada … a Brazilian cassoulet with beef, smoked pork and chorizo sausage stewed with black beans, garlic and spices

4. Dessert and coffee

I chose the Mango salad with lime and cilantro, with the Feijoada.

Ummmm mango & cilantro. So fresh and crispy, delightfully tickling the palate.

The Feijoada was a smoky-flavoured savoury stew of meat , beans, with some special spices. It was so good I wanted to lick the bowl. Honest!

I asked around in our group & the others who chose the roast chicken breast and the grilled salmon fillet told me they were also delighted with their choices.

There are also many tasty drinks offered (NOT included in the price) you can order, such as the Brazilian cocktails, the famous Senzala Sangria (made with Porto, Cognac, and Cachaça – a Brazilian liquor), beers, portos, non-alcoholic beverages and more.

There are also individual choices, apart from the group menus, that people can chose when they dine at Senzala.

The price was not cheap, but the price was reasonable, due to the VERY high-quality of the food included.

Did I mention it was exquisite?

Oh and the samba show was delightful. The singer & his band walked around the resto, following the shimmying samba dancers.

This night was a special treat.

Cafe L’Etranger is one of my favorite hang-outs in town.
Period.

Why?
So many reasons.

A really affordable Table d’hote, where you can get a soup, main meal, tea or coffee for less than $10 bucks (before taxes). The Table d’hote is constantly updated with a selection of ethnic meals, from General Tao Chicken, a fresh pasta with original sauces, the occasional Greek or Indian dish, a variety of good basic burgers, paninis, with usually at least 1 salad as well. When you order one of the paninis or burgers on the Table d’hote, it comes with their very tasty & orginal Pasta chips. Lovely but hard to describe – crispy & tasty.

And that´s just the Table d’hote.

They have a full menu filled with healthy goodness. Wraps, paninis & sandwiches filled with Portobello mushrooms, a variety of tasty cheeses (mmmm goat cheese & brie), pesto and more. A large selection of salads as well, for the Veggie lover. A bunch of appetizers for just a nibble- like the poo poo platter – lots of chicken bits. And other wonderful things.

And great soups! I love their carrot soup. Not watery, but thick savoury veggie power.

They have a long list of drinks and a popular Happy Hour.
Weekend nights there is a jazzy feeling in the air, as sometimes a jazz trio will play & the music is more lively, compared to the lovely peaceful feeling in the early lunch hour/early afternoon times.

They also have a list of great coffees & warm beverages. One of the best chai teas in town. And I am very picky when it comes to chai.

The location is kind of funky.They always have new art exhibits on the walls by local artists. And they have these bookshelves filled with books. Why books? I asked one day, because I saw a book I wanted to read. So the waitress told me I could take it. Just to bring a book to add to the bookshelf next time I came back. Random acts of literary kindness. How cool is that?

Most passersby walk right by this place, because the cafe is located in the basement of this building. It´s located in a very mini mini-mall, with a gym upstairs & a jewlery place.

Looking for it?

It’s next to the Guido & Angelina restaurant and across the street from Les Ailes de la Mode. Keep an eye out!

A great place to bring some friends, a group, or to sit & eat & read a book on your own.

Summer-time their terrace is open. You can look up at the people walking along St. Catherine & enjoy our Montreal hobby of people-watching.