cafe π MTL

I know that I’ve been lazy with posting reviews of restaurants/cafes in Montreal, but lately I’ve been so caught up in the Portland Food Scene that I haven’t really had time to think about the food I ate during my visit in late February.  I must say- nearly two months later- that I miss Montreal a lot.  It was an inviting city to say the least- lively at all the right times, terrifyingly cold, but chic and modern at the same time.

One of the places that I’ve yet to mention was cafe π located on Saint Laurent Avenue, which houses extraordinary cups of coffee and a refuge for chess players.  This cafe was pretty unique in that it was built around the idea of making a second home for the city’s few remaining chess masters- the floors are not the classic black and white checkerboard, but instead red and black, adding to the cafe’s overall ambiance of masculinity- almost as if you were entering a male’s den.  Oddly reminiscent of Portland’s Rogues Gallery- which definitely does not scream “Woman!” upon entering it.  Instead, I found myself cozied up in a leather armchair- just like I would at Rogues Gallery- sipping a cappuccino and enjoying the company of Lily and my new found friend Erika (don’t confuse her with me…).

But now I’ll talk about the coffee.  It was delicious I should say right off the bat.  My cappuccino was quite delicious- served with a heaping amount of frothy milk, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a deep and dark espresso on the bottom.  If you have ever had a single origin coffee at Bard- and if you decided on the Rwandan- you’d know what I was talking about.  Undertones of birch bark, a deep nutmeg taste, and an overall flavor that warms one’s soul, was what this cappuccino rendered.  As we stumbled out the door of cafe π, I couldn’t help but think, that if I end up at McGill I’d probably be spending copious amounts of time there, drinking coffee, playing chess, and writing last minute essays at 2am.

Hot Suppa! Lunch Review

Ahh, April in Maine… the very start of the real transition into spring- incessant rain clouds, grey skies, and cool winds grace our coast and tease year long residents with 50 degree days- which after a winter that had average temperatures in the teens- feels like summer.  April 1st, 2011, seemed to be a repeat of the April blizzard that happened six years earlier.  The streets of Portland were coated with a fresh eight inches, of wet slush, that meteorologists called “snow”.  Waking up brought an anxiety like no other- I had to move to a new apartment, get 7 hours of work done for classes on Monday, and somehow manage to enjoy my last snow day of junior year.  So what else did I do but call Sam? We decided to get some lunch at Hot Suppa! and then see where the day would lead us.  It had been years since I’d gone into Hot Suppa! but it hadn’t changed much.  The dining room was pretty full, so we opted for seats at the bar which ended up working to our advantage.  Five minutes into our visit, the bartender brought me my espresso, and Sam his Coke, and from there on, our experience began.  The espresso was full bodied, piping hot, and bitter- just the way I wanted it, especially since there was snow on the ground on April 1st.

While we waited for our food, we started discussing things like the upcoming year, my move, the summer, and our current feeling of elation.  This conversation had minimal pauses so I could snap a couple of photos of Sam, the dining room, and the beers on tap.  The Stella Artois was screaming my name- constantly reminding me of my trip to Montreal, and my early morning beverage of choice, with a nice lemon on the side.  But I wasn’t in Canada, and I had things to do, so instead, I reverted back to my conversation with Sam and found myself quite stimulated by the topics at hand.

He’s probably my better half.

Our food came a good twenty five minutes after we ordered it- timed perfectly in my opinion.  Unfortunately Hot Suppa! doesn’t serve appetizers, so when I asked for an order of fries to tie us over, the bartender told us we’d have to wait for our sandwiches to come out in order to get the fries.  From a restaurant perspective I understand the hassle- timing courses to go out on time, keeping track of tickets- it can get hectic, especially in a restaurant the size of Hot Suppa! which may be able to seat 35 comfortably.  Sam ordered the Chicken Sandwich special- a cajun po’ boy, which looked mighty fine.  The chicken was grilled, seasoned with paprkia, cayenne pepper, and onion powder, all this sat atop a crispy baguette with a healthy portion of shredded romaine lettuce, and thin slices of tomatoes.  For his side, Sam chose the apple sauce- which I must say looked good, and in addition, made me want to make my own batch right then and there.  While Sam didn’t really talk about his food too much- I think it should be noted that there wasn’t anything left on his plate when it was cleared… So if I had to guess, the sandwich was more than likely quite delicious.

I was naughty when I ordered.  A double bacon cheese burger with a side of mac n cheese.  Was I asking to go into cardiac arrest immediately? Maybe… but I felt that after a long week, I deserved a little bit of bad cholesterol.  The hamburgers were delicious- cooked perfectly- medium, nice and pink on the inside, still a bit juicy, with a mild cheddar cheese, caramelized vidallia onions, and thick cut bacon from a local farm.  The bacon was nice and smokey, and the onions were sweet and soft.  The Mac n Cheese was warm and gooey- there were slight hints of grey poupon mustard used in the cheese base- which pleased my tastebuds.  All that was missing were french fries- and hey! Those were pretty fantastic too.  Thinly sliced, fried twice, not greasy at all- maybe I was opting for a healthier route to food coma.

After our food began to dwindle, Sam and I started discussing World War I, the reasons of WWII, and it soon evolved into a heated debate, which lasted for a good half and hour.  Sam wanted me to take the above picture because of the beer featured on the bottom right hand corner (his last name).  Hot Suppa! was comfortable, affordable, and made some really nice feel-good food.  We left with some food babies in our tummies, with future plans for our parents, and with a satisfied feeling that we did something fun with our last snow day of the year.  The only way that day could have gotten better would have been with a slice of Otto’s tortellini pizza- oh wait, that’s what we had for dinner, to top off a day of moving, eating, and buying new pets (beta fish Johnny Cash).

So here’s to April in Maine, maybe the least predictable month, but always the most promising.

Bistro M

As I took a sharp right out of the Welcome Centre at Concordia, my face was met with the harsh cold that I adapted to rather quickly during my visit to Montreal.  I realized that I needed to get inside right away, as to write down my immediate impressions of the school, so as I continued down Maisonneuve Blvd, I was impressed by the countless options of places to dine.  There was the oh so familiar Eggspection on the opposite side of the road, and a Starbucks to my right.  But I didn’t want to sit in another American Joint, so instead, I decided to go into Bistro M, which while not exactly my scene, served really delicious macaroons and espresso.

I asked my waiter for three of his favorite macaroons and an espresso.  Maybe five minutes later he returned with caramel, pistachio, and strawberry macaroons and a steaming hot espresso.  The bitter brew was nice because of the bitter cold, and the macaroons were incredibly sweet and crunchy.  The fillings were all delicious- specifically the pistachio, which ended up being my favorite.  While Bistro M may not be considered your typical coffee spot, it could offer as a nice lunch place that is somewhat relaxed.  The sandwich and pastry selection were extensive and looked delicious.  Perhaps next time I will sit down for a longer meal!

-enfin