Portuguese Festival

[ios94]

Sort of off topic here, but does anyone know exact dates of the Portuguese festival that takes place in the parking lot of their church on Rachel street? Does it even take place there anymore? It's been years since I've been and I keep missing it the last few years, I remember it taking place in late June or early July. They'd serve up all types of grilled meats and homemade wine. Any info would be appreciated.

[porker]

We were having a coupla glasses of wine last night when our bartender was getting off work.
"I'm going to church around corner and maybe have skewer...you want come?" Mario says. A man of few words, English is his 3rd language.
Mrs Porker and I exchange looks and say sure - we were trying to dedide what to eat anyway.
We were not prepared for this great, Portuguese Nossa Senhora do Monte festival. Totally non-commercial and non-pretentious, its simply lotsa folks, families, and smiles all around, everyone drinking and eating.

"I get skewer", says Mario. "I get drinks" I reply.
They had beer, madeira wine, and plastic bottles of Portuguese red. Mario later tells me its from the SAQ, simply put into plastic liter bottles. They *used* to serve home-made, but the city (in their great wisdom) put a stop to that.

One whole side of the lot is dedicated to food&drink. When Mario said "skewer", I assumed some kind of pre-cooked, souvlaki sized stick of meat. Grabbing the drinks, I see him leaving the skewer tent, a gleam in his eye, carrying a 3 foot skewer (about a pound of beef cubes) of raw meat to another area. We catch up to him and find a grilling station - two tubs of glowing charcoal surrounded by 20 or so men grilling their own skewers!

I want in on this, so leave our little party to get my own skewer. While in line, I see great looking bifana sandwiches and buy a plate of lupini beans. The skewer is $9 plus a $5 deposit.
Back at the grill, Mario is turning the skewer. Its his turn to leave for a few mintues "Keep eye on skewer, anyone touch, cut off hands" he laughs.

Each table has a rack above it. You up-end the skewer and hang it on the rack, either pulling all meat off onto the plastic plate or individually, pulling off each piece with bread.

Mario thinks its only a matter of time before the city bans the charcoal. "Too much pollution, they say", rolling his eyes.

Great little festival. It was fun to have Mario as a guide and show us around. We ended the night at a Portuguese cafe on Duluth "Come, we have coffee with brandy now."
Abrigado!

[Fintastic]

This is a great description of the so-called "Portuguese Fest", although you forgot to mention the hamster roulette!
We've done this party for half a decade, and it's always one of the best days of the year. Its been sad to see all the changes (especially the switch to SAQ boxed wine, which dramatically increased the prices), and to hear of the potential changes to come. This is an event that is basically identical year in and year out and only serves to support the church. Making it more difficult to organize will only be of detriment to the community as a whole. I'm clearly not Portuguese and (thanks to the cheap wine) have not always been on my best behaviour, but I've never been made to feel unwelcome.

[porker]

Its on our permanent to-do list.

I did not see the hamster roulette (read about it only this morning up-thread) but will look for it next time.

I'm not Portuguese either, but the vibe is friendly all the way - seems everyone *wants* you to have a good time.

Finally figured out the i-phone picture thing...

One shot of the grilling station and another of the table top skewer rack (and plastic bottles of vinho).

[manuela]

This sounds YUMMY!, do you happen to know when the next one is please?

[Fintastic]

It is always the same weekend each year, though I don't know how this is official defined. Typically this seems to be the second weekend in August, so I'd guess the next one will be Aug. 10-11 2013.

[Shattered]

Always the weekend of or before the Catholic holiday on Aug 15th (same way to know when it's Italian week, which I sadly missed this year. But tam tams was incredible today & I hit TA, mmm).

[Shattered]

The Portuguese feast weekend is one of the highlights of my summer. If the city did away with the grilling stations, they'd be hell to pay.

[lagatta]

Shattered, I live in Little Italy, and found Italian Week very disappointing from a foodie perspective. I'll try to follow upcoming events at the newly-renovated Casa d'Italia - I seem to recall a homemade wine competition - but alas their website is not up yet.

[lagatta]

I've read that the 2010 edition of the Nossa Senhora do Monte festival - the one with all the food and wine (they also serve beer and soft drinks) is this upcoming weekend 6-7-8 August, but we should try to confirm.

Once again, info on the festival in Laval would also be welcome.

A guidebook I borrowed at the library, "Guide du Montréal multiple" also adds the potentially helpful advice that at L'Association portugaise de Montréal, just across the street from Mission Santa Cruz Church there is also a $10 supper every Friday evening, cooked and served by the ladies of the association.

[Ghostquatre]

huh really? I've passed that place many times and on the banner, it says that they are also a cafe, internet place and restaurant. Except the banner was on top of a closed metal doors with no windows, and I never felt like enterting

[lagatta]

I phoned the association, and nobody answered the phone. Eventualy there was a blank answering machine - just the beep, no message in Portuguese, French or English. The building is rather bunkerish - interestingly, it is a former synagogue (with those high steps typical of synagogues of the era, and Torah-slab shaped doors). In itself this attests to the immigration history of the neighbourhood, and thus the culinary history, which is what interests us on this site. http://www.imtl.org/edifices/Associat...

I'll try to find out more about both the festival and the association suppers. We have a wealth of such venues in Montréal and the area. Obviously the food quality varies.

[stak]

I can report that part of the BBQ apparatus and the structure where they bake the loaves of bread have been set up for over a week. I thought it was going to be this past weekend but it must be the upcoming one, as you said.

[Daiya]

Stopped by the church parking lot last night for bifana pork sandwiches and cheap sharp wine. The best was "grill-yourself" giant meat sticks (beef brochettes). The music and vibe was also fun.

[lagatta]

Had a bifana and a glass of homemade red this afternoon. Continues tomorrow. I also managed to speak with people at the Association portugaise accross the street, on St-Urbain. They are renovating the kitchen now but will be starting up the weekend suppers soon. I'll report back when I have further info.

[Moosemeat]

Reviving an old post here. Does anyone know the dates for this year?

[stak]

I walked by today and saw decorations up and what looked like the big BBQ pit in the parking lot...there was nothing there last weekend so it must be coming up. Yum!

[ios94]

I'm guessing it will be next weekend, since Assumption Day is Aug15 (I'm guessing that is what the festival is for). Since the 15th fell on a Wed last year it looks like they did it the week before. This year the 15th is on a friday hence next week would make more sense. But someone should 100% confirm this,

[stak]

Well, I can confirm that the tents and decorations are up and so is the heat shield thing that goes behind the BBQ.

[ios94]

Does anyone know if this happened this past weekend. I didn't have anytime to make it downtown.

[quitesimplysmj]

I'm afraid it did happen over this past weekend. My heart & liver have yet still to forgive me.

[plumeria]

Passed by last weekend, saw the tents, smelled the smoke and looked at the enormous beef skewers...

My husband and I really wanted to try it, as we had read this thread, but we couldn't help feeling that this was a religious, somewhat private event (more than a festival). There were absolutely no posts, signs, or invitation, and the small crowd seemed 100% Portuguese. Not that we had a problem with it, au contraire, we would have loved to partake in this gourmet celebration, but we didn't want to be intrusive. We just didn't know how welcome we were to this event...

[iWoo]

Just so you chowhounders know... it's on -right now- (Aug 9th). The Our Lady of Monte Feast, and they have the huge skewers of meat to be bbq'd, cheap beer, and $3 bifanas (pork cutlet with chili sauce on a bun... simple and tasty!) I didn't brave the lineup for the bbq skewers, but I also would have needed a friend or two to even finish it. The smell was fantastic and smoky. There is music and dancing going on as well.

The crowd did seem 99% portuguese, but I couldn't resist walking in and and buying a sandwich.

[Shattered]

I heard about this on the street last night around 10, rushed up & gobbled down a couple bifanas and washed down with a brew. Awesome.

Juicier, tastier sauce (obviously homemade, not tasting like bottled piri), twice as much meat, and cheaper than the stuff on the Main Madness. (Skewers were long gone, though. I gotta remember this in the day next year.)

[carswell]

A bit of advice from the ...an endless banquet folks:
"Technically, the celebration lasts through Sunday evening, but the popularity of this particular festa is such that it's not uncommon for them to run out of beef early on Sunday. Our recommendation: get there as soon as you can."
http://endlessbanquet.blogspot.com/20...

[lagatta]

Good to know - I cycled by there early this afternoon and there was already a nice little crowd - the skewers of marinated meat (beef, I think) are HUGE. Easily enough for two people, but I saw a lot of people who looked as if they would consume the whole thing. Also bifana sandwiches $3,50 for a generous-looking serving, and some kind of traditional flat bread or hearth cake.

As for the wine, they were serving good-sized plastic glasses (not the beer goblet, the next size down) for $2, as well as beer, juice ans soft drinks of course.

I didn't partake in anything as I was down there looking for fresh Portuguese goat's cheese in brine - from the Toronto-based "Portuguese Cheese Co.", and found it at Segalls for $4.99.

Already a few people dancing as well, and a guy singing - good singer, just looked like a neighbourhood, middle-aged guy.

[Moosemeat]

Was just there tonight.
Highlights include:
-Grill your own Meat station ($7.50 for a gaint skewer)
- Good Portugese wine sold in 1L plastic bottles for $12.50 (The reason I am writing in point form and not full sentences)

P.S. Wine lovers need not be put off by the plastic bottle as they are filled on site from wooden barrels.

P.P.S. The only place in the city where you can gamble on the actions of a hamster (If you go you'll figure it out.)

[shawnfcm]

Ya I was also there tonight and don't forget that the feast continues on saturday and sunday at 2:30 is the percession

[shawnfcm]

Hey I have all the dates of the feasts at that church...

May 19 - 20 -21: Holy Christ of Miracles Feast
May 26 - 27: Holy Spirit Feast
June 24: Saint John the Baptist Feast
August 10 - 11 - 12: Our Lady of Monte Feast
September 1 - 2: Sacred Heart of Jesus Feast

Have Fun! :D

[lagatta]

Our Lady of Monte sounds like a local festival for a patron saint (like ND della Difesa here), so that is probably the foodie one.

[Gary Soup]

It seems that the Portuguese have even more festivals in the summer than Montrealers. If you are a Portuguese in Montreal, you'd better be a party animal!

[shawnfcm]

ya we do have a lot of feasts and yes more than montrealers. I am portuguese and i go to every one of them here in montreal... Each feast is for a Portuguese Saint... but we also have some in Laval as well.

[morebubbles]

So, there's food sold at these feasts? (I haven't been to any so far) Let's say, if I go on 1 and/or 2 Sept., can I just buy some lovely Portuguese goodies & eat them there? What kinds of food- meats, pastries, etc? Thanks!

[Gary Soup]

Food, drink, music and dancing in the street, judging from the one I stumbled across in Providence RI around the first of June one year. The food was heartier stuff than pastries, but I don't know what goes on at other feast days and in other cities.

[morebubbles]

Thanks Gary Soup! guess just go & find out! I'll be in the area tomorrow at a tiny Portuguese cafe that serves lunch, can easily arrange to be there 1-2Sept. Cheers! May I ask if you're in town?

[Gary Soup]

Not in town, sorry. It'll be February at the earliest before I visit my beloved Montreal again.

[morebubbles]

:) how nicely put! I hope you organize something, I'll definitely attend this time around!

[lagatta]

Oh yum. Grilled sardines, I bet? And perhaps chicken, or sausages?

[lagatta]

shawnfcm, if you are still around, could you tell us the main (food-related) festivals at the Portuguese Church (or community centre) in Laval?

Other than foodies living there (I'm thinking of friends, who could certainly eat one of those kebabs each) with the new métro line Laval is far more accessible than before, and just a good work-the-food-and-wine-off cycle ride from JTM area or anywhere else in northerly Montréal.

[carswell]

The woman answering the phone at Mission Santa Cruz says it's the weekend of August 10, 11 and 12. You might want to confirm that before making plans however.

[rillettes]

Strange, I thought they had a festival every weekend.

[carswell]

The August event she called the "Festival de notre dame de la montagne" and before replying to my query she inquired "you mean with the one with the Portuguese food and wine?" That's all I know.

[jellybelly25]

Does anyone have anymore info on this festival, which according to this thread, is happening this weekend?

[lagatta]

I cycled past there yesterday (Sunday 5 August) and saw people decorating the parking lot- square in front of the church - slowed down to see if there was any foodie activity going on and there wasn't so perhaps they were preparing for this coming weekend. It is at the corner of St-Urbain and Rachel. The name of the church is Mission Santa Cruz, 60, rue Rachel O. Montréal, Qc, H2W 1G3
Tél: [phone] The church doesn't seem to have an e-mail or website yet (many parishes do).

[kpzoo]

Couldn't find the answer quickly, but it sounds fab! Here are their coordinates in case you want to inquire directly - they don't seem to have a Web site that I can find:

Associação Portuguesa do Canadá
4170 St-Urbain
Montreal, Quebec H2W 1V3
Tel: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]