625236 Thu Jun 04 15:39:43 -0700 2009 30 22 Quebec (including Montreal) 0 4743258 Looking for a great place for brunch in the plateau. Patio + Booze is a plus! Suggestions? Thu Jun 04 15:39:43 -0700 2009 322787 DLR14 1 4743339 Reservoir would fit that bill; if it's warm enough, they open the windows. Thu Jun 04 16:10:53 -0700 2009 4743258 11828 Maximilien 2 4748462 I was at Reservoir last Saturday and today, both times the food was excellent but the service was a bit too hands off. That said, to me their brunch menu is among the most interesting in the city. Sat Jun 06 12:52:07 -0700 2009 4743339 57978 Anth 3 4750647 I have had a few mehs at Reservoir in the past few months, but I think still it is the best bet in the city. Not sure if this is a coincidence, but everytime I sit at the bar, something goes wrong with my food, such as an element in the dish being forgotten, or plate left at the counter too long. They usually pay less attention to the bar customers. I'd actually expect otherwise, but oh well, I am not testing that hypothesis again. Sun Jun 07 13:29:15 -0700 2009 4748462 53259 emerilcantcook 1 4743453 Cafe Souvenir on Bernard.. nice terrace... not sure about the booze though. Thu Jun 04 16:57:09 -0700 2009 4743258 180940 jarschef 1 4743720 Lemeac, on weekends, although it's not exactly in the Plateau (but it's not too far either...) Thu Jun 04 18:48:09 -0700 2009 4743258 19331 cherylmtl 1 4745760 The Sparrow. but alas, no booze as of yet. Fri Jun 05 11:28:02 -0700 2009 4743258 259263 bigfellow 2 4745805 Soon, soon... they said it should happen in the next few weeks.... Fri Jun 05 11:38:36 -0700 2009 4745760 89969 moh 1 4745921 Senzala offer huge Brazilian brunch (avocado or mango stuffed with eggs. Sound strange but delicious) and they have a patio (177 Bernard). Fri Jun 05 12:08:31 -0700 2009 4743258 287279 eatkat 2 4747277 As a side note - the Senzala website is dead? Fri Jun 05 19:52:49 -0700 2009 4745921 119412 afoodyear 2 4747350 The Bernard Street Senzala is good but not more Mile End than Plateau, eh? Fri Jun 05 20:28:37 -0700 2009 4745921 10520 carswell 2 4748109 They also opened a location on L'acadie, across from Marche Central. Sat Jun 06 09:27:56 -0700 2009 4745921 12421 hungryann 2 4750629 Partner and I finally tried Senzala (on Bernard) for brunch today, and we weren't impressed. The food is abundant, but was pretty "sloppy" in execution. The fruit was a nice touch but they well all badly picked and under-ripe. I rarely leave food on my plate, and this one was one of the exceptions. Both of our poached eggs were overcooked to the hardboil level. The sides were cold, and the toasts arrived 10 minutes after the eggs (which meant the eggs were also cold when we could eat them). Boyfriend's dish was "watery" with diluted tomato sauce that didn't look very appetizing. My dish was cooked unevenly, one side where cheese had melted and almost burnt, and the other was just warm (with cold cheese). Fruit kebabs looked like they were kebabed a week ago and had that dry fruit/prune quality to them. Sorry to be this negative, but I don't like when people say they don't like a restaurant and don't explain the details so I wanted to explain the reasons why. All of the above made the whole experience not so pleasant. I left with a feeling of uneasiness, as if I am about to get some sort of food poisoning (knock on wood svp) and I am not at all timid about "hygiene". It was just the texture and the feeling of the food and the general. Service was friendly, and the coffee was pretty good considering that it comes free with dishes, but at those prices I can definitely do better elsewhere. The terrace is a nice touch though. Sun Jun 07 13:20:40 -0700 2009 4745921 53259 emerilcantcook 1 4747279 I recently dined at La Fabrique and enjoyed the dinner... I hear they have a brunch - anyone sampled? Fri Jun 05 19:53:19 -0700 2009 4743258 119412 afoodyear 2 4747429 Yes, really good brunchs, but no patio! Fri Jun 05 21:27:13 -0700 2009 4747279 287279 eatkat 2 4791509 I have tried it, but a few months ago. I had their version of French toast, served with a boozy, fruit-infused syrup (hard to describe... tasted citrusy...). Friend had caramelized banana oatmeal. Really nice twist on boring oatmeal, but nothing to flabbergasting. Their brunch menu seemed very savory/lunch oriented rather than sweet (personal preference). They did have a cool-looking viennoiseries multi-tiered tray, but seemed pricey for what it was. All in all, I prefer Reservoir. Sat Jun 20 22:20:53 -0700 2009 4747279 194657 alixium 1 4748620 To me, the absolute best brunch in Montreal is served in Bouchonné (recently moved to 5171 St-Laurent). Haven't visited the new place yet, the previous one was very cozy but no patio. Excellent wine suggestions to pair with the food, and some chilled vodka also. Sat Jun 06 14:06:01 -0700 2009 4743258 10951 dockingman 2 4790179 What kind of dishes are served at this brunch? Sat Jun 20 10:14:43 -0700 2009 4748620 48563 mainsqueeze 3 4790205 Here's a copy of the most recent menu. You can sign up on their website to receive them. Sat Jun 20 10:27:53 -0700 2009 4790179 10520 carswell 4 4790213 OK. So not exactly legible. Oeuf de caille à la diable 0,75$/unité Huître au naturel 2,50$/unité Thon en rillettes au persil, croûtons & roquette 8$ Saumon mariné & chèvre monté aux herbes, bagel croustillant 12$ Granola, yaourt & fruits 6$ Bénédictines de canard & tomates confites maltaise au gratin 13$ Oeufs au plat, lardons, champignons & sauvagine 14$ Omelette aux asperges & poivrons rôtis, cheddar fondant 9,50$ Crêpe fine au mascarpone fouetté, érable & petits fruits 7,50$ Rillettes maison, pickles de betteraves, croûtons & moutarde 7,50$ Fromages et/ou charcuteries 1,50$/100 g Hash brown 1,25$ Sat Jun 20 10:33:57 -0700 2009 4790205 10520 carswell 5 4791193 Thank you very much for typing all of that out! I look forward to trying that out. Maybe tomorrow. Sat Jun 20 18:37:19 -0700 2009 4790213 48563 mainsqueeze 1 4748718 La Cantine on Mont Royal has been consistently excellent every time I've been. I definitely recommend it. And Boite Gourmande by Laurier metro is great and kid-friendly if that's how you roll. Sat Jun 06 14:51:05 -0700 2009 4743258 1081142 hazlewood 1 4786404 Bagel Etc. (4320 boulevard Saint-Laurent, corner Marie-Anne) So far my favourite is Bagel Etc. I am slightly biased because it's only a minute away from my apartment, but they have been very consistently good. It's always busy on the weekends, with a small lineup, but if you have the chance to go there on a weekday, you'll have your choice of seating in this retro-eclectic decorated diner. They have a very tasty and filling "Classique" brunch that is very cheap: $4.95. It's a similar price, but I think tastier than equivalent at nearby Dusty's on Parc + Mont Royal. You get two eggs how you want them, hash browns, a choice of ham, bacon or breakfast sausage, and two slices of toast. (white, brown, challah, or pain russe) I recommend the russian rye bread; it's always perfectly toasted with the right amount of butter, and I feel it's a tastier choice than the rest. If anyone knows where I can get such dark pumpernickel loaves in Plateau/Mile End or Centre Ville, please let me know! One plate I had there was called Europe de L'Est. This one consists of two eggs, the hash browns, choucroute (a sweet cabbage coleslaw) and a choice of knackwurst or a pepper sausage. Of course, they have a fairly large menu with pretty much all that you'd want. They have several types of omelettes, eggs benedict, pancakes, pain doré, and most that you'd expect at a brunch place. Note: they only poach eggs on weekends, for some odd reason. Actually, a great blog post with a writeup and photos of some dishes can be found here: http://not-a-foodblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/bagel-etc.html La Petite Marche (5035 rue Saint-Denis, near St-Joseph) This place is surprisingly huge inside, and has a luminous skylight in the back. I really enjoy sitting under the skylight or upstairs when it's not cloudy. The dishes here are more expensive, but they are a bit more creative, and they have a variety of filled crepes on their menu as well. Each meal generally includes some fresh fruit (with a small paper cup of maple syrup) and a small glass of fresh squeezed (I believe) orange juice. The portions look deceptively small when they arrive, but they plate them across a large dish, and I've always been quite full by the end. There's a nice ambiance there, though it seems they are still renovating from what used to be a Mexican resto or something along those lines. Thu Jun 18 21:24:28 -0700 2009 4743258 1084818 iWoo 2 4786445 I really like Bagel ETC. too, but even though their menu says "Brunch" at the top, I've never really considered it brunch... just breakfast at noon. They're kind of missing the lunch options, you know? If I remember, I'll ask where they get their pumpernickel, if I'm there again before you! Thu Jun 18 21:51:42 -0700 2009 4786404 119412 afoodyear 2 4786875 iWoo, "Montreal Kosher" makes great russian rye, it's loaf-shaped and not round like pumpernickel, and many grocery stores carry it. Keep your eye out, I'm sure you'll see it somewhere. Or get in touch with them and ask where you can buy it in your area. http://www.montrealkosher.ca/ Fri Jun 19 06:15:50 -0700 2009 4786404 14157 C70 3 4830101 afoodyear: I always wondered if that place started as a normal diner with lunch, and then their breakfasts got so popular that they just switched over to mainly that? Also interesting is the name... bagels don't really feature too prominently, and I mistakenly thought they had a choice between St. Viateur or Fairmount bagels. Someone mentioned that their "Fairmount" is actually the same smoked salmon and cream cheese (like the "St. Viateur" on the menu), but on two slices of the russian bread. An inside joke? C70: Thanks for the tip. Haven't seen it yet. Montreal Kosher never replied to my email, but I did pick up a loaf of caraway + molasses russian bread at Vova Patisserie (5225 avenue du parc). The loaf itself was about $4.50, but was a bit dry and not nearly as dark, and much denser... not too great. Has anyone tried Byblos on Laurier? I believe it is Iranian, and they have a bunch of standard-seeming items on the menu, but there is bound to be a few unique ones. Sat Jul 04 18:16:49 -0700 2009 4786875 1084818 iWoo 4 4830177 What's especially strange is that they now offer a lunch menu (or did? with grilled salmon and the like) but their brunch hasn't changed at all. I think the Fairmount is the bagel with cream cheese, lox etc. and St. Viateur is the Russian bread version, but it's not important. The bagels there are from Fairmount though, not St. Viateur. And, just to note, I completely forgot to ask about their bread source. Hopefully you have by now! I haven't tried Byblos, but it gets a lot of noteworthy mentions on this board for non-traditional brunches worth checking out. Sat Jul 04 19:20:20 -0700 2009 4830101 119412 afoodyear 5 4839889 @afoodyear, c70 Sorry for monopolizing this thread with Bagel Etc. related info, but I excitedly bought a half-loaf of pumpernickel at epicerie Segal (St Laurent, near corner Duluth). I shop there often, but I hadn't ever seen this bread on their shelves. (Believe me, I have been looking for it!) After toasting and buttering it, I think I'm 90% sure it's the same as what they have at Bagel Etc. It's a very dark brown, flavourful bread. Maybe it seems slightly fresher at the diner... but I'm not above getting some loaves for the freezer. It's from Boulangerie Cantor, 7575 8th ave, Mtl. http://cantors.ca It's actually labelled "demi pain pumpernickel/double pumpernickel bread". On the bar code, the number doesn't quite match up to the product list: 01361. The closest is 1360 NOIR DOUBLE/DOUBLE BLACK. By the way, does Santropol (St Urbain/Duluth) do "brunch" or are they more of a sandwich place? They do have a sweet patio behind the building. It's fenced in with a garden and probably looking great now in the summer. The last time I went was in early April, and it was still a bit too cold to really enjoy it. Wed Jul 08 10:47:25 -0700 2009 4830177 1084818 iWoo 6 4843638 I don't think Satropol does brunch. Now is the perfect time to go there though, since too early, like you mentioned, it's really cold, and later, all the stuff is falling off the trees and into your drinks, food etc. Thu Jul 09 11:54:14 -0700 2009 4839889 119412 afoodyear 4 4830197 Byblos is excellent. I love their homemade orange-blossom jam and their Persian-style scrambled eggs are delicious. Sat Jul 04 19:38:44 -0700 2009 4830101 66614 kpzoo 1 4843669 Fruits Folie: St-Denis near Roy. I must say that they have a great brunch packed with tons of fruits(I always wonder how they stay in business with all the fruit they serve!). They have a small terasse outside. The Eggs Benedict Forestiere is my fave and I must say I never actually order anything else.... PS. I think they have a liquor license Thu Jul 09 12:00:10 -0700 2009 4743258 208252 tacotete