663304 Thu Oct 29 11:41:02 -0700 2009 15 22 Quebec (including Montreal) 0 5140719 Hi I am very interested in the "Mile End Bakery Tour" mentioned in an earlier post. Is this a commercial organized tour or a self guided meandering through a nirvana of pastries. I would love to have more specifics or breadcrumbs on this thread. Thanks for all tips so far. Enjoyed a wonderful repast at Stash. Thu Oct 29 11:41:02 -0700 2009 267173 JuliaChildminded 1 5140749 It's a self-guided creation - unless you can bribe Moh with some croissants, or a babka from Cheskies, or something. ;-) What kind of details are you looking for? I'm sure folks would be glad to help. Thu Oct 29 11:50:45 -0700 2009 5140719 66614 kpzoo 1 5140756 Here's what that reference was referring to: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/522858#3723112 Thu Oct 29 11:52:03 -0700 2009 5140719 10520 carswell 2 5140766 Ah - thanks for the link, carswell. I'd assumed JuliaChildminded had read the thread she mentions, but maybe not! Good to have it as a reference in any case. Thu Oct 29 11:54:26 -0700 2009 5140756 66614 kpzoo 2 5140871 Thanks I didn't have this link thread but heard it mentioned. I will definitely do this stroll. Thu Oct 29 12:31:43 -0700 2009 5140756 267173 JuliaChildminded 3 5140935 While you're in the hood, after hitting Bernard, you could also walk north a couple more blocks to Van Horne, the next major commercial street, where you'll find several fine bakeries, including reputed-for-croissants Le Paltoquet (1464 Van Horne, 514 271-4229), Lescurier Tradition Gourmande (1333 Van Horne, 514 273-8281) and Mamie Clafoutis (1291 Van Horne, 514 750-7245, www.mamieclafoutis.com ), which has tables, chairs and sofas in a pleasant, sunny space upstairs. What's more, they're all within a block or two of the Outremont metro station on the blue line. Thu Oct 29 12:57:46 -0700 2009 5140871 10520 carswell 4 5142000 JuliaChildminded, I would strongly recommend you add on the places Carswell suggested in his post above (Paltoquet, and Mamie Clafoutis especially), it would definitely add another dimension to the croissant part of this tour. Have fun strolling and eating! Thu Oct 29 21:03:56 -0700 2009 5140935 89969 moh 5 5144094 i had a chocolate mousse pastry topped with rasperries at Paltoquet today ---delicious!!! Easy to walk by it but worth sampling their pastries. Fri Oct 30 16:41:48 -0700 2009 5142000 39407 wilmagrace 6 5153277 Pssshhh...the poster who detailed the mile-end pastry tour listed Toi Moi Et Cafe as a good breakfast joint. While I think they have amazing coffee, I've never had a less than DISGUSTING breakfast experience there. Save Coco Locale and Cheskie's, mile end really isn't a bakery destination. I live here and have for many years and I go elsewhere when I want good pastry. Tue Nov 03 15:09:57 -0800 2009 5144094 242055 Scrumdidiliumptious 7 5153297 I just had a gorgeous breakfast last week at Toi, Moi et Café's Notre-Dame location. Tue Nov 03 15:17:20 -0800 2009 5153277 66614 kpzoo 7 5153396 Scrumdidiliumptious - just to be clear, you're saying you've been to every place on Moh's bakery tour and you aren't crazy about any except for Cocoa Locale & Cheskies? What bakeries do you prefer? I'm a baked-goods addict so I'm curious. Thanks. Tue Nov 03 15:54:24 -0800 2009 5153277 66614 kpzoo 7 5154145 Scrumdidiiumtious, I have actually recently posted that I thought the breakfast at Toi Moi et Cafe has gone significantly downhill, so I do agree with you there. Would be interested in knowing where you go for good pastry - always nice when people share their little secrets.... Tue Nov 03 22:38:49 -0800 2009 5153277 89969 moh 8 5167997 Yes, I've been to all those places, 98% of them are chains. I used to go to a place on Van Horne that had great croissants, but I can't remember the name. It's just east of Outremont metro. For cannoli I go to San Marco in little Italy. There's one other place in the mile end with good almond croissant. It's on St-Viateur on the South side west of St-Urbain. It's really small and cute. I can't remember the name...something with an M. Mon Nov 09 13:47:09 -0800 2009 5154145 242055 Scrumdidiliumptious 9 5168277 the only chains mentioned are Première Moisson and Bilboquet... all others are independent merchants of goodness. Mon Nov 09 15:09:16 -0800 2009 5167997 194657 alixium 9 5169204 Along with Premiere Moisson and Bilboquet, Patisserie Gascogne is also a chain, but the rest of the places on the tour are not chains, so I can't say I really understand your comment Scrumdidiliumptious. Perhaps one of the places you mention on Van Horne is one of the places Carswell mentions in his post above. Oddly enough, in your post, you mention 2 other places you like for pastry in the Mile End area, or near enough. You only mention 1 place outside of Mile End (Little Italy). So I don't really get it. Why do you think Mile End is not a destination for pastry? The whole point of my query was to find out where you go for pastry outside of Mile End. Are you just trying to not share your favorite places? I'm not trying to say Mile End is the ultimate place for pastry, but I do think it is a pretty reasonable place to go. And it is a lot of fun to wander from store to store. I am always open to new places to go for pastries, so it would be really great if you could come up with a few names, I love checking out new places with yummy food. Mon Nov 09 21:43:07 -0800 2009 5167997 89969 moh 4 5168228 Thanks for Le Paltoquet, carswell. I've never been there - will remedy that before the snow falls! By the way everyone, "Les Deux vélos", a Serbian bakery that had very nice savoury filo-type pies (cheese, meat, and spinach if I recall) has closed. Avenue du Parc in that area seems a difficult location for many food-related businesses. Mon Nov 09 14:51:18 -0800 2009 5140935 84119 lagatta