Comments on: Things I miss.

By: Astrid

Astrid — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:40:20 +0000

I forget if it's Molly Bloom's or another name, but on College (across from the UofT, sorta near the Kings College Circle entrance gate), there's a street corner pub. They use vegan gravy on their poutine, which is remarkably good. The cheese curds, of course, are merely vegetarian. It's a good option, though.

By: thecherrybomb

thecherrybomb — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:21:12 +0000

I had forgotten about having the poutine there until I asked my friend at work about it. We actually walked home together that day - I can't believe I forgot. The past 6 months have been a blur!

By: thecherrybomb

thecherrybomb — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:20:01 +0000

Wheat beers are my favourite. The sheer availability of wheat beers seems to be much improved in Quebec as opposed to here.

I had their poutine once (I didn't go to UofT but I lived on St. George north of Bloor and walked home that way from work). I also like the availability of vegetarian gravy in Montreal!

I didn't booze that often in Montreal but when I do, apparently I need it fast, cheap, and closeby.

By: Astrid

Astrid — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:39:22 +0000

Before I reached your last line, I was thinking to myself: "Damn, booze much?" :)

I don't drink often (cost usually being the factor here), and I don't budget for buying beer to bring home. I have a kind of soft "no alcohol in the home" policy except when I'm hosting a specific event like a dinner party or potluck (after which time people can take home what remains). It's an overcautious product of being raised in an alcoholic home and not wanting to risk it ever.

But the Blanc de Chambly is now one of my new favourite beers, though. I had it for the first time at the pub a few weeks ago. I have a thing for pale wheat beers.

The high rise thing? I learnt that the city zoning rules state that no building can be taller than the mountain. That, plus the already dense housing in the Saint-Laurent corridor and elsewhere made the idea of "denser housing" in the form of condos a relatively moot point. I do like the lower building heights, except it makes for — Place Ville-Marie excepted — a very nondescript central business district, appearance-wise.

And last: I was thinking about the disagree stuff: can one really disagree on something over which they have no position or stake? That said, Poutine Truck on St. George, in front of Sidney Smith (100 St. George), makes great fries. If you ask to make them extra crispy, they will make them extra crispy — not "burnt to a crisp", à la what loves, but very nice. And cheap.

By: thecherrybomb

thecherrybomb — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 18:03:32 +0000

Oh man! I hear and agree with most of that. The things I don't agree with are things I know nothing about (U of T, poutine truck, etc.)

I prefer Toronto to Montreal times a hundred but these are the things I miss about Montreal (especially the plateau):

- beer at the dep! cheap beer at the dep!
- better "domestic" beer at bars/pubs/restos, quebec beer kicks all domestic beers available here (not including some "premium" kinds like Mill Street).
- way more SAQs and slightly longer hours
- way cheaper food at the little markets that dot the streets - I lived near two places on St. Laurent, both of whose names escape me, but the produce and packaged goods were SO CHEAP.
- not as many high rises in 95% of neighbourhoods (downtown excluded)
- better poutine

i think there are a couple more... is it pathetic that most of my favourite things revolve around alcohol? quite possibly but i'm okay with that.