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Mike Cohen

Mike Cohen, born and raised in Côte Saint-Luc, has long been active in the community as a volunteer, journalist, and consultant. He profiles restaurants in Montreal and beyond. mikecohen.ca

In Memoriam: Mel Leitman

    The team at MtlRestoRap is in mourning following the sudden passing of our sales coordinator Mel Leitman, on Monday, March 22, 2021.

    Mel joined MtlRestoRap in the fall of 2019. He was a perfect fit given his endless array of contacts in the restaurant industry. He was the beloved soulmate of Connie Dorfman; cherished father of Allison Dorfman (Rob), Heidi Dorfman (Jason), Rob Leitman (Harriet), Jeff Leitman (Mia), Tracy Leitman (Craig); treasured Zaidie of Alexa and Chloe Hamou; Brooklyn and Jax Toledano; Jenny and Madelaine Leitman; Elizabeth Leitman; Hudson, Cooper and Delaney Coulls; devoted Brother of Jack (Lily), Larry (Marie) and Patti Leitman; and brother-in-law of Marilyn and the late Perry Silverman; son of the late Ruth and the late Al Leitman and son-in-law of the late Ben and the late Sylvia Silverstein.

    Mike Cohen treats himself to a few days of lunch from NDG’s Pasta Casarecchia

      I have been a fan of Pasta Casareccia on Sherbrooke Street West in NDG for many years. The restaurant’s name is Italian for ‘homemade pasta. What originally started out as making their own pasta, grew into distribution to many restaurants in the greater metropolitan area and availability of over 50 different kinds of pasta in their gourmet boutique for you to cook at home.

      Mike Cohen does a curbside pickup at Deville Dinerbar

        After months of hunkering down and planning out their steps, The Tzemopoulos family finally pushed the play button on the reopening of their trendy downtown Stanley Street Deville Dinerbar (www.devilledinerbar.com). As of this writing their sister property, the iconic Reuben’s Deli & Steakhouse will remain temporarily inactive for a while longer.

        Mike Cohen happily lands at the trendy new Pigeon Café on Monkland Avenue

          At the age of 40, Jonathan Dresner is quite the entrepreneur. After graduating from Concordia University with a business degree, he tried his luck at a number of jobs and eventually made the plunge into restaurants, operating some Quiznos franchises in Montreal and became part of a startup called Kupfert & Kim. He’s also a partner in the Hello 123, a plant-based restaurant and bar.

          Mike Cohen enjoys his first ever Gibbys Steakhouse takeout experience and gives a huge thumbs up

            While its Old Montreal and St. Sauveur locations are now open for dining, Gibbys has implemented an already very popular takeout and curbside pickup format. Gibbys is following all required protective measures for patrons, staff and suppliers. All tables are socially distanced and all of the staff wear the required protective equipment. There are hand sanitizing stations throughout the restaurants and all areas are sanitized on a regular basis. In Old Montreal, a separate entrance has been created for clients coming in so that clients arriving and leaving are not crossing each other in the entrance.

            Mike Cohen is beyond impressed with his first experience at Sushi Shop

              For so many years now I have walked or driven by Sushi Shop locations, but never stepped inside to order. With our family focusing exclusively on take-out and delivery options during the COVID-19 pandemic, we agreed to finally give this place a whirl. Let’s just say they can count on us being regular customers from this day forward. What a pleasant surprise the entire experience was.

              Ryú Sushi introduces a top-notch and safe take-out and delivery service: first we report on Peel Street

                For the past few weeks, my family and I have gone through some major sushi withdrawal. So we were delighted to hear that Ryú Sushi (www.ryusushi.ca) had reopened its Peel and Westmount locations for take-out and delivery.

                Ryú (Japanese for Dragon) is known throughout Montreal for its fresh ingredients and a unique philosophy of respect for the environment and one another. The place specializes in high-end sustainable sushi.

                Peel is open from Tuesday to Saturday whereas Westmount is open from Thursday to Monday, both with different menus. We decided to order from Peel first; Westmount is penciled in for next week.

                First a little bit about the precautions they are taking during this COVID-19 pandemic.

                Mike Cohen stops by new Carrefour Laval food court sensation New York Fries

                  There are many reasons why like to shop at Carrefour Laval. The food court, for one, ranks as one of the best in Quebec as far as I am concerned.

                  I recently dropped by for a bite en route to a meeting and I came across the newest addition to the food court: New York Fries. It is a simple kiosk featuring hot dogs, French fries and poutine, but judging from the lineup it appears to have caught the fancy of passersby.

                  Mike Cohen and family enjoy a superb dining experience at La Sirène de la Mer

                    Joseph Cheaib was 10 years old when he first arrived in Montreal with his family from Lebanon. One of nine children, it became clear pretty quickly that his career path would end up involving the food industry.

                    It was the Cheaib family who started the hugely successful ethnic food retailer Marché Adonis. From a small store on Faillon Street, it has grown to become a powerhouse chain across Quebec and Ontario. In 2011 it was purchased by supermarket giant Metro.