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 and @mikecohencsl
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.
When I found out recently that the two Taverne 1909 signé St-Hubert restaurants at Place Bell and the downtown Bell Centre had come under the “wing” of St-Hubert I made it a priority to experience it with a friend. We did just that before a Rocket game and it was an experience I hope to replicate downtown.
Park Restaurant (https://www.parkresto.com) opened on Victoria Avenue in Westmount in 2012. For matters I cannot properly explain, it took me eight years to finally experience one of the city’s most talked-about dining establishments.
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.
Montrealers are starting to get spoiled vis-à-vis the food court experience.
First came TimeOut Market Montreal at Eaton Centre, featuring 16 eateries, three full bars, a cooking school, a demo kitchen and a shop brimming with goods and local artisans.
Now comes Le Cathcart Restaurants and Biergarten, a $1 billion investment from Ivanhoé Cambridge.
I was invited to both openings and to say I was impressed is an understatement.
As La Queue de Cheval Steakhouse and Raw Bar located at 1181 Avenue de la Montagne, marks 21 years in business, owner Peter Morentzos has some exciting news to announce.
In early 2020, the Q will open up in Toronto at 224 King Street in the base of a glitzy condo building. Morentzos will tell me more soon so stay tuned to this space, but the prime location is right next to the Royal Alexandra Theatre in the very heart of Toronto’s entertainment district.
I first met Antoine Zammit when he was a teenager attending Laurier Macdonald High School in St. Léonard. It appeared, even back then, that he had some true entrepreneurial talents. We kept in touch over the years via Facebook and email, but when he decided to open his own restaurant in Anjou he extended an invitation for me to come as a guest and give it a try.
The beautiful DoubleTree by Hilton Montreal Airport Hotel in Dorval opened towards the end of 2018 and not only has occupancy been high, but for the better part of the past year people I know were giving rave reviews about both its restaurant and bar known as the Sephamore.
What does the word “Sephamore” mean? This is the person you see on the tarmac of an airport guiding a plane by waving flags to its proper parking spot upon landing.
I have lived most of my life in the City of Côte Saint-Luc so when it came time to go to a restaurant close by for dinner or pickup, the Famous Delly Boys always won out. Owners Sonny and Chico made some great smoked meat sandwiches and had other signature items such as the pizza burger. The iconic spot shut its doors for good in 2015 after 53 years in business.
Three years ago Emmanuel Darmond purchased the kosher Sorsky’s Deli at the Quartier Cavendish food court and he renamed it the Deli Boyz. “It is a nostalgic name,” Emmanuel told me when I stopped by recently for a bite. “The spelling is different and we do not use the word ‘Famous,’ and we think it has caught on.”
