Celebrity Chef Tigretón (www.cheftigreton.com) has joined the take-out scene at La Croqueteria de Montreal, the first Spanish Croqueteria in Canadian soil. It is located at 4530A Park Avenue and now open Tuesday to Sunday (4 pm to 9 pm).
Croqueterias in Spanish, are shops specialized in the elaboration of traditional Spanish Croqueta. The perfect Croqueta has to be, creamy, light, crispy & full of flavour.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chef Tigretón and his team are focused on daily cleaning, meaning, hot water and bleach by the buckets, making sure that no staff member is sick, and the usual mask or gloves to manipulate our food, and/or dealing with clients. “We’re also very positive and try to make clients laugh,” he says. “Our hand sanitizers are manufactured locally and made with lavender essential oil, alcohol and glycerin soap, therefore, hydrates your skin.
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve been working seven on seven,” Chef Tigretón said. “The first week we panicked, like everyone else, but after speaking with our bank and other financial institutions we decided to reopen again, and at least, present a good fight before going down. Action reaction always has been my motto. Today I’m happy we are headed in that direction.”
At La Croqueteria, the team uses fine organic ingredients, such as their flour is biological and non-chemically blanched; the pork comes from a small farm up north in Quebec; the chicken, only Chapon variety, also from another Quebec farm.; Spanish imported goods such as Jamon Iberico & Serrano, Piquillo peppers from the Lodosa Valley (D.O.), or Valdeon blue cheese from Picos De Europa (D.O.); and in the summertime, they stock up on veggies.
The project of La Croqueteria was born in 2014, in the perfect breeding ground. “I was heartbroken, penniless, in winter and jobless,” said Chef Tigretón “My current girlfriend decided it was time to become my ex, so you can imagine the scene. Luckily for me, I always had good friends, so, Patricia and Xavi offered me shelter, until I got back on my feet, and one night, having a conversation with them, sharing a glass of rum.”
Patricia told me “Your Croquetas are very good. You should offer them in Facebook and there you go, that’s all it took. Xavi designed a bunch of logos, I created a Facebook page, and overnight, I had like 300 to 400 likes. We were in business. We uploaded all the logos that Xavi made, and asked the people to vote. Our logo today is the result of these votes.”
Long story short, the project went on and off, on and off, till, one day, in 2017, he received a call from the food and beverage manager from the Queen Elizabeth Hotel, saying, they have heard great things about his croquetas, and they were wondering if he would be interested in offering a tasting.
“The day of the tasting, I made some, fried them and walked into that room, by the Place Ville Marie office where the culinary management team of the Queenie, led by the Chef Peupion were waiting for me, dressed in the sober Bragard chef whites, and surrounded by papers, laptops and product,” he said. “On the other side, me, with my finest Hawaiian shirt, and a tiny box of croquetas ready to eat. I excused my elf for the temperature of the croquetas and the tasting began. They liked them. Chef Peupion asked me if I was able to supply demand and keep quality standards. I said, ‘yes,’ so he replied, ‘what about if I need 5,000? Cocky of me replied, ‘you’ll have to give me a week in the beginning, but yes no problem.’ The week after, somehow, I managed to get an industrial kitchen where to start producing, and that’s how we operate until Canada Day 2019 when I signed the lease for our current location. Canada Day, can you believe that? I couldn’t be more proud of being in this beautiful country developing such an endearing product!”
Today, La Croqueteria de Montreal offers very high-quality Spanish croquetas, even for Spanish standards. The menu, with over 25 varieties, offers Spanish classics, like, Jamon Serrano (Serrano Ham), Calamares en su tinta (squid ink), Rabo de toro (oxtail), o Gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimps), but also offer that Montreal twist: smoked meat and gruyere, poblano peppers and corn, Margherita or Hawaiian. In case you didn’t know, Hawaiian pizza was invented by the Greek immigrant Sam Panopolus in Ontario in the ’60s, where he owned a Canadian diner.
On the pandemic, Chef Tigretón said he truly believes restaurants and bars fell into a coma. “They’re not dead, but it’ll take a while before they get back on their track,” he says. “For the past two decades, many restaurants and bars have been opened for the wrong reasons, and they had caused a dent in the quality standards of the industry. Razorblade thin margins, extremely thick red-tape regulations and a completely different system as the leading countries have weakened gradually this industry. Now, that everything has stopped, we’re victims of the kinetic energy we have created. No more than three decades ago, restaurants were a luxury. Nowadays, for many people, it has become a basic need. Business plans have been designed on capacity. Social distancing will chop that in half in the best-case scenario. How we will survive? I firmly believe it is time to observe how socializing will evolve, and adapt to it. Way less money will be made, but hey, we were never here for the money – at least the true ones!”
Petros Taverna has officially come out of COVID-19 hibernation with a take-out and delivery service at its Westmount (4785 Sherbrooke Street West) and Mile End (234 Laurier Street West) locations. Owner Ted Dranias plans to expand the program to his Griffintown (1613 William Street) restaurant soon. A fourth Little Italy spot was supposed to debut this spring, but that has been placed on hold until authorities give the green light for restaurants to open for diners.
Petros Taverna has a strong and loyal clientele. Dranias and his partner on Laurier Avenue, Peri Kalivrousis, had been fielding calls for weeks to reopen for take-out. They are doing so now with all the necessary precautions related to the pandemic, notably constant sterilization of the kitchen area. Any staff working in the restaurant, including those doing deliveries, have their temperature taken before they start their shift with an infrared thermometer. They also wear masks and gloves. Hand sanitizers appear at the entrance for people doing pickups, as well as circles on the floor to ensure social distancing towards the front counter. Take-out orders can be done via credit cards. Customers also have the option of calling when they arrive for curbside pickup.
“We have to get the economy going again and restaurateurs like myself will do our part,” said Dranias. “Until restaurants can reopen under normal conditions or with a smaller capacity, I think you will see more opt for the takeout and delivery model. At Petros it will be the same quality food and excellent customer service we pride ourselves on.”
It was in May 2015 that Dranias opened his first Petros on Notre Dame Street in Griffintown. The name was a tribute to his late father (named Petros), who always wanted to have a Greek restaurant of his own. In December 2016, a second Petros was established in Westmount followed in April 2019 by Petros Laurier. The Griffintown restaurant relocated to William Street last fall.
Specializing in Greek Mediterranean Cuisine, Petros Taverna is offering a variety of homestyle menu choices such as traditional moussaka, yiouvetsi (veal cubes with orzo), fish filets (cod, salmon, swordfish and seabass), pastisio (pasta with bechamel sauce and minced ground beef), gemista (stuffed tomatoes and peppers, with rice, fresh green herbs ground beef and ground veal), the Greek spread medley (any four spreads such as taramosalata, tirokafteri and tzatziki), Petros Special (lightly fried zucchini chips with tzatziki), Greek salad, finely chopped romaine salad with Greek balsamic vinaigrette, beets with crumbled feta and for dessert, homemade loukoumades (little yeast-risen dough drizzled with honey syrup and accompanied by some yogurt) and baklava.
My family and I did the take-out experience at Westmount and Laurier. At Westmount it was Gennaro Dranias, son of Ted, working alongside Tasso Roussopoulos who was delivering orders. Attired in gloves and a mask. Gennaro had everything well-organized inside: a couple of orders of lamb chops, pastisio and moussaka as well as the Petros Special and the Psilokomeni chopped salad. Gennaro or Tasso will bring it right to your car and pop the bags in the trunk.
At Laurier, Kalivrousis and Chef Shiva were creating culinary masterpieces the night I arrived. There were plenty of parking spots in front. Peri brought everything to the car. We ordered the Petros Special, Greek spread medley, Psilokomeni, two orders of lamb chops, moussaka and salmon. Everything was fantastic. The drive from Laurier to Côte Saint-Luc took under a half-hour and Peri packed everything so well nothing needed to be reheated. It was all fresh and tasty. Peri even threw in some pieces of baklava.
The complete special menu packages can be found at www.restaurantpetros.ca. All orders of $125 and more will come with a $25 gift certificate, to be used when in restaurant dining resumes.
Dranias has been donating meals to front-line health workers during the pandemic.
To make an order please call 514-938-5656 for Westmount and 514-312-0200 for Laurier. Hours of operation are 5 pm to 10 pm (Wednesdays to Sundays for now). If you do not wish to come inside, call the number when you arrive. You only need to pop open your trunk or back seat and the order will be placed there for you.
My family and I cannot get enough of Ryú Sushi. In this COVID-19 pandemic world, we are now experiencing, restaurants in Montreal are closed for dining. Some are trying to make a go of it via take-out and delivery.
Ryú (Japanese for Dragon), which specializes in high-end sustainable sushi, is presently excelling in this new reality at both its Peel and Westmount locations.
After a fantastic dinner from the Peel Street locale, we were anxious to sample Westmount- a venue we have gone to many times since it opened.
Westmount is open from Thursday to Monday and Peel from Tuesday to Saturday from 5 pm to 9 pm.
David Dayan is the owner and visionary behind Ryú. I spoke with Director of Operations Jason Lamarre. He noted that while the Laurier location is closed right now, it has been transformed into a central kitchen. Other spots at Carrefour Laval and Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Dorval are not operating either at the present time.
“We are getting terrific feedback on the take-out and delivery,” said Lamarre. “Sushi is something you generally do not make for yourself at home, so that gives us leverage.”
First a little bit about the precautions they are taking during this COVID-19 pandemic.
With COVID-19 bringing the world to a standstill, the Ryú team wishes to reassure clients that health and safety remain their top priority at both locations. For starters it is always the same staff to ensure safety.
All staff wear gloves and face masks and disinfect their hands as much as possible;
Sanitizers/disinfectants are everywhere on site;
All take-out bags are sealed shut;
For client’s safety, pickups are done only from the side entrance on Greene Avenue. Clients generally wait outside for their bag; for anyone who steps inside (one at a time) there are hand sanitizers galore.
Orders are pre-paid and no contact with staff is necessary;
Curbside pick-up is available for clients who request it;
Ryú has established an employee fund where 70 percent of the sales of gift cards go to these individuals. They are also encouraging people to donate to the Montreal Relief Workers Fund, which has thus far raised over $80,000 for those in need in the industry. Ryú has also created a short private import list of wine/sake, for which prices are reduced by 35 percent.
Our Dining Experience
Peel was superb and Westmount was just as spectacular. Everything was so absolutely fresh! Jason correctly told me, “you could eat this sushi three days later and it still tastes like it was just made.”
I requested for my order to be ready for 5:45 pm and opted for the curbside pickup option. I merely had to call the number and Will stepped outside, wearing gloves and a mask. You can also send a text from outside.
When I got home we opened the bag to find three nicely packaged boxes with all of the food and some dessert, some extra soy sauce and of course chopsticks. Everything was fresh.
We started off with some tuna tataki, a simple Japanese dish that combines delicate, gently-seared tuna with a citrus-soy sauce given a gentle ginger kick. Then came a lobster roll. At first look, I thought they were cupcakes. The 10 pieces contained lobster, white fish, cucumber, avocado, yuzo kosho mayo and yuzu sauce.
The sashimi roll (four pieces) was too good for words, made with salmon, tuna, and hamachi, cucumber, avocado and tosazu sauce. Turning to maki (soy paper hand roll), we happily shared the kamikaze.
Undoubtedly, the nigiri and sashimi platters of 12 and 24 pieces each represent the highlight of any Ryú experience. They are based on their Chef’s choice of daily arrivals of fresh Oceanwise fish which may consist of bio salmon, bigeye tuna, hamachi, and albacore tuna and when in season, Japanese sourced fish. The platters were served in a large and attractive box, with neat dividers.
Ryú also runs Livia Café, which Dayan has transformed into Livia Sweets. It makes for the perfect signature desserts menu for Ryú. Some you can pick up and bake yourself. All of their cookie dough is homemade, pre-portioned and vacuum packed in sets of three cookies: chocolate chip, oreo, unicorn and salted caramel and pecan.
There is apple pie, which we enjoyed immensely. You can also sample popcorn or birthday cake for two, options that will be on my list for future orders. There are also some bundles to choose from. Instructions are attached to the package. It all stays fresh for 10 days and can be frozen.
To enjoy the Ryú experience in the comfort of your own home, go to ryusushi.ca or from one of their delivery partners: Uber Eats or DoorDash. They also accept orders by text (438-899-0557)/phone (514-320-0191). You can follow the restaurant at https://www.instagram.com/ryu.sushi.
Ryú is located at 4185 Ste. Catherine Street West, but a reminder to use the Livia entrance on Greene Avenue.
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.
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.
Editor’s Note: Below is a review of the curbside pickup procedure that was in place at La Queue de Cheval. As of May 4, this service has been discontinued until further notice. If it does resume, this story still will share the appetizing items on their special menu.
By Mike Cohen
Since the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic there are a lot of experiences people miss dearly. Going out for a nice meal at a restaurant is certainly one of them.
Restaurants are presently only permitted to operate for take-out and delivery service. The iconic
La Queue de Cheval Steakhouse and Raw Bar, (www.queuedecheval.com), located at 1181 Avenue de la Montagne, has been around for more than two decades. Before the coronavirus battered the economy, founder Peter Morentzos was happily preparing to open a new Toronto location. That is now on hold and in jeopardy of not proceeding.
Peter Morentzos in COVID-19 safety attire.
Always a visionary, Morentzos has never been one to sit still. Take-out and delivery was never part of his plan. The restaurant has been in its present location since September 2014, an exquisite historic three-level building that can accommodate up to 300 diners at a time. No stranger to challenges, Morentzos had a licensing agreement in place with the company that owned his original Boulevard René Levesque location. It concluded on June 31, 2012, at which time he closed for almost two years and constructed his present facility from scratch. His former landlords tried, in the interim, to put another steakhouse there. It failed and Morentzos took his time resurfacing, inheriting all of his loyal clients and more.
While the pandemic has already cost the operations over $500,000 in lost revenue, Morentzos wanted to find a comeback route. He has attempted to do so with a flashy curbside pickup promotion, with a new moderate menu and offerings, along with the great steak cuts that we know. Until restaurants reopen, what a treat it is to enjoy the fine cuisine of such an extraordinary restaurant.
The procedure is simple. Go to their website at www.queuedecheval.com and click on Curbside Pickup under Menus. You can text, email, or call your orders into info@queuedecheval.com and select your timeslot. There is a 10 percent discount for ordering the day before. If you do so on the same day, you are asked to send it in two hours in advance. Upon arrival merely call or text 514-390-0091 and they will bring the order right to your car and place it in the trunk or the seat.
Morentzos said he did not open for curbside pickup until he could be sure that all of the necessary safety precautions related to the pandemic could be taken. Any staff working in the restaurant has their temperature taken before they start their shift with an infrared thermometer. They also wear masks and gloves, changing the latter frequently. The kitchen, overseen by a small crew, is being disinfected constantly. There are also washing stations for staff.
You can also order steaks from the butcher (all steak cuts 25 percent off retail price) to bring home and cook yourself and wine from their list (15 percent off).
“The Montreal restaurant scene has been the backbone inspiration to many cities around North America for the last 40 years,” says Morentzos. “We have dedicated ourselves to the cultures around us and have always stood apart from the rest. We are facing something that many of us, or all of us never thought could be possible The entire industry is facing a monster that we can’t see. It is essential that our communities everywhere support our local restaurants.”
With that in mind, the Queue will be contributing 100 percent of the sale of gift certificates proceeds to the employee’s rescue fund until the end of April 2020.
“The first three months of the year in Montreal, and in most provinces are the worst three months of the year,” Morentzos said in a letter to staff. “We budget to lose money traditionally, so when this disaster hit, coupled with the three weakest months…we find [ourselves] in a situation where we need to work with everyone to see this [through].”
There was scrutiny with staff not being paid, and other hard allegations, but it was clearly explained that many have been paid and continue to be paid. La Queue de Cheval and the Morentzos team are no different than any other restaurant operator in the world. Business stopped and staff had to be laid off.
A Fantastic Meal
I must say that half of the fun for the three of us was making our order for curbside pickup and seeing many of our old favorites on the menu. My request was for a 5:45 pm arrival. I called and Demetra from the Queue was out in minutes with everything very nicely packaged. I made it back home in less than a half-hour. We set the table and sat down to an absolute feast!
We started off with the Dungeness Crab Crake Tempura Balls, with spicy dipping sauce and the BC King Salmon Poke, with marinated wakame, smashed spicy avocado, tomatoes, enoki mushrooms, sesame seed oil and mirin dressing. For our main course the three of us shared our favorite 32 ounce porterhouse, medium rare, dry aged in their meat lockers for over 60 days and grilled over Maplewood charcoal. We had leftovers for the next night it was so large. In addition, we divided up the beef short ribs. They are slow cooked, containing USDA prime ribs, garlic roasted mashed potatoes, butter sautéed peas and short-rib jus. This dish cut like butter and melted in our mouths.
We also added in, as a side, sage mushrooms: large button mushrooms with butter and sage. And yes we certainly chose a dessert, the decadent fresh berries shortcake.
They also have salads, hamburgers, chicken, fish and pasta available.
For anyone who is a regular at the Queue or any high end steakhouse, why not treat yourself to something special like this?
The Queue de Cheval is located at 1181 Rue de la Montagne. The hours of operation for curbside pickup are 4 pm to 9 pm daily, with lunch service as well from Noon to 2 pm weekdays. For more information log on to www.queuedecheval.com or call 514-390-0091
Despite being on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, the service industry has been one of the hardest hit by the economic fallout of the virus. With thin profit margins and high operating costs at the best of times, restaurants are being forced to either close their doors for an indeterminate amount of time or change their business models overnight. Now, Brunette, an online retailer of Canadian restaurant products, is offering a way to help. With their “Pay Now, Eat Later” model, visitors to shopbrunette.com can purchase gift cards to their favorite spots, helping to keep these businesses afloat during these turbulent times. Brunette also carries a bevy of high-quality, restaurant-specific apparel and merchandise that ships worldwide and that you can sport proudly right away.
Brandon Harrar and Dave Rose founded Brunette in 2018 as a way to give restaurants access to an otherwise untapped revenue stream, via online retailing of products, apparel, and $25 or $50 gift cards. With a global crisis halting standard revenue streams for these partners, this source of cash flow has become more valuable than ever. According to Harrar, “Rather than ask for donations, this allows consumers to support their favorite restaurants, while still getting what they paid for.” Rose added, “Not only are you helping, but you’re getting something to look forward to, which we can all use right now.”
You can browse through Brunette’s 30+ brand partners (and growing) on their website shopbrunette.com. While there’s still no telling how long this pandemic will last, restaurants will eventually reopen their doors; and when that day comes, hopefully, you’ll have secured that delicious, celebratory meal. For any additional information, feel free to contact info@shopbrunette.com.
Brunette is an online retailer of restaurant products. They exist to give access to some of Canada’s top food products only accessible on location. You can now order the finest products this country has to offer from the comfort of your own home.
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.
MONTRÉAL, March 18, 2020 – Restaurants, bars and cafés are closing all over the city as everyone does their best to exercise social distancing and flatten the curve in the wake of COVID-19. The operators and owners of these establishments often do not have the resources to continue paying their employees during this time and have been forced to lay off much of their workforce indefinitely. These workers now find themselves in financially precarious situations, unable to pay their bills and support their families.
In response, volunteers set up the Montreal Restaurant Workers Relief Fund (MRWRF) to provide emergency economic relief to restaurant employees who are facing economic hardship due to COVID-19. MRWRF will provide aid by transferring direct financial relief to eligible applicants.
“We started this fund because many of us are restaurant workers,” says founder Kaitlin Doucette. “I saw many of my colleagues terrified about even how to get groceries for self-isolation. I wanted to create a platform to share wealth for people who had a couple of dollars to contribute, so we could pool that and provide immediate financial relief to workers.”
Though many restaurant employees are eligible for and may eventually receive government aid, it is unclear when they will have access to these funds. MRWRF spoke with many hospitality workers who are unable to meet their immediate financial obligations and require urgent relief. This is why the fund will be transferring money to restaurant workers on a sliding scale of $50, $100 or $150 based on applicants’ self-identified needs. The funds are not meant to be an income replacement, but are intended to contribute to workers’ immediate and urgent needs such as groceries and medication or other health and personal hygiene products; this is a wealth-share program and is contribution-based.
MRWRF encourages people to apply to EI and other government programs for lost income and funds needed for non-urgent matters such as rent and utility bills.
For more information, please see the website for MRWRF here gf.me/u/xrjmvm
Les Montréalais se rallient pour offrir un fonds d’urgence aux travailleurs-euses de la restauration
MONTRÉAL, Mars 18, 2020 – Les restaurants, bars et cafés ferment partout dans Montréal pour s’assurer de garder une distance sociale et aplanir la courbe. Les propriétaires et opérateurs de ces établissements n’ont ou n’auront plus les ressources nécessaires pour continuer à payer leurs employés et se verront dans l’obligations de se libérer de leur force de travail indéfiniment. Ces travailleurs-euses se retrouvent maintenant en situation de précarité, étant dans l’incapacité de payer leurs factures et de supporter leurs familles.
En réponse à cette situation, nous avons créé le Fonds de secours des travailleurs de la restauration pour offrir une aide financière d’urgence aux employés de la restauration qui font face à une détresse économique due au COVID-19. Le Fonds apportera une aide financière directe aux demandeurs éligibles.
« Nous avons lancé ce fonds parce que nous sommes nombreux à travailler dans la restauration », explique la fondatrice Kaitlin Doucette. « J’ai vu beaucoup de mes collègues terrifiés à l’idée de trouver des produits d’épicerie pour s’isoler. Je voulais créer une plate-forme pour partager la richesse des personnes qui avaient quelques dollars à donner, afin que nous puissions mettre cela en commun et fournir une aide financière immédiate aux travailleurs.»
Beaucoup d’employés de la restauration sont éligibles et recevront de l’aide gouvernementale, or il est actuellement impossible de savoir quand ces fonds seront disponibles et quel seront les montants compensatoires offerts. Nous avons parlé à de nombreux employés de cuisine et de salles qui nous affirment être dans l’incapacité immédiate d’atteindre leurs obligations financières et requièrent une aide d’urgence. Nous transférerons de l’argent aux employés de restauration à hauteur de 50$, 100$ ou 150$ basé sur les besoins personnels du demandeur. Ce fonds n’est pas là pour remplacer les salaires mais pour aider les demandeurs à obtenir ce dont ils ont besoin dans l’immédiat comme l’épicerie, les produits de premières nécessités et les médicaments.
Le Fonds encourage les travailleurs à appliquer à l’assurance-emploi et autres programmes gouvernementaux pour dess pertes de revenus.
Pour plus d’information, rendez-vous sur le site gf.me/u/xrjmvm
The company will deliver prepared meals to the locations of their choice across Quebec
MONTREAL, March 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WeCook Meals, the Quebec leader in fresh, home-delivered, ready-to-eat meals, has announced that it is offering four weeks of free meals to 300 health-care employees across Quebec, namely beneficiary attendants, nurses and doctors. WeCook Meals, which already has a solid delivery network across Quebec, is using its online platform for this initiative.
“Given the unprecedented situation, we wanted to support health-care workers across Quebec in our own way. Giving them more than 7,200 nutritious and complete meals that are ready to eat in two minutes is our way of expressing our utmost respect and offering them a big thank-you,” said Étienne Plourde, Founder and CEO of WeCook Meals.
“I welcome this initiative, which will undoubtedly help many employees in the health-care system eat healthily and quickly at a time when we are all facing extremely busy work weeks,” said Dr. Pascal Laferrière-Langlois, Anesthesiologist at Hôtel-Dieu d’Arthabaska in Victoriaville.
“In the current environment, employees in the health-care sector need to maintain their energy and concentration levels more than ever, which means high-quality food. I heartily congratulate WeCook Meals for providing them with nutritious, complete meals when they need them most,” said Catherine Naulleau, Dietitian and Sports Nutritionist.
Ordering details
Doctors, nurses and beneficiary attendants who wish to receive free meals for four weeks must submit proof of employment in the Guardian Angels Program section at the bottom of the WeCook Meals homepage at https://www.wecookmeals.ca. A unique coupon code will be sent to them so that they can place their orders online.
The first 300 people will be able to take advantage of the offer, and the meals will be delivered to the locations of their choice throughout Quebec.
About WeCook Meals
Founded in 2013, WeCook Meals (formerly Nutrition Fit Plus) is the Quebec leader in fresh, home-delivered, ready-to-eat meals. The Company’s delivery network extends across Quebec and Ontario and includes about 100 pick-up locations. With more than 150 employees working at its food production facilities in Saint-Hyacinthe and Dorval, WeCook Meals serves close to 20,000 customers through its online sales platform and prepares nearly 670,000 meals a year. WeCook Meals has 65,000 followers on Facebook and 26,000 on Instagram.
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.
