Red Lobster still operates in four Canadian provinces – Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. There are two locations in Ottawa. The one at 1499 St. Laurent Blvd., just as you enter the city, has always been our “go-to” spot. Twenty years ago, I did a few reviews for my newspapers and connected with General Manager Ian Forrester. When I went there for a curbside pickup back in December, Ian was still on the job. It turns out he has been there for an incredible 36 years.
MTL Resto Rap
Joseph Mantagaris is a globe-trotting chef who has garnished many years of experience in many countries. At the age of sixteen, he started as a cook’s helper and has not looked back. He has cooked for celebrities. His wealth of cooking knowledge from every continent brought him back home to create a few restaurants in Montreal. His passion now is with Beurre and Baguette. Your mouth will discover the plates he created from his travels. The ever-changing online menu has something for everybody. You will find standards such as pizzas, kid corner meals for picky eaters, pasta meals, a variety of sushi, poke bowls and a wealth of salads. The menu keeps changing each day.
For more years than I can remember I would drive to Pointe Claire just to enjoy a good smoked meat sandwich or some breakfast at Moe’s Bar & Grill. The menu had so many tempting items, I always tempted to return. On my way home from Ottawa recently I decided to make a pit stop and call in a large order that I could enjoy over a couple of days. When I arrived, longtime owner Johnny Cripotos was there to greet me.
As a foodie, I love the Ottawa restaurant scene. High on my list is The Works Craft Burgers & Beer (www.worksburger.com). Open since 2001, this wildly popular and award winning full-service neighbourhood bistro is known for its more than 30 different, hand-prepared gourmet burgers, bottomless fresh hand-cut fries, cool classic shakes and ice-cold beer, which are all 100 percent Canadian. The Works offers guests eight different patty options as well as gluten-free and vegetarian combinations to choose from.
The 10th Arahova location in the Greater Montreal officially opened in Pointe Claire on January 8, 2022, at the Sources Mega Centre near Brunswick Avenue and next to Les 3 Brasseurs. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Quebec government regulations closing dining rooms, the Kalogrias family decided not to delay the debut and welcome customers for take-out and delivery.
Kettlemans hand-rolled Montreal style bagels, unique spreads, fresh salads, and sandwiches make the perfect breakfast-to-go, boardroom power lunch or late-night indulgence. Founder and Montreal native Craig Buckley opened the first store in August of 1993. When he started the business, he simply wanted to make the best bagels you could find. By rolling, “kettling,” and baking traditional Montreal Bagel in a wood burning-oven using handpicked hardwood, and maintaining an unwavering commitment to the traditional quality of the food, Kettlemans has become a food institution — 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year — for 28 years.
When Montreal-based Foodtastic purchased the Milestones Grill + Bar restaurant chain (https://www.milestonesrestaurants.com) last summer, with plans to finally debut franchises in Quebec, I got pretty excited.
Foodtastic, a highly successful multi-brand restaurant company, is owned by brothers Lawrence and Peter Mammas.
Au Coq has been part of the Quebec restaurant landscape for more than 60 years. Since 2019 it has been part of the Foodtastic group (foodtastic.ca), which was enough to get my attention when I was in Dollard des Ormeaux and looking for a place to eat on Sources Blvd. There are presently 10 Au Coq franchises in Quebec (Dollard, St. Laurent, Marché Central, Hochelaga, Montreal East, St. Leonard, Central Station downtown and Gatineau). Opening soon will be locations in Terrebonne and Île-Perrot.
Sikellis and his team managed their way through the pandemic, but he told me clearly that I must come back to one of his locations when indoor dining could see what a sensation it is. I finally did so recently in Dollard, managed by Harry’s son Mike. It was a Sunday morning and when I arrived the place was starting to get busy. By 10 am there was a lineup out the door. Mike, assisted by his mom Marina Tzanetakou, was busy checking vaccine passports. There is plexiglass between tables, which are well spaced.