One of the things I have really missed since the pandemic started is a good early morning breakfast at some of my favorite restaurant spots. Well, since I have become quite accustomed to the take-out route I jumped at the offer to drop by Petinos in the Sainte-Dorothée District of Laval for a pickup before reporting to work.
MTL Resto Rap
Bistro Amerigo may be a relatively small eatery, but during the pandemic lockdown the well-known West-End restaurant is doing large scale take-out and delivery. I last reported on Amerigo some two-and-a-half years ago and have returned numerous times with friends and family since then. The local "Garde Manger Italien" (or kitchen pantry) has maintained its flair for fine authentic dishes at reasonable prices, not far from home.
Foodies like myself sure do miss certain restaurants that have remained closed since the start of the pandemic. A case in point is Reuben’s Deli & Steakhouse (http://reubensdeli.com) on St. Catherine Street and Anton & James, which had a storefront on Stanley.
My wife Judy and I have been fans of ChuChai on St. Denis since it opened back in 1997. Indeed, I had been a regular at its predecessor eatery, Chao Phraya, which was around for nearly a decade before it transitioned into its present namesake.
In November 2019, the father and son team of Gary and Jonathan Makris became the exclusive owners. Gary has been there since day one while Jonathan began busing tables as a teenager. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Elounda closed its doors. “We were not a take-out and delivery type of place,” reasoned Jonathan.
Jay Ingber owner of Les 3 Maria and his two partners (Bobby Leftakis and Andrew Surowaniec) played softball and became enamored with Les 3 Maria, a Piri Piri Portuguese restaurant in Dollard des Ormeaux. They frequented the restaurant so often after their matches that just like the Gillette spokesperson, they liked the restaurant so much that “they bought the company.” Les 3 Maria began about six years ago. If you are wondering if three actual Marias were working there in the beginning, your assumption would be correct.
PizzaPita has been going strong in the Snowdon area for more than 30 years. With their recent move across Decarie Boulevard to the former Pizza Hut location in front of Decarie Square, at the corner of Decarie and Vezina, they have a prime spot to garner the attention of thousands of commuters, shoppers and locals each and every day. Hence they’ve rebranded PizzaPita to PizzaPita Prime.
Gabrielle café is a quaint compact gem. It is nestled on the outskirts of Old Montreal west and knocks at the doorstep of trendy Griffintown. The surrounding area is not what it was a few years ago. Many abandoned dilapidated buildings resided without city intervention for years. The rejuvenation of the area is a bonus for the café. Adorned by new condos and businesses, it is sure to be a great hub to feed hungry mouths on the move in the area.
It is not every day I get to walk the cobbled streets of Old Montréal. There is a magical sound as your footsteps echo through the time-preserved buildings. I had the pleasure of reviewing a new restaurant named after Quebec’s own enfant terrible, Émile Nelligan and fittingly called NELLi Café + Vin Nature. Émile came into prominence at the age of 16, emulating Paris’ Arthur Rimbaud with his prose. Émile wrote 170 poems, sonnets, rondels, songs and prose poems. The melancholy poet is highly regarded in Quebec culture. That is why you will see his name extolled all over the Québec landscape.