food & freedom holiday in montreal

i have been home for a few days and that is how long it has taken me to calm down after my withdrawal from montreal, i had that good of a time.

( i hardly picked up my camera but i got a few shots)

it started when Tzurit picked me up on the hill, i love how much she loved the animals, it was the first time we met in person and i was nervous a little but as soon as she said can i pet the dogs i knew we would be alright. as we set off for montreal she put two maybe three huge brown paper handle bags from her amazing bakery in my lap, i was clearly going to start my food and freedom trip before we even left the driveway.

we drove through the  vermont country side as we chatted about our lives each asking one another questions, laughing, pondering and more laughing. we arrived in montreal and went up to our hotel room, then quickly set out for dinner the first night was one food disaster after the next but we still smiled, after all we where in montreal! the next morning we headed to Le Cartet for breakfast, i having my first baguette or bread of any kind since march and i enjoyed it fully! then on our way out Tzurit picked up chocolate since Le Carter has walls & walls of chocolate. she bought enough to to feed an entire nation but in her words, in case we are ever stranded on a highway  do you see why i love her so!  from there we went to Olivier Potier i spoke about this bakery before, we ordered our coffees, picked out many things from the bakery shelves and sat outside. the staff that took care of us was the sweetest guy he treated us like royalty and we kinda felt like we were for a moment. we sat outside tasting everything from financiers, almond croissants, apple tartatin and more, when i went inside to ask for a bag for what we did not eat, our kind waiter  shared such kind words with me to the point i hardly made it back to the table before big tears fell as i recounted to tzurit what he had shared with me. from there we decided to walk stopping in and out of stores before sore feet has us looking for a metro and when we did it turned out to be a maze, the longest subway station walk, we laughed so hard, took pictures. we stopped in more bakeries and stores before heading to the hotel room for a quick rest before going to Tzurit birthday dinner at Laloux, which was beautifully and simply decorated.

The next morning we started out at Olive Gourmand, one of my favorite places, can i just say how delicious everything is, Tzurit, loved it as well proof is we ate there two more times.  one afternoon, Aran who had just flown in for a workshop joined us along with mayssam the workshop organizer.  Tzurit and i headed to Mile End to look around and shop, we stopped into montreal famous bagel shop
St- Viateur and had bagels right from the wood fire, then coffee at Sparrow, okay there was a cast iron apple crumble too and a stop at my favorite vintage store Citizen vintage ( posted here before) where Tzurit scored a great jacket! then we discovered a little drogheria fine, a woman with an italian old world sexiness to her, a small kitchen with large pots creating her own sauces, olive oils and such, so perfect a place both in conception and details. That evening we had dinner with aran, mayssam at 400 coups it was delicious, i had a fresh cucumber soup i will never forget and the very talented pastry chef  Patrice Demers and owner spoiled us the restaurant it self is gorgeous! it was so great seeing aran in my hometown i think we both felt a freedom we are not used too because  usually we have a schedule & work to keep.

the next morning i picked up my mum and brought her back where she got to meet aran & tzurit what a treat this was. we had breakfast at  Le Carter, my last toasted baguette and more chocolate purchases by aran, my mum and tzurit.

I had one of the nicest times, felt very honored to have been invited by Tzurit, to be able to get to know her while having  big belly laughs, genuine moments of conversation.  instantly before we had even met in person felt like we where good friends and now i know for sure. Oh and incase you are looking for the bakery of your dreams Tzurit  has created it, twice-Tatte & Tatte Two