Thursday, April 5, 2012

Sparrow by day, Sparrow by night

Sugar Shack Brunch/ Drinks at Sparrow let's do this!


 Part 1: enter one of Montreal's nicest gastropubs with an empty stomach begging to be filled with a variety of pork products smothered in mother nature's tree candy liquid.


Start off with some proper French Canadian split pea and ham soup. Just like mémére makes. Enjoy the fact that it's in a dainty cup, as you know this is only the beginning of a maple pork orgy.


Feves au lard et patates! Ouin!!!!


This meat pie killed it. I am not a fan of pie crust. It's like Sparrow read my mind because they used some kind of buttery croissant crispy topping. It was amazing. Drizzle the lot liberally with maple syrup and bang your fist on the table because it is so. Damn. Good. 



Will you get a load of that sausage? It's almost obscene. When you taste something like this you understand why pigs had to die. 


For the rest of the day, do not eat. Just walk around in a carb fueled daze and enjoy the ride. You're no lumberjack but you just ate like one. Maybe try and go climb a tree, or something.


Part 2: Sparrow by night y'all! Bring your parents here, they'll love it. This here is a French 75, maybe because it consists of 75% alcohol? Prosecco, gin, lemon, vermouth. Get some!  Random fact about these wide cup champagne glasses: they became fashionable in the 18th century and were apparently modeled after Marie Antoinette's breasts. I'll drink to that! I kind of wish her boobs would have been a tad larger though, because this drink was delicious.



Daddio's gin martini--Tanqueray 10. Nothing but the best for the Bond emulator. Actually, it was stirred, not shaken.


I love the look of this bar. Suitably vintage/British for this food snob.


Dad and Mom. Best 8 dollar Cosmo in town.


Party time, excellent! 

Monday, April 2, 2012

Milos

I like to talk about food with people, especially to find out about restaurants I should check out. Many references are often made about Milos, and how it's the best greek restaurant in Montreal. I decided to put this claim to the test. I don't really have a true reference point, not having ever been to Greece, but in my mind I pictured fresh and simply prepared food with lashings of olive oil. And that's pretty much what I got. I was transported to Adriatic bliss without even leaving my neighbourhood.




Freshly toasted bread and their own brand of olive oil. The charred crunchiness contrasted beautifully with the fresh and bright taste of the oil.


Debating whether to pay ten bucks for a glass of wine, or a ten dollar supplement to have grilled octopus, it really was no question. This was so worth it! The octopus was really very tender with a nice meaty charcoal bite. 


Cristal started with the classic tomato and feta salad. 


Olga had a double barreled salmon meal. Her starter--smoked Atlantic salmon.




Freshly grilled tsipoura fish...flown in from Greece. Not eco-friendly but tasty nonetheless.




A giant bouquet of fresh flowers. Classy! 


A classy and unassuming facade. It matched the food: simple, fresh, clean and delicious. What was also fun was that the atmosphere and the clientele were unlike any other Montreal restaurants. My friends and I wondered where all these sophisticated people came from. Milos is a great excuse to get dressed up and eat some really fantastic food.