montreal +

I am at a conference in Montreal now but really, really I am here to try all the Montreal favourite things suggestions. There are so many! Three of you noted a favourite restaurant in Montreal, and many of you also noted favourite stores, and cafes and places to hang out.

Tonight I followed Jennifer’s suggestion and went to:

Lele da cuca 70 Marie Anne Est (teeny little Mexican-Brazilian restaurant)

It happens to be in my old neighbourhood and I welcomed the opportunity to go alone with a book after a day spent listening to panels and talking to people. I loved this restaurant! Of all the favourite things I have tried so far it might be my-most-favourite-of-the-favourites. What I loved about it: getting there (I walked up St Laurent which was lively and loud and festive and then turned on to Marie Anne which was as quiet and deserted as St Laurent was rowdy); walking in (the restaurant has such a unique feel to it—it’s small and cozy and you feel as if you have entered another world); the menu (it’s wacky and took me ages to figure out until the waitress explained it all to me); the food (I was hungry and it was perfect); and best of all, the end (my waitress asked me if I wanted dessert and I said no thanks and then she brought me the cheque and a chewy chocolate on a plate and said “a little gift for you” which I’m sure she says to everyone (and which probably sounds strange because of the translation) but which felt as if it was just for me. And then she returned and said, “the boss, he says you should have a coffee, a little gift for you, yes?” Just for me again! I want to move to Montreal so that I can eat there every night (although then what would I do with all my kitchen gadgets?)

On the conference front: there is an entire panel dedicated to Mad Men tomorrow. Really. I was amazed. This is a Victorian studies conference but, still, I’m looking forward to hearing how I can justify watching Mad Men as work.