Canadiana: Sunny Montreal Weekned

The exile continues through March as I brave the seems-like-forever-winter solo in Montreal. My days consist of listening to CBC radio, watching lone flakes of snow fluttering through big bay windows, cooking up food projects and snapping pictures of different landscapes. With cheese making on my mind I fantasize about change. Upcoming adventures and the spring season to come...

Yesterday was an exceptionally beautiful day. After spending the night in Mile End (home of Mordechai Richler, Leonard Cohen and Schwartz's Deli) and lamenting the loss of an hour of sleep, my 2 locally based sisters and their gentlemen, planned a brunch adventure and neighborhood jaunt. Here are some of the highlights:

The day begins with my favorite meal. Breakfast. Drinking cup after cup of mediocre coffee we reread the menu, taking forever to figure out what to order. In typical Rotstein fashion, the sisters are debating who will share what with whom and who gets the sweet vs. savory meal. Omelet? Blintzes? French toast or pancakes?
[There is nothing better than the smell of frying onions.]



After a starchy Following the starchy beige breakfast (delicious but lacking in any fresh vegetables or fruits), we head out to explore, bright sun pouring into the street. A plethora of vintage clothing stores and funky boutiques line the hopping side streets along Mount Royal Avenue. I spotted (for when the $$ returns) some fabulous Montreal t-shirts decked out with awesome graphic depictions of the Orange Julep, Poutine, and various Mtl street scenes.

Bagels. I won't go into the long drawn out and uninteresting 'fight of the bagels'. (not to be confused with 'flight of the bagels'). I am a Montreal raised lady but personally prefer my bagels from the ovens of Absolute Bagels, Bergen Bagels or yes, La Bagel Delight. Sorry.

The Breakfasts of Winter: Part 2 - Sticky Bun Pancakes

Yesterday morning I awoke to no direct sunlight and it felt like the middle of the night even though the clock by the bedside read 11:05am.

There was nothing keeping either one of us from continuing to slumber through Monday except for the promise of breakfast. Victor's 1959 definitely planted the pancake seed in our gastronomic memories. Thinking about brewing up some strong coffee and flippin a batch of pancakes was incentive enough to get out of bed and welcome a dreary February morning.

The concept of these pancakes began when we took a trip to United Noodles, the self described "Largest Oriental Grocery Store in the Midwest!" It was. Huge warehouse of strange food and non-food products from around the 'Orient'. We snagged some interesting products for use in later culinary inspired times.

The time was now.

One of our prize finds was a can of red bean paste direct from Taiwan. Another was ready-made taro pancake mix from the oriental country of Hawaii (the taro root is used in Polynesian cuisine and is commonly used to make Poi) - It was a match made in breakfast heaven. Taro pancakes and red bean paste. Sticky Bun Pancakes, Ruby's idea. Add in some sweet, condensed milk and some flaky shredded coconut, serve with some tangy mineola orange or sections of tangerines, pineapple or other seasonal fruit.

A reason to get out of bed!

The Breakfasts of Winter: Part 1 - Victor's 1959

Breakfast. Hands down our favorite collective meal. A great breakfast sets the course for the rest of the day. Hot, filling, cup brimming over with coffee, protein, sugar, I can go on and on...

What is better than breakfast? Breakfast on a weekday! Imagine that, no wait for a seat, no lines around the corner, no waitress giving you the stink-eye because you have sat at your booth for longer than the time it should take for a grown person to inhale two eggs, toast and a side of vegie sausage. Breakfast on a weekday also means chatting with the staff who are chatting with the regulars, reading the paper, writing a postcard. Breakfast on the weekend is what we all dream about when the alarm goes off at 6:25am reminding us that no, we will not have time for leisure this morning.

Victor's 1959 is a local favorite. We read about it in countless Minne foodie blogs and articles. It is the real deal for a cheap and filling breakfast, Cuban style. The restaurant is housed in a mural-adorned, small shack-like house at the corner of Grand and 38th street. Niki, the Greek owner, has been serving Cuban style cuisine since 1999 (not sure what the 1959 is about as nowhere on their website does that date appear as a milestone of any important event). Walls are adorned with patrons' Sharpie markings and little shrines of knickknacks, photos and Cuban paraphernalia.

The food was fresh and tasty, coffee was refilled whenever it got below half full (though the beans are their own special fair trade brew, the joe was weak and lacking completely in flavor) and since we were three, we ordered many plates to share: One huge corn pancake (with soft kernels of yellow corn embedded within), a huge mango pancake (with walnuts and a decorative drizzle of mango sauce), Ranchero Cubano (2 corn tortillas with melted cheddar, topped with 2 eggs & covered in a creole sauce) and finally 2 eggs over medium, potatoes and Cuban toast (white roll smushed till flat on the grill, buttered and served with guava paste). Total bill was $25. Not bad.