Where We Eatin': Montreal!

I went to Montreal a little while ago and decided to share what I managed to find to eat in Montreal.  I think I'm a little spoiled living in such a vegetarian-friendly city because I couldn't find as much to eat in Montreal as I could here.  I did find a couple of good restaurants, though!

Zero8

First up, I went to Zero8.  Zero8 is a restaurant that is entirely gluten-free.  They make all of their foods free from the main allergens, which includes not only wheat, but also shellfish, eggs, dairy etc.  The menu itself had a lot of non-veggie friendly items, but all of the vegetarian items but one were vegan.

I got a gluten-free beer called La Messagere. It was "ok," but it tasted kind of like a cross between 50 and 

champaign to me.

For my main, I ordered a tomato and basil pasta. It tasted really good! There wasn't anything really fancy about it, but the pasta tasted like real fresh pasta!

I also got a side of bread. The bread was also pretty good. It tasted like the inside of a bagel. Yum!

I opted to wait a while before getting dessert and came across and ice cream store that sold Tofutti! I think the 

flavour I got was espresso.

Aux Vivres

Next up, I went to a vegetarian restaurant called Aux Vivres. I originally wanted to go because they had vegan 

poutine, but when we went, they were serving brunch. They kind of reminded me of Fresh here in Toronto, but withsome extra items that you might not find on a Fresh menu.

I got a mexican-inspired dish, with polenta wedges, tofu scramble and salad. The beans were a little bland, but 

overall, it was pretty good! The polenta wedges were crispy on the outside, yet still moist on the inside.  

My boyfriend Greg got a tofu scramble with sweet potato slices, a salad and tempeh bacon. They both came with a coffee or chai latte, so I went for the chai latte!

I also decided to try their veggie lox because I was curious to know how it tasted. Lesson learned: I don't like veggie lox! It seemed to be the leftover carrot pulp from a juicer mixed with way too much liquid smoke. I guess it is a flavour hard to replicate out of vegetables, but still, it could have been made to taste way better!

My experience at this restaurant ended on a happy note, when I got a ginger cookie for the road. Most of the cookies they had for sale were made with spelt flour, but none seemed to be gluten-free. This cookie was huge! And I think it was one of the best cookies I've ever had!

Aux Vivres, you aiight!

Carlos and Pepe's

Finally, I must end this voyage of culinary delight with a sad tale. This tale involves the restaurant that will remain nameless, although I'm sure you can figure it out by noting the pretty purple font up above. We were just looking for a close place to eat by our hotel and came across this hidden "gem." We had to line up to get a table and it was packed! I don't know if everyone else was also in our situation or what, but this was one of the worst meals I have ever eaten. I also felt extremely ill after. :(  

At least the margaritas were big and cheap....

Overall, I found the food in Montreal to be good when I could find something that was both vegan and wheat-free, 
but it wasn't always easy!

--Jen