So I'd like to go to Quebec.

(The other cities I regret missing are Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA)

i can tell you lots of things to do. and especially lots of great places to EAT (i'm a food critic). i'm working now but i'll come back to this thread when i have some moments to spare...

3) The trip along the 20 is kinda boring. Stay in the right hand lane unless passing, sneak a peak at the river when you can. The 40 seems more interesting. I do love the train between the two cities. I've never actually taken the train into Quebec, the one I used to take goes through Charny even when they had that big accident on the south tracks a few years back.

so there's LOTS to eat here. whaddya like? and what price range are you looking at?

1) Haute. It does not exist anywhere within 2 hours of me. I want to eat some at least 2-3 times.

2) Really good Traditional (or even modern) French. Even if I just treat myself once, that's better than having to go to NYC or Boston and spending a bazillion dollars on something there.

3) North African. I know its not France, but I would assume that there is some decent Moroccan/Algerian stuff there. Right? Maybe?

Some minor notes: Neither I or my friend are vegetarians, though we're not adverse to eating vegetarian food. My friend has an odd phobia of not eating meat that is attatched to a bone (T-Bones are okay, but not ribs or buffalo wings, for instance), but I don't think that'll make a huge difference.

Was the special St Hubert beer just Blanche de Chambly and Fin du Monde mixed together?

where to start, where to start.

let's begin with au pied de cochon, one of the most talked-about new restaurants in town; this place sounds like it fits your description to a T. haute-ish, playful, very quebecois. my friends have a great review of it up on their food blog here (as well as a lot of other good montreal recommendations).

there's also les chèvres, another buzzed-about place; the emphasis here is on vegetables and they've become quite famous for their tasting menu. the desserts are quite celebrated as well (and i can vouch for them cuz i know two people who've worked in the pastry kitchen).

for more straight-up french try leméac on laurier (it's an especially great deal if you go after 10pm, where entrée+main course is only $20. best deal in town). all-around great french. also well-loved is au petit extra, on ontario.

hmm... what else what else? i'll get back to you soon...

You should go for a drink dans le Château Frontenac when (if) in you're in QC.

ahem.

more FRENCH: l'express on st-denis and laloux on des pins are both locally beloved french joints with good food and charming ambience. and not toooo expensive, i don't think.

for BRUNCH, do not miss a chance to visit the lovely le figaro/croissanterie, on the corner of fairmount and hutchison. beautiful neighbourhood, beautiful terrasse, gilded viennese-style interior. don't miss the special bonjour, which is a buttery croissant split in half, toasted, and topped with scrambled eggs, ham, spinach, and melted cheese. DELISH!

if you're in old montreal i like BRASSERIE HOLDER, on mcgill. it's a really nice big & friendly newish brasserie with a good menu. the clams with white wine sauce are the yum.

there's a lot of great indian places in town that are mostly of the "best-kept-secret" variety. which largely means they're likely to be out of your way. however, if you do find yourself in the park-ex neighbourhood, try MALHI SWEETS, my favourite indian resto, and/or BOMBAY MAHAL. both super-cheap and great. TABAQ is a pakistani place in an old diner; it still has diner booths and a long counter! which is fun.

for chinese: in downtown chinatown there's a great place (at st-laurent & de la gauchetiere) called NIU KEE. northern chinese cuisine, super-super-super-spicy and very taste. try the kung pow chicken and the eggplant. for more straight-up chinese i also like FUNG SHING, just up the block. it's got pink curtains and is kinda dim inside. further uptown is SOY, a pan-asian fancy place with really good food.

for japanese, i like the latin quarter's mikado, on lower st-denis (not to be confused with the inferior mikado on laurier). best sushi in town.

IRANIAN - restaurant tehran, on the westmount/ndg border. you may not find yourself in either of these neighbourhoods, but this place, while really plain-looking and too big, is a winner.

KOREAN - hwang kum (and this other place i'm trying today which i've heard is excellent--perhaps it'll be a favourite too--i'll report back later). anyway hwang kum is in NDG too. great korean bbq and bibimbap.

that's all for now! i'll keep thinking...

Okay...another question: I would like, at some point, to go out in Montreal (I'll probably go to a jazz club in QC), and my preference is either rock/metal or urban/hiphop. My friend Will isn't feeling house/trance/etc, so those are basically the two choices. What place is bumping the most?

glad you guys are finding this helpful. i went way overboard didn't i.

chez clo (claudine) on laurier near st-denis is a champ of a place, with what a lot of people consider the town's best. also open 24 hrs and offering a wide variety of poutine variations. "the classic"

the main on st-laurent, also open almost 24 hrs or 24 hrs depending on the night, also very "classic," you can get it with a really good smoked meat sandwich (almost as good and sometimes better than the legendary schwartz's across the street)

patati patata: the vegeterian option, served in potato nest with green peppers and mushrooms and onions and thin-cut fries. the activist poutine, if you will.

Maria: I'd love to, but the timing isn't in the cards. I remember Supersilent being there a couple years back, and I'd practically kill well loved members of my own family to go see them. Still couldn't make it. Additionally, that week has already been well requested at work. Isn't happening.

i'm also a great one for the heretical (grated cheese!) version offered by mamma's pizza on des pins. and louigi's in old montreal serves a fucking solid pout as well.

for your chain-store poutines, lafleur is probably the best. the get the fries so right--baked then fried as they should be. booyakasha.

Flying to QC in a coupla sundays for a drive to Lac Megantic for work. Never been east of Ontario, much less this deep into French Canadia, so this ought to be interesting.

sometimes i forget how fuckin' enormous quebec is. i mean look at this shit.

http://sht.tl/Bf1k

Gotta go up and reclaim a lake and call it Slacki

Quebec is hueg. i'm half afraid of it.

so much frozen north

The "frozen" part is easy, it's the spring blackflies that will kill you

sometimes i forget how fuckin' enormous quebec is

and how porous

i have a friend who spent a lot of time working/living in cree communities wayyyyyyy up north. fly-in communities they're called, because no roads go there. u gotta fly.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/376942_10150944055235243_903350242_21602804_705067809_n.jpg

u all wish u lived here

proof of distinct society

distinctly delicious!

i dream of montreal