Ice cream time

Now that summer's here, we have a permanent stash of ice cream in the freezer usually a couple of pints of Haagen Dazs - Belgian Chocolate and Vanilla Bean . For some strange reason, Haagen Dazs Spain doesn't sell pints of vanilla ice cream (I checked their website) so we have the Macadamia Brittle instead.

When we want a real treat though, we head to Marbella where we always end up at Giangrossi which opened soon after we arrived here. It's an Argentine-style ice cream parlor with modern interiors and Lavazza coffee. Favorite flavors: Dulce de Leche granizado (Dulce de leche with chocolate bits)and Chocolate amargo (bitter chocolate).

So, where else have I had really good ice cream? Try these places:

Le Bilboquet in Montreal (1311 rue Bernard Ouest, Outremont) where lines snake outside the door and onto the pavement in the summer months sometimes even until midnight. Favorite flavors: coconut and chocolate orange.

Paris' Berthillon on the Ile Saint Louis has so many flavors of ice creams, from white chocolate to gingerbread and sorbets, from passion fruit to lychee. Buy a cone, sit right by the Seine where you'll have a close-up of Notre Dame. Favorite flavors: Moka, Chocolat noir and mangue.

In Buenos Aires, there's an ice cream parlor in almost every corner but set apart from the rest is Freddo which opened in 1969 and has recently undergone a makeover. The homemade charm is gone but the ice cream is as good as ever. Favorite flavor: dulce de leche (could there by any other?)


If you want to try and make some of your own, check out David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop - a real ice cream bible.

Gourmet Traveller: Montreal

Thinking back on the year we spent in Montreal reminded me of the many gourmet delights the city had to offer. From restaurants to farmers markets, Montreal is the closest you'll get to European flavor without flying to Europe. Here's my personal list of Montreal's gastronomic offering:

Markets

If you live downtown then the Atwater Market will be the most convenient option. It's not that large but has fruits, vegetables and meat and also stalls selling whatever is in season. It's a great place to buy a fresh pine tree for Christmas. Of course if you can trek over to the Jean-Talon Market then even better. It is the largest outdoor public market in North America and has everything from fruits, vegetables, flowers and meat plus specialty boutiques. Regional farmers also set up stalls here and the variety of produce changes depending on what's in season. (My favorite stall: Qui lait cru!?! for their excellent selection of cheeses and the small grocery Douceurs de Marche)

Casual Restaurants

Au Pied de Cochon is one of those places that you go to once and then visit again and again with friends. Famous chef Martin Picard has created his version of Cuisine Quebecoise with a twist. Classic comfort food is reworked and served without any pretensions. Poutine (a Quebec classic of french fries smothered in cheese curds and gravy) is reworked with gravy but this time with chunks of foie gras. It's not a place for vegetarians or for those on a diet - the food is hearty and the portions generous. Try to book dinner at the counter so you can be part of the action since the kitchen is just an arm's-length away.

Joe Beef - When ex chefs David McMillan and Frederic Morin of Montreal's famous restaurants GLOBE and Rosalie, decided to team up and open a restaurant in the seedy section of Notre-Dame, it was always going to be a must-visit. We were able to visit in the first month and went several more times afterwards. The chalkboard menu changes often specializing in seafood despite the restaurant's name. The food is good and the atmosphere convivial but be sure to book as there are only a few tables and lots of people waiting to get in.

L'Express (3927 St Denis; Tel +1 514 845 5333) Classic French bistro with black and white tiled floors, a long zinc-topped bar, tables smashed close together, apron-toting waitstaff and paper tablecloths make this a must visit when in Montreal. Food is not fussy and you won't go wrong with the steak frites. Bustling and open almost all day (from 8 a.m. till 3 a.m.) so you can always walk in and get a table if you don't mind a short wait.

Lemeac (1045 Laurier St West; +1 514 270 0999) on fashionable Laurier in Outremont has been open since 2001 but still remains one of the city's fashionable bistros. Food is simple, consistently good bistro fare - salmon tartare, steak frites, oysters. At Lemeac, you get what you pay for plus some fantastic people watching while you dine.

The Best Unlicensed restaurant would undoubtedly be A L'OS (5207 St Laurent, +1 514 270 7055) situated right beside Bu wine bar. Many restaurants in Montreal don't have liquor licenses and so you can BYOB (bring your own bottle) to dinner. Lots of them are simple places but A L'OS has separated itself from the rest. It's probably the most expensive BYOB in town but worth every cent since you can also enjoy some great wines from your own collection without paying the exorbitant restaurant mark-ups. The last time we were there, we brought a Chateau Margaux 1988 and had a fantastic meal.

Restaurants worth the hype

It took awhile to get to Brunoise since at first we didn't know where it was then we couldn't get a table. The cuisine at Brunoise is simple but the flavours are distinct and well worth the trip to the east side. The owners are always present - one is the chef, the other is the manager - and service is helpful yet unobtrusive. Parking is impossible so take a taxi.

Arriving at Le Club Chasse et Peche's nondescript doorway in Vieux Montreal (Old town) is a little bit unnerving. The entryway is dark and gloomy and it feels like a cellar. Get past the reception though and the dining are is modern and the place is packed. This underground restaurant is like a club for those in the know with gastrophiles and sharing the space with local celebrities and politicians. When we had dinner there, ex-Prime Minister Paul Martin was at a nearby table with his family. The cuisine is modern Quebecoise with emphasis on local ingredients. This is a fine dining establishment so don't expect to dine and dash. I prefer it in the winter when it's freezing cold outside and the place is warm and inviting. If you do go in the winter, get some grips for your boot soles because the sidewalk entry is a slippery slope.

Wine Bar

Bu is on trendy St. Laurent boulevard yet the atmosphere is more like a friendly neighborhood hangout. Countless wines by the glass and a simple Italian-style menu to complement the wines. Owners and staff are super friendly so dining at the bar alone is doable.

Patisseries and Boulangeries

Patisserie de Gascogne (4825 Sherbrooke W in Westmount, +1 514 932 3511 and on 237 Laurier Ave. in Outremont). Opened in 1957, this is the most prominent patisserie in town with several locations scattered all over the city. The array of pastries, chocolates, breads can't be beat. They also have prepared dishes that can just be brought home and reheated. The staff are efficient but unfriendly and will insist that you takeaway the food when they feel that the place is too full and that there are no more tables left. In the summer, this is acceptable but in the winter, who wants to have a cappuccino and croissant in below freezing temperatures?!

Olive+Gourmando is a little cafe/boulangerie hidden away in one of the cobble stoned streets of Old Montreal. There's always a short wait to get a table but it'll be worth it. There is a large selection of premium breads and cakes along with a daily changing menu of sandwiches, soups and salads. The place is homey and casual but filled with serious food-lovers and the staff are helpful and love what they do.

Montreal Institutions

Beauty's retro 50's interiors are special. Food is diner fare with large sandwiches, soups and salads but the best are the breakfasts - pancakes, eggs, omelets. The place is packed and octogenarian owner Hymie seats people at the door while his son is at the cash register.

Schwartz's deli boasts Montreal's most famous and most popular smoked meat sandwich. Lines snake out side this tiny shopfront on the weekends and although the service is gruff, people come back from more.

For a true taste of Italy, the Caffe Italia on 6480 St. Laurent can't be beat. Smack in the middle of Montreal's Little Italy, it's soccer-postered walls and Formica-topped tables are not fancy but the coffee they serve is the best in town. Share the counter with Italians discussing football and having their cappuccinos along with paninis. It's a great place for a quick breakfast before heading off to nearby Jean-Talon market.

The Expat Weekend Brunch

Brunch is the one of the highlights of the expat weekend.

In every place I've lived, there has always been one particular place that we end up spending almost every Saturday and/or Sunday morning in. These places are all unique and as far as I know, none of them are franchises.

Lots of different places could have been included but I set a few parameters to make the list: it should open early and/or stay open all day, serve good coffee and a selection of breakfast items, carry foreign newspapers and magazines and most important of all, cater to other expats. Here's my list arranged by city in alphabetical order:

BALI

Ku De Ta - Jalan Laksmana no. 9, Seminyak, +62 361 736969

Ku De Ta's location right on the beach coupled with its' chic design makes it a one-of-a-kind breakfast place and an expat magnet. It opens early and is a restaurant/bar/beach club/cigar lounge all rolled into one. Dinner is good too and needless to say, the place is pumping all night long and with the sun loungers and great breakfasts, you won't even have to go home at dawn.

BUENOS AIRES

bar6 - Armenia 1676, Palermo Viejo, +54 11 4833 6807

My sister-in-law, Silvia, took me here for lunch several years ago and we really enjoyed it. Ever since then, my husband and I make it a point to stop by bar6 each time we visit Buenos Aires. They open from 8 a.m. till late and are usually full. The crowd is a mix of artsy locals, chic Porteños and expats. Great for hanging out with a book and a coffee, brunch on the weekend or even after-dinner drinks when they pump up the music with the in-house DJ. Also an excellent stop for when you explore Palermo Viejo's shops.

DUBAI
Lime Tree Café - Beach Road (across the Jumeirah mosque) +971 4 349 8498

Although this is more of a deli than a classic breakfast place (they don't have the full eggs and bacon option) it's on this list because it has a great selection of sandwiches and salads, a cool-looking interior and lots of people hanging around. It's fine to go it alone or with kids or a deux - this place is casual and friendly. You can always enjoy a large coffee with an even larger slice of homemade cake or linger over a salad and sandwich lunch. They have a small front garden with outdoor tables but with the desert heat, better to grab a table inside or upstairs on the breezier terrace. This being Dubai and liquor licenses almost impossible to come by, the Lime Tree Cafe is a non-alcoholic hangout.

PARIS
Coffee Parisien - 4, rue Princesse 6ème arrondissement +33 1 43 54 18 18 (also in the 16th and Neuilly)

I first came here in the early 1993 when it was hidden away in a small street off the boulevard St. Germain. It was packed to the rafters every weekend with English-speaking expats clamoring for weekend brunch. My sister and I spent many Saturday mornings here waiting for a table. It was also our choice for when we just needed a hamburger and a milkshake. The atmosphere was noisy and crowded and the tight tables conducive to making friends. It's still the same except now they've moved to larger premises beside the Village Voice bookshop on the Rue Princesse. they've also branched out in the Rive Droite and Neuilly. Coffee Parisien continues to cater to expats but there are lots of locals as well looking for a taste of America. Breakfast and brunch are still on the menu along with those famous hamburgers as well as a large selection of daily specials, sandwiches and salads.

MARBELLA
Terra Sana - C/Las Malvas, Edif. On-Line, Nueva Andalucia (+34 952 906 205)

Lots of places in Marbella serve breakfast and are open all day but Terra Sana's food quality, free Wi-fi, numerous magazines and newspapers, friendly staff and all sorts of expats under the Spanish sun make it the best choice in town. There are plenty of breakfast options and Lavazza coffee plus a super selection of wraps and salads along with a daily changing list of specials. There is an extensive wine list as well and a daily happy hour from 5 to 7 p.m. Pity that the one near us closed recently so now we have to drive down to Puerto Banus to get our Terra Sana fix.

MOSCOW
Starlite Diner - 16 Bolshaya Sadovaya Ulitsa +7495 290 9638

It's been ages since I've set foot in Moscow but I hear from my friends that the Starlite is still there. When they opened in the early 90's, it quickly became the place to have breakfast on the weekends. It's conveniently located in a small park off the ring road and is basically an aluminum trailer kitted out as a typical diner with the standard interiors - red leatherette booths, Formica-topped tables, bar stools, black and white checked linoleum and ketchup and mustard in squeeze bottles. The only thing missing here is the gum-chewing smart aleck waitress (or maybe not anymore). The all-American menu and the fact that it's open 24 hours is a real draw. It's probably the only place in town where you see expat couples and families sharing the space with party goers who just finished clubbing all night tucking into their fried breakfasts on the weekend. Not the place for a lover's tryst but great for a midnight snack on those long, dark Moscow winters.

SANTIAGO

Cafe Melba - Don Carlos 2898 - off Av. El Bosque Norte, +56 2 232 4546

This cafe serves all the typical breakfast items and lots of newspapers and magazines if you decide to eat solo. In the El Bosque area, it's where you go for brunch or lunch. Cafe Melba's Aucklander owner, Dell, is there to check that everything is running smoothly and those frothy cappuccinos keep coming.

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These next ones on my list are not necessarily expat hangouts but are great places for breakfast that both tourists and locals frequent and where we used to go.


MONTREAL
Beauty's - 93, Avenue Mont-Royal West corner St. Urbain, Mile End +1 514 849 88 83

Opened in 1942 as a simple place for workers to get a decent meal by Hymie and Freda Skolnick. This place has become a Montreal institution. Hymie still hangs out at the counter and assigns seating to everyone walking in while his son helps out. It's a great place for breakfast and has a strong local clientele who have been going there for years. Visiting celebrities enjoying Montreal's party scene are also frequent diners. The menu is simple but has all you expect from a typical diner and the mixed crowd and people watching is always lots of fun. Sit at the counter if you're alone and strike up a conversation with Hymie about the good old days. Keep in mind though that this isn't a place to hang out with a cup of coffee (except when on weekday afternoons when it's a bit quiet). Eat up and pay before Hymie seats someone else at your table.


NEW YORK
E.A.T. - 1064 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10128 (bet. 80th & 81st) +1212 772 0022

There are loads of interesting brunch options in Manhattan where power brunches rank high on the weekend social agenda. If you're in the mood for "painfully hip" then Balthazar in Soho is the place to go but in my opinion, Eli Zabar's E.A.T. on Madison is where you get to see the locals, or at least the "upper east side locals". There is an excellent deli and takeaway service, wonderful breads and pastries but also a bustling cafe in the back with serving breakfast items and excellent deli sandwiches all day long.

NAPA VALLEY

Gordon's Cafe and Wine Bar - 6770 Washington St Yountville, CA 94599 +1707-944-8246

Yountville's main street boasts several fine dining establishments including The French Laundry, probably the most well-known restaurant in America. At the very end of this street across the gas station is a small unassuming one-story building with a large front porch and a screen door. Step inside and you immediately understand why I love this place. It's small and cozy and not pretentious. There are lots of delicious things to eat and the valley's movers and shakers stroll in and out for breakfast or coffee.