Keuffel and Esser - NYC

In yesterday's post I teased you with a tidbit of information linking this NYC building with Montreal's Expo '67. So here's the connection...

The Keuffel and Esser building pictured here was the showroom and headquarters for the company of the same name, founded in 1867, and manufactured drafting instruments and supplies. They also carried drawing materials and surveying instruments.  It was in 1893 that this building was completed at 127 Fulton Street, an 8-story building in the Renaissance Revival style. The company occupied it until 1961.

In the 1920's they began to make slide rules, something every engineering student and engineer used and owned, until the 1970's when calculators made them obsolete. Now pay attention, because here comes the Montreal connection... in the 1960's Keuffel and Esser opened an office in Montreal and became one of the main suppliers to the big engineering firms in the province. So, guess whose engineering instruments were used to for the construction activities, to build the highways and prepare for Expo '67?

A Day with the Impressionists

Spent a day in Montreal with D. visiting the Impressionists at the Fine Arts Museum.  What a lovely collection of paintings. And Degas's The Little Dancer was there to greet us too!  We started the morning with a cafe au lait that was a work of art in itself.

And after viewing the exhibition we revived ourselves with a cup of tea at a tearoom on Sherbrooke Street, just a couple of blocks from the museum.

As we dined at The Commensale, before boarding the train to return home, it was starting to get dark and so we were in time to see the Christmas lights along McGill College Avenue. A wonderful day!

Back to Cocoa Locale, Part 2

There are too many treasures to be found at Cocoa Locale to see at one glance.

Vintage cupcake and muffin tins, and an old seed package advertising roses, just like the petals that are Reema's signature garnish on all of her cakes.

A lovely display beside the cash.

Cake orders peek out from behind a pastel pink display.

Here's where the magic takes place.

There are lots of pretty vintage advertisements to catch your attention. Reading them is a pleasant distraction  if you find yourself waiting for your turn.

So many choices, what will I try today?

The perfect vintage hostess stands by the door, to wish you farewell as you leave.

Too avoid disappointment, get there as close to opening time as possible. You can find Cocoa Locale at 4807 Parc Avenue in Montreal.

Back to Cocoa Locale, Part 1

Time again for a trip to Cocoa Locale, my favorite cake shop in Montreal by far.  Even if the cakes weren't so delicious, which they are, the shop's decor is a treat in itself.

You know a kindred spirit lies within when you spot a line of vintage aprons in the window!

And tea cups on the window ledge are another clue.

And then, over the counter at the back, are all the adorable vintage cooking implements in such pretty pastel shades.

But let us not get distracted from the cakes... chocolate chai, chocolate lavendar, vanilla rose, pumpkin spice...

Oh, but just look how cute this vignette is!

And those wee cupcakes garnished with rose petals!

Oh look, more teacups!

Cocoa Locale, my kind of cake shop!

Montreal

I love these bits of architecture that I noticed when I was in the McGill ghetto in Montreal. The soft dreaminess of the patina on both the window and the bottom of a bay window. So beautiful!

Brit & Chips in Old Montreal

On our recent trip to Montreal we were so pleased to come across, just by chance, this fish and chip restaurant. We had been walking in Old Montreal and were getting a little hungry. When my youngest said that a pastie would be good, I certainly thought that it was highly unlikely that there were any pasties to be had anywhere near by.




But I was wrong, because just around the corner we discovered Brits & Chips. And yes, they have pasties on their menu... along with all sorts of different battered fish and fresh unfrozen chips. They aim for an authentic British feel and the prices are more reasonable than you'd expect for a restaruant located in Old Montreal. Good food, friendly service, nice décor.

Brit & Chips, the winner of the 2011 Best of Montreal Readers Poll, is located at 433 McGill Street, in Old Montreal.

Returning to the Scene

A few more photos of McGill College Avenue with its Christmas lights, taken a week after the last one posted on December 29th. This time it was late afternoon as I passed by on Sherbrooke Street and there was a whole different atmosphere to the scene.


It was a chilly damp day, the kind that makes you want to stop in at cosy cafés for a hot drink. Lots of stops at lots of cafés along the way.

Montreal at Christmas

A rosy warm glow of red and orange lights covering the trees and flowing down McGill College Avenue in Montreal.

Cafe Myriade

If you'd like a cup of coffee that's a work of art, Cafe Myriade is the place to go. Located on McKay Street just down from Nocochi Cafe, it's small and cozy and a favourite haunt of the locals, many of whom are Concordia students.


On Sunday morning, the place was full. People had spilled outdoors on the patio despite the chill in the air. As we waited for our coffee, a spot opened up and we happily sat inside to enjoy a our morning latte and croissant.


Before we knew it, we had drained our cups.

Nocochi Cafe

After shopping on Sainte Catherine Street and a quick stop at the Museum of Fine Arts, it was time to rest and rejuvenate over a cup of chai tea at Nocochi Cafe on MacKay Street at Sherbrooke Street. But what was under the teacup?


One of Nocochi Cafe's tiny cookies! Which as you can see, is as small as a teaspoon.



The owner, Shahnaz Bagherzadeh, is Iranian and her traditional Persian desserts are marketed around the world. All these wee delights are of such a diminutive size, they are ideal for sampling. Beautifully arranged in a glass case directly in front as you come through the door, they beckon with temptation ... marzipan, turkish delight, endless varieties of cookies and pastries flavoured with spices, fruits, flowers, nuts and chocolate.


Gleaming bright white walls provide a blank canvas for the deep pink of the chairs' upholstery and...


the pretty prints on the cushions that line the benches along the walls.



Nocochi Cafe is located at 2156 Mackay Street in Montreal.

Window Shopping

After lunch at Laurier Gordon Ramsay we went for a stroll and did some window shopping on Laurier Avenue, which has some wonderful boutiques and windows dressed with lovely merchandise.



And then we headed to Saint Catherine Street to do a little shopping and take in some fashionable window displays.


Just like the mannequins in this window, the majority of Montrealers on this particular Saturday seemed to favor black for their outfits. As usual, no matter what their age, the women looked very chic.

Laurier Gordon Ramsay

Count me in with countless others who were brought up with dinners at Laurier BBQ in Montreal. An institution for over 75 years, our family often stopped there for dinner on a Sunday night after visiting my grandmother, throughout the 60's. The quarter breast of chicken with fries, coleslaw and sauce along with mocca cake for dessert was my staple.

So it was with interest that we learned that this Outremont landmark had re-opened in August after celebrity chef, Gordon Ramsay, had taken it under his wing (no pun intended).

Since we were already in the neighbourhood, after picking up our cakes at Cocoa Locale, we decided to give Laurier Gordon Ramsay a try for lunch.


Redecorated inside with distressed white walls and a combination of genuine antiques and reproductions, the decor is light and bright and has a cosy warmth, if a bit on the "chain design" side. Some of the distressed bits and pieces look a little like the stuff you find in Winners and HomeSense. But we weren't there for the decor... it was for the food.


The menu retains some of the old favourites: the rotisserie chicken, coleslaw, fries and sauce. And some of the old desserts such as the mocca cake,carrot cake and Hello Dolly squares remain.


The new menu...


On the new side, the water is flavoured with cucumber slices, a unique touch. Jars of pickles adorn each table for you to help yourself to while you wait.


My old quarter breast of chicken, with coleslaw, fries and sauce.


Followed by my old favourite mocca cake for dessert.


The new decor with light fixtures from an old arena...


and the original washroom signs, if I'm not mistaken... after all, my sister and I did spend a lot of time as children exploring the ladies washroom.


I won't critique the food as there are lots of online reviews to consult, except to say that while it was a pleasant dining experience with friendly waiting staff and big in nostalgia... the chicken plate I had was nothing special. Perhaps the new additions to the menu are better. If you're curious to frequent a Gordon Ramsay establishment or feel compelled to relive a piece of your childhood, then give Laurier Gordon Ramsay a try at 381 Laurier Avenue West, Outremont in Montreal.