Fondue…or Fundue??

An Exploration of Cheese in the Old Port’s Creperie Chez Suzette

The love for cheese is something Montreal has happily inherited from its French heritage – and its fondue is a testament to this. Creperie Chez Suzette gives a wondrous array of inventive fondues for both the casual and dedicated cheese lovers.

Tucked onto St. Paul’s street in the Old Port, Chez Suzette is the very meaning of the word cozy, inside and out. Lacey curtains let in lots of light and a peek at the cobblestone street. Furnished with wood on the interior and brightened with pot plants, it feels like somewhere between a stop off at grandma’s and time traveling to the turn of the century – especially during the summer with the calèche rides clopping by.

Bringing the eyes back to the menu, it becomes apparent that the decision between fondues is going to be a tough one. There is the original, of course, but then also sundried tomato, pesto and olive, and three pepper cheese. Each is served with cubed baguette, olive bread and Italian herb bread, as well as with a bowl of diced green apples and sweet red grapes.

Cheese! Piping and delightful (check out those lovely table candles!)
(Photo by Andrea Sun)

And yet, if a decision must be made, then let it be with the sundried tomato and three pepper cheese. The former comes bubbling hot with whole chunks of tomato stewing in the molten dairy. While the cheese doesn’t have a particularly exciting flavour, and has at first a vaguely alcoholic aftertaste, the texture and added spices of the tomatoes and herbs quickly make up for it. It’s especially mouthwatering combined with the cool sweetness of the grapes.

The three pepper cheese, however, is the best of the bunch. Where the sundried tomato is clearly made up of just one variety of cheese, the three cheeses in this one are delicately balanced and distinct. The kick of the pepper gives a layering to the taste, and between coating apples and baguette, the gustatory experience is one to impress.

Should you run out of dipping materials, the attentive and warm-spirited waiters will happily bring fruit and bread refills free of charge. That said this meal is not one for casual second helpings. Its richness is so filling that even room for dessert can easily become a faint, unrealistic desire.

But for the fondue enthusiasts, the fun doesn’t stop at the cheese. Regular chocolate fondue as well as deluxe Bailey’s and Grand Marnier respectively are there for indulging in a sweet tooth.

While an appreciation for cheese can be an expensive taste, Creperie Chez Suzette offers one of the most affordable dinners of the sort in Montreal. The cheese fondues range from $18.95-20.95 per person while the chocolates go for around $17.95-24.95, depending on the type and if you’re sharing.

So before finals start boiling away your time, take a well-earned break in the Old Port for some cheese: you’re always due for some fun.

Pixar's 22

And here are the 22 rules of storytelling carefully curated from the Tweets of Emma Coats, wise storyboard artist advice from a career at Pixar.

This has been circulating for a while, but I came across it again and thought it was really relevant - particularly because I've been liquifying my brain writing a story for my class today.

I'm a particular fan of #12. (Hey, Random Person Reading This, what's yours?)

#1: You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.

#2: You gotta keep in mind what's interesting to you as an audience, not what's fun to do as a writer. They can be v. different.

#3: Trying for theme is important, but you won't see what the story is actually about til you're at the end of it. Now rewrite.

#4: Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___.

#5: Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You'll feel like you're losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.

#6: What is your character good at, comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at them. Challenge them. How do they deal?

#7: Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard, get yours working up front.

#8: Finish your story, let go even if it's not perfect. In an ideal world you have both, but move on. Do better next time.

#9: When you're stuck, make a list of what WOULDN'T happen next. Lots of times the material to get you unstuck will show up.

#10: Pull apart the stories you like. What you like in them is a part of you; you've got to recognize it before you can use it.

#11: Putting it on paper lets you start fixing it. If it stays in your head, a perfect idea, you'll never share it with anyone.

#12: Discount the 1st thing that comes to mind. And the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th – get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself.

#13: Give your characters opinions. Passive/malleable might seem likable to you as you write, but it's poison to the audience.

#14: Why must you tell THIS story? What's the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of? That's the heart of it.

#15: If you were your character, in this situation, how would you feel? Honesty lends credibility to unbelievable situations.

#16: What are the stakes? Give us reason to root for the character. What happens if they don't succeed? Stack the odds against.

#17: No work is ever wasted. If it's not working, let go and move on - it'll come back around to be useful later.

#18: You have to know yourself: the difference between doing your best & fussing. Story is testing, not refining.

#19: Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out of it are cheating.

#20: Exercise: take the building blocks of a movie you dislike. How d'you rearrange them into what you DO like?

#21: You gotta identify with your situation/characters, can't just write ‘cool'. What would make YOU act that way?

#22: What's the essence of your story? Most economical telling of it? If you know that, you can build out from there.

Chinatown's Little Sheep, or Hot Pot Hits the Spot

Can’t decide between fondue, Chinese food or a scalding winter soup? It’s time to stop by the all-you-can-eatery Little Sheep in Chinatown for Mongolian Hot Pot.

Never heard of it before?

Here’s the down low: gather two to four friends, each order a personal pot of broth, say yes when they ask if you want platters of raw lamb and beef, and then load up your plates at the buffet. When you get back to the table, bring your soup to a boil with the magnetized hot plate built into the tabletop and start cooking everything you can get your chopsticks on! It’s an outing of guaranteed amusement.

Happy hot potters cooking awesome things

(photo by Andrea Sun)

“It’s really fun, a lot different than what I expected,” said Robyn Barnes, first time hot-potter. “It’s like home economics but just the fun part of eating.”

For anyone terrible at cooking, there’s no need to fret. Sure it’s all about timing to get the perfectly tender slice of meat, but no matter how long something spends in this marvelous broth, it is bound to taste delicious.

The soup bases come in original herbal broth, spicy, half-and-half (with a divider down the middle of the pot to enjoy both original and spicy), and vegetarian mushroom to add a veggie-friendly option. Unless you are the blood of the dragon, it is highly recommended to get either original or half-and-half. The spicy alone has enough ladle-fulls of chili peppers to render your esophagus molten before a single bite reaches your stomach.

There’s a vast array of tastes to be tried at the buffet, from fresh greens (spinach, bok choy, watercress), mushrooms and root vegetables to tofu, dumplings and noodles. Dinner also includes seafood options like shrimp, fish and calamari. Two complaints would be that the plastic curtains hanging in front of the food to keep it “fresh” are a little on the sketchy side, and the labels on the containers rarely match what’s inside leaving a lot of mouthfuls up to guesswork.

There is a ridiculous amount of food to gorge yourself on

(photo by Andrea Sun)

The desserts are surprisingly good, so save some room if possible for their mini whipped-cream pies, macaroons and tubs of mysterious ice cream flavours.

In all, the place has a cute semi-formal, semi-kitsch look to it, with tall booths-for-four for privacy and tables-for-two with a single hot plate in the middle to share. K-Pop keeps the background beat lively and the matching music videos on strategically placed plasma screens provide entertainment when mouths are too full for conversation.

The ever-polite staff may not be the most talkative, but they are considerate and extremely quick, and will even top off your broth if they notice your soup level is too low.

Considering it’s an all-you-can-eat, the price is very reasonable. Lunch is $15, and though dinner is noticeably more expensive at $25, this is because of the seafood offered at this time. Soft drinks and juice are included in the price.

Little Sheep closes after lunch at 3pm and then reopens later for dinner. For anyone who doesn’t have cash on them, that’s fine – debit and credit are accepted.

While Little Sheep’s hot pot does deviate from its authentic Mongolian origins, this evolved Chinatown specialty is arguably the best of its kind in Montreal. Perfect for a casual date or a no-occasion outing with friends.

Karaoke Box Rocks All the Socks

Karaoke Box is one of those landmarks of St. Catherine’s street that should be on every student’s nightlife list.

It is positively hopping on Fridays and Saturday, so it’s better to head over on the early side to keep from ending up looking in on the merry crowd from the cold like a character in some Dickens novel. That said, it’s quiet enough during the week to go after class and relax with a few friends and a beer or two (or three).

Karaoke Box - it's what's inside that counts

The prices are almost foolishly inexpensive. When asking the barista if there were any specials, she shrugged her shoulders in a “not really”, and smiled. “Everything’s so cheap already,” she said.

To prove her point, she brought over a couple of menus and lo! 4L pitchers (choice of Alexander Keith’s, Bud or Blue) for $17.50, 23 shots for $23, pints for $3.25, and most mixed drinks or hard liquor for just $4 a glass. The beer’s no Guinness, but it most definitely does the job.

Karaoke Box may seem cramped from the outside, but that’s only because this little Concordian classic is able to cram in a good time.

The bar, conveniently right at the entrance

Inside is a jungle of tables and chairs to navigate through which gives it a cozy and intimate vibe. The room is narrow but long, and decked out with rows of television screens. The bar is conveniently placed at the entrance to make sure priorities are set, ensuring no hand is without a drink.

At the far end of the room is the main event: the karaoke stage. It’s open for business as soon as the bar is, but around 10pm is the perfect time to start doing the drunken stumble to the open mic to sing your guts out.

Karaoke stage on off hours

They have a great selection of English pop songs, so get pumped for the fact that this is one of the few times aside from driving alone and in the shower that Carly Rae Jepson or Nicki Minaj can be belted out with no shame.

To go along with the music is an eclectic collection of music videos that range from the artist’s official releases to what looks like a montage of all the oddest gifs the Internet has ever birthed. It’s almost more entertaining to watch the TV screens than the person singing onstage.

Lots of alcohol

If singing isn’t your scene, there are also lotto machines to try your luck on.

A night at good old K-Box is a great way to unwind from holiday family reunions or even just to congratulate yourself for going to your first week of classes. There’s no better place to kick off the semester – particularly from your wallet’s perspective.

L’escalier to Heaven: Berri’s Bohemian Café Lounge

Looking to escape off campus for a while for some food, live music, beer, tea, chess, and possibly a nap? There’s only one place in Montreal that can fulfill this impossible combination, and that’s L’escalier.

So named for its characteristic hidden staircase smack in the middle of the Presse International on the corner of Berri and St. Catherine’s, L’escalier can be easy to miss. Those who manage to find its seemingly mythical entrance will be transported into an equally magical cultural corner of Montreal.

The stage in the cafe section of this magical cultural corner
(photo by Maddie Hajek)

Inside is a sprawl of different rooms: to the right is a café area where eclectic tables and chairs are set under dim, low-hanging lights in front of a stage that is rarely empty during the day. Their website has a schedule of the musicians (or slam poets!) who will be performing over the month.

To the left is a shamble of well-loved couches and a long dining table (good for large group meetings), and beyond that is a room with secondhand games, books (on a take-one-leave-one basis), hanging ivy, and high backed chairs. By far the best room, although also the most difficult to snag, would be dead center at the far back, which is strewn with pillows and wherein shoes are optional.

Orders are made at the bar, which is conveniently at the entrance, and the always-smiling staff will bring your food or drinks to wherever you settle. It’s cash only though and there’s no ATM, so take out some green beforehand.

Everything’s vegetarian, but don’t worry, carnivores! After speaking to an omnivorous customer, it was clear that L’escalier doesn’t need meat to satisfy. “I’m always worried that I’ll end up hungry after I go to a veggie restaurant,” she says. “But it’s very filling.”

Prices are very fair for what you get.  The sandwich + soup/salad combo is highly recommended, which comes to just under $9, $8 if you show your student card. There are inventive varieties that range from pesto-feta to veggie pâté, but the best are arguably the goat cheese and apple cheddar. Each has an excellent balance between sweet and salty, and the freshness of cucumber, tomato and alfalfa accompanies the stronger tastes of the cheeses. It is served on multigrain bread with a tuft of alfalfa, some slices of vegetables drizzled with sticky balsamic vinegar, and a choice of soup or salad.

Goat cheese sandwich with red pepper and beetroot soup

(photo by Andrea Sun)

For those looking for a snack, there are plenty of options like nachos, salads, samosas, hummus, and even some gourmet pizzas (pesto, Greek, goat cheese) for the more hungry. These range between $2.50-$9, which makes them perfect to share between a couple of friends.

In terms of drinks, there is coffee, tea, cocktails, beer, wine, and occasionally an interesting homemade juice blend, all ranging between $1.75-$23.50.

What makes this place special though is the atmosphere itself. There are always travelers and interesting characters waiting to be encountered.

Warming up the Semester with Kafein’s Hot Chocolate

Okay so I'm back after a hiatus filled with reading, eating, and even some writing (of the creative, non-bloggy sort). I realize I'm actually pretty backed up on posting my articles from The Concordian, so I'll be posting those over the next few days.

Some of the pictures really didn't turn out, so they won't be as pretty to look at. But this one has a delightful photo of frothy hot cocoa...mmm, don't you want to read this post to find out where it's from?

Sure we’re having a warm spell, but on these damp and drafty January days, what’s better than to curl up with some cocoa? And, more importantly, where’s the best place for a cozy mug or two?

In terms of proximity, Kafein is hard to beat. A mere stone’s throw from the SGW campus, this favourite student sanctuary is right across from the library building on Bishop, between de Maisonneuve and St. Cath’s.

Kafein's original hot chocolate blend
(photo by Andrea Sun)

Kafein is of course known to Concordians as a place to jack up on caffeine between classes, but the hot chocolate is more than worth some consideration. It may not come in the gourmet range of flavours offered at other cafés, but its modest choice between hazelnut, caramel, and good ol’ fashioned is plenty.

After ordering, there’s time to admire the décor. Upstairs is a spread of café tables and chairs, excellent for anything between a quick chat with friends or a study cram. Downstairs is more of a bar-like lounge setup where red walls and crushed velvet chairs allow a more relaxed or intimate place to laze.

The hot chocolate itself is served in a fat glass with cocoa powdered on top. It’s not so much hot as it is warm, and it has a vaguely granular texture, but it tastes homemade. The caramel is disappointing in that it doesn’t taste like caramel, but the hazelnut is indeed quite nutty. Surprisingly the best is the regular cocoa, which unlike the others seems to be made with a dark chocolate base. Its thick, soul-warming richness puts it above the rest.

For the fair price of $3.75 (including tax) per glass, there’s no excuse not to go. Winter’s never been more bearable.

Characters and Plot

Back again after the grindstone wore out my keyboard from writing so many papers and Christmas in retail-land left my energy deflated and draped over the nearest chair.

Anyway I have a few ruminations about writing I'll be posting over the next few days (hopefully). Mostly notes to self. Anyway.

Characters are plot.

When writing characters, every one of them should be living their individual storyline and be the hero in each POV. The thing about people is that everyone feels like the protagonist in their own life's history, and rarely will tell a story that illuminates them in an unflattering light. Normally there are reasons, explanations, and a series of emotional chain reactions that result in every action. Even if a married partner cheats, or a son doesn't wish his mother happy birthday, these things are usually justified as an acceptable outcome in the person's mind.

Characters should go through the same process too. Through the chain reactions they create plot: when a plot point occurs in a book, the opportunity can be laid out by an outside conflict, but it is how a character reacts to this conflict that creates plot. The story moves along as the character becomes more and more enraveled in their own choices.

By the end, they should be in full chrysalis mode and then emerge at the end as a beauteous butterfly transformed! (Because what's the point of a story if nothing changes? How can the reader hope to be moved and changed if the protagonist can't even bother to take the time to do the same).