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.

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.

Milk, by Alexa and Sheila

Head Trip

Beautiful painting, no?

No.

Because why?

This is no painting, friends, this is the genius work of body painter Alexa Meade, modelled by Sheila Vand.

Looking to explore the fluidity of the female form through portraiture and perception, Alexa and Sheila decided to collaborate after a chemic Skype meeting and the project Milk: what will you make of me? was born.

The figure: the human body itself.

The canvas: milk.

Activate

To paraphrase the marvellous interview (the full version of which can be read here), the two creatively kindred spirits were intrigued by using milk as the medium to look at the concept of women in art. It's a medium that works well in the logistic sense for its opacity, but Sheila reveals it was more than just that. 

"I was also really drawn to its conceptual implications," she says in Don't Panic's interview. "It's a provocative substance made only by the female body, so it's a really insightful context to explore the female form". 

Mango Lassi

While this all sounds well and good, the process was not as milky smooth as they make it look.

Lying in a blow-up pool filled freezing milk, suspended partly by floaties and partly by a solid concrete floor, Sheila admitted to the challenge of keeping the body as expressive as she and Alexa had discussed beforehand. "But if you lose that human element, it's no longer a living portrait," she conceded.

And it's no wonder with that level of dedication that the project turned out as breathtaking as it did.

White Out

On Alexa's side, the challenge mainly lay in the ticking clock. One can only imagine the exasperation she felt when she says, "I could spend a couple hours painting on Sheila and in as little as two minutes in the pool of milk, it could all be washed away. There is an incredibly short window of time for me to get the right shot. If I miss the photo, then all our work is gone and we have nothing to show for it."

Though it was just the two of them putting these together, they distinctly felt a third presence throughout their work. "We often referred to the milk as a third partner in our collaboration ebcause it would ultimately determine the final product," says Alexa, and describes how that which was meant to be grotesque would end up graceful. "We could never predict how the milk would behave."

But did they cry over this spilled (or rather, unruly) milk? Not in the least!

The medium worked well with the art to produce unanticipated results, like in Shape and Shift (below).

Shape                                                       Shift

The duo toured to Zurich, Switzerland in August and September of 2012 to do a live performance of their project at Galerie Ivo Kamm. There, inspired by the effervescent nature of the art during the original LA based project, they wanted to work with the loss of identity and its instability.

"You really start to feel like a mutable canvas," says Sheila who was painted between 2-3 times per session.

To check out all their work, behind-the-scenes shots, and some sneak peaks at the Zurich performances, head right on over to their website and glory in their inspirational work.

Behind-the-scenes of Activate/Hesitate/Deviate

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the constant milk baths were indeed very good for the skin. "The paint," disclaimed Sheila on the other hand, "not so much."

Porn – A Depressive or Incentive for Your Sex Life?

[Here's my article for this week's issue for The Concordian. My first time writing about something using actual opinions other than mine yay!]

Anxiety over the negative effects of extensive porn-watching is not something new, but it begs the question, what are the negative effects, if any?

A recent article in Men’s Health, “Is Porn Harmful?” linked watching porn with depression (in men) based on a study in Arkansas, but also found that porn was more commonly used when stressed or bored rather than lonely.

Telecommunications professor Byant Paul of Indiana University states that there definitely is a negative bias when presenting porn in the media, implying that there might be a positive light to consider.

Men’s Health’s article “Is Porn Bumming You Out?” explores this very subject. Duane McBride, Ph. D of Andrews University says that porn may be a cause of metal health problems because of the isolation it involves, but admits that there isn’t necessarily a correlation between the two. Rather, as the article’s writer Kiera Aaron puts it, “Porn might not cause isolation but rather be a symptom of isolation—meaning those who are already antisocial tend to rely more on pornography”.

So let’s look at porn in that positive light suggested by Paul while removing the isolation factor.

A Norwegian study observed relations between couples and porn habits. Hands down, the most dysfunctional relationships were the ones where only one member used it. Surprisingly the most satisfied couples were the ones who both incorporated it into their sex lives.

Why? Researchers found they were more capable communicating their fantasies to one another, experimenting, and being open minded when romping around the sheets.

A study done in the University of Denver also concluded that couples who are open about and even join the other in their X-Rated movie nights are more likely to keep relationships going strong.

To find out how Concordia’s students feel, The Concordian interviewed Chris Herbert* and Melissa Park*.

When asked if porn ever made them feel depressed, Park disagreed, but Herbert answered yes, and that he only watches it if in a good mood. “Masturbation is not substitute for actual sex,” he says, “and will often make me feel lonelier afterwards.”

They both agreed that porn was definitely a good educator and felt it never diminished their sex lives. If anything, Herbert says porn has helped him appreciate his partners more. “I’ve learned a lot about how much better real-life sex with a real person can be,” he added.

McBride of Andrews University addresses this opinion, stating, “Experts believe that face-to-face social interactions improve mood and perceptions of physical health while social isolation has the opposite effect”.

The application of the open-porn relationship expressed in the Norwegian survey, however, seems easier said than done.

“I’ve never watched porn on a regular basis with a partner,” says Herbert, although he adds that this was for no other reason than the fact that his partners were not interested in watching it. Park seconds the importance of the partner’s personal preference. “I’ve talked about it pretty openly with past partners,” she says, “but it really depends on how they feel about it.”

According to the studies, the bottom line seems to be intimacy and connection, something Herbert and Park both feel is most important as well. Herbert states, “My relationship with porn definitely affected myself personally, but never my relationships in a direct way.” He feels porn neither improves or diminishes his sex life, stating instead, “Chemistry and communication affect this much more than pornography ever could.”

Park’s experiences have been mixed among partners. “One boyfriend was really not cool with [porn],” she says. “Others were a lot more receptive and adventuresome.”

She ends optimistically, though, with a smile: “It’s all about communication.”

*For the privacy of the participants, names have been changed.

La Guerra del Taco

[Since my article for this week got pushed to next, here's a food review from a couple of weeks ago!]

Though Montreal isn’t exactly a capital for the spicy food of our southern North Americans friends, there are a few hotspots around to satiate cravings for a more authentic Mexican food experience than 3 Amigos. The faceoff: Tequila Taco House vs. La Matraca.

Round 1: Tequila Taco House

           

Their interior may be small, but the high ceilings with tall shelves supporting earthenware pottery and desert plants make it feel comfortable and open. Festive Latin music dance salsas in the background and a waitress arrives instantly with water, menus, and preemptive bowls of hot sauces.

Before sinking teeth into the main course, try the guacamole nachos: the guac is homemade with the summery tang of lime that goes great with the oily bitterness of the thick cut corn nachos. For colder weather, there’s the Aztec soup – while salty, the taco shells lining the bottom do well to offset this, and the cheese and sour cream swirled on top are irresistible.

Guacamole and Aztec soup with spicy sauces

For the indecisive, the waitress enthusiastically recommends the Tequila Taco special. It has a little of everything, and is perfect for sharing. It comes with four soft tacos with two shrimp balls each that are fried in cornbread. Served with spicy mayo, a corn-herb-rice medley, chunky tomato salsa, and a side of nachos speared into a dollop of refried beans and cheese, it is positively filling. As an aside, their food presentation gets an A+.

 Taco Tequila special

As for drinks, the marguerites are where it’s at. The lime was maybe a bit salty, but the fabulous Jamaican marguerite is reminiscent of an amaretto sour with tequila.

In all, it’s not exactly cheap, averaging at $12 a dish, but the food is quality enough to make it worthwhile.

9/10

Round 2: La Matraca

Anyone looking for the Mexican equivalent of a Belle Province, look no farther! La Matraca is a diner with quirk, from its signs about la etiqueta del taco, to its corkboards crammed with photos of satisfied customers, to the “I <3 Tacos” t-shirts for sale.

The menu is a DIY checklist allowing for a mix-and-match of different dishes. While there isn’t any guacamole, they do have a savoury bean and Mexican sausage entrée soup (highly recommended!). The flautitas – taco-cheese rolls with a bean dip – are great for a group of friends to split.

Mexican sausage and black bean soup

Main dishes are a wide array of tacos, sandwiches, and burritos. The guera is the highlight of the menu, a flour tortilla with seasoned beef and cheese improved only by copious amounts of the three types of spicy sauces provided. For dragon-people who like to feast on fire, La Matraca’s hot scale for these sauces starts at around a 6 and hovers comfortably at a 9.

Their unique beverage selection includes milky sweet Agua de Horchata, Agua de Jamaica (a homemade ice tea), and fizzy apple soda.

Spicy sauces and (left clockwise), apple soda, Agua de Horchata, and Agua de Jamaica

To cap it off, there is a small selection of desserts, but the only one you should have eyes for is the flan which is surprisingly one of the best flans to be found in Montreal.

Prices range from $5-8, but the portions are small. Also the service was leaning on the frigid side and they charged for something that wasn't bought.

7.5/10

Winner

The quality of Tequila Taco House gives it first place, but both are worth checking out – take a date to Tequila Taco House, and go with friends to La Matraca!