Now that warmer temperatures are back, the month of May is turning out to be a busy one for food events in Montreal. If you are a foodie, the following 3 events are sure to be up your alley

Food Revolution Day – Boxed Lunch Sale: Chef Jamie Oliver is the instigator of Food Revolution Day, a day of awareness for better food education celebrated in over 60 countries around the world. Appetite for Books is participating in the May 17^th international event by preparing $10 “good food” boxed lunches made by chef Jonathan Cheung and featuring favourite Jamie Oliver recipes. All proceeds raised on that day will be donated to the NDG Food Bank’s Good Food Box Program. May 17, 2013 at 12 P.M, Appetite for Books, 388 Victoria Avenue

Salon j’ai faim: This event is in its very first edition this year. Its mission is to celebrate local food initiatives and innovation. The show will host about 50 exhibitors who will showcase their local products, from all natural sodas, to vegan cooking classes to urban organic vegetable gardens. Also on site will be artists exhibiting their work, conferences on how to start a food business as well as activities for the whole family, including kids workshops. May 18-19, 2013 from 11 A.M. to 6 P.M, Église Saint-Enfant Jesus, 5035 St-Dominique

Pointe-à-Callière’s Cultural Feast: This event takes place in Old Montreal, right in front of Pointe-à-Callière, Montreal’s Museum of Archeology and History and celebrates the city’s cultural diversity. Activities, food stands and presentations by food enthusiasts are on the menu as well as a very special spotlight on tea in the form of conferences and tasting. Several international delights and sweet treats will be served by some of Montreal’s restaurateurs. A kid’s corner with face painting and games will surely delight the younger crowd so don’t hesitate to make it a family outing! May 25from 11 A.M. to 7 P.M and May 26 from 11 A.M. to 6 P.M. Place D’Youville, outside the Pointe-à-Callière Museum, 350 Place Royale

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Festivals and outdoor activities spring forth this week with a bout of beautiful weather just in time for the long weekend: celebrate La Fête de Montréal with street entertainment and food; be inspired by the art of Festival Transamériques and Chromatic; fall under the spell of the Montreal Opera, the Chamber Music Festival, and live music from electro-dance to glam rock…

(outdoor life) The fun starts outdoors on Friday, May 17 with free, all-day party La Fête de Montréal in the heart of the Quartier des Spectacles. The day celebrates Montreal’s 371st anniversary with performances from circus troupe Les 7 Doigts de la Main, folk-rock band Irreverend James and the Critical Mass Choir, choreographer-dancers Jocelyne Montpetit and Manon Oligny, artist Armand Vaillancourt and more. Food is also front and centre at the festivities with a variety of gourmet food trucks and a happy hour cocktail party at 4:30 p.m., followed by DJ sets by Vincent Lemieux and a multimedia musical event at 9:30 p.m. Sundays are for relaxing in the open air, chilling with drummers and dancers at the Tam Tams on Mont Royal or at this summer’s first weekend of Piknic Electronik (pictured above) at Parc Jean-Drapeau, starting its 11th season off right with two days and two stages of music to dance to: on May 19, hear house-label Leftroom producers Jay London and Laura Jones and the UK’s Matt Tolfrey, while on Monday, Detroit house legend Carl Craig headlines. And thrill-seekers flock to the sunny opening weekend of La Ronde amusement park.

(daring performance) Some of the highest caliber multidisciplinary theatre, dance and performance art comes to Festival Transamériques, May 22-June 8, featuring international and Canadian talents, including German director Thomas Ostermeier’s not-to-be-missed modern interpretation of Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People on May 22-24, and South African artist-choreographer Robyn Orlin’s Beauty Remained For Just A Moment Then Returned Gently To Her Starting Position…, an engaging, humorous critique of South African society – and society in general, for that matter, dressed in elaborate costumes made of recycled materials.

(art & the street) Multidisciplinary art festival Chromatic, May 18-22 at art gallery and studio space The Darling Foundry puts on a long weekend of all kinds of avant-garde art, film screenings, music and more, indoors and outdoors – there’s even an art party on Saturday night with music by Capitaine Soldat, Aroara, Memoryhouse, TEEN, Rock Forest, High Klassified and Toast Dawg. On May 19, bring the family for a picnic on Ottawa Street outside the gallery, complete with free art workshops for kids. May 22 closes the show with an Art Affaire party. Catch two art exhibitions at the PHI Centre: Philomène Longpré’s interactive video system Cereus Queen of the Night, and Gabriel Coutu-Dumont’s multidisciplinary Wonders of a Transient Universe. And experimental Sight and Sound Festival continues to blend art and technology, with performances at Eastern Bloc to May 29. And make music outside just by swinging on  music-art installation 21 Swings, outside along de Maisonneuve Avenue in the Quartier des Spectacles.

(love & mystery) The Opera de Montreal, alongside the Orchestre Métropolitain reach new heights with Massenet’s opera of love and poverty, Manon, directed by Fabien Gabel and featuring soprano Marianne Fiset, Canadian baritone Gordon Bintner and Portuguese tenor Bruno Ribeiro. Dream Away, the latest work by award-winning choreographer Stephan Thoss, is a surreal exploration of movement and gesture, presented by Les Grands Ballets to May 25. Thoroughbred and highly trained horses make up the magic of Odysseo, a theatrical new show from the makers of Cavalia, to June 9 in Laval. And Greg Kramer’s adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, starring Jay Baruchel, unravels mysteries of man and nature at the Segal Centre until May 28.

(chamber & classical music) The Montreal Chamber Music Festival mixes traditional quartets with chamber-inspired jazz, to June 1: on May 17, hear Brazilian guitarist Chico Pinheiro and his ensemble perform music from their new album There’s a Storm Inside; on May 18, it’s the Swingle Singers 50th Anniversary Celebration at Église St-George, singing tunes from The Beatles to Bach; and on May 22, hear solo performances of Bach played on impressive instruments from the Canada Council Musical Instrument Bank. Meanwhile, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra plays out its spring season with the family fare of the Magic Horn, a story of a genie told through the sounds of exotic musical instruments. On May 21, the Orchestra tackles surrealist music of the early 20th century, and on May 22-23, David Zinman conducts Mahler’s Fifth.

(may music fests) Pop-punk is the name of the Pouzza Fest game, as are Pabst and poutine, all a part of the fests take over of 10 downtown Montreal venues by 150 bands – there’s even a Sunday breakfast show at Foufounes and BBQ dinners at Katacombes. Among the headliners: Me First & the Gimmie Gimmies, New Found Glory, A Wilhelm Scream, The Planet Smashers, Saves the Day, and man, many more, including free outdoors shows at the Quartier des Spectacles (at the corner of Clark and Ste-Catherine) on Saturday and Sunday starting at 11 a.m. Later in the week, catch a variety of great solo acts at the One Man Band Festival, May 23-26: on Thursday night, see Bloodshot Bill, Danny Lutz, André Daneau and more.

(more live music) Friday night is alright for an electro-groove party with RJD2 at the SAT. On Saturday night, the man behind The Twist performs the kind of rock and roll that inspired a generation: Chubby Checker gets the crowd dancing at the Rialto Theatre, in the Mile End neighbourhood. On May 19, glam-rock band The Darkness prove they still believe in a thing called love, with Free Energy opening, at the Corona Theatre, while Connecticut-based rapper Chris Webby  rhymes to the beat at L’Astral (305 Ste-Catherine E.). Listen to the sweet and sometimes sad music of Montreal’s Folly And The Hunter and Aidan Knight at Cabaret Du Mile End on May 22. And on May 23, UK indie post-rockers The Boxer Rebellion bring their big sound to Petit Campus (57 Prince-Arthur E.), while The Shins get mildly happy, with openers Ra Ra Riot, at Metropolis.

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The store’s mission is to help its customers discover the wonderful products of our fair province. It works closely with some of the Quebec’s best suppliers like Le Canard Goulu for their duck, Atkins & frères for their local fish or La ferme des Voltigeurs for their organic and grain fed chicken. Hard to find specialty meats like bison, rabbit and venison are also available at FOU D’ICI for your cooking experiments pleasure. The market also caters to many food allergies sufferers by offering them a large variety of quality products.

FOU D’ICI’s ready-to-eat section is a hub of activity come lunch time. Chef Daren Bergeron – a talented chef who has honed his craft in some of the country’s best kitchens – is the creative force behind the mouth-watering fresh and seasonal daily meals at FOU D’ICI. Gourmet sandwiches and salads as well as ready-made hot meals are prepared on the spot daily. FOU D’ICI offers a lunchtime à la minute tartare bar starring Wagyu beef and Atlantic salmon.

But perhaps the most interesting service as Montreal embarks on its most prolific annual festival season is the FOU D’ICI lunch box. Enjoy the many outdoors activities that take place around Quartier des spectacles this coming summer and fall while indulging in a delicious to-go meal packaged for your convenience. Don’t forget to pick up one of the many delicious sweet treats from the dessert counter for that afternoon pick me up.

THE DETAILS

FOU D’ICI, 360 De Maisonneuve West, (514) 600-3424

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La belle province’s love affair with French cuisine is legendary. It has been rooted in tradition and technique for years. As early as three decades ago, mostly all restaurants in the city had French chefs at the helm serving classic French food. The arrival of Québécois chef Normand Laprise changed the game entirely. Laprise was instrumental in defining a cuisine that, although still rooted in French tradition, is very proper to Quebec. His insistence on working with Quebec producers and using their products to create a unique cuisine has been a role model for a whole generation of chefs.

Chefs in Montreal are not as anchored in the city’s culinary heritage as their colleagues are in the “old country”, perhaps for the simple fact that Montreal is a relatively young city with a relatively short culinary history. We happily embrace new ideas and count among our most-loved restaurants a few classic French ones that have been around for years, like Chez la mère Michel or L’Express, as well as more recent and inventive ones.

Today, many of Montreal’s most famous chefs are taking that classic French training and using it to create a new kind of cuisine, one that can only be defined as the new Montreal cuisine. Some of the most ubiquitous French dishes are being reinvented in ways that could never be conceived of in their place of birth. Boudin (blood sausage), for example, can be consumed in its most classic form in a few of the more conventional French establishments around town. But give boudin to brilliantly inventive award-winning Montreal chefs like Martin Juneau of Pastaga or the team at Les 400 Coups and they will transform it into an explosive croquette or a silky smooth, perfectly spiced tart, dishes that are as far removed from the original sausage-form as possible but that are rooted in it nonetheless.

Whether you’re craving a traditional coq au vin or something more contemporary, today’s Montreal French food scene caters to everyone’s individual idea of what French cuisine is, or must be.

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There is no talking about steakhouses in Montreal without mentioning downtown’s La Queue de Cheval. One of, if not the, most prestigious fine dining spots in Montreal, “The Q” is on par with the caliber of any of New York’s swankiest steakhouses.

Featuring signature cuts of in-house dried aged USDA PRIME steaks, La Queue de Cheval also proudly serves Australian Wagyu beef famous for its marbling and luscious fat content. Nothing this amazing comes chea, but in the end you absolutely get what you pay for and for the experience you’ll get at The Q (dining room, whiskey bar or cigar lounge) is worth every penny. La Queue de Cheval, 1234 De La Montagne (514) 390-0091

A Montreal institution known for their reputation of menu quality is Moishe’s Steakhouse. Located on Saint-Laurent, this local hot spot recently celebrated its 75^thanniversary. Voted by Forbes Magazine as one of the top 10 steakhouses in the world, Moishe’s old world charm and rich heritage shines through their dishes and service. From their Kobe beef burger or signature bone-in filet mignon, Moishe’s steakhouse offers not only classic cuts of meat charcoal broiled to perfection, but also offer some of them on a late night menu (after 9pm) which sees these mains paired with an appetizer and coffee or tea for a preferred price of $25. Moishe’s Steakhouse, 3961 St-Laurent, (514) 845-3509

The newest player in the Montreal steak scene is L’Atelier d’Argentine, headed by executive chef Natalia Machado and located in the Old Port. Her masterful touch oversees the authentic Argentinian asado and traditional presentations of beef whose signature highlight cuts are the rib eye, short ribs and skirt steak. Chef Machado’s culinary philosophy and deft hand of experience is evident in the preparation of each cut of meat appropriating different techniques down to seasoning to showcase the subtle intricacies of the meat. L’Atelier d’Argentine prides themselves on using the freshest products, having meat that is butchered daily is a necessity in order to have it speak for itself to be prepared and served on a plate with nothing more than chimichurri, criolla and lots of love. L’Atelier d’Argentine, 355 Rue Marguerite D’Youville, (514) 287-3362

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Honourable mentions:

Gibby’s, 298 Place D’youville, (514) 282-1837

Méchant Bœuf, 124 Saint-Paul West, (514) 788-4020

Rib ‘N Reef Steakhouse & Cigar Lounge, 8105 Décarie, (514) 735-1601

Magnan Restaurant et Taverne, 2602 Saint-Patrick, (514) 935-9647

Vieux-Port Steakhouse, 39 Saint-Paul East, (514) 866-3175

The Keg, Various Locations

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Avenue 65 is basically OpenTable but done in Montréal style, ergo prettier and slicker. It’s pretty straightforward: pick your date, time and party size and scroll through Montreal’s best restaurants with space. Some times even have special deals like “15% off” or special menus.

Streetfood MTL - All hail the mighty food truck, because food trucks are so in right now. Food trucks combine my two favorite things: standing in line outside and gourmet food. Now with this handy app you’ll have no problem hunting down the best food trucks in Montréal.

RestoMontreal – Not the most beautiful app on the block, but definitely the most complete listing of Montréal restaurants. It includes info, ratings, menus, maps, and more. Last app update was 2010 so fingers crossed we’ll get a more user-friendly version soon!

Korean Food Montreal - Just when you thought all your culinary app dreams have come true, here is one that is dedicated solely to Korean food in Montréal. All eleven of them. Includes list and map views.

Deville Dinner Bar - The app itself doesn’t do much except show a map and some photos. Oh, and allow you to control the Jukebox when you’re connected to their wifi, no quarters needed. (1425 Stanley, (514) 281-6556)

Time Supperclub - Definitely one of the most feature complete apps for a club in Montreal. Make reservations, upload photos, see events and check-in to unlock special deals among other things. Definitely a must-download if you plan on hitting Time during your night out. (997 St Jacques West, (514) 392-9292)

St-Hubert - Just downloading this app will make your glands salivate. I personally start sweating their super secret sauce. Find the closest St-Hubert restaurant, or order something delicious. One flaw is when you order via the app, you can only pay with cash at the door, no credit cards accepted.

Wenite - Check out what’s going on in the Montréal nightlife scene live from this app. Users can vote a place up or down depending what the ambiance is like. In other words, decide what parties are worthy of your presence before you even do your hair!

Wildcard - Consider Wildcard your passport to Montréal’s nightlife. You can claim benefits at clubs, bars and lounges around the city. The roster of partner venues is a bit weak at the moment, but I expect more will be added soon.

Have any other apps that we missed? Add them in the comments section below to help travelers and locals get even more connected with Montreal. And check out our list of Best Culture Apps to see the range of museums, attractions and events that have also hopped on the digital bandwagon!

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Our Shop Hop guides are designed to help you scope out the most unique finds in town by suggesting easy-to-walk excursions through the city’s nicest neighbourhoods. Not only will you get a feel for Montreal as locals experience it, you’ll also come away with souvenirs that’ll remind you of your magical trip to la belle ville. After our hunt for designer clothing in Outremont and menswear in Old Montreal, we take a gander at some sleek designer furnishing stores in Little Burgundy.

Our journey starts admittedly a little east of Little Burgundy in Griffontown, on Peel between Wellington and Ottawa street, only because that’s where Celadon Collection lives. Among the tufted leather divans, wallpapers and mile-long cherry wood dining tables o this breathtaking showroom, you’ll find a plenitude of cool little items that are easy to pack. A kit of lacquered cream-coloured stationary boxes, for example, will make your desk look as worldly as Christopher Columbus – or how about a vide poche with a heraldic lion motif for a stately statement?

When you wander out, take Ottawa street westward to De la Montagne, turn right and walk to Notre-Dame. Notre-Dame, Little Burgundy’s main drag, has long been a destination of choice for interior decorators and stylish amateurs because it’s home to a huge concentration of antique stores, so make sure you keep some time to explore those too. What’s most interesting though are all the contemporary design boutiques that have popped up over the years. Ludovik is an invaluable resource for playful contemporary ware, including a vast collection of ceramics, cushions and dishware by Jonathan Adler, an exclusivity in Quebec.

Continuing westward, you’ll happen upon Beige, a sweet, tasteful store filled with silky soft bedding by the likes of Area Home and Dwell Studio, classy glass dishware and chic table linens worthy of Martha Stewart’s Maine home(s). Though generally classic, the tone here sometimes veers towards the contemporary, especially in the lighting department – and everything remains impeccably curated. Just across the street, at Léo Victor Design, the wares are distinctly avant-garde by comparison, trading in dramatic lines and unexpected forms. There’s a preponderance of pop colours in the seating – a specialty – and in the accessories, the focus is on stainless steel, which is the material of choice for wine racks, key holders, lanterns and filing trays – all cooler than cool.

Peckish? Choose between one of the city’s most acclaimed restaurants, Joe Beef, and its subsidiary Liverpool House, both kings on this block.  After three courses of meaty goodness, you’ll be ready to bask in other made-in-Montreal delights just a hop westward, for a grand finale of this Shop Hop at Fait Ici. In this store specialized in sustainably-produced Quebec products you’ll find everything for the home, but of a different sort: less design products and more edibles, including a gift section where you can get growing gifts – plants in pretty pots. Whatever your wants, it’s worth a stop!

THE DETAILS

Celadon Collection, 186 Peel St., (514) 932-3306

Ludovik, 1318 Notre-Dame West, (514) 678-6617

Beige, 2475 Notre-Dame West, (514) 989-8585

Léo Victor Design, 2480 Notre-Dame West, (514) 939-3888

Joe Beef, 2491 Notre-Dame West, (514) 935-6504

Fait Ici, 2519 Notre-Dame West, (514) 439-3888

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Dishcrawl is a genius plan hatched in California, and has recently expanded to Montreal courtesy of Dishcrawl Ambassador Jenny King. For a set price (usually around $60 per person) you get to experience four carefully curated Montreal restaurants each with a specially prepared tasting menu. Once your spot is reserved, you get an email with the first location where you will meet up with your taste-bud tour guide.

The other locations are kept secret until you’re at their door ready for another mini-meal. The Saint-Paul Dishcrawl I went on was an enormous success…

We started our evening at Chez L’Epicier, a restaurant from chef Laurent Godbout, which has carved itself a rightful place in the top tier of the Old Montreal food chain. They served a trio of tasting dishes: beef tartare on a homemade brioche bun, grilled cheese lollipop, and a Jerusalem artichoke soup shooter.

After we had our fill, we had to stay on schedule and crawl to our second secret location. Although we did less crawling and more of the patented “Montreal Penguin Shuffle” as it was 30 degrees below freezing.

Our second location turned out to be Brasero Hardi. Where upon arriving they already had a delectable cocktail awaiting our frozen fingers called “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” which was a dizzying mix of Chartreuse, Midori, lime, green tea syrup, egg white, and garnished with dried seaweed. Brasero Hardi, a relatively new player on the Saint-Paul food circuit, served us two dishes with our cocktail: Marinated spare beef ribs on top of lardon pork mashed potatoes and house smoked salmon on horseradish panna cotta.

Everyone still had space for the three slices of pizza we were served at our third location: Dolcetto & Co, which has a welcoming decor of nautical whimsy. We were left to salivate while waiting for our pizzas: one with foie gras and fig, a margharita with barrata, and one with sharp pear, gorgonzola and pine nuts.

Our forth and final restaurant was Old-Port hotspot Santos, where we got some Spanish tapas action of paella, salmon tartar and churros with chocolate for dessert! Our group of thirty strong left with our bellies full of new friendships, an expanded yet exhausted palate, and a love for the great foodie adventure now known as Dishcrawl.

The next Montreal Dishcrawl is again taking place in Old Montreal (with a new roster of restaurants) on February 26. You can follow Dishcrawl on Facebook or check their website for upcoming Dishcrawl dates.

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THE DETAILS

Chez L’Epicier, 311 Rue Saint Paul East, (514) 878-2232

Santos, 191 Rue Saint Paul West, (514) 849-8881

Brasero Hardi, 139 rue Saint-Paul West, (514) 507-4558

Dolcetto & Co, ‪151 Rue Saint Paul West, (514) 419-8522

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Molecular cuisine at Pullman: Chef Alejandro Digillo of La Vinería de Gualterio Bolívar in Buenos Aires has worked with the godfather of cutting-edge contemporary cuisine Ferran Adria. Chef Digillo has received several honours for his trendy yet unpretentious local and seasonal cuisine that focuses on applying new techniques in the kitchen. Expect some showmanship and a little bit of the theatrical when he takes over the Pullman kitchen during this year’s fest. February 26-27, 2013, Pullman, 3424 Parc, (514) 288-7779

Lunch around the world: What better way to spend your lunch hour then to travel around the world in search of exotic flavours? From February 25 to March 1, take your taste buds – and your coworkers – on a whirlwind culinary trip. All 6 of these restaurants will be offering 3-course lunch menus for $14.95. Any of these spots would be wonderful but my personal favourites are Byblos and Rumi. February 25 to March 1, 2013, Various locations

Festival of Quebec cheeses: This free activity is a must for all cheese lovers. It’s a great opportunity to discover more than 60 Quebec-made cheeses and meet some of the cheesemakers who will all be gathered at Complexe Desjardins for a 4-day cheese extravaganza. Quebec cheeses have come a long way in the past 20 years and they now rival some of the best imported cheeses. Go on the hunt for your new favourite cheese, learn how to distinguish regional qualities and discover everything you always wanted to know about the intricate process of cheese making from the masters themselves. February 20-23, 2013, Complexe Desjardins, 150 Sainte-Catherine West, (514) 281-1870

Sweet Sucre at Auberge Saint-Gabriel: Sucre is one of the hottest restaurants in Buenos Aires right now and we are lucky to have its chef Hugo Macchia at Montreal en lumière this year. Chef Macchia has worked in some of the world’s best kitchens, including 3-Michelin starred Mugaritz in Spain. He will be a guest chef at Auberge Saint Gabriel where he should be in his element thanks to the similarities between his native and adoptive restaurants, mainly the large cellar and roaster set in a welcoming, hip ambiance. February 21-22, 2013, Auberge Le Saint-Gabriel, 426 Saint-Gabriel, (514) 878-3561

Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean at the Jean-Talon Market: The Jean-Talon market mezzanine will play host to a makeshift bazaar that will welcome 12 producers and food processors from the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region. Discover these welcoming producers, exchange recipes and ideas and discuss their unique products, from dairy products and meats to spices, preserves, jams and regional specialties. February 23-24, 2013, Jean-Talon Market (Mezzanine level, 2^nd floor), 7070 Henri-Julien, (514) 277-1588

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