(New Year’s Eve) Welcome a brand-new year in true Montreal style: the Montreal Buzz Guide to New Year’s Eve in Montreal offers an array of ideas, from five-course meals to pub crawls, family-friendly outings in the Old Port to champagne-fuelled comedy shows, jazz clubs to multi-room parties, and all kinds of late-night dancing. New Year’s Eve in Montreal is a party no matter what your idea of a party is.

(festive food) Montreal has become a destination for feasting on gourmet comfort food, especially for meat eaters, from pork belly to tourtière. The SAT Foodlab throws an end-of-the-world, prix-fixe dinner, Souper Apocalyptique, on December 21. And then there’s the Christmas Day tradition, mostly among people who don’t celebrate Christmas but also among people who just want to eat a lot of good food, of going for a huge Chinese lunch or dinner: lots of duck, hot soup, fried seafood, dumplings and house specialties. Follow it up with sweetness: chocolates, truffles, freshly baked bread, croissants and more, all made in Montreal.

(last-minute shopping) Get one-of-a-kind gifts at the biggest craft and artisinal fair in Canada, Salon des métiers d’art, where over 400 Quebec artists and artisans set up booths full of professionally handmade clothing, toys, home decor, food and much more – at Place Bonaventure only until December 22. Our Holiday Gift Guide is also full of Montreal-made ideas and suggestions for stores to shop for everyone on your list. Of course, picking up a little something for yourself couldn’t hurt, right? Peruse the guides for fashion-forward women and men before hitting the shops.

(super-entertainment on stage) Let Cirque du Soleil’s Saltimbanco blow your mind with gasp-worthy acrobatics, genuinely funny clowning, and feats of strength and stamina, all in one bright, colourful, musical show. What makes this run super special is that it’s the last time Santimbanco – see it until December 30 at the Bell Centre. Also in circus happenings, Cirque Alphonse’s Timber! turns Montreal circus centre Tohu into in a Christmas-y forest populated by lumberjack acrobats, clowns and laughs, on until December 31. And the traditional, balletic holiday fare Les Grands Ballets’ The Nutcracker continues to December 30 at Place des Arts.

(outdoor fun) Even in winter, Montrealers spend time outdoors, burning off steam (and calories) with winter sports or just walking through the city – there’s plenty to see, and this time of year much of it is illuminated. On Saturday night at 8 p.m. and on New Year’s Eve at midnight, the Telus Fire on Ice fireworks explode over the picturesque Old Port, also home to a huge outdoor skating rink. Families will also want to check out Noël sur l’avenue along Mont Royal Avenue east of Mont Royal Park, and the further-east Olympic Park Winter Village, where from December 22-24 and again December 27-31, kids and adults alike can go ice skating and sledding, hang out with Rudolph and the other reindeer, sing Christmas songs and more – there are even fireworks on December 31.

(music nights) In the holiday tradition: hear the Notre-Dame Basilica organ in action on December 23-24 and 28-31 at 2 p.m., join the Arte Musica choral concert Let’s Sing Christmas! at the Montreal Fine Arts Museum on December 28-29, 2 p.m., and listen to choirs at the Montreal Botanic Gardens greenhouse on the afternoons of December 22-23. Less traditional: Party with the locals at the Third Annual Passovah Holiday Special on December 21 at Casa del Popolo, with bands, DJs and good, good people. The Objet Inusité International Summit on Audio Art is on at Eastern Bloc on December 21, with installations during the day and performances at 8 p.m., culminating December 22 with a bang at Sala Rossa with arty, fun music from Valleys, UN, Agor, Orkestar Kriminal ad DJ Matteo Grondini. On December 22, Indie Montréal throws a fab fundraiser Christmas Party at Divan Orange with David Martel , Ainsley McNeaney and Motel Raphaël. And fans of Alexisonfire either already have a ticket to their sold out shows or will be outside at Metropolis December 22 and 23 trying their luck getting one. And long-time UK punk band Snuff make it to Foufounes on December 30.

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Maison Publique: Chef Derek Dammann announced on Twitter that he’d be taking reservations (he usually doesn’t) at his brand new Maison Publique for NYE only. But even when pressed, Dammann wouldn’t reveal the secrets of the special one-night-only menu. We can only hope it might contain something like the Dungeness Crab trifle (pictured above) that he’s been serving us at his place.

XO: XO in the Hotel St-James is one of Montreal’s top-rated restaurants. The refined atmosphere of their dining room is sure to rarify the occasion. This year’s menu features oysters, seared venison, a lobster and guinea fowl “surf and turf”, and a mushroom tart with chestnuts and white truffles from Alba, all washed down with a coupe of champagne, of course.

Aix Cuisine de Terroir: In one of Montreal’s most picturesque hotels, the Place d’Armes in Old Montreal, ACdT is trying something a little gimmicky and festive this year – a tasting menu themed on the roaring ‘20s and “prohibition” (which Montreal never had, which is why it was so much fun for us). A five-course tasting menu lets you choose from seared scallops and Jerusalem artichokes, duck breast with truffle-braised lentils, and several other decadent items.

Nora Gray: This new entry into the pantheon of Montreal’s best was just recognized by the country’s go-to list of new restaurants, in enRoute Magazine. What do Ryan Gray and Emma Cardarelli have up their sleeve for their first NYE menu? Only the lucky few who nab a table for the special night will know, the menu isn’t posted anywhere (it never is), though sometimes secrets leak through on Twitter.

Le Club Chasse et Pêche: This is one of the hardest-to-nab tables in the city on this special night, since the Chasse et PêcheNYE service has become legendary. The menu always “remains discreet”, in the words of the their front-of-house man, because it is based on hard-to-find ingredients that are subject to change at the last minute.

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Make your way to Chinatown and hit up Mon Nan on Rue de la Gauchetière. They do an awesome traditional three-course roasted Peking duck. Starting with a soup made with the duck bones, it’s aromatic and warm. With pillows of tofu and silky strands of noodles, this dish is preceded with a duck meat stir-fry with bean sprouts and scallions.

This ritualistic “dish” is concluded with a plate of teeth-shattering roasted duck skin, served with piping hot and freshly made Chinese pancakes, a side of pickled carrots and daikon, and shredded scallions and cucumber. This is wrapped up and eaten with like a taco with a schmear of hoisin… a “Chaco”. Open on Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Looking for a hot bowl of something to warm your bones and sooth the soul? Head up to Restaurant Phouc Ky in Villeray for their specialty Phouc Ky noodle. A mix of yellow wheat udon noodles and rice vermicelli noodles in a rich pork bone broth is armed and ready to curse the weather away. Topped with ground pork, slices of fish cake and fried shallots, the pièce de résistance is a fried shrimp chip. Open on Christmas and New Year’s Day.

La Maison Foo Lam on L’acadie is the place you want to go for fresh seafood. This spot features live tanks of sea creatures that you can name before you watch the chef catch them and throw them in a screaming hot wok.

Two must-orders are the ginger and scallion fried lobster and salt and spicy pepper fried shrimp. The smokey kiss of the wok is distinct in every piece of crustacean on either dish. The savory lobster that’s spiced with ginger and aromatic with green onion and the spicy shrimp is fried to a crusty perfection – the shell is edible for the adventurous. Either dish are ones that deserve to be washed down with an icy bottle of Tsingtao. Open Christmas and New Year’s Day.

If dumplings is what you’re after, Qing Hua Dumplings has you covered. Offering awesome little bundles of soup dumplings of a variety of fillings made fresh to order, Qing Hua has two locations to help you get your fix. The lamb and coriander dumplings are a personal favourite; fill your bowl partway with vinegar and place the dumpling in and let it cool. Resist the urge to bite into it right away, as the dumpling will challenge you by squirting its contents all over you. Nibble a little hole and suck the soup out, and let nature lead you the rest of the way. Open New Year’s Day at both locations.

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THE DETAILS

Restaurant Mon Nan, 43 Rue de la Gauchetière East, (514) 866-7123

Restaurant Phouc Ky, 7495 St-Denis, (514) 278-8288

Restaurant Maison Foo Lam, 9394 Boulevard de l’Acadie, (514) 383-7878

Qing Hua, 1676 Avenue Lincoln (438) 288-5366 &  1019 St-Laurent Boulevard & (514) 903-9887

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The Olympic Park’s Winter Village‘s grand opening is on December 15 but he fun continues well into the New Year and, on December 31, the park will be hosting a New Year’s Eve celebration and bonfire. Revellers can enjoy the fireworks while ice skating around the beautiful park.
If you are looking for new ways to enjoy the winter, why not take up snow tennis? It’s tennis, but in the snow. Sounds reasonable and it’s probably a really good workout. Instructors with equipment will be waiting to give you a tutorial from January 5 until March 9 at the Olympic Park. Then, on February 15-16 look out for Barbegazi, the Extreme Sports Winter Festival. The festival will feature activities for everyone like freestyle snowmobiling, snowboard competitions, free skiing, snow skating, and a good old fashioned lumberjack challenge.

The Winter Village at the Olympic Park is going to be full of life all winter long, from festive events in December to spring break fun scheduled for March like the superhero-themed celebration for Nuit Blanche and the Montreal High Lights Festival. And, if that’s not enough, thanks to the success of the Park Olympic’s First Fridays food truck event, they’ve decided to introduce a winter version called First Saturdays where you can delight in a variety of festive foods from food trucks all winter long.

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THE DETAILS

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Pictured above is the roasted cauliflower, salty pork belly and ricotta at Pastaga: The earthiness of cauliflower and the tangy, sharp-soft salt of pork belly warm us to the bone.
Chef Jason Nelsons is almost religious in his devotion to what’s fresh, honest and often organic. He travels the region on Sunday road-trips in search of producers he likes, and the board at Renard Artisan Bistro, his small restaurant on Mont-Royal, lists original dishes that showcase the flavours in a way that elevates them even further. Sweetbreads never tasted so good in this town.
Tourtière is traditional Quebec meat-pie made of a meat mix that often includes pork and spices; this one made by Michelle Marek and Seth Gabrielese at Foodlab is adorned with a small, perfect pastry snowflake that tasted especially sweet and flaky. Michelle and Seth have organized a special set of holiday menus, Les Grandes tablées, which set menus for groups of six people or more – a great place to meet with family or friends over the holidays.
Speaking of pork, Lawrence Restaurant’s wintry Quebec-raised pork chop with braised radicchio and local apples, a signature dish which is always salted and sweet enough to warm even the chilliest bones. Apples are bountiful in Quebec, and cooks can count on them all winter long to sweeten the deal.
Speaking of root cellar-produce, Nora Gray has a mean handmade beet and gorgonzola ravioli on their December menu, as well as some rabbit saddle and tripe that’s recommended.

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Here are a few suggestions for Montreal-made sweet stocking stuffers that showcase this city’s recent gastronomic history.
Plateau chocolate stop: I like to walk down pretty Duluth Street when it’s snowing, so my first stop is Les Chocolats de Chloé, a chocolaterie that, as far as I’m concerned, should already be famous for their grilled-almond and Fleur-de-sel bars. Chloé’s boutique was sweetly decorated with felt owls and chocolate Santa lollipops with especially exuberant expressions. Their advent calendars houses fantastic filled housemade chocolates behind each numbered door.
Hot chocolate, cool balls: La Maison Cakao (Cocoa House) on Fabre Street is an awesome little shop whose unassuming façade belies the wild creativity inside. The sign on the street carries a straightforward message: Y Fait frette, which is Quebec slang for “it’s cold outside”. Hence: Hot chocolate. And sure enough, when you walk through the door, there’s a hot vat of it heating in an urn with an automated paddle.
They really pull out all the stops for Christmas, with specially baked fruitcake filled with homemade delicacies: cranberries dried after being marinatedin dark Cuban rum, pinapples confitted in maple syrup, as well as candied oranges, lemons, dates and apricots (they make great brown paper-wrapped gifts because they keep for two months after the holidays.) As far as stocking stuffers are concerned, their filled praline-chocolate pinecones are darling, and the jewel-red chocolate Christmas-ornament chocolates make a unique, elegant gift.
Also: Special holiday breads: The bakeries of the city are going full-steam throughout the holidays, and many of them actually bake special loaves for the holidays. Mamie Clafoutis on Van Horne Avenue makes the Marronnier, small, sweet loaf by stuffed with both ground and candied chestnuts. Believe it or not, this bread is fabricated especially to be a carrier of another French Christmas tradition: Foie Gras.
In Mile-End, the energetic bakers at Boulangerie Guillaume bake up the Couronne Lyonnaise, basically a round Baguette, especially for Christmas. That one’s great with some unsalted organic butter, fresh from their prodigious ovens.

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(outdoor sparkle) While the Old Port lights up to musical accompaniment every Saturday night at 8 p.m. for December’s Telus Fire on Ice fireworks show, the Noël sur l’avenue Mont-Royal brightens up a long stretch of shop-and-restaurant-rich Mont-Royal Avenue, beginning with a joyful, candle-lit parade on December 8, starting at Mont-Royal Metro at 7 p.m. and ending at Parc Lafontaine with choirs singing, music playing and fireworks too! And throughout the month, kids and adults alike can take part in all kinds of activities, including a tree decoration workshop, December 9 at Place Gérald-Godin. And over at the beautiful Montreal Botanical Gardens, the main greenhouse is decked out for the holiday season with lights, new plant life, choir performances on weekend afternoons, and a craft fair December 7-9.

(glimmering gifts) Find professionally handmade and unique gifts at Montreal’s craft and artisanal fairs this weekend. Over 400 Quebec artists and artisans offer clothing, toys, food and much more at Salon des métiers d’art, downtown at Place Bonaventure to December 22 – Santa even drops by every Saturday afternoon. Find more creative gifts at the festive Le Marché Casse Noisette, co-organized by Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, on until December 9 at the Palais des congrès de Montréal. Designers, artists and other creative types set up mini-boutiques at the hip, cool Smart Design Mart, December 7-9 at 5505 Casgrain, in Mile End. Also in the neighbourhood is the Old Skool Crafts Holiday Fair, at L’Église St-Michel (105 St-Viateur W.) – it continues next weekend too, rivalling the new-skool at Puces Pop DIY & Craft Fair. And head east to Haut & Fort Noël Market at Marché St-Jacques (2nd floor, 1125 Ontario East).

(fancy food & drink) December is a time to indulge in social delights and delicious things – both are plentiful at FoodLab this month as the restaurant, located in cutting-edge multimedia centre le SAT, offers a “Grandes tablées” menu of Québécois terroir: December 10-13 try the Terrine De Gibier & Pot-Au-Feu, plus appetizers and desserts, all for $45 a person. Or warm up in nearby Chinatown with a steaming bowl of cheap and cheerful pho soup. Later, get cozy with friends and friendly Montrealers at any one of the city’s neighbourhood brew pubs.

(art & sound) Family friendly activities abound in December, including entertaining, interactive art around the city: downtown at the Quartier des Spectacles, walk through and play with musical installation Iceberg and see several large-scale projections on buildings along Sainte-Catherine and de Maisonneuve, all part of Luminothérapie. It’s also worth the trip to Maison de la Culture Maisonneuve to make your own music inside The Improbable Igloo, an igloo-shaped dome made of speakers by artist Alexis O’Hara, on until December 20. And fans of the band Sigur Ros won’t want to miss a screening of Sigur Ros: Valtari Film Experiment at the Phi Centre on December 9.

(comedy & theatre) Comedian Jeff Dunham’s show on December 9 at the Bell Centre is sure to be funny and strange and puppet-filled, just like Christmas, right? Later in the week, check out the hilarious DeAnne Smith headlining and Al Lafrance hosting “giftalicious” stand-up comedy show Let’s Do This! – it costs a mere $5 or a wrapped present if you want to be a part of a wacky gift exchange – at Mainline Theatre, December 13. Children’s theatre experts Geordie Productions add entertaining new twists to the classic tale of Robin Hood, December 7-16 at the Centaur Theatre. And for more traditional holiday theatre there’s Les Grands Ballets The Nutcracker, December 13-30 at Place des Arts.

(classical tunes) The sounds of Christmas are writ large when The Montreal Symphony Orchestra teams up with the Montreal Bach Festival to present Bach’s Christmas Oratorio performed by internationally renowned Collegium Vocale Gent, December 12-13. On December 8, The Orchestre Métropolitain performs Bruckner’s Symphony No. 6, while on Saturday and Sunday afternoon, Les Choralies Christmas concerts find harmony at Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours in Old Montreal. Le Choeur Gospel Célébration sings its Noël Divin program of Christmas and holiday-themed music at The Gesù on December 9. And at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts on December 9, the Cantivo Vocal Ensemble gives a performance free of charge and on December 12, soprano Hélène Guilmette sing cantatas and traditional songs.

(rock n’ roll) Friday night brings much-loved Australian multi-instrumentalist Xavier Rudd to Metropolis and Loreena McKennitt to Place des Arts, while the skyrocketing love for the indie-rock of Half Moon Run peaks at Le National, Alaclair Ensemble adds hip hop to modern art at the MACM, and Keys N Krates’ electro-hip-hop fills the dancefloor at Le Belmont. More dancing is in store with electronic music producer Jacques Greene, Doldrums and more live on Saturday night at the SAT. Sunday, December 9 sees The Faint playing their album Danse Macabre, with Trust opening, at Club Soda. Since Monday is the new Friday, why not make a night of it with NYC’s St. Lucia at Divan Orange on December 10. On Tuesday, Rock and swoon to the electro-orchestral-tinged sound of The Breezes, with Montreal’s CFCF at Sala Rossa.

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(illuminated learning) Hands-on learning about how music works on our minds is at the heart of Musik: From Sound to Emotion, a cool new exhibition at The Montreal Science Centre. Every step of the exhibition’s journey is interactive – each visitor carries an MP3 player to listen to music of all kinds (including by pop-punk band Simple Plan, who collaborated on the exhibition), answer questions and create a personal composition. Less high-tech, but delightfully educational nonetheless is a visit to the Insectarium and The Botanical Gardens, where the main greenhouse is decked out for Christmas with lights, new plant life, choir performances on some afternoons, and even a craft fair December 7-9.

(glorious showtime) Lumberjack acrobats tumble among pine trees in Cirque Alphonse’s Timber!, a comedic, musical circus for the whole family, December 18-31 at Montreal’s one-and-only circus centre, Tohu. Geordie Productions specializes in creating shows for children that their parents can also truly enjoy – this year they’ve put a new twist on Robin Hood, the classic tale of do-good outlaws and their merry ways, playing December 7-16 at the Centaur Theatre in Old Montreal (453 St-Francois-Xavier). For more traditional holiday theatre fair, see Les Grands Ballets unveils its colourful annual performance of The Nutcracker, December 13-30 at Place des Arts, while Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol becomes a musical, complete with 14 songs, at Theatre Rialto on December 14.

(holiday history) A question possibly on many a kid’s mind this season: Who is the real Santa Claus? Pointe-a-Calliere Museum of Archaeology and History answers with an theatrical tour of international holiday traditions, from St. Nicholas, Melchior and Babushka to Santa Claus, throughout December – see the museum’s website for tour times. For toys and nothing but toys, visit The McCord Museum’s Toys 3 – The Voyage exhibition, where children aged 3 to 9 can travel through the adventureland of Abracadabra, where 200 historical toys are on display in wild jungles and next to crackling campfires.

(joy of art) The Montréal Museum of Fine Arts gives the gift of free tours and art activities this season: wander through an indoor forest of 35 Christmas trees, decorated in different styles, see museum’s permanent collections, kids and parents can make their own tree decorations and wrapping paper in a Holiday Decoration Workshop (Saturdays and Sundays, drop in), paint a pastel and ink landscape (Saturdays and Sundays, 1 and 2:30 p.m.) and listen to stories (in English Saturdays and Sundays, 1 p.m.). The Musee d’art contemporain also has art workshops for the family every Sunday afternoon, with a different theme each week. And traditional and contemporary art as well as plenty of craft – including all kinds of hand-made toys – that you can not only look at but buy is in abundance at Montreal’s artisanal and craft fairs.

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The Christmas spirit is truly in the air at another big fair, Le Marché Casse Noisette, known in English as the Nutcracker Market. More Montreal and Quebec creations are around every corner at this fair, where gourmet food, jewelry, clothing, bath and beauty products and much more abound among the Christmas trees and tinsel, November 29-December 9 at the Palais des congrès de Montréal.

Hip, cutting-edge design is what the annual souk @ sat is all about, with over 100 professional artists and designers selling unique, often made-in-Montreal clothing, jewellery, handbags, furniture, home accessories, toys, art and more. The sale happens November 30 to December 2 at the Société des Arts Technologiques (1201 St-Laurent), a high-tech education centre, music and entertainment venue, and also home to the inventive FoodLab restaurant.

With a pro style similar to souk’s, Smart Design Mart lets vendors set up approachable mini-boutiques in a huge industrial loft space, where everything from locally designed clothing to home decor to food can be found in a range of prices. The Mart is open on the evening of December 7 and during the day December 8-9 at 5505 Casgrain, in the bagels-and-coffee-and-cool neighbourhood of Mile End.

Also in Mile End is the holiday version of Pop Montreal’s Puces Pop Craft & DIY Fair, an always-lively mix of hip, quality hand-made items for winter and beyond, all infused with plenty of love and care – happening the evening of December 14 and during the day December 15-16 at Saint-Enfant-Jesus Church (5035 Ste-Dominique). For those looking for more traditional craft-fair fare, stop by the Old Skool Crafts Holiday Fair, December 8-9 and 15-16 at L’Église St.Michel (105 St-Viateur W.). And if you’re in town November 17-18, check out the creative goods at Expozine, one of the largest small press fairs in North America, where authors, artists and zine makers impress live and on paper – also held at the Saint-Enfant-Jesus Church.

Explore more of the city by heading south-east to the Haut & Fort Noël Market, dedicated to Quebecois designers and creators of “ideas, objects and furniture made here”– happening December 6-9 and 13-16 at Marché St-Jacques (2nd floor, 1125 Ontario E.). As with all the craft fairs in Montreal, the artists are right there to talk about their work and answer any questions – there’s something special about this kind of face-to-face meeting, and so often we get a good story to go with our purchase, not to mention a warm, fuzzy holiday feeling.

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The holiday season is special everywhere but, though we’re a bit biased here at the Montreal Buzz, we’re pretty sure it doesn’t get much more special than this. From skating on the The Quays Skating Rink to the wonderful Christmas village found at the Old Montreal Extravaganza Festival, from Mile End’s Noël dans le Parc to shopping on St-Denis, McGill & Sainte-Catherine, and finally the wonderful night sky artistry of TELUS Fire On Ice, if this video doesn’t put you in the festive spirit then you’re probably a grinch. But you’re not, so enjoy.

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