Many people don’t realize it, but Mr. Christmas himself is a Montrealer.

Each year, to get his fix of culture and fine dining, Santa Claus spends July and August in his Montreal summer home in the trendy neighborhood of Mile End, where he goes incognito in traditional Hasidic Jewish garb.

Despite the über-busy time of year for Santa, he made a bit of time for The Montreal Buzz to chat over eggnog lattes at juliette & chocolat last weekend.

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BACKGROUND

Who are you?

I am an old man who gives candies to kids.

What do you do?

I run a small toy factory in the northern hemisphere.

Why do you choose Montreal?

Well Montreal is unarguably one of the most romantic destinations in the world.  With one foot in Europe and the other in North America, Montreal’s culture, art, diversity and non-conformist creative spirit keep me returning year after year.

And I frickin’ LOVE poutine!

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MONTREAL FAVORITES

Festival: As you can imagine, I enjoy a good deep belly chuckle, so the Just For Laughs festival is on my itinerary every July!

Park: Oh, there are so many refreshing green spaces in Montreal! I have a weakness for kayaking, so I’m going to have to say the Lachine Canal.

Boutique: *chuckles* Well I’d be lying if I didn’t say that Noel Eternel in Old Montreal didn’t hold a special place in my heart!

Restaurant: Up in the North Pole, we try to stick to a 100-mile diet, so we tend to eat a lot of seal blubber. Therefore when I’m in Montreal for the summer, I try to sneak in as many vegetarian dining experiences as possible! A few of my favorite restaurants include Aux Vivres, ChuChai and Crudessence.

Museum: I’m fascinated by urban spaces, so I make sure to visit the Canadian Centre for Architecture on an annual basis. This always gives me insight on redesign options for Santa’s Village. Mrs. Claus sure loves her renovations!

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QUICKIES

Do you ever think of throwing it all away and retiring on a southern Florida beach?

Yes.

*awkward silence*

You must get mistaken for a gay bear quite frequently. How do you deal with this?

Oh, I love the bears, and their affinity for Celine Dion remixes! I take any advances simply as compliments. But ultimately I think Mrs. Claus can attest to the heterosexual sex bomb that I am!

For years there has been gossip circulating around Montreal linking Rudolph with Montreal royalty The Wainwrights. Can you confirm/deny these rumors?

It’s true many people don’t realize that Rudolph is indeed a Wainwright, but I’m not at liberty to disclose the complete genetic lineage. I can say, however, that Rufus and Rudolph have put past animosities behind them and are currently collaborating on a mockumentary musical entitled “Rudy Garland.”

Many people don’t realize that American Apparel™ creator Dov Charney is from Montreal. Have you thought about implementing similar sweatshop free labor laws as Dov in your own factory?

Well the thing about elves is that they’re workaholics by nature. If they had their way, they’d work 24-hours a day, forgetting to eat and slowly starving themselves into an early, miserable grave. At Santa’s Village we give elves a structured environment where they are able to work AND survive. It is absolutely ethical.

On occasion, I even bring an elf to pass the summer with me in Montreal. William Shattner was one of these elves. He’s an example of an elf that has semi-successfully transitioned to life as a functional, yet awkward, human being. Unfortunately, however, his workaholic tendencies remain and he just won’t retire.

Any tips for folks thinking of taking a trip to Montreal?

Go. You’ll fall in love with the place.

And if you’ve been before, choose a different season and go again. It’s never the same city across the seasons.

Oh yes, and try the Amphibus! It’s a riot!

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The post MEET A MONTREALER: SANTA CLAUS appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Michel Rabagliati is a graphic novelist born and based in Montreal.

He has written several semi-autobiographical comic books featuring the life and times of a fellow named Paul. In 1999, his first publication, Paul in the Country, earned him a Harvey Award for Best New Talent.

We feel this is pretty darn neat. And we think you should meet Michel.

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BACKGROUND

Who are you?

A 49-year-old guy who has lived all his life in Montreal, and who has not traveled much beyond. I like to walk, ride my bicycle and sing in choirs.

What do you do?

I’m an author and graphic novelist.

Why do you choose Montreal?

It’s a city I know in depth.  I love its people, and I appreciate the sweet life that we are able to live here.

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MONTREAL FAVORITES

Restaurant: Laloux – French Bistro corner of Avenue des Pins and Laval Street

Book Store: Planète BD on rue Saint-Denis (they specialize in graphic novels)

Bar/Lounge: Les Bobards on rue St-Laurent (world beat music)

Festival: Festiblues – a small August music festival in the Ahuntsic neighborhood

Museum: Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal

Place to spot an attractive local: Parc Lafontaine in the Plateau neighborhood

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QUICKIES

Your stories revolve around a fellow named Paul – who is this “Paul” character?

Paul could be your average Quebecer. He’s a fairly neutral fellow, with whom even women can identify. Paul’s not the strongest of personalities, but he’s fascinated by life and the events that are presented to him. He is a pleasant and positive person.

If I were walking around the city, where might I bump into Paul?

Probably on Saint-Denis Street between Sherbrooke and Saint-Joseph, or in Parc Lafontaine on a bicycle, or simply curled up on the grass, reading a novel.

Any thoughts of putting the “graphic” back in graphic novels by having Paul visit a famous Montreal strip-joint for a drug-fused orgy?

A porno-graphic novel of Paul? No, I honestly don’t think that will happen for Paul.  But with another fictional character… I’m not saying no!

How important is Montreal as a setting or character in your work?

Montreal is almost a secondary character in my stories. You witness the city in the streets, the buildings and the public spaces, all of which I have used to establish an intimate relationship with the reader. I need to know what I’m speaking about, and Paul is exactly this: stories drawn from real events, and from places I’ve experienced.

Thanks Michel!

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You can find Michel Rabaliati’s work wherever fine graphic novels are sold, including one of our favorite local bookshops, Drawn and Quarterly in the Mile End neighborhood.

The post MEET A MONTREALER: MICHEL RABAGLIATI appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

David Usher is many things: musician, humanitarian, artist and father. He’s rocked around the country with his band Moist, won a handful of Junos (the Canadian ‘Grammy’) and has had radio hits on three continents. And we love him for all those reasons. But he remains especially near and dear to our hearts because he’s a Montrealer.

David’s newest offerings, The Mile End Sessions, are a selection of his most celebrated solo work, stripped down and re-interpreted. The acoustic album features new arrangements, “with space and air for the vocal and melody to breathe, tracing my way back to when they were first written.”

“The title of the album,” says David, “Is a nod to my neighborhood in Montreal — Mile End. We’ve been back there for a few years now, and it’s where these songs were re-shaped and where much of the album was made. Originally, I thought I’d just spend a week or two putting it together. Sometimes a week turns into a year and life leads you down many paths. The fun part is that you never know what’s round next the corner…”

I sat down with David in the cozy bench seats at Koko Lounge for a chat about his music, his neighborhood of choice and why he left the bustle of New York City to return to Montreal.

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THE DETAILS

David Usher
http://davidusher.com
Twitter: @DavidUsher
New Album: The Mile End Sessions (available wherever fine music is sold)
Humanitarian focus: Tree Canada

The post DAVID USHER ON MUSIC, MILE END & MONTREAL appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Meet Jean-Aymeri. He’s a man-about-town; his Facebook and Twitter accounts vibrating with the tales of a man on the move. In fact, he’s so connected and “on the scene” that I hope he doesn’t steal my job.

I’m watching you De Magistris!

Anyway, between his projects in art, design and fashion, this man’s got his fingers in multiple pies!

But, you’re wondering, how can you get Jean-Aymeri’s fingers in your pie? Read and find out.

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BACKGROUND

Who are you?

I’m that friend you have on facebook that posts way to much stuff but that you don’t want to remove…

What do you do?

During the day I take care of the marketing for Experience Old Montreal, a group of upscale hotels and restaurants in Old Montreal.

At night, I’m the editor of Montreal State Of Mind, I sell products online from some of Montreal’s best Designers (www.mtldesigners.com), and I organize events to promote our local creative community through a collective ongoing project, Art & Design Montreal.

I don’t sleep a lot, you know… but someone has to do it.

Why do you choose Montreal?

I’ve lived in many different cities and I can definitely say that Montreal is sexy, smart and creative… I’m in love.

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MONTREAL FAVOURITES

Café: Hands down the best espresso is at Le Petit Hotel in Old Montreal, but Olive et Gourmando and Cafe Olympico are good choices too.

Restaurant: Where to start? Depends! I could name 100 restaurants… let’s take only the letter ‘P’?

Pintxo: Order only from the tapas menu and choose a good spanish wine. Just show up because they don’t take reservations… it’s that good!

Au Pied de Cochon: Come prepared! Everything on the menu is amazing… I’m hungry just thinking about it… God bless Martin Picard…

Pullman: Try the grill cheese, the mini burgers and the tartare. They have an impressive wine list… don’t be shy too ask for help and recommendations.

Boutique/Store: I buy local and I suggest you do the same. Forget Zara, Gap and H&M…You have them in your country. We created www.mtldesigners.com, and it’s a one stop shop. Don’t worry about fitting all of it in your suitcase because we ship everything internationally. Everything else I find at Michel Brisson (for men) and Nota Bene (for stationary). For the girls Billie Boutique on Laurier and U&I on St. Laurent.

Neighborhood: My favorite is Old Montreal. I live and work here. You are close to everything and the feeling brings back my European roots… it’s the best! I also love Outremont. It’s very Green… Green is nice.

Place to spot an attractive local: All the good looking people hangout in Old Montreal… It’s a know fact.

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QUICKIES

In 140 characters, please convince someone to visit Montreal.

“Chuck Norris wants you to come to Montreal.”

As a “man about town” what new trends are you seeing in Montreal?

More and more people are buying local and supporting local markets, local designers and local products in general. Trends come and go, but I hope this will stay.

What’s the best way for a single gal visiting Montreal to meet a deliciously handsome chap, such as yourself?

Oh Daniel… I’m blushing. My advice would be to hit Bernard Street and ask for directions in french to the olympic Stadium. It works.

Editorial Note: Did you learn from experiences Mr. De Magistris?

If Montreal were a font, which font would Montreal be?

The font of a pretty girl handwriting her name and phone number on your hand… Quétaine? Not at all… Think about it.

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The post MEET A MONTREALER: JEAN-AYMERI DE MAGISTRIS appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Dr. Robert Rutledge is a hunky associate professor in the Department of Physics at McGill University.

His work is primarily in observational high energy astrophysics, studying the behavior of neutron stars and black holes. Dr. Rutledge recently participated in the discovery of the most distant stellar object ever found, a gamma ray burst that occurred when the Universe was only 625 million years old. Which, believe it or not, is the exact same age as Celine Dion’s husband, René Angélil.

But Dr. Rutledge isn’t all soft-gamma repeaters and quiescent low-mass x-ray binaries, he’s also an expert on our national dish — Poutine!

Keep reading to discover the delicate relationship between astrophysics and poutine…

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BACKGROUND

Who are you?

I’m a Montrealer, born in California, a single guy who likes to learn.

What do you do?

I’m an astronomer, and a professor of physics at McGill University.  I study the stars — in particular, the densest mater in the universe, found in the center of neutron stars.  It’s interesting, because it ties astrophysics together with how quarks work — what happens when you bring billions and billions and billions of quarks together?  It’s a hard problem, and even our best mathematicians, our best computer scientists, our best nuclear physicists cannot solve it.

Why do you choose Montreal?

Montreal has some of the warmest, most outgoing, most diverse, and interesting people I’ve met anywhere.  It’s a marvelous community, and a great place to live.

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MONTREAL FAVOURITES

Café: La Croissanterie Figaro, at Hutchison and Fairmont.  Splendid terrasse, and I love the cheese danish.

Restaurant: Le P’tit Plateau.  Always a warm greeting, always wonderfully rich food.  And with so much delicious on the menu (the duck! the venison!), I’m a little embarrassed to admit that something I treasure from there is a tiny side which comes on some plates: a pastry filled with cooked carrots in bechamel sauce.  It tastes like home.

Boutique/Store: Le Potiquet (947 St. Zotique Est).  Handmade Quebec pottery, with an excellent selection, and really great value.  It’s a great local gift — right up there with maple syrup.

Bar/Lounge: L’ Barouf — wow, what a crowd!  Every visiting American friend I’ve brought there ditched me.  The crowd is that good.

Neighborhood: The Mile End – it’s where I live, and the streets bubble. The smell of honey from the bagel ovens; the greek food; the cafes on Parc and St. Viatuer, the fish markets, the ringletted Hasidic Jewish folks riding Bixis down du Parc, the excited hipsters talking social media, the bands which set up on street corners to play an impromptu holiday street concert.

Park: I run in Parc Mont-Royal, I picnic in Parc La Fontaine; but for true enjoyment, I go to the Parc St. Viatuer, where I sit near the War memorial, curl my legs beneath me and contemplate those who came before me and will come after me.

Festival: Nuit Blanche – the mid-winter “White Nights” festival.  With such a diversity of events going on across the city — dancing, art, clubs, ice-skating, swimming, church pipe organ concerts, guitar concerts, video, opera —  the streets are a hive, filled with friends and lovers.

Place to spot an attractive local: The Belgo Building. It’s a block west of Place des Arts, and has four floors of the most interesting galleries in Montreal.  Wander through, and you will see quite a lot which is very attractive, not all mounted on walls.

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QUICKIES

What exactly is the link between astrophysics and poutine?

I study the densest matter in the Universe  and while poutine is not quite as dense as that, it can feel awfully close once you’ve finished a large from La Banquise.  Which is what I love about it.

How will poutine lead to world peace?

If we could just get everyone in the world into a single room, to sit down in front of platters of poutine, it would become pretty damned peaceful, at least for a few minutes.

Why do so many folks choose Montreal to study and/or do research? Do Montrealers make good guinea pigs?

With four sizable Universities — McGill, Université de Montréal, Concordia and University Quebec at Montreal –  the city seems to attract scholars who love the intersection of ideas and cultures.  But Montrealers are not good guinea pigs: they are independent minded, and each unique in their ways.   Of course, that’s what makes Montrealers marvelous company as well.

Who is the most famous astrophysicist dude/dudette in the world?

The easy answer is, of course, Stephen Hawking.  I was at a party with him in Pasadena, thrown by Kip Thorne, and he had a group of people around him, and he was riffing off jokes — which, actually, it takes a while for him to deliver: so, there would be 3 minutes of silence as everyone watches the screen while he picks out words, then suddenly, peels of laughter.

How can someone have an astrophysical/scientific educational experience on a weekend trip to Montreal? Might it involve wine and our famous Montreal erotic dancers?

If an excellent astrophysical experience needs wine and an erotic dancer,  I’ve been doing astrophysics wrong.  But visitors to Montreal will find — whether they’re in a bar or restaurant, a museum or walking Boulevard Mont-Royal, a famous club or an infamous club — that wonderful Montreal experiences can begin with a simple phrase: “Let’s go look at the night sky together.”

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The post MEET A MONTREALER: ROBERT RUTLEDGE appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Misstress Barbara wants you to know that she is not simply pushing buttons.

After 14 years as an internationally renowned House/Techno DJ, the queen of the turntable is exchanging her vinyl records for guitars and keyboards. And she’ll be proving her nouvelle stage personna  again this weekend at the Montreal Jazz Festival. Miss B is now a certified band performer.

And if last year’s sold out show was any indication of the potential that Misstress Barbara has to rock out sans “hiding-in-a-DJ-booth,” then we have much to look forward to this second time through.

This year’s Jazz Fest show will feature a mixture of old and new material, as well as three secret guests. And despite my prodding, I wasn’t able to uncover any names. However, her hit song “I’m Running” featured Montreal cutie Sam Roberts. I’m putting five bucks that he might be one of them.  Teaming up with some big names in the industry is definitely a wise approach to rebranding oneself as a live act.

In my interview with her, where we chatted in her home recording studio, I pushed some of her buttons. I asked her to play a sample of what she was working on for the next album. She was resistant, saying, “I need to ensure that people realize that I’m not simply just pushing the play button. For my show I am singing, playing guitar and keyboards. I’m performing live and sharing my soul.”

So then she offered to play an acoustic version of “I’m Running,” proving that any button pushing will be left to solely to interviewers.

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MISSTRESS BARBARA
www.misstressbarbara.com
July 4, 2010 – Montreal Jazz Festival (click for tix)

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MISSTRESS BARBARA’S MONTREAL PICKS

[park] LAFONTAINE – I don’t get here as often as I’d like, but it really is such a beautiful park.

[restaurant] SATA SUSHI – One of the best sushi restaurants in Montreal, located in HoMa. I love the food and décor.

[boutique] U & I – Located on Saint Laurent Boulevard, it’s got a great selection.

[festival] JAZZ FEST & JUST FOR LAUGHS – I would go to every jazz show if I could. And as a kid, I loved the Just For Laughs festival… just walking through the downtown

[café] OLYMPICO & CAFÉ ITALIA – Both great places to get my espresso. With a lot of sugar.

The post MISSTRESS BARBARA TALKS JAZZ FESTIVAL (AND GOES ACOUSTIC) appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Meet Andy Nulman. He’s the brains, and clearly the good looks (see below), behind the massively successful Montréal comedy festival “Just For Laughs.”

“In 1985, Andy Nulman joined the festival’s staff and introduced Anglophone events as well; under Nulman’s stewardship, the festival increased to a full month, with French-speaking performers during the first half, and English speakers in the second half. International and non-verbal acts (acrobats, pantomimes, etc.) are scattered throughout the program.” (Wikipedia)

The Just For Laughs is the largest festival of its kind in the world. It has brought many comedians to Montréal, such as Jeff Foxworthy, Tim Allen, Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Stewart, Whoopi Goldberg, Russell Peters, Dame Edna Everidge, and Bill Cosby.

But enough about those jokers! Let’s meet Mr. Nulman!

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BACKGROUND

Who are you?

An overachiever who is returning to his comedic roots in an effort to finally be taken seriously.  I usually let others, or Google, describe me.

What do you do?

Way, way, way, way too much.  One day, this will stop.  Hopefully, while I’m still alive.  I always say my one regret is that I have just one life to live…but I’m working on a solution.

Why do you choose Montreal?

Originally, by default; I was born here.  I had no say in the matter.  Currrently, in spite of its faults.  Montreal’s like a three-legged puppy; a little broken but incredibly lovable.

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MONTRÉAL FAVOURITES

Restaurant: Zante, Moishe’s, Milos, Kitchenette, Portus Calle and anything by David McMillan (Joe Beef, Liverpool House).  I dig food with attitude.

Boutique/Store: Simon’s upstairs, U&I, Duo, Soho…any place with clothes that mere mortals are somewhat afraid to wear.

Neighborhood: Griffintown. The dark side of it.

Park: Victoria Park, my gym of choice

Festival: Well, there’s a loaded question!  Is there any other than Just For Laughs?

Museum: I’m an Art Gallery guy—DeBellefeuille, Yves Laroche and Parisien Laundry are my faves

Place to spot an attractive local: My mirror.

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QUICKIES

Your twitter bio describes you as a “Reluctantly-extroverted, creatively- daring businessperson.” Can you tell us a bit more about your business approach?

Hmmm…well, I try to do things that shock and confound the status quo but make money in the process.  The two are usually mutually exclusive, but they’ve served me quite well over the past 35 years.

Your work has you traveling frequently. How do you maintain your humor when you’re stranded in an airport with only stale Starbucks sandwiches and Kenny G songs to sustain you?

First of all, I’ll never eat the sandwiches; I go for the smoked almonds.  Secondly, where there’s a bookstore, there’s an escape.  Thirdly, to hell with Kenny G; I sing to myself.  Loudly.  And finally, I hit the car rental counter.  When I was stuck in San Diego right after 9/11, I drove straight to Calgary.

If you could rocket one comedian into outer space to act as an ambassador from earth, who would you choose and why? (Please choose whether he/she would have the ability to return to earth or not.)

I’d choose Gilbert Gottfried.  He’d be enough to ensure no alien would ever dare even contemplate coming here in any manner other than total subservient fear for their lives.  And of course I’d let him return.  Without him, the global strip club business would go bankrupt.

What’s the funniest thing about Montréal?

The bridges.  They kill me!

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The post MEET A MONTREALER: ANDY NULMAN appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Meet Sugar Sammy.  He’s that Montrealer of Indian background who makes a living telling jokes in English, French, Hindu and Punjabi (unfortunately, I can only attest of his funniness in the first two languages).  Although he’s always on tour somewhere in Canada, the United States or soon in France, Sugar still deeply loves his hometown – Montreal – where he still lives with his parents (!) in the colourful Côte-Des-Neiges neighbourhood.  We met him in Jeanne-Mance park to hear about his favourites city spots… and incidentally get a flirting lesson Sugar Sammy Style.  You’ll soon understand that this ladies man doesn’t take himself too seriously.

THE DETAILS

[RESTAURANT] Cafeteria: 581 Boulevard Saint Laurent / 514 849 3855

[BOUTIQUE] M0851: 3526 Boul. St-Laurent / 514 849 9759

Complexe Les Ailes, 677 Ste-Catherine West / 514 842 2563

[BOUTIQUE] Diesel:2114 rue de la Montagne / 514 845 4335

[PARK] Mont-Royal @ Parc Ave. & Mont-Royal Ave.

[BAR] Upstairs Jazz Club:1254 rue Mackay / 514 931 6808

[FESTIVAL] Just For Laughs: July 2nd to 25th 2010 / www.hahaha.com

[FESTIVAL] Festival International de Jazz de Montréal:

June 25th to July 6th 2010

* Lionel Richie in concert on June 25th & 26th

In Côte-Des-Neiges neighbourhood:

[FOOD] Boucherie et Grillade Farhat: 5595 Chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges / 514 738 4045

[FOOD] Dulceria: 3545 Avenue Swail / 514 739 8080

[FOOD] Pho Lien:
5703 Chemin De La Côte-Des-Neiges / 514 735 6949

[FOOD] LA Boucherie de Paris: 5216, avenue Gatineau / 514 731 6615

[FOOD] Mavi: 5192 Avenue Gatineau / 514 340 9664

[BOOKS] Le Livre Voyageur: 3547 avenue Swail / 514 736 0999

The post MEET A MONTREALER: SUGAR SAMMY appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Meet Julien Smith. He’s that hip NYT bestselling author who wrote the book “Trust Agents” with Chris Brogan.  Long before that, he was that avant-garde podcasting kid who knew (and still knows) much more about the web than both you and I.

According to the Montreal boutiques where he shops (see video for Julien’s fashion confessions), I decided to make the assumption that Julien is now rich. But don’t be fooled. The Twitter fame and designer plaid don’t mean that Julien is migrating to glamorous LA. In fact, Julien loves Montreal so much, it only made sense I ask him about his favorite spots in the city.

You’ll find all his answers in the video, with links and addresses below.

THE DETAILS

[FOOD] M sur Masson
2876  Masson,
Montreal, H1Y 1W9‎
(514) 678-2999‎

[DRINKS] Laika
4040 St-Laurent Blvd.
Montreal, H2W 1Y8‎
(514) 842-8088‎

[DRINKS] Baldwin Barmacie
115 Laurier AV West,
Montreal, H2T 2N6‎
(514) 276-4282‎

[CLOTHES] Rooney Boutique
395 Notre-Dame West,
Montreal, H2Y 1V2‎
(514) 543-6234‎

[CLOTHES] Les Étoffes
5253 Saint-Laurent Blvd,
Montreal, H2T 1S4‎
(514) 544-5500‎

[CLOTHES] Michel Brisson
384  Saint-Paul West,
Montreal, H2Y 2A6‎
(514) 285-1012‎

*there’s also a second store at 1012 Laurier W. (514) 270-1012‎

[TATTOOS] Imago Montreal (by Arnaud and Safwan)
158 Rue Prince-Arthur East,
Montreal, H2X 1B7‎
(514) 350-0015‎

[TECH] Foursquare

The post MEET A MONTREALER: JULIEN SMITH appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

A crowd favourite, Smack Daddy (#XXX) is a top jammer/blocker in the Montreal Roller Derby league (MTLRD), a popular sport here, where cheeky bravado, burlesque and raw athleticism all collide. Desjardins doesn’t just stick to sport. In her solo show Peur Laine, she smashed ‘typical’ Quebec culture stereotypes and told her own story as a French-Canadian queer, and recently showed off her stuff in ‘Hot Hot Gossip,’ a multimedia lesbian soap opera.

If you don’t want to miss Smack Daddy in action (and you don’t!) be sure to check out the hot double-header derby showdown this Saturday May 22 (doors at 6:30 p.m. at Arena St. Louis, 5633 St. Dominique), when the New Skids on the Block confront Boston Massacre and The Sexpos take on Rideau Valley.

BACKGROUND

Who are you? I’m a lover and a fighter.

What do you do? I try my best to make people smile, inspire people to push their own limits and try to open minds. I like to Play and once in a while get super serious about super serious stuff.

Why do you choose Montreal? The girls, the bikes, the food, the boys, the fashion, the four extreme seasons, the art, free outdoor hockey in the winter, my family, my friends and my hot sauce girlfriend, Martika. Everything is HERE, it’s wonderful!

MONTRÉAL FAVOURITES

Café: My new fav is Café Neve on Rachel (151 Rachel E.), the coffee is amazing and the breakfasts are yummy (and only made with poached eggs, yay!). I make the obvious Olympico and Social club (180 St-Viateur W.) pit-stops on St-Viateur because it’s nice to see familiar faces and once in while, I hit Caffé in Gamba on Parc (5263 Parc), I love the random location.

Restaurant: M sur Masson (2876 Masson) because they’re all about the meat and I like to choose my side dishes individually. Sparrow (5322 Saint-Laurent) for brunch and the ribs when they are on the menu, best I’ve ever eaten. Barros Luco on St-Urbain (5201) for the barros Luco sandwich, and I’ve ordered St-Hubert BBQ almost every week for the past 15 years – it’s a family tradition. The filet and ribs combo is perfect fast food. I skip the fries and replace them with a ceasar salad.

Boutique/Store: I have a thing for bike shops, though I’m fully equipped. I like to go in and look at the gear and dream of all the bikes I could own. Bikurious on Amherst (1757) is rad. For unique clothes I step into OldGold on Mont-Royal (256 E.), it’s tiny so they select what they sell very carefully… they have cool shoes and jewelry that you won’t find elsewhere, plus the décor is edible (not literally, but still).

Bar/Lounge: La Petite Idée Fixe on Parc (4857) is my favorite local dive. It serves large bottles of ‘Labatt 50’ beer and has a free jukebox with tons of slow rock classics. For drinks and tapas I’ll hit Taza Flores, also on Parc (5375). Il motore on Jean-Talon (179 W.) is intimate and cool – they have a packed schedule of musical acts and parties. Checking out their website is a great last minute ‘what the hell do I do tonight’ option. I’ve discovered great little bands there.

Neighborhood: I’m a sucker for the Mile End. The vibe is relaxed, the people are creative and it’s all about the arts, the food, the fashion and ROLLERDERBY! All of my favorite things.

Work Out: Jogging or biking up Mont-Royal keeps me sane and Moksha Yoga on St-Laurent (3863) keeps me grounded.

Place to spot an attractive local: Rollerderby!!! The fans and the players are all very delicious looking!! There’s a broad range of people, which means that there’s a little eye candy for everyone!

QUICKIES

Derby vs theatre, who wins? Derby because it’s sport and theatre, 2-for-1!

Were you born to jam? No. I was born to win. So I’ll play whatever position my team needs me to play.

What do you enjoy about the spotlight? The tan.

Your performance art is about the body. If you could live in another body – it doesn’t have to be human – what would it be/why? A unicorn Pegasus because I would love to fly, have the strength of a horse and be gay (unicorns are gay).

Your favourite place in Montreal to take your mom? We do dinner dates at Lemeac at 1045 Laurier (classy French bistro). We start with a Kir Royal, split the ‘Pain Perdu’ for dessert then we walk it off on Laurier street while window shopping.

Smack Daddy’s advice to a visitor who wants to get the most out of the city? Rent a Bixi bike and ask people where you should go… We are friendlier than we seem!! Check out a burlesque event or a band at night but keep your energy up for the daytime and leave it all on the streets! Eat ice cream, sit on benches and people watch, take a cab up to the look-out on Mont-royal and of course, come to a Rollerderby Game!!!

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