MONTREAL CHOWHOUND: BRUNCH AT SPARROW RESTAURANT

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I personally love Chowhound. What better place for unbiased restaurant reviews and gastronomic news from other foodies? So imagine my delight when I found out that members sometimes meet in person to share a meal. Just this weekend I met up with my fellow Montreal Chowhounds for brunch at Sparrow restaurant in the Mile End neighbourhood. The meeting was as good for the mouth as it was for the mind…

Bigfellow, who organized the rendez-vous, explains the need to meet and eat: “We all have one thing in common: food. Other people might misunderstand us. But we are just passionate about it.” I couldn’t agree more. It’s kind of like going to an AA meeting, except that we’re all looking to perpetuate our addiction.

Sitting to my right was Chocolatine, a real Chowhound addict. She visits the website several times a day, even though she doesn’t work in the food industry. She seems normal otherwise, though. Her husband, also an epicurean, sat across from us and said, “She’s either on Chowhound or watching the Food Channel. Or doing both at the same time.”

Surrounded by food experts, I decided to solicit help in choosing what to order. Two people recommended the smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, so I decided to give that a go. The salmon, which is smoked in-house, was just right (not too salty) while the eggs were perfectly light and creamy. Chocolatine opted for the typical English breakfast of roasted tomatoes served with boudin, sausage and bubble and squeak (potatoes and cabbage). I can’t say this dish is common here in Montreal – turns out the chef is from London. While Sparrow’s owner, Ethan Wills, made a point of telling me that concept behind the restaurant is not British fare, you certainly find traces of sunny England on the Sparrow menu.

So, it turns out that the Chowhound crowd was absolutely right: Sparrow proved to be well worth the trip. I will definitely go back to that restaurant.

Another bonus from my brunch experience was that I got the scoop on some other great restaurants around town. Next stop: Antep Kebab near Concordia University. With all the rave reviews it got, I’m going to check it out soon!

Sparrow
5322 St-Laurent Blvd.Montreal, QC, H2T 1S1(514) 690-3964

Business hours
Wednesday to Friday: noon to 3 pm
Saturday and Sunday: 10 am to 3 pm

Reservations are strongly recommended
Dress code: casual
Average bill for brunch (before tax, tip and alcohol): $13 per person

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