IAN HARRISON, Special to The Gazette
Published: Saturday, March 31, 2007When hunger hits hard after midnight, where do we turn in our fair city? Montreal throbs with life around the clock but despite this universal truth that locals wear with a certain amount of conceit, good late-night eats can be so darn elusive. At curtain call, last call or the end of the graveyard shift, appetite and imagination are often inversely proportionate.
While some take substandard comfort in old haunts, in the case of The Main, old is new again. The charcoal grill has seen more cow than a dominatrix with a leather fetish and the coals stay hot until 5 a.m. as St. Laurent Blvd. hordes slake their drunken hunger on the best steak deal in town. Owner Peter Varvaro has been at the helm for 32 years.
"Business is better after 1 a.m.," says Varvaro, as he noshes on a rib steak. "The kids come from the clubs to have a bite. A lot of my old customers are not here anymore but some of my staff has been with me 25 years. We close at 5 but we used to be open 24 hours. There just wasn't money in breakfast anymore."
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/story.html?id=b2ff740b-3cf0-43a4-a50c-79e86fa24985&k=30135
you can read the whole 3 pages of this story ,at the above link ,if you like :
.............................................Montreal ,.we had it all...........
56 comments:
Chefs have their favourite haunts, too For Normand Laprise and a few others, it's L'Express. Even later, it's La Banquise IAN HARRISON, FreelancePublished: Saturday, March 31, 2007 Where do Montreal chefs and restaurant people like to eat after midnight? We took an informal poll to see where the cooks, staff and restaurant owners go after service. http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/story.html?id=a0b2a06d-f8c0-4377-b08c-4212fb68a5c2 ..........................Eat your heart out......................................hahahahahaha
Heh, Moe's Corner Snack Bar
1455 Lambert Closse St., corner de Maisonneuve Blvd.: The 24-hour greasy spoon around the corner from the old Forum serves up burgers, breakfast, poutine and shakes in a time-warp diner backdrop relatively untouched in almost half a century.
I used to go there after a night at the Moustache. The memories :)
Kitsch
Kitsch........................... the Moustache ,................where a ball was had by all .////////////////// used to sit in the upper gallery/balcony ,.whatever it's called........ A long time ago,.......early 1970+,..................... It's a good thing that place cannot talk.......................hahahahahaha HF&RV
Les The balcony at the Mustache and Moe's.Ingredients for a good nite and even better morning after......Like the Friar's on Crescent and Carol's for a cheese burger next door.. man pass the Tum's... Lad
the lad: OK , I'm in,.Reserve a table................hahahahaha I wonder what climbing up to those balcony's would be like nowadays,...... (without all the 'enhancement ingredients we may have used at the time'///// hahahahaha Probably Fall off the Balcony..................hahahaha
Les Right on...of course might be too tired from the climb up..hahahahahha Would be worth it just to relax after. Lad
Moe's was a haven for the relatively few homeless that roamed Montreal in those days. The down and out could always get a bowl of soup. If a man was really hungry Moe would give him a meal. He always worked the night shift himself because he said, "People needed at night." After you cried your woes on your bartender's shoulder you could go to Moe and get a second opinion. Ed
In my mother's time after a night out at the Army and Navy they would stop at FDR's on St Catherine bet not many today even know what FDR stands for - anyone remember Frank DeRice - I remember it as a small kid when my aunt or uncle took us up to St Catherine and walking by that place - in high school we used to stop at Murray's on St Catherine for a tall orange ade or the Britton for a Sundae corner of Guy then later on when we were working at Dunns. Shirley - Calgary
Its been years since I had a Montral pizza. What were the the toppings on an "all dressed" Pizza? Henrik
Shirley, I certainly remember Frank De Rice. They had the best spaghetti in town. The cook would make his spaghetti in the front window so everyone walking by on St Catherine street could see. I ate there several times with my wife. How can I forget, thanks for reminding me. Guy
All dressed toppings are Green Peppers Mushrooms Mozzerela Cheeze and of coarse the sauce. I beleive thats what was on a Woodlands pizza anyone diagree?????? Have a great day
Lorna
yes you are rite on the stuff for the all dressed pizza
theres pic's on woodland restaurant making pizza
also i posted trevi all dressed large pizza
Gee I thought all dressed was pepperoni mushrooms, greenpeppers and mozza and sauce - I think the first pizza I had was when I was about 14 and it came from a place on St Catherine near the forum - they delivered - King of the Pizza I think my father used to take my mother to FDR after the war and I think that I had spaghetti there once Probably when I was 16.
This message has been deleted by the manager or assistant manager.
I posted ny thoughts on the ingredients to a "Tout Garnie" Pizza in one of these threads,...just don't Recal which one,............but as I Remember it was Pepperonni,.......Mushrooms ......Greenperppers...........the Cheese & the Sauce were 'standard fare',......ast least in the late 60's & early 70's,.......... I don't recall ever having to ask for a certain type of cheese........ For the most part cheeese was usually ordered by all restaurants ,and it was a blend of sorts,purchased inbulk................ allways grated from the sources..... It was not until later in life and many provinces & states later ,that the 'true meaning of Pizza' got bastardized,with other types of toppings,.........hahahaha Of course this is the benefit of getting old to Remember as I please........hahahha ........... evaH Nuf & rebmemeR nudreV.........(or have I got it all backwards)................................ahahahahahahahahhaha
Shirley. Sure do remember FDR. Another wonderful Montreal eatery!!!!!
PC Magazine’s 2007 editors’ choice for best Web mail—award-winning Windows Live Hotmail.
Hi everyone, I remember the "all dressed pizzas having tomato sauce & mozza cheese, or course but the toppings that I remember were I think a bit of everything, my family were the pepperoni & cheese only people. Remember the bun in the middle? Hockey night in Canada was a pizza night every now & again. I can still taste & smell it, yummm. How 'bout the "all dressed hamburger", was coleslaw added to it? I 'm craving pizza & burgers from Verdun now umm ummm. Take care, Carole
Yes we had some different garnishes for Hamburgers,.....but how about the cabbage (chou) (sp?),..and cayenne pepper ,which was on every counter top of just about every Steamie Joint in Montreal,...........along with two types of vinegar (brown & white) ,.as well as the obligatory Salt & Pepper Shakers,..........but the 'Tout Garnie' Steamie.also had onion's coleslaw,.mustard (I don't recall it having ketchup ..Heinz if it did,.of course,.but that was genmerally reserved for the Fries)...........but Rmemeber the buns were steamed perfectly,if not a tad on the still damp side ,as we shovelled them into our yaps,.........and enjoyed every morsel...................hahahahahaha Man I Miss some of the old Montreal Staples,...that did us well for so many years,................Yikes ,Imagine telling your Dr. nowadays,.that you ate Pizza ,.Smoked Meat,.....Steames or Toasted Hotdogs ,....& Hamburgers with a toasted bun still slightly wet from grease,..........on a daily basis,............. I think he'd (or she'd ) have a Heart Attack..............................hahahahahaha
and te sentenance usually went something like "Donne deaux Steamie ,All Dressed,.avec Chou"..................hahahahahahah or if you were lazy ,....you just yelled as you walked into the store,...... Deaux Ott Dog All Dressed,.....................................Yikes, Basic Bilingualism 101 .....hahahahahhahahah but you always ordered Beer either Une Gros Mol ,................or une petite Mol, or whatever other slop you liked,................. mine was generally for a few years anyway,......Une Gros Cinquante avec une petite verre...............( My Apologies for those who can spell in French better than I,.........but as you may have noticed over the years,I have trouble with English Too !!!..........hahahahaha)
I think since Walter (Metalman) was good enough to post a picture of this Pizza ( I don't know from where this one is from)..is it Trevi ? Walter ,.I think you posted a Trevi Pizza a few weeks back,...........and I think you also had a Woodland one to tease us with too,......but in anycase I think this one fits into this thread,...............(I think it may have beenm our old friend MPU ,.who posted a Woodland Pizza, I''ll look for it as I save lots of stuff,...but not sure if I have that one,) but for the rest of our ex-patriot Montrealers,. Here's a picture from Metalman,....... ......................Yikes Look at that melted Cheese ,......mmmmmmmmm,.would that be nice running through our collective arteries about Now........hahahaha Have Fun & Remember Verdun........................brrrrrpppp !!!
les
pic 292, all dressed, at times they put a few
fries on the hot dog, if requested.
les
pic 291, he whats to know what you want on the hot dog??
Thanks metalman........hahahaha Only that guy must be serving someone else,.cause he's only got one steamie in his hand,..........hahahahah I would definelty be ordering a few more than that..................Usually they would hold two in their hand at a time,..................... .....................Which Store was this one Walter ? .....also Remember how fast they got you your order,.no dilly dallying around ,.you come in you order they make it you get on your way within minutes............................I always like that service.... HF&RV
Yes ,Walter (Metalman) I had forgotten the couple of fries across the top,.they didn't do that everywhere,.but I think Norman's did do that................... Walter again a rookie on at the steamer.................hahahahahah only one Steamie......................... HF&RV
les
this is the place were the green spot was at one time.
the green spot is rite across the street now.
this chef is a cool fellow, looks like he just got out?
he's a trainee on the steamies,
Thanks Walter ,.for that update,............................I think that there are many Montreal Characters ,.who just got out...........hahahahahah I know exactly what type of character you mean................a Montrealer, calls it as he sees it & talks from the heart,........Not much BS (but watch your wallet).............hahahahahah Thanks for the info on the Resto , HF&RV
les
heres some pics from last weeks magnans
lunch.
look at the pig knuckles, roost beef
me and my bro enjoying the surroundings
Yes there is something about Magnan's that I always liked,.even though I have been told that the Capri has better grub,.and even some of the Magnan's staff go to the Capri,.....I still like Magnan's maybe one day when i make the trip back,.for a visit ,.you can make the trip to meet us ,.i know DannyB,........and a few others,.including (the Lad:),.as of today's commitment ,.it wopuld be fun to have a decent meal .,..& just Remember sopme of te old days Growing up in Verdun,.............. I have been many times to the Capri,..and never knew they had a good menu,. Maybe you can do a 'taste test ' for us there,.......Your like our food critique,..hahahahah not a bad job,.......the pay's no good ,.but it must be fun to go around testing all the Montreal Food........hahahaha I just read on the point St Charles site,.today that the last of the Hanley family has now moved out of the Point,.their father Frank Hanley , went to the Capri everyday,.for many years,.................... As for Magnan's ,.there's a waiter ther named Serge ,.who has been there for many m,nay years,....& he's a good character,.......He works in the old Tavern Section,.rather than the patio,..or at least he did a few years back,......He got a laugh out of us ,.because everytime we came to Montreal we would sit in his section,....(and we did that a few times more often ,than I get there now),....but we got him to do our bill ,the way they used to years ago,.& that was to add it up right on your paper placemat,.and then you pay'd up,........of course nowadyas they have the proper type of bill,....but that was how it used to be done,,,,,,,,,,,,,(lot's of Cash .no records ...........hahahahaha) Thanks for letting me know about the extra pictures,........
I did post a picture a few years back here on the site,..of usd in Magnan's and Serge took the Montreal Canadiens sign off the wall ,.and took a picture of it with us .................hahahahaha ..........He 's always talking 'fast' of course,.......and if you ask him for something,..his standard answer was always "Ya Ya Sure,.Why Not" hahahahahah ........I'll try to find that old picture & post it again ,,,,,if I Remember
les
here's a pic of the capri
Ah yes. The Great ongoing Capri-Magnans debate. I love it! By the way, here is a bit of trivia. Did you guys ever notice the sign outside the Capri? You'll see form the first photo (1860) that it does not say "Brassserie", but rather "BARSERIE". Do you guys think that either (1) Claude Neon $crewed up when he made the sign, or perhaps (2) some of the patrons from The Point somehow ended up making a point to the language police at the time? Anyways, I thought that this bit of Montreal historical trivia needed to be archived for future generations.
I also attach some more 'action shots' from inside The Capri, for your enjoyment and pleasure. These were taken back in April (it was a beautiful spring Montreal day outside the Capri that day).
BrownBlvd
Attachment: IMG_1860 small.jpg
hey-brown
i just took a pic of the capri, for les,
i only heard of the capri, when my neigbour
mr deegan,a fireman back then, had his birthday
party at the capri, the fellow on his birthday party
had a heart attack in the capri and died?
that was the first time i heard of the capri
so i decided not a good place for me to go
and think of what happened to deegan,
a well known person in verdun, he was a boxing
ref, at the olympics, ian clydes days.
magnans, back then, myself and a few other verduners
were drinkng molson, then a fire broke out we still
sat there, told the waiter, when we finish our beers
we will leave?
the waiters didn't want to mess with the crowd i was
sitting with, soon the firemen showed up, still drinkig our beer.
the firemen asked us to leave, so we decided to leave
when you think back of all the stupid stuff you did
Hey MetalMan,
Great story about finishing your brewskis at Magnan's during the fire. I always thought that you liked your beer cold, though.
Not so great story about your buddy. Too bad, but maybe he went doing what he enjoyed with a bunch of buddies in company.
BrownBlvd
Brownblvd, The word BARSERIE is no doubt a play of words with BAR and BRASERIE to emphasize that there is a bar inside. A neat publicity gimmick. ! Guy
BrownBllvd .....good shots of the quart of Ex,...............hahahahah the tables were so small,but that's all you needed,a place to let the bottle sit , Metalman,...I worked for a fellow from the Point,named Frankie Deegan,we did all kinds of Roofing Jobs ,.or Chimney pointing,...any kind of building repair,...........I Remember we put the new roof on the old Brewery Mission,. Funny how it was in those days ,.going for a beer (qt. of course),.or two ,at lunch was very common place,.........but nowadays,most business owners would not allow their employee's to drink beer at lunchtime,or anytime during working hours.............(liability's I guess),....boy there sure taking all the fun out of work nowadays,,,,,,,,,,,hahahahahah Thanks to you both for those pictures,,,,,,,,,, Cheersv !!!! ,..........there one for each edge of the table, Brownblvd. maybe if I ever get back for a visit,....you can join our ever growing membership of a Day at the Bars,...............hahahahaha DannyB, the lad,.........myself,.........Walter (metalman )?? ,........and whomever else would want to meet us,......Jimmy(kungfu)?,........hahahaha That would be a laugh......................
that is a great sign,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Barserie,.............hahahaha
les& ray
back then we all drank beer at a very young age
smoked also.
lots of taverners didn't have air conditioning
doors open for the cold air from outside
blowing in??
pickled tongues, pickled eggs, draft beer
crackers.
most important the beer flys, those little tables
with beer drippings on the table.
i used to see fly's hammered on the table?
you just push them away with your finger
ashtry, it was the floor.
know some will know were the term BAR FLY
came from?
Your right Metalman (Walter) ,........Taverns certainly were a different place for sure,..........I am laughing at your descroption of the bar.......hahaha the ash tray was the floor,........I Remember even in te Pool Hall on Verdun ave,...if you looked at the carpet (of all things),.....the design was really different ,.but if you looked closer it was all burn marks from cigarettes being put out on the floor,..........Why they had carpet,.who knows,..why they let people stamp out buts on the carpet ,.Who knows,..............hahahahah A Tavern with real air-conditioning was a rarity for sure,....that's what made the 'Carb' or the Maidenhead,.bith down in Alexis Nihon Plaza,a good place to go ,.it was cooler,....................not that the heat bothered us much whjen drinking beer,................. I used to like some of the Taverns throughout Montreal's waterfront,.as I found myself during work hours delevering stuff to Canadian Vickers Lt,...........or whereever & it was mandatory to stop in a Tavern for a 'quick one' before continuing on about your work,.and So sitting in a bar for a few minutes with the doors open allowed most of the waterfrong workers to keep an eye out for a foreman,who may see a few workers taking a 'quick' break...........hahahahahah Great Memory..............Thanks Metalman ..................
who would understand these posts, if they never lived in quebec?
That's why a roundtable discussion is in order,.tell some lies,.& have a beer (or beverage of choice these days),.....and just have a laugh..............hahahah
hey-les
back then, i worked as a carpenter, for beaver construction, on the metro on st antoine and atwater.
at break we all ran to the traven at 9am, down 4to6 draft in 5 to 10 minutes?
go back to work site, climb up on those scafolds
100 ft+ even the crane operator had a few?
half the crew was half hammered everyday
at times we just went to the green spot for that quick lunch, steamie, frie, pepsi.
most of the time we also had liquid in those taverns
Yes regardless of where we found work,.at lunch or a 'quick break' time we could find as oasis,..............after a while you prided yourself on being able to know where to send someone for a bite to eat or a cool one,.anywhere in the city.............. Also at one time the best food to be had were in Taverns where a good meal could be had along with a Beer,........it was just par for the course in those days,............... Even cops would have a beer along the way,..(not all of them I'm sure) buyt alot of the ones who came to my oldmans shop,along with saleman ,truck drivers,workers from all over knew my oldmans shop was a MYOB Zone,..............hahahahahah We had evryone you could think of come in there from all walks of life,..............sort of Cops & Robbers if you will,.hahaha and all shall rmain nameless (if that 's still OK )...........hahahaha BrownBlvd,.......so is this where they got the idea of 'Painting the Town Red'...........hahahahaha ...........Have Fun & Remember Verdun
oops, lets try that again with the pictures...
Les (and Metalman),
That would be great to get together with a bunch of folks interested in the same sorts of nostalgia. Teeing it up so that everyone is at the same place at the same time would be the toughest part.
Here are some random evening shots of Verdun/Cote St. Paul taken just this past April as I walked from Brown Blvd to guess-which-tavern (in Cote St. Paul)...
Some local shots of Brown Blvd...
Looking toward the river...
same perspective, but zoomed in on Brown park with N.D.de la Garde in the background...
The building where Supermarche Martin's Supermarket used to be on corner of Brown and Beurling (converted to lofts, flats or something, now)
Hey Metalman, some time ago I posted a story about running into your buddy Stanley Royston after church, and he was making fun of my monkey suit, remember? Well, this is where we had our "meeting" when I returned after changing out of the suit: Lane between Brown and Manning, just behind Beurling.
Saint Tommy Moore - a shadowy view of The Dungeon, where Jacques LeClair used to fire tennis balls or those red/white/blue rubber balls at his victims standing at the end. Mr. Molloy rang his end-of-recess bell in this yard a few thousand times. For those that went to this school, remember how, if you moved an inch after he rang that cowbell, he would point at the offender and yell "YOU. INSIDE!!!" That meant the strap was gonna get used. The tough guys just walked in, but occasionally you get some poor little guy who stumbled innocently after the bell and, when he got told to go inside to Mr. Molloy's office, the old bottom lip would start quivering and the sobbing would start. Spent many recesses playing dodge ball in that school yard, and hearing the occasional chorus of "Scrap, scrap, scrap...." as background to some of the action after school.
Another view of the former front Boys entrance of St. Thomas Moore on Moffat (Tommy Moore church steeple in the background on Bannantyne)...
Still not a cloud in the sky. Nice evening shot of VHS, where our Protestant colleagues would attend (I went to VCHS)
Crossing Woodland bridge (right near where Stanely Royston's brother caught a cadaver while fishing - also described in a previous post of mine). Notice how things are getting treed up over the years along the Acky.
Aahhhh. At last. The old place was deserted pretty much, but that didn't stop us from having a couple of gross's. It has not changed much at all from the layout it had in the 1970s when a bunch of the Otis Elevator guys would be in there during the playoffs (Montreal vs Boston a lot of the time).
It was such a warm sunny evening that the old standard corner door was propped open. Notice the "competition" across the street and the wagon wheel lights (and the standard tavern chairs, of course, just like at the Capri or most other former taverns).
I had to throw in this one, just to point out the two guys on the tube. Just below, the six doors where all the bottled brewskis get stored until someone orders one. Draft taps in front of the six cooler doors. Wow, what organization! Everything right there, eh?
BrownBlvd
Attachment: IMG_1912.JPG
Wow BrownBlvd,...........that picture depicting condos,.....are at Brown & Beurling ??Yikes,.I have to find my pictures ,cause on a trip back there over the last 10 years or less,.....That corner was my Friend's Depaneeur,.He had it divided with a Video Store on Beurling,...and the Dep on the side (Brown Blvd) i am going to send this picture off to my brother,..........and I will attempt to find the origianl pics of us all having une bain froide mol ,.dans le Depanneur,. Gotta like a friend ,who has a walk in Cooler,full of beer,..................hahahaha Thanks for this photo,..........I new they wanted to change it,...but didn't realise what for,........................whatelse in this day & age,.Condos. Not Sure I Like Change ,.but it's gotta happen that's why I really appreciate seeing Verdun Pics ,..cause things are Gonna Change ..................HF&RV
brownblvd,.............picture of the old Martin Grocery,.is sent off ,and now awaiting a return reply from my brother who I'm sure will be phoning our buddy Randy ,who used to own that whole building........... I'll update the story when I hear something from backeast
Wonder why the start of this thread ,somehow switched to read Spam then late night munchies,.???? changing inthe middle of a thread ,seems odd,..... However it is continuing with the same theme,........ Kinda like going to a late night Montreal Night Spot that has changed it's name,.Why,......Who Knows,..............as long as the fare is the same & the Beer is Cold.......................................................hahahahhaha
Brown Blvd. Tks very much for the photos of Brown Blvd. I used to live at 1211 across from the park and I can see my flat on the left hand side. Remember Martins very well and my mother used to send me over there to pick up some groceries. I remember walking through the lane on my way to Riverview school. Jumping roofs in the back allies was great fun in the summer and "hopping" the oil delivery trucks in the winter was great fun (at the time anyway). Tks for the memories and I will download your pictures. rgds Keith Harrison
hey-brown
know the area's well, i travel to that area lots of times
for the family visit.
remmember the little candy store beside the st thomas school yard, walter was the owners name, he sold
them bread buns, green leafs and stuff?
mr molloy, he was a tough guy but a good man also
he was a vet, many times myself and david lauzon
were in his office.
one day we waited in front of his office, for sure we were getting the lecture and strap.
when we got the strap, we couldn't look at each other
because we start laughing.
well one time that day, we waited again, looking around
we saw the school bell sitting on the chair.
yes we stole the bell, hid it outside, later we buried it
under tom redmonds balconey, still there till this day.
mr molloy, went nuts that day for that bell, looking every were, even myself and david lauzon helping him find that bell?
we had to make a show??
well at the 73 reunion they had a auction on this school
bell, this is were it all started.
brownblvd, May I make a couple of suggestions regarding your photos: You can put the text above each photo and you may also be able to adjust your camera so that they are clearer. Guy
Metalman Another fantastic story, you tell them so well. you should write a book, it would be a best seller, guarenteed!! Keep up the good work.
This message has been deleted by the author.
This message has been deleted by the author.
This message has been deleted by the author.
Walter how much did they get for that old Bell? at the auction,...good story,...... I think DannyB has one similar from St Willibrord's school............. as for the 'strap' We got that treatment at StWillibrords too...........hahahahah Aslo watched afe knock down drag 'em out fist fights,....btwn student & teacher hahahahahah some real good scraps too. You've got a good recall for those childhood days too,..........I'll bet some good old story's good be told around that table at Magnans,.the Capri,.or the old Laverendrye (Cote St PAul) Tavern,.................Some one should write them all down cause as the years go by not only do some of the story fade,.but we start losing some of the tellers,............................so enjoy that stuff now HF&RV
les
the bell is buried under that balconey
there was a reuion for the 1973 grads, in 2003
a few heard about the bell story, so they got one
at a store?
at the reunion party, they autioned it off
the monies went to some church that needed
repair.
later i was informed about the amount of money
they received, so i matched the amount and mailed
it to the church, i got a recipet from the church
for the tax stuff.
some wanted me to attend the reunion, i declined
i quit school at 9or10th grade, so i would be the only
one there that didn't graduate high school.
Hey Metalman,
Graduate, shmaduate. You should have
been there. It would have been great to see you again.
BrownBlvd.
Post a Comment