Spring @ Liverpool House

Spring came early in Montreal, a rarity, and it was no more apparent than
along Notre Dame Street West. To celebrate my birthday Bombshell suggested
we indulge in food porn at 'Liverpool House'... the sister restaurant of the
famous 'Joe Beef'. Sister restaurant in name only because the food was, is
a stand-alone culinary experience.
As a young boy, my formative years were spent in a quiet, safe neighbourhood
with beautiful tree-lined streets and mom-and-pop corner stores. The main
street, in our quaint section of town, was right around the corner from where
we lived. This section of Notre Dame in Little Burgundy is evocative of that
neighborhood.

Marcel Proust once said, 'The door of memory is opened by the taste of
a Madeline cookie.'

Little Burgundy (La Petite-Bourgogne) is a neighbourhood in the southwest
borough of Montreal. Its approximate boundaries are Atwater Street to the
west, Saint-Antoine to the north, Guy Street to the east, and the Lachine
Canal to the south. The adjacent neighbourhoods are the borough of Ville-
Marie and downtown Montreal to the north and northeast, Griffintown to
the southeast, Pointe-Saint-Charles to the south, and Saint-Henri to the
west. The neighbourhood became famous for producing several talented
jazz musicians. During Prohibition and the later pre-Jean Drapeau years
as an 'open city,
Little Burgundy was home to many lively nightclubs featuring homegrown
and international performers; one of them was Rockhead's Paradise, owned
by Rufus Rockhead, after whom a street is named. Oscar Peterson and Oliver
Jones are the two best-known musicians who emerged from the bebop and
post-bop era.

'We come together in unity to play a grand symphony of cosmic consciousness,
in the divine meditation of our souls' manifestation as being ONE.' ~ Ange Maya

Liverpool House is split into a barroom, which is totally decked out in
Canadiana, and a laid-back dining room, with deer antlers, rowboat oars,
and great artwork on the walls. The woodwork and cream-coloured
wainscoting are painted a warm white. The rest is decorated with flowered
wallpaper, brass chandeliers, and leather banquettes, antique hutches and
squash displays beside the door. There is an eclectic mix of paintings —
over-sized modern canvases and tiny impressionistic. Listen carefully and
you can hear Bob Seger's 'Against the Wind'.

We sat at a corner banquette facing the dinner menu, which is a large
blackboard suspended over a row of tables. Looking around you would
never think or believe all that rhetoric concerning the dire economic condition
in Montreal. The place was in a constant flux… patrons waiting for the next
group to be seated. They must do three or four turnovers a night. Fréderic
(Fred) Morin (one of the owners) came over and sat with us... we had seen
each other since Globe’s 25th Anniversary Gala evening… and for what
seemed like a long enough time… we caught up and reminisced.

Our wine was a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon... Montepulciano Falesco,
Marciliano, Rosso Umbria. I am not a big fan of Italian wines but this one
was slightly robust and delightfully fruity on the palate. And the chorus of
dishes explodes…
We begin with a plate of succulent raw oysters... juicy and very meaty.
A dozen was not enough... but we wanted to fully enjoy the next courses.
Liverpool House has a rotating menu; it offers seasonal entrées inspired
by ingredients found in the market. For the second course...we had two foie
gras dishes. One, of course, was 'Foie gras poêlé' au pain croutés…sautéed
and very moist… with an added 'Joe Beef' combination of spices. The other
was ' torchon de foie gras or terrine' named for the vessel in which they
are cooked. The third appetizer, compliments of the kitchen, were roasted
Brussels sprouts with bacon, almonds and mustard. It was tangy, sugary
and crunchy... their originality and taste shined brighter than the rainbow,
and we could not satisfy ourselves enough, even though it seemed like we
had our fill, but the main dishes remained.
Bombshell had been fawning over their famous 'Lobster Pasta' for quite
some time, so immediately went for that. The lobster pieces were larger
than a pear… so soft and sweet. Every morsel was a meal. The pasta portion
was equally delicious, once again with their mélange of spices added. I,
being a Sea Bass aficionado, had the 'Wild Striped Chilean Sea Bass' on
top of a saffron risotto that was the stuff of dreams…. soft, moist and seared
to perfection.

The meal set the precedence for the fabulous dessert of almond cake
with a slight vanilla tinge… and a sparkle on top. There's a lot to like
about Liverpool House, but the question is, 'How does it differ from Joe
Beef?' I read somewhere that compared the two in this fashion, 'If Joe
Beef is macho Liverpool House is more feminine.' You sit among a gallery's
worth of fine art and soak up the buzzing candlelit atmosphere.

* From Where I Sit!
www.fromwhereisit.co
March 20, 2015

* Liverpool House ****
2501, Notre Dame St. W. @ Charlevoix
Little Burgundy, Montreal
(514) 313-6049
www.joebeef.com

'The Newsroom'

Aaron Sorkin's HBO series, 'The Newsroom' (2012–2014), had a pivotal and dramatic episode last Sunday... our beloved Charlie Skinner (Sam Waterston) suffered a fatal heart attack...as Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels) finally gets released following 54 days of incarceration (if you don't know why skip this - not a show you watch) is greeted by his wife MacKenzie (Emily Mortimer) and told of his death. Amazing that in the last couple of Sundays important and founding members of this ensemble have met their demise.
I have read many negative reviews of late about Aaron Sorkin and his views of life in America. So I wish to show you what a keen mind and exquisite writer he is. Movie audiences get very little dialogue this snappy; they get very little dialogue at all. In movies we are starved for wit, for articulate anger, for extravagant hyperbole—all of which flows like pebbles in a stream...with turbulence of course. The ruling gods of movie screenwriting, at least in American movies, are terseness, elision, functional macho, and heartfelt, fumbled semi-articulateness.
Some of the very young micro-budget filmmakers, trying for that old Cassavetes magic achieve a sludgy moodiness with minimal dialogue, or with improvisation—scenes that can be evocative and touching. But the young filmmakers wouldn't dream of wit or rhetoric, especially at par with Mr. Sorkin. It would seem fake to them. Thank heavens the swelling, angry, sarcastic, one-upping talk in 'The Newsroom' is unafraid of embarrassing anyone.
Aaron Sorkin writes a highly stylized dialogue which depends on certain conventions that he has made his own. First, there is the convention of perfect articulacy: everyone says exactly what he means, and without hesitation. Second, Sorkin unabashedly reveres high intelligence. Sorkin celebrates the guy who cuts through the crap, gets to the point, sees the patterns and implications buried within some matter. A lot of his writing consists of people questioning each other—sifting, correcting, overturning—as part of a furious drive toward a conclusion. He writes interrogation scenes without pedantry, in a spirit of high gaiety—getting to the truth of something is an adventure.
He has also developed a dramatically entertaining idea of how dynamic groups work together. In 'The West Wing' (1999–2006) the product was policy; in 'The Social Network' (2010) it was an entrepreneurial idea. Here, it's a good news show. Life may not work this way in the real world, but Sorkin's complaint about America is that intelligence is in a semi-apologetic retreat, while emotionalism and stupidity are on the rise—in public policy and in the media. He's setting up an ideal. He is an ethical writer—a moralist, if you like. He's neither ironic nor self-deprecating; he dislikes that part of the derisive culture which undercuts, as a ritual form of defence, any kind of seriousness. He's a very witty entertainer who believes that there's a social value in truth. I don't think this belief should be confused, as it has been recently, with self-righteousness. Here is a dazzling panoply to celebrate that and the best of Charlie Skinner.

© Frank Borsellino™
* From Where I Sit!
www.fromwhereisit.co
December 10, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRhW21Im7p0

Fiorante's Feast @ Cavalli

'Take the time today to tell your friends the difference they have made
in your life.' ~ Catherine Pulsifer

Intended... unintended... whatever the intention, the result was a phenomenal
achievement in perseverance. Primarily, it had been 10 years to the month that
we had our 25th Reunion @ Le Challenger... and for the first time in a long
time, the group was made up solely of graduates, with the exception of one.

I'm here to laud the excellence that was 'Fiorante's Feast' @ Cavalli...
and as Mr. Cavalli (Gianni Caruso) himself proclaimed, of which I concur,
no one else but Patrick (Pat Fiorante) could have pulled that off in such
a spectacular fashion. The 'coup de grace' was seeing Betty Castiglione
walk through the door and greet the table. Bravo Patrick...Memorable!

First... A special mention to the guests of honor… Dina Merulla & Mary
Perrotta. We are all happy, overjoyed and elated that you were at the table
to talk, laugh, indulge in such a culinary extravaganza and enjoy the
rapport with us all. You both looked happy, healthy and in great humor.

Secondly... Gianni's generosity shows no bounds, and on this particular
occasion he surpassed any sense of normalcy ... I was floored! He really,
really, really likes us! He had as much fun exchanging, eating and drinking
as any of us, and most importantly, he was relaxed. There was definitely
a sense of deja-vu! All that was missing was Santo Ciavirella & Gino Famularo.

The food was remarkable and sublime, as it is always. Frank Gioffre is
an exceptional chef…I adore that man! Every dish was abundantly mouth-
watering and exquisitely prepared. They say the measure of a great restaurant
is the consistency of its dishes. Every dish was consistent... but better
because of the company.

There's a French terminology, 'radotte' meaning to tell a story repeatedly.
So at the risk of being 'radotté', on Thursday night, we surpassed every one's
expectations. I say 'we', because the success of these shindigs is a collective
endeavor of the whole and not of its parts. What started quietly enough, and
with little fanfare, in no time, spawned into quite an uproarious and a very
entertaining evening of 'Sex, drugs and rock-and-roll'. We are definitely
children of the seventies! Some of us louder than others! (I sit guilty as
charged!)

'Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving
safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside
in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly
proclaiming 'Wow! What a Ride!' ~ Hunter S. Thompson

The following are observations I was able to retain in the onslaught of
tremendous boisterous exuberance... on my part as well, as the group as
a whole. We talked like it was routine as though no time had elapsed. It
had been a long time for me... and it felt comfortable seeing Jack Latino
ribbing Mamie aka Bubbles (Isabelle Mazzone). I had forgotten what that
camaraderie was like. We, eleven men and women, made the dinner in the
pantheon of life's journey one of those unforgettable moments. I observed
splinters of factions, huddled together, in delight of the evening, reminiscent
of school clicks. As is the case with 'group diners', the dynamics and
especially the landscape is different compared to a regular 'dinner party'.
I love change but sometimes I also enjoy continuity and familiarity... and
to feel a certain level of comfort. Add to that a sparkle of freshness in the
guise of a new Muse... Silvana Sanchez, and the ensemble is evolving. I'm a big
proponent of evolution. It's similar to an ever-changing, living organism,
that grows as it absorbs particles it picks up along its journey... such as
J.P. Giacomini e la Nonna (Lia Puma).

'I made up my mind not to care so much about the destination, and enjoy
the journey.' ~ David Archuleta

Later, Gianni and myself, over a final 'bicchiere di vino', compared notes
and both concluded that the original diners are a special breed of graduates...
it was also observed by my Muse, along with Patrick's wife at the next table.
Such a group, as we are, is a rarity, and should be nourished and preserved,
to the best of our ability. I have tried to be the enabler of such a noble task,
but it took Patrick to take us over that hilltop.

'Love is when you take away the feeling, the passion, the romance and you
find out you still care for that person.' ~ © Frank Borsellino™

* From Where I Sit!
www.fromwhereisit.co
November 27, 2014

My Luncheon w/Mamie

My Luncheon w/Mamie... I should clarify that statement... not the real
Mamie Grumman (Meryl Streep's daughter) a delightful ingénue, but a dear,
old friend from school. Several weeks ago, while comfortably viewing the
indie flick 'The Lifeguard' (2013), I saw my friend's 'doppelganger'... Mamie
Grumman and Isabelle could be twins. The smile, the blonde; the curve of
the jaw, the beautiful teeth...had to share my discovery. Lo and behold she
responded to the text that same day...and we decided it had been too long
for one of our confessional confers. She suggested 'Brasserie T!' on Jeanne
Mance in the 'Quartier des Spectacles' - an entertainment district located
in the eastern section of Downtown Montreal, designed as a centre for
Montreal's cultural events and festivals where many streets are now
converted into pedestrian walkways... a beautiful, vibrant neighborhood.

The term 'fine-dining' seems as dated as videos, actual cameras, and land
lines…but I like fine food, well-made food, food created by people who can
really cook. Frankly, I don't care how fancy it looks or how much it costs.
All that concerns me is whether it's delicious. Increasingly weary of those
dishes that try too hard, I remain a sucker for those times when great chefs
go casual, resulting in dishes like 'Au Pied de Cochon's' foie gras poutine
or 'Joe Beef's' lobster spaghetti.
In the summer of 2010, Montreal's top fine-dining chef, Normand Laprise
(Toqué!), decided to give casual a go, too. He opened this 55-seat
'Brasserie T!' literally, next door to Place des Arts with a menu that was two
parts brasserie and one part fun. There is even a hamburger, and boy was
it good. Main-course prices didn't rise above $20. The restaurant is a
resounding hit — so much so, in fact, that Laprise admitted that the profits
from the brasserie are used to help fund the maison mère, 'Toqué!'
After a slight feeling of restlessness, the drive downtown was horrendous,
due to the traffic because of the construction (it seems to get worse and
worse)... I thought there was this incredible migration to Toronto?!
They even have a terrific terrasse, that adds an extra 45 seats that spill
out on to the Place des festivals, but a little noisy for our purpose, so we
sojourned indoors, and settled in. Though the space may appear a little
cramped, we felt perfectly at ease. The crowd is pretty casual. The menu
is short and sweet…had many favorites, of course, that's common in the
brasserie/bistro genre…the perfect luncheon locale.
To begin, we shared, as is becoming the norm at these lunches, everything...
from the carafe of 'Côteaux d'Aix en Provence', a earthy, brilliant red wine
which was divine with the 'Foie gras poêlé'... pan seared to perfection.
Brasserie T!'s wine list is a serious draw, and affordable. Made up primarily
of well-chosen private imports, this list also scores because the majority of
bottles are priced under $60. And that juicy, charcoaled hamburger with
cheese, extra bacon was lusciously moist and was accompanied by a good
size portion of 'Pommes frites'...is one of the best upscale burgers in Montreal.
When the first plates hit the table, I thought, wow, this is pretty soigné
cuisine, so kudos to the chef de cuisine. 'Brasserie T!' may be modest in size
and appearance, but their food is brasserie de luxe. Service throughout the
luncheon was provided by a waiter, Vero, who was enthusiastic and efficient.
In choosing the wine I went through several tastings before I settled with the
'Côteaux d'Aix en Provence', and he never flinched. Impressive!

I am now a fan of Brasserie T! Fine dining indeed! Mamie and I loved
everything about our luncheon and made plans for many more… though
in a less congested area.

Life is short... Live your dream... Share your passion!

* From Where I Sit!
www.fromwhereisit.co
August 28, 2014

* Brasserie T!
1425 Jeanne Mance St. @ St.Catherine St. W.
Montréal, H2X 2J4
(514) 282-0808
www.brasserie-t.com/index.html

Monica Vitti

'I've always had this deep-down conviction that I'm not like everybody else,
and there's an amazingly exciting new life waiting for me just around the
corner.' ~ Sophie Kinsella - - - ± Frank Borsellino

* Monica Vitti was born on November 3, 1931 in Rome, Lazio, Italy best known
for her starring roles in films such as 'L'Avventura' (1960), 'Red Desert'
(1964) and 'L'Eclisse' (1962). My all-time favorite... and when I discovered
her 'Modesty Blaise' (1966) (pictured below). Though mostly blonde, she never
changed hair color from part to part... her remote beauty and impassive demeanor
made her an Italian New Wave ingénue darling. In fact… she was the muse and
the companion of director Michelangelo Antonioni from 1957-1967.
After a long collaboration with Antonioni, Vitti changed focus and began
making comedies, working with director Mario Monicelli on many films,
including 'Jealousy, Italian Style' (1970) and 'Polvere di stelle' (1973).
She has appeared opposite Marcello Mastroianni, Richard Harris, and Dirk
Bogarde. Ms. Vitti won five David di Donatello Awards for best Actress,
seven Italian Golden Globes for Best Actress, the Career Golden Globe,
and the Venice Film Festival Career Golden Lion Award.

* From Where I Sit!
www.fromwhereisit.co
August 22, 2014

Luncheon @ La Société Bistro‏

Nestled in the belly of the Loews Hotel Vogue on de la Montagne in
the heart of downtown this latest luncheon was a place recommended
by a dear friend…I love all that that word 'Luncheon' implies. It
signifies a time long ago and far away when ladies wore beautiful
dresses and men in business suits frequented the eateries in swanky
hotels along the boulevards of Manhattan. I looked over my shoulder
on several occasions expecting to see Holly Golightly and Truman
Capote to come waltzing in and take the little bistro table next to
ours. Even the name implies an inner circle, exclusive enclave or
hideaway somewhere in Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris... the kind
of place Alain Delon and Romy Schneider came when they began dating.
'La Société Bistro' is the kind of establishment that takes you back
to that 'Golden Age'... and it did not disappoint.
It definitely resembles higher-end dining, but La Société also adds
small touches to give it a sense of trendiness as well like its picture-
covered walls and chandeliers. A little 'easter egg' in the design of the
restaurant is the colour of the walls. They chose a yellowish white
because the walls of bistros in Paris were originally white, but due to
all the smoking indoors, could only be that particular colour once they
were extensively cleaned.
I remember having lunch back in the 1990s' when it was 'Chez Georges'...
they were friends of Bombshell's mum. Last I drove by, looked inside,
it sat empty while the luxurious hotel continued to rank highly with
visitors. Montreal hotels generally don't have good restaurant, but
considering the Vogue's location right in the heart of the downtown
core; it seemed a waste not to fill the space, especially considering the
captive audience of tourists and business types who are happy to dine
in their hotel before heading to bed.
The original 'La Société Bistro' is located in Toronto and has been
going strong for several years... and is generally lauded as a great
place to eat, drink and party — especially during TIFF (Toronto
International Film Festival) time. Owned by the CEO of INK
Entertainment, Charles Khabouth (the biggest individual restaurant
and nightclub owner in Toronto), 'La Société Bistro' is a Toronto import,
a first in our fair city.

As I looked around the entranceway...I was once again transported…
this is a beautiful space. No expense has been spared. 'La Société
Bistro' has been given the Parisian bistro treatment complete with
a stained-glass ceiling, zinc bar, marble-topped service stations,
wooden tables and chairs, silverware and white porcelain plates...
and the most gorgeous black-and-white tiled floor I've seen since
my own bistro eons ago... The background Buddha Bar-like music
was an added bonus... and very soothing, though I would have expected
some Charles Aznavour, Serge Gainsbourg or Yves Montand… but
I digress.

Our server, a lovely young woman with an impressive décolletage,
was sweet and cordial. My luncheon companion and I love to order
and then share... it is a more diverse experience…so we began with
a green salad with Champagne vinaigrette. Morsels of 'Jambon de
Bayonne' served with breadsticks. The ham is air dried and salted
that takes its name from the ancient port city of Bayonne in the far
south west of France. But the 'pièce de resistance'... a positively
all-encompassing delight of the senses was the 'Club au homard'.
Thick slices of lobster meat from the tail and claws into crosswise
pieces, tomato slices, and avocado on grilled (baked on the premises)
brioche slices so thick you had to get involved in the consumption
of with both hands. The dish was accompanied by a very satisfying
serving of fries with sweet parsnip deploying their flavor when
accompanied by a creamy aioli infused with Dijon mustard and garlic
is a pure Provencal tradition.

When then moved to the bar where we met the general manager,
a delightful woman, Tina Faouaz, and the chef, Sean Reeve, who
reminded me of Martin Picard from 'Au Pied de Cochon'. After… we
enjoyed our espresso with homemade 'beignets' and vanilla ice
cream... and topped it with a chilled Proseco. It was a splendid
afternoon, but I was reminded that those ladies who lunched long
ago... were women of leisure.

* From Where I Sit!
www.fromwhereisit.co
August 8, 2014

* La Société Bistro @ Loews Hotel Vogue
1415, rue de la Montagne
Montreal, H3G 1Z3
(514) 507-9223
www.lasociete.ca

Take Notice of the World Around You...

...as we go through a day - what do we notice?

Lisa Beamer on Good Morning America - If you remember, she's the wife of Todd
Beamer who said... 'Let's Roll!' and helped take down the plane over Pennsylvania
that was heading for Washington, DC back on 9/11. She said it's the little things
that she misses most about Todd, such as hearing the garage door open as he came
home, and her children running to meet him.

Lisa recalled this story: I had a very special teacher in high school many years
ago whose husband died suddenly of a heart attack. About a week after his death,
she shared some of her insight with a classroom of students. As the late afternoon
sunlight came streaming in through the windows and the class was nearly over, she
moved a few things aside on the edge of her desk and sat down there.
With a gentle look of reflection on her face, she paused and said, "Class is over,
I would like to share with all of you, a thought that is unrelated to class, but
which I feel is very important. Each of us is put here on earth to learn, share,
love, appreciate and give of ourselves. None of us knows when this fantastic experience
will end. It can be taken away at any moment. Perhaps this is the power's way of
telling us that we must make the most out of every single day."
Her eyes, beginning to water, she went on, "So I would like you all to make me
a promise. From now on, on your way to school, or on your way home, find something
beautiful to notice. It doesn't have to be something you see, it could be a scent,
perhaps of freshly baked bread wafting out of someone's house, or it could be the
sound of the breeze slightly rustling the leaves in the trees, or the way the
morning light catches one autumn leaf as it falls gently to the ground. Please
look for these things, and cherish them. For, although it may sound trite to some,
these things are the 'stuff' of life. The little things we are put here on earth
to enjoy. The things we often take for granted."

The class was completely quiet. We all picked up our books and filed out of the
room silently. That afternoon, I noticed more things on my way home from school
than I had that whole semester. Every once in a while, I think of that teacher
and remember what an impression she made on all of us, and I try to appreciate
all of those things that sometimes we all overlook. Take notice of something
special you see on your lunch hour today. Go barefoot. Or walk on the beach at
sunset. Stop off on the way home tonight to get a double dip ice cream cone. For
as we get older, it is not the things we did that we often regret, but the things
we didn't do. May you be Blessed every day of your life.

'Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that
take our breath away.'

Namaste ±
©Frank Borsellino™
www.fromwhereisit.co

* via Leo Cavaliere