Sunday is pop-up restaurant day in Montreal

MTL Kitchen Collective’s beet burger. Photo by Danielle Levy

For one day only, on Sunday, Aug. 17, delicious and original but entirely ephemeral micro-restaurants will pop up all across town.

Yes, it’s Restaurant Day, an international event featuring individuals and groups cooking up a storm in their own kitchens and offering up their best dishes to the public, in parks, alleys and other public places. Many restaurants have an emphasis on home-style cooking, so it’s a great opportunity to check out traditional and modern cuisines from some of the many cultural groups represented in Montreal.

We’ve compiled a list of a few notable options, arranged by neighbourhood:

 

St-Michel

 

Chez Hamburdougs

1222 Jean-Talon E, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

Mathemetician and amateur chef Doug Novak has developed a hamburger / bacon / hot-dog combination he’s calling the Bacon Cheesburdog.

 

La Petite-Patrie

 

PO-GIRLZ

6515 Christophe-Colomb, 4–8 p.m.

A team of three Petite-Patrie ladies offers a vegetarian NOLA spread with po-boys, fritters, Cajun coleslaw, sweet-potato pie, and home-made root beer. More details here.

 

Grandma’s Kitchen Alley

51 Beaubien W (alley), 12–5 p.m.

Roots & Recipes, the team behind the ‘Dishing Up the Past’ Web series, has collected stories and recipes from the grandmothers of Montreal’s immigrant communities. Their restaurant day event will feature dishes from Italy and Iraq, served with live storytelling and art. More details here.

 

Mile End

 

Super Friends

Parc Lhasa de Sela (Van Horne & St-Urbain), 12–5 p.m.

On the menu will be items from a variety of cultures from Ukrainian pierogies to Guatemalan tacos, with drinks and desserts. More details here.

 

Outremont

 

S&J Oyster Bar

5187 Durocher (alley), 3–8 p.m.

Stephane and Jane serve up fresh oysters with gaspacho and bourbon lemonade. More details here.

 

Parc Laurier

Six different pop-ups will take care of all your gastronomic needs in Parc Laurier, including Alsaco (11:30 a.m.–10 p.m.), serving cuisine from the east of France and Takoyaki (12-9 p.m.) with Japanese street food like octopus fritters. More details here.

 

Plateau

 

Szef Bartek’s Beztu Pylsur

Fitz & Follwell Bicycle Shop, 115 Mont-Royal W, 125 p.m.

Don’t miss Cult MTL food columnist Szef Bartek’s offering of Icelandic hot dogs topped with onions and remoulade. More details here.

 

MTL Kitchen Collective’s Strawberry Social

Parc Jeanne-Mance (Duluth & Esplanade), 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Home-made buttermilk biscuits, Quebec strawberries, and fresh cream are on the menu for this picnic in the park. Take home options include home-made simple syrup with basil to take your cocktails to the next level. More details here.

La Station Latine

4111 de Bullion, 12-6 p.m.

Offering a large menu of Mexican and Venezuelan specialties like tostadas and peludas, with maison cucumber-mint lemonade

 

Pop-Up Chai Bar

Carré St-Louis (northeast quadrant), 12 p.m. until supplies last

Indian snacks including veggie pakoras, tandoori chicken, and chai. More details here.

 

Shaughnessy Village

 

Aux Délices du Village

2150 de Maisonneuve W, 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

African and Asian Fusion are on offer with specialties like spring rolls, banana chips, and beverages made with ginger, lemon and pineapple. More details here.

 

Verdun

 

Free Shit Verdun

3422 Rushbrooke, 12-4 p.m.

The well-known Verdun scavengers won’t live up to their name this time, since their pulled pork sandwiches and other goodies won’t be free, nor shit. More details here.

 

Hochelaga-Maisonneuve

 

Saint-Tropez d’Hochelaga

5200 Hochelaga, 8-11 p.m.

Restaurant Day fun continues into the evening in Hochelaga with cocktails and a soul-jazz soundtrack.

 

Laval

 

 Restaurant Day à la Moldova

2547 Fregault, Laval, 4–8 p.m.

The backyard party atmosphere of this restaurant will make you feel right at home…. if your home is in Moldova. The operators will have Moldovan dishes made from polenta, cheese pastries, a type of vegetable sushi, and some fun prizes to raffle off. More details here. ■

 

To see the entire list of 41 participating restaurants, check out the Restaurant Day website, and the official map of all affiliated Montreal events here.