This week's throwback Thursday is extra special to me. This throwback took place 2 years ago almost to the day, which happens to be not too far away from my birthday.In November of 2014 I turned 30! The big 3-0! And what other way should a foodie celebrate her birthday but to number one: Travel and number two: Travel to a city that's on her bucket list!My significant other and I rented an apartment using the website TripAdvisor (it's very similar to AirBnB) but with a better insurance policy. Plus the pricing worked out a lot better than the available AirBnB's and hotels in the area I wanted to stay in. I also, wanted to stay in an apartment so I could get a feel of what it's like to live in this city (even if it's just for a week).I'm going to back up a bit for those who do not know where Montreal is, it is the most English and French populated city in Quebec Canada. Montreal has been ranked as one of the top food destinations in the world. With that said, you can tell how excited I was at planning this trip and how excited I was to try French cuisine without traveling to Europe.My first stop once in Montreal was to our apartment rental which was in Park Avenue (Avenue Du Parc). This area is considered one of the most elegant residential areas in Montreal.We did a bit of walking around the area and noticed just a few steps away from our flat there was a cozy little Middle Eastern restaurant named Kazamaza. Before I talk about how delicious the food was, there is one thing I will mention about this beautiful city for those planning on visiting. Many restaurants do not stay open all day. Some open in the mornings (9/10am), stay open for a few hours (until about 1/2pm) close for a few hours then reopen for dinner around (5/6pm). We discovered this around 3pm when we tried to grab food and Kazamaza was closed and setting up for the dinner crowd. I think this a great concept for workers in the food industry. You have more time to relax and the ability to take solid breaks and actually enjoy your profession instead of busting your butt all day long. Now that we got the lay of the restaurant land, we planned accordingly for future food outings.
Here's what we had at Kazamaza (I will say everything we tasted here was extremely fresh, perfect temperature, the staff was amazingly helpful and treated us with so much hospitality even though we did not speak French):Photos below: (1) Fattet Mawzat : A warm lovely dish layered with lamb, eggplant, pine nuts, tomato sauce, and mind blowing spices. (2) Labneh (3) grilled chicken. We also tried some amazing beer named Boréale. I would have never thought my first meal in this French city would be Middle Eastern and I loved every bite.
The drive from Queens to Montreal was a long one so we called it a night (after dinner) and got a goodnights sleep. The next day, we woke up early to get some bagels. Before I headed to Montreal there was talk in my office of me trying "amazing" bagels on my trip. When I heard this from a co-worker I was a little taken aback by this statement because I'm a New Yorker. Born and raised in Brooklyn and in my opinion New York City produces the best bagels hands down. I know my previous statement is controversial but I did not expect to hear that bagels are one of the "must tries" foods in Montreal. And, because I love a challenge and I love to prove people wrong I woke up extra early (as instructed) and headed down to St-Viateur Bagel (La Maison du Bagel).
My first thoughts were (as I approached the store) "oh this is small". I was under the impression this is a sit down diner like how in New York City, you can grab a bagel, sit and have a cup of coffee. Nope. This place was a legit hand rolled bagel shop. It was spectacular to see this happening before my eyes. I had to let a few locals go ahead of me before I could decide on which bagels I wanted to try. But I ended up getting 4 different bagels and I will admit they were pretty good. Very warm, soft, not airy, not too chewy and not too crunchy but sort of the perfect bagel consistency. If you are reading this and plan on heading to Montreal I highly recommend stopping at St-Viateur Bagel shop and at the least watch the bagel making process, it's pretty great to see first hand. Luckily we did not live too far from here so we grabbed the 4 bagels and headed back to our flat to make coffee and enjoy our bagels.
After we stuffed our faces with yummy bagels we bundled up (because it was about 17degrees at the time) and headed to Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal. It's truly amazing. My photos can not do the real thing justice. If you have a chance to go to Montreal please visit the basilica just to experience it's structural beauty.
We also took some time to visit the Jardin Botanique de Montréal, Parc olympique de Montréal, and Biodôme de Montréal. Both the Botanique Jardin and Parc olympique even in the winter were majestic, and the Biodome was so much fun. I love visiting habitats so this was right up my alley. I had a blast! The penguin exhibit was my favorite.
As many of you travelers know, lots of walking, visiting shops, and site-seeing can make a person hungry.And oh boy did I continue to eat on this trip.Here are a few of my favorite food stops leading up to my big 5-course birthday dinner (more on that later).Café Local: Here we tried delicious buttery pasta with chorizo and fish
St-Hubert Express: Duck Poutine For those who are not aware of what poutine is, it's Canada's famous dish consisting of French fries topped with cheese curds and hot gravy. It's a Canadian staple. I decided to try the Duck Poutine because every dish in Montreal could possibly contain duck, it's like what chicken in for America. 
We stopped for cappuccino's before heading to China Town. I will have to say it seems like any coffee shop you go to in Montreal, the people are friendly and the cappuccinos are divine.
Soup Dumplings in Montreal's China Town: pork and leak 
We called it a night after an eventful day. Had a bit of whiskey and these unique dill pickle chips only sold in Canada by the fireplace.
The next day breakfast was a bit American at a cute boutique diner named Beautys Luncheonette (this was also walking distance from our flat). I tried my best to order a french dish but everyone around me kept ordering pancakes so that's what I got :) and the decision was light fluffy and came with LOTS of bacon.
Since this was now my actual birthday I got a chance to relax, and do a bit of shopping in our part of town. The supermarkets in Montreal and stocked very similar to what we have in the US but I feel like they cater to the healthier side of products more than the chemical based products. I also absolutely loved the fact that ducks and duck meat were readily available as you would see chicken or beer here in the US. I hardly see duck sold in a local Whole Foods or a Gristedes.Speaking of duck, I will now explain my birthday dinner. A dear co-worker who lives and works in Montreal was a huge help when I told her I would be spending time in Montreal. I asked her for a restaurant that would feed my foodie hunger but not break the bank. My co-worker recommended a wonderful restaurant that offered a 5-course dinner for around $54-55. When I looked up reviews on this place it became an absolute must! The restaurant is named French Connection.Here are a few pictures of what I ate, there was liver, duck legs, fish, beef tartar, bread-pudding (which i LOVE) and lot's of wine. I recommend dining here if you are looking for a lovely atmosphere full of locals and lots of superb French cuisine.
I could not have asked for a better 30th birthday! I loved every single bite of my meal. Every single course :)The next day was one of our last days in Montreal and on the way out of this majestic city we stopped at Mount Royal (which gave a stunning overlook of the city then drove) - photo's below (1), grabbed some English Pub food at the Burgundy Lion for lunch (photos 2,3) and The Old Port of Montreal (photo 4,5).
After lunch we made our way to Marché Jean-Talon because we were told we could not leave Montreal with trying the oysters at Marché Jean-Talon. I think that was one of the beset suggestions we received on the entire trip. Marché Jean-Talon is a gigantic market full of fresh seafood, vegetables, sweets, meats and restaurants. Have a look at the photos I took and check out the food I managed to stuffed my face with as we began our journey back to Queens (NYC).
Thank you reader for joining me and taking a look back at one of the best foodie trips I've had to date.Leave a comment below if you have any questions about the dishes or locations mentioned above.
Dîner En Blanc New York - What You Need To Know
Last month I attended a secret event called Dîner En Blanc. It's an event not many people know about or have even heard of until you know someone who's been to it or you've seen tons of people dressed in white meeting in the same location. Certainly commuters near the Flatiron district were curious as to why tons of adults were meeting in the park dressed from head to toe in white (men and women) with what seems to be luggage all around us. This is what commuters saw when they walked by Madison Square Park (one of the many meeting spots around New York City) on a Thursday at 5:30pm:[video width="720" height="1280" mp4="http://tameekaeats.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/IMG_8418.mp4" poster="http://tameekaeats.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Screen-Shot-2016-10-30-at-9.56.03-PM.png" loop="true"][/video]I think the mystery of it all is what keeps the event going. Even though I can enjoy a bit of mystery in my life, I have a bit of a type A personality and I like to be prepared for things in advance. Not having full details on what to expect I spent days before the event studying lot's of blogs and subscribing to multiple white party themed Pinterest boards to get tips on what to bring, what to wear, and how to set up my table.After the event I realized there are tons of people like me out there and tons of people who need a lil less mystery in their lives when it comes to one of the most exclusive parties in New York City so I created this post for people like me.I've broken down the basics of Dîner En Blanc by using a familiar set of "Who" "What" "When" "Where" "Why" and "How".
Who? -- Who Started Dîner En Blanc?
Dîner En Blanc was founded in 1988 by a man named François Pasquier. François lived in Paris. One evening he casually invited a handful of friends to have an elegant outdoor dinner at Bois de Boulogne (a park in Paris) and simply asked them to wear white so they would be able to find each other. This basic concept grabbed attention of many and is now an worldwide event that has spread across six continents. That's pretty spectacular to think an outing with friends can turn into such a secret phenomenon.
What? -- What Is Dîner En Blanc?
Dîner en Blanc is an annual all white exclusive dinner party held in a secret location in select cities worldwide. Participants are not given any location information before the date and start time of the event. This is done to avoid non-participants and party crashers from taking over and ruining the exclusivity of the night. In order to attend Dîner En Blanc you will need to register online or be apart of the Hosts or Leaders’ personal network and get invited by them during Phase 1 or by knowing someone who registers during Phase 1 and asking them to sponsor you for Phase 2 or, by signing up to the waiting list and registering during Phase 3.I will warn you if you plan on going next year and are on the waitlist, mark your calendar off when tickets go on sale and be sure to get your tickets at the allotted time i.e. My last name starts with a "B" so everyone's last name that starts with that letter can purchase tickets at 2pm you should be on the website minutes before so you are in a virtual line and ready to get your tickets. The tickets are not free and in NYC this years admission for attending was $74.00USD per person (1 member + 1 guest). Once you are confirmed and you have the date of the event you will have either a week or 2 to start planning what you will wear, and gather the basics.The dressed code is strict: ALL WHITE! Head to toe. I will suggest wearing white shoes but if you do not have white shoes which a lot of people do not have (especially New Yorkers) you can wear light colored shoes but use your most fashionable judgement. Do not wear anything black. Also, do not wear anything grey, silver, off-white, or beige. Go all out and wear white! I probably tried on 6 or 7 different dresses in search of the perfect one. The theme is elegant, please remember that. I did see 1 or 2 people with white shorts on but you could tell they did not feel as fabulous as the rest of us who took the dress code seriously. I suggest dressing as comfortable (but chic) as possible. I wore a pair of white flats but they were scrappy and went all the way up my leg. The number on my purse is the the section we will be seated. This number is given to you by your group leader which you will need to check in with when you arrive at the assigned meet up location.
I would also suggest adding as much originality as possible to what you are wearing. Add lights, birds, feathers, big hats, stones, anything creative to your outfit (and table) to stand out in the sea of white. I say this because you'll make a lot of friends quickly. One of my friends whom I sat with said something very true about Dîner En Blanc: "this is like a prom for adults". When I walked around everyone was dressed so elegantly, dancing, laughing, eating and having a ball. It really did remind me of a prom. And I loved every minute of it (once we all sat and got settled).Speaking of getting settled, earlier I mentioned "gathering the basics". Gathering the basics when it comes to Dîner En Blanc means you are given a list before hand of items you will need to bring with you to have dinner which are:
- A white table (foldable and portable)
- 2 white chairs (one for you and one for your guest)
- A white table cloth along with white plates, silverware and white napkins
- Flowers (the only pop of color)
- Candles or a Centerpiece
There is an option of purchasing food at the secret location or bringing your own. I would recommend bringing your own food especially if you have dietary restrictions or if you simply just want to eat cheese all night and drink champagne. If you do not feel like bringing your own food, you'll need to sign up for this option before hand. You'll receive several email about this and you'll have enough time to decide on what type of dish you want for the evening. I suggest bringing foods that will not spoil fast and do not require much refrigeration. The day of the event, I purchased ready to eat shrimp, olives, cheese, cold cuts, bread, pâté, and sushi. All foods that need to stay on ice.
If you do bring food that needs to be on ice I suggest small lunch box type of items and ice packs. One big mistake I made as a first timer was bringing a full sized cooler filled with food and ice. At one point myself and my cooler almost tumbled down the subway stairs so I highly recommend purchasing a sturdy set of wheels for a very small cooler or obtain a backpack cooler. And, if you are in New York you will be going to the secret location via the subway so your "luggage" of tables and chairs may have to fit through the turnstile. Keep things compact.When it comes to alcohol, New York City has pretty strict rules about drinking in parks so we were instructed not to bring alcoholic beverages but to purchase them at the approved vendor. This years main vendors were Moët and Apothic wines.
When? & Where? -- When Is Dîner En Blanc?
This years Dîner En Blanc NYC took place on Thursday September 15th. This event does not take place on the same date every year. Though it's all very secretive of when it will take place, I have noticed every year the event is held before the winter months so it is usually warm out. There are options to choose a meet up location and your team captain. This person will lead you to the secret location. You will need to carry your table, chairs and other items you decide to bring to the location. Once you are at your location and have been seated it's time to set your table for dinner. This years location was at Wagner Park Waterfront located in Battery Park which overlooked the Statue of Liberty. It was simply an incredible location to be near. Have a look for yourself.
Why? -- Why Attend Dîner En Blanc?
Why Not!?! Plus Foodies and those who like exclusive parties crave new experiences. I love the fact that I was able to attend this event and know that I was apart of something that made the newspapers. We made history. This year it's been recorded over 5,000 people attended. That's 5,000 New Yorkers coming together dressed in white to enjoy a night together with strangers.
How? -- How Can You Attend Or Volunteer?
There are a number of volunteers on board making this event possible. If you want to volunteer here's a link to the main site: http://newyork.dinerenblanc.info/faq I would not change the experience I had but I do have a few tips and tricks for first timers.
TAMEEKA'S DîNER EN BLANC NYC TIPS & TRICKS
? Purchase this table, it comes in a bag and it's easy to carry - Coleman Outdoor Compact Table and purchase these chairs from IKEA - CHAIRS? Even though it's off season for fashionably wearing white. Look for an all white outfit. Be creative. Access Etsy and Pinterest for ideas.? Do not bring lots of food. Bring bread, cheese, meats, etc. Finger foods. Carry your food in one of these types of cooler back packs: BackPack? Dress as fashionable but as comfortably as you can. You will be traveling with your table, chairs, food, and drinks throughout NYC to the secret location.? Buy alcohol at the venue. This will save space and save weight in your luggage.? Purchase a hand truck from HomeDepot: HandTruck? Take photos of your food. I failed to do so so much and regret this!? Use Pinterest as a resource. I came up some really good ideas on how to prepare our table.? Use Marshall's, TJMax, Amazon, and your local thrift stores to pick up table items.? Eat. Dance. Eat Some More. And Dance Again.? HAVE FUN! You are at Dîner En Blanc! One of the most exclusive parties ever!Here are a few photos I took from that night.This is an event I would suggest going to for the experience if you have the opportunity and means to attend. It's a world wide event! Go to the main website for details and to see if Dîner En Blanc is held in your part of the world.
