CJAD 800AM at 8:40am – European Food on West Island
Wednesday, October 13th, 2010Q1: We don’t usually think of the West Island as an area where you can find ethnic food, however today you’ve come to tell us this is not so.
There had been a slow Western creep of International Food on Boul. des Sources of Indian, West Indian Pakistani and even some Asian food. Now I have found a growth of Central and Eastern European markets for German, Russian, Polish and Bulgarian yummies around Boul. St-Jean and Boul. Pierrefonds.
Q2: Can you give us an example of European foods you have found?
At Le Petit Munich, first you are greeted with the healthy (unbleached flour, no preservatives) baked breads: bierbrot (sourdough beer), kummelbort (rye), artoffellaib (potato), brezen (pretzel rolls, sticks, braids) and Russian pumpernickel, and then there’s the cold cuts to put on them.
However for a real German feast, you can score some homemade foods: semmelknoedel (bread dumplings), schweinebraten (pork roast), sausages, German hamburger, meatloaf (laberkas), liver dumplings, spaetzel, housemade salads: potato, cucumber, carrot, beet, red cabbage, meat with pickles, sausage with onion and if you pine for it – head cheese.
For dessert, the cheesecake is not at all sweet and comes with pear, mandarin or poppyseeds, or spring for the biennenstich with honey, almonds and whipped cream, apple strudel and sacher torte, of course. You can try all of them out in the attached restaurant.
Location: 4832 boul St Jean, Pierrefonds
corner: Harry Worth
Phone: 514-626-8899
Hours: Tues 8-6, Wed – Sat 8-8, Sun 8-2
Q3: You mentioned Russian food, can we really find some caviar out there?
Russian, Polish, Rumanian and Bulgarian flavors have plunked down on the West Island at Marche Euro Mix . Lots of homemade offerings are cooked here, like vereniki (potato & fried onion or cheddar, sauerkraut, sweet cherry) and pelmenis (chicken, pork, veal, turkey, beef & chicken). Head for the take-out counter for homemade soups, fresh herring salad, stuffed grape leaves, tongue with mushroom sauce, ham with potatoes, carrots, peas and cuke salad, walnuts with onions and kidney beans or beets and walnuts with garlic and mushrooms, red peppers, egg and onion all mixed together.
Of course, there’s sturgeon, caviar and eel or cabanos, Estonian salami and double smoked bacon. Take a meat knish ($1.99) or mushroom and potato one to go. On the shelves, they stock jarred herring, cod liver oil, zacusca (red pepper spreads), Polish Family’s wafers, Sandora cherry juice, plum jam, kefir, marinated apples, 1/2 sour pickles or lotus leaves and rows of Russian candies and cookies. Brew some Japanese and Chinese tea and have cheesecake, walnut cake, napoleon or 5 kinds of halvah for dessert.
Locatin: 15718 Boul. Pierrefonds
corner: Paiment
Phone: 514-620-6000
Hours: Mon-Wed 10-8, Thurs & Fri 9-9, Sat 9-8, Sun 10-7
Q4: Okay, wrapping it up, take us somewhere for dessert.
Patisserie Danka, Polish bakery on the West Island is a find. Very traditional babkas, chocolate babkas, cheesecakes (raisins, chocolate covered or poppy seed) and apple cakes are lined up. Authentic strudels in poppy seed, chocolate, vanilla, walnut, lemon and orange are baked and stefanka, the 7-layer cake, is here along with cherry cake, honey cake made with cream or plums.
Roulades come in chocolate or mocha, vanilla and walnut, and you can buy meringues or rum balls. Some groceries (cookies, candies, jams, teas, syrups) and videos line the shelves.
Location: 15450 Boul Pierrefonds
corner: Jacques Bizard
Phone: 514-620-1253
Hours: Tues, Wed & Sat 10-4, Thurs & Fri 10-7
