About Vanessa Muri
Montreal City Editor Vanessa Muri has lived in London and Tokyo, but finds the charms of her hometown irresistible. From the latest scoops to the best deals in Montreal and everything in between, don't miss her weekly take on life in the fair city.
Will Crawl For Food
montreal musings Montreal
(Nov.03.10)
In the What’s Happening column from two weeks ago, you may recall an event called Croissant Dishcrawl. (I know that many of you saw it, as the event sold out that morning after the newsletter went out!)
I decided to go myself to see what the fuss was all about (and discover the best croissants in Montreal, bien sûr). A Dishcrawl is a well-organized progression of three dishes or more, which usually involves moving from one restaurant to another (within walking distance).
The idea is to sample the very best that each restaurant has to offer for a set price, with drinks extra. It’s a great way to try out places you’ve never been to before without breaking the bank or choosing the wrong dish, and it’s a fun way to meet new people too.
I wasn’t surprised to see a lot of the foodies I know from numerous events there, which made it all the more enjoyable as we compared our favourites. The smiling gal in the middle is the Montreal organizer, Marcella DeVincenzo, who with matchmaker Bao Phac (not pictured) selected the bakeries and samples.
We tasted nine different croissants in total. Yes, nine! I had to stop after about the fifth one, especially as the fillings became sweeter and sweeter. But I tasted long enough to say that my all-time favourite croissant is from Kouign Amann. It was light, golden and buttery-rich, with just the right amount of flakiness.
And the chocolate almond croissant from Autour d’un Pain guarantees I never have to choose between my beloved flavours again. (For a full account of participating bakeries, read here.)
I can't wait to go crawling again. And stay tuned: I’ll be a matchmaker next spring for a vegetarian dishcrawl. You can already check out some of my favourite dishes here…