
ontreal’s High Lights festival has options for the low brow too. Not everyone has the pocket change to attend Quebec’s 400th Anniversary Dinner or Susur Lee’s seven course Euro-Asian sit-down. Luckily there are options for the rest of us. Here are the events, suppers and general goodies that are available to those of us with less than $100 to spare on to-die-for cuisine.
Brunch
• Montreal Chef Stelio Perombelon will be dishing out a five course brunch with Hidden Bench wines from the Niagara Region out of his new restaurant Les Cons Servant for $8 at 2pm on March 2nd.
• Have a dip in the heated pool at the Bonaventure Hilton before a mulled caribou brunch for $40 (extra for wine). Dive in on Februay 24th and March 2nd at 11:30 am.
• Torontonian cuisine will be served up at Au Petit Extra with a glass of Niagara Riesling for $45 at 11am on Feb. 24th and Mar. 2nd.
• For $29 (wine not included) you can sample a Lebanese lunch at Zawedeh on Feb. 24th at 11:30am.
Lunch
• Be sure to reserve a business lunch at one of the eight restaurants serving $11.95 lunches from February 25 – 29. The participating eight are Byblos, Casa de Matéo, Douro, Kashmir, La Khaïma, Ong Ca Can, Prato Pizzeria and Rumi. Maybe you can even charge it on the company card.
• Europea is offering a five course lunch prepared by Toronto chef Lorenzo Loseto from February 25 - 29 with a glass of featured Chilean wine for only $26.50.
• Straight from the Lyon region of France hails chef Joseph Viola who will be serving up three courses with two glasses of wine for $39.99 at Alexandre et Fils.
Cinq-à-septs
• Every day of the festival, diners can enjoy an Italian happy hour with wines, cheeses and meats for $25 at Ristorante Sapori Pronto.
• Right downtown, Renoir will be offering an Urban Happy Hour complete with Chilean wines and tapas for $24 everyday of the festival.
• The Parc Avenue wine bar Pullman will be serving up a Chilean happy hour with regional wines and tapas for $40 on Feb. 21 – 29 and March 1st.
Dinner
• Chef Peppino Perri is serving up a five course Italian feast with paired Chilean wines selected by a regional sommelier on February 27th at 6:30pm for $65 (wine not included).
• Local Chef Alexandre Loiseau plans to serve up a seven plate fois gras and maple supper with wine at Cocagne on Feb. 21st for $65.
• Torontonian celebrity chef Jamie Kennedy is pairing up with Le Jolifou’s David Furguson to cook up a six course Chilean menu with Chilean wines from Feb. 21 – 27 and Mar. 1 – 2 for $85 at 6pm.
• Four courses including foie gras and game meats will be cooked up by Vincent Châtelais of Le Pégase for $55 (wine not included) on February 26th and 27th at 6pm.
• Pier Gabriel is playing host to chefs Michel Racine and Jonathan Blais who will be serving mushroom inspired cuisine with Chilean wines on Feb. 22, 23, 29 and Mar. 1 at 7pm for $70 (($105 including wines).
• A $60 feast with Chilean wine that is sure to be a meat lover’s paradise is being served at Restaurant du Vieux-Port on Feb. 27th .
Tastings
• Cheese tastings led by Chef Thierry Daraize are being offered for free in Complex Desjardins from 11am on February 21 – 23 and February 28 – March 1st. Cheese chats and cooking for kids is included as well.
• On February 22nd head over to the Montreal Science Centre for a cocktail hour Chilean wine and Quebec cheese tasting from 6pm – 8pm for $20.
• On March 1st the Marché Bonsecours is holding their annual raclette party for $45 at 7:30pm. Call 514-908-9090 to reserve.
Classes
• There is a cooking class with Chef Nadia Boudreau of La Gaudriole for children between the ages of nine and fourteen. Nadia will be showing the little ones how to cook a meal for $90 a child at 1pm and February 24th.
• With Chef Peppino Perri you can have your cake and eat it too. Perri is offering a six course cooking class on February 26th at 6:30pm for $60 plus wine. And when you’re done slaving away, you get to eat your culinary creations.