4 restaurants. 1 special night. That's Dishcrawl! Part #2 |

Feature image credit: “Crescent Street” by Montreal painter Carole Spandau. Visit her website here.

My first experience as a dishcrawler at the social dining event Dishcrawl Montreal

By Myriam Richard

Excitement was already flowing through my veins as I’m changing lanes on Sherbrooke St. to get to the first spot for Dishcrawl Montreal. I had had quite a hectic day, and finishing it off at a foodie event was like icing on the cake. As I had mentioned in Part #1 of this article, Dishcrawl is a food dining social experience where dishcrawlers (the guests) get to discover 4 restaurants through their menus (of course), all in one evening. This edition of Dishcrawl Montreal all happened on Crescent St., reputed for being the host of so many restaurants within its small perimeter. In other words, it’s resto-polis!

Eatery #1 – Boustan : 2020-A Crescent (514) 843-3576

Boustan is a fairly small eating spot in the northern part of Crescent St. (between Sherbrooke and de Maisonneuve) serving middle eastern and lebanese food. When I arrived there, the place was already packed like a college after-game gathering where everyone is talking and laughing loudly, and waiters motion in quasi-dance moves between tables to reach theirs. I met with Genevieve, the winner of our Dishcrawl contest – hugs and thanks and words of excitement were quickly exchanged. Out of the 3 choices of wraps offered, I chose the Shish Taouk wrap. I didn’t eat the whole thing, afraid to not have the appetite for the rest of the evening. Overall, it was good, but nothing more than other middle eastern delis I’ve been to. So, if you have an appetite for a good cheap meal without much wait, Boustan’s the place.

Eatery #2 – Burger Bar : 1465 Crescent (514) 903-5575

Already a favorite of mine (read my article on it here ), I was glad to go back to Burger Bar and get a chance to taste another one of their “hamBourgeois”. Co-owner Ari was there to greet us (always smiling… love it!) with his chef Brian and both ushered us to the second floor where this second part of the event would take place. With fries for everyone, the Burger Bar chose a Big Bad Blue Burger slider (mini) with tomato confit, arugula and blue cheese. And a true crunch fest as it was topped with a crispy potato chip. Dee-lishh! Needless to say, everyone seemed to have enjoyed their time and food there.

Next stop?

Eatery #3 - Troïka : 2171, rue Crescent (514) 849-9333

A Russian menu in the heart of Montreal, that’s Troïka! New owners Stephane and David introduced to the group, the newly available Zakouska, their version of tapas. Though I didn’t intake any vodka that night, the zakouska pose as a great complement to a meal sprinkled or flooded with it. It is comprised of hot and cold dishes of veggies, meat, and fish that you eat with bread – a nice way of dining among a good group of friends over cheery conversations. To spice up your dining experience, Troïka has live music nights for their customers – like their Jazzy Thursdays, that I want to try and it offers a wide array of different kinds of vodka from all over the globe – the largest in the city, actually. Mixed with the zakouska, your party’s party won’t take too long to start. Na zdorovje!

Eatery #4 – Swurl Yogurt : 1464 Crescent (514) 439-8096

We finally ended up at Swurl Yogurt, which is a city favorite. Who doesn’t love a tasty calorie-free yogurt, at the base, and add a mountain full of toppings, from fruits to delicious sweet cereal crumbs? As I am lactose intolerant, I thought that I would not enjoy my time there… Au contraire!!! My sweet tooth was all but bored as I filled my cup with fruits and, yes… a mountain full of sweet cereal crumbs. DELISHHHH! As the hot days are slowly bowing out the country, make sure you take yourself and your friends to Swurl, and have a blast trying out different toppings on your frozen yogurt. You won’t regret it! And for restaurants owners reading this post, it is definitely a great opportunity to attract more customers in.

While outside observing everyone waiting to get a seat or leaving the restaurants where we ate, I couldn’t help but notice the onlookers. Seeing a flock of people standing outside a restaurant can only mean one thing… this place MUST be really good. I can bet my bottom dollar that the people that saw us leaving, going in or just waiting outside to get in thought about what they saw that very same night before going to sleep and are making plans or made them already to go eat at those restaurants where they saw us. It’s inevitable. Marketing-wise, it’s a great strategy for restaurants to partake.

There you have it… remember who gave you the hint!!

Lo and behold! If you love to eat and want to discover restaurants in the city, Dishcrawl is the event for you. Get a group of friends together and make it a gourmet night of conversations, laughter and culinary discovery. I really like this concept and think you would to. Montreal is an amazing city to eat (and much more) with good quality restaurants, and Dishcrawl is a great vehicle to visit them all, one special evening at a time.

Live. Laugh. Love. Dishcrawl!

I N F O

THE CONCEPT

Dishcrawl: www.dishcrawl.com

THE EATERIES

Boustan: www.boustan.ca

Burger Bar: Facebook page

Troïka: www.restauranttroika.com

Swurl: www.swurl-yogurt.com