For me, March rhymes with maple, as it is the month where I get all my maple cravings satisfied. Let’s just say that March is the most maple-saturated month of the year! 

For the past three years, I’ve made a point of going to Le Richmond for the most marvelous maple brunch. This year, I’m adding another sugar-shack themed brunch to my list, at Marché Artisans – the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel’s gourmet market. Plus, I discovered a gourmet coconut and maple waffle at a café in another hotel near my place. There’s really no valid reason to venture off the island to find a maple moment. Follow me for your urban maple fix….

Restaurant Le Richmond’s Chic Urban Sugar Shack

This has become a tradition for me and my friends. No need to haul the kids in a car out to the Eastern Townships to an over-crowded sugar shack when you can just Uber to Le Richmond for a more civilized maple experience. With or without the kids, we always have a blast with creative cocktails that incorporate maple, or a line-up of mimosas to accompany our copious and gourmet brunch – just $45 for soup, appetizers, main course and dessert! ($25 for kids). Then there is the highlight – a tidy petting zoo and maple taffy in the courtyard of the restaurant. Le Richmond literally brings the sugar shack to the city with a lovely llama and goats galore. Warm up with mulled wine, hot chocolate and maple shots while you mingle with the friendliest farm animals in a Pinterest-worthy sugar shack-inspired setting. Every weekend from March 9^th to the 31^st! 

For more info: http://lerichmond.com/en/brunch-a-lerable/

Marché Artisans Maple Brunch

Already one of my favourite spots for a quick gourmet lunch downtown, this year, the Marché Artisans in the Queen E Hotel is hosting a maple-themed brunch every Saturday from March 16^th to April 20^th. On the meat-lovers menu: bacon rinds and duck rillettes, buckwheat pancakes with blueberry compote, baked beans with duck confit, eggs Benny with roast ham and maple béarnaise, a maple dumpling and of course, top that off with a slice of sugar pie! All for $28 (or $25 for the vegetarian version). I can’t wait to try it! 

For more info: https://www.marcheartisans.com/event/maple-brunch-at-marche-artisans/

Golden Montreal’s Gourmet Days 

For the first edition of the Golden Square Mile’s “Gourmet Coffee” event, I discovered a new café near my house that is serving up golden gourmet coconut waffles with maple whipped cream paired with a frothy cappuccino for only $10 from March 4^th until April 28^th. Café Ambrose is located on Stanley street, in a charming Victorian-style hotel. 

For more info on the Golden Montreal Gourmet Days and to see all the participating restaurants and cafés visit: http://goldenmontreal.com/en/gourmetdays/

Surely there will be other maple-themed moments in Montreal in March, but these are the ones I will be trying.

Which one would you choose? 

Comments