At Home with Kim Vallee

DINING, EATING out | November 3, 2009

Tea Service at Windsor Arms Hotel

I went to Toronto for two days last week to research stories for my blog, to attend a social media event and to meet people. One thing on my list was having a formal tea service. When I saw that Windsor Arms starts serving their tea service at 1 pm, I jumped at the occasion. Some [...]

KIDS + BABY, LIVING with kids | September 30, 2009

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Kid-Friendly Cafes in Toronto and Montreal

Earlier this year, I told you about Maman, Bébé et Café, a coffee shop in Montreal that was more a community center for parents than a typical coffee shop. (October 4th, 2009 update: A friend told me that Maman, Bébé et Café has closed their door.) It seems that Toronto are catching up with two new [...]

DINING, FOOD + drinks | September 26, 2009

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A bias on serving coffee vs tea in restaurants

Why it is so hard to find a restaurant that serves tea in style? I want my tea served with a porcelain teapot or an iron cast model. It seems that most restaurants skipped the memo about the current tea popularity. PHOTOS by Kim Vallee: + Awesome teapot at Art Java on President Kennedy in Montreal – [...]

DINING, EATING out | September 9, 2009

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Muvbox Pop-Up Diner Concept

We have seen a few European examples of portable restaurants established in shipping containers from a promotional campaigns. Architects assembled containers into houses for years. This year, restauranteur Daniel Noiseux revamped the trailer diner concept. The first Muxbox fast-food restaurant unit sits in the Old Port of Montreal for the summer season. They will close soon. My [...]

DINING, EATING out | August 23, 2009

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My Gastronomic Meal at Basilic et Cacao

Naming a restaurant Basil and Cacao is a sure way to grab my attention. I had the pleasure of eating a wonderful gastronomic at Basilic et Cacao located in Eastman, Quebec last Friday night. Friends who were vacationing in the region invited us. We are glad we drove from Montreal to experience a delightful meal. [...]

HOME + GARDEN, HOME decor | August 20, 2009

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Inspiring Reclaimed Wood Walls at Les Enfants Terribles

I wish to talk about this restaurant not for his cooking, since I have never ate there but for its decor. Les Enfants Terribles is a pub located in Outremont, Quebec. What strikes me is how the architect Louis-Joseph Papineau play with depths on the reclaimed walls to create storage and decorating shelving. Naturally, he [...]

DINING, EATING out | June 30, 2009

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Chez Papa in San Francisco | Restaurant Review

This is a delicious French restaurant in San Francisco with a beautiful quiet terrace, set on a plaza not far from Blue Bottle Coffee. I am showing you the lunch we ate on the terrace of Chez Papa on Mint Plaza last Monday. My Grilled Arctic Char with Fingerling Potatoes, Capers, Lemon and Brown Butter was [...]

DINING, EATING out | June 30, 2009

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Restaurants are Embracing Twitter to Reach their Customers

I told you on my other blog that Twitter can be an efficient marketing vehicle for businesses. One type of business that benefits well from the free marketing platform that Twitter provides are local restaurants. What I like is that I decide which local stores and restaurants I want to follow on Twitter. This way, I [...]