Drink BEFORE the Game

It is no secret. Montreal is hockey crazy. Those that probably know this best are the ones cashing all the dime notes (10$ bills) you’ve been paying PER BEER all night long. Security does a pretty thorough check of bags and the like at the gate if you are budget-challenged and are hoping to sneak anything in – so you’ll have to be creative. One thing they don’t advertise is that they stop selling beer after the 2nd period intermission – which can be a good or a bad thing I guess – so be sure to stock up.

One thing is for sure, if you can, make it to a game. The new(er) Bell Centre offers great seating at any price range, and my preference is sitting in the upper bowl in what’s called the Molson Ex (domestic beer brand) Zone. Fans are a lot more raucous and tend to be a lot more involved than the corporate stiffs in the lower bowl. This section offers quick access to multiple beer kiosks as well as a persistent flock of ‘‘Molson Ex’‘ girls who are constantly trying to get the crowd pumped up. Beer, Girls and Hockey = a Montreal guy’s fantasy. Fans live and die with the ups and downs of our team.

The Canadiens are in fact the second-winningest sports franchise in modern sports history – second only to the New York Yankees. Management are in a constant struggle between signing players that please the fans (homegrown French Canadian talent) and players that can make a difference. A winning formula is embedded in this franchise, and it is only a matter of time before they get back to their winning ways.

A Culinary Treat

If you don’t work in the building or have friends who do, it is unlikely you have yet to hear about Cafe Dominion. But you will…and here’s why.

Shawn ‘‘Chicken’‘ Jackson, Head Chef, is a great friend of mine. He never ceases to surprise and delight with his creative and economically-friendly servings – and I always leave feeling satisfied. From soups, to salads, to vegetarian meals, and choice meat dishes there is nothing this restaurant cannot turn out. Few know that Shawn is professionally trained, but I believe it is his history of having gone through the ‘‘trenches’‘ of the restaurant biz that makes his approach unique and at the same time wildly appealing. He appreciates that no two palates are alike, and this is evidenced by his ever-growing repertoire of dishes and constantly fresh menu.

The location itself also caters well to private functions and special events with three tier seating and a fantastic laid back atmosphere. I’m fortunate enough to have a brother and some buddies who work in conjoining offices and I visit quite often. For whatever reason, my visits almost always coincide with an empty stomach that needs filling.

Stop in here if you have the chance. You will not regret it.

Unless you have taken care to organize a private function, your visit will have to take place during the day. Because of the office-centric location, they are not open during the evening or on weekends.

Buy the T-Shirt and Move On

The set-up, decor, and paraphernalia as well as the store are all I would recommend you check out at this particular Hard Rock. I’ve been to this particular one several times, but will never go again after my latest experience.

While the service was friendly and the waiter we had was fluently bilingual (sometimes an issue if you are an out-of-towner), nothing could make up for the fact that the food we ordered was sub-par at best.

We had a nacho entree and I went with a rib and chicken combo while my wife opted for a parmigiana style southwest chicken sandwich. My chicken was well-cooked, and probably the better of the two main aspects of my meal. The ribs were well, bad, and less than half of the ‘‘meat’‘ on them was edible. I usually don’t mind a bit of grisly fatty goodness on my ribs, but these took it to a whole other level. For the price (around 18$), I was expecting a lot better.

My wife had the sandwich described above, and got what amounted to a rubber chicken with a sloppy tomato sauce and some spice splashed on top. She ate a couple bites, we complained, and ended up getting 1/2 off our meal. Pretty fair considering we ate about half of our meals, if not less.

We didn’t ask for anything in return after having complained, but I got the feeling it wasn’t the first time they were comping meals and/or bills to save face because of poor product.

Rarely am I compelled to complain – and I almost didn’t here. If you want my advice, stop in for the T-Shirt like Monica says, have a beer, and MAYBE the Nachos..and then move on.