Montreal again

I rise at 8:30. With a dry nose. That's an improvement. I'm feeling much better. What a relief.

Alexei turns up at 10. As was arranged yesterday.

"Andrew says we can go for breakfast without him." He tells me. And so we do.

Allô mon Coco isn't far. Just around the corner, really. It bills itself as a breakfast restaurant. Really, it's like a posh diner. A licensed one.

Alexei gets himself a mimosa. While I have an espresso martini. I do quite like one of those to wake me up in the morning.

We both get the gourmand breakfast. Which is pretty big and includes two pancakes. Which I don't want. 

“Do you want my pancakes, Lexxie?”

“I suppose so. I’ll see if I’m hungry when I’ve finished my breakfast.”

I'm so generous, letting Alexei have food I don’t like. Father of the year behaviour.

The potato element to the breakfast comes either mashed or cubed. Both me and Alexei go for the latter.

“What type of cheese do you want? Swiss or cheddar?”

They turn out to be fried potato cubes, topped with grated cheese. That’s a new one for me at breakfast.

“We’ve had lots of different types of potato on our breakfasts.” I remark. “Proper hash browns, breakfast potatoes.”

“Poutine.” Alexei chips in. “You made me eat most of it.”

“There was a fuck of a lot of it.”

“It was good.”

“What else? The other type of hash brown and chips. Is that the lot?”

“I think so, Dad.”

It’s a very large breakfast. And Alexei has a chocolate milkshake with his. Along with my pancakes.

“Don’t you think that’s a bit too much for a breakfast. Or any meal, really” I ask.

“It is the continent of over-consumption.” Alexei replies.

“You keep saying that.”

“Because it’s true.”

“Usually when you’re overindulging in something.”

“Fitting in with the local culture.”

“That’s a feeble excuse.”

“Like all of yours.”

“I have reasons, not excuses.”

“Right.”

Our breakfasts come to $91. Which isn't too bad considering we both had a cocktail.

Alexei goes back to his room. About 90 minutes later he and Andrew appear at my door. I have time to look through my recommendations for Montreal and decide on Pit Caribou. Which looks like a nice place. 

It’s a little closer than Dieu du Ciel, in the same direction. We get there a little before 15:00. There are people outside on the terrace, but it's deserted inside. Where we sit.

It’s rather beerhall-like. Less posh and ordered than many of the places we’ve been. There are long, high table, surrounded by stools. Also bench seating and normal-height tables. The small, round tables are decorated with beer-related images: a hop cone, mashing paddles, barley stalks.

I get the Double IPA, while the kids opt for some Lager or other. As they often do. It’s yet another sludge IPA. Which is starting to be a bit irritating.

“What a surprise: you’ve gone for the strongest beer again.” Andrew snipes.

“Fuck off.” Is my witty reply.

“As eloquent as ever, eh, Dad?”

After a couple of beers, we get some bits of food. They don't really do full meals here, just snacks. Which is OK by us. Me and Alexei both get toasties. Something to soak the beer up.

Andrew tries several different beers, as he does. While I stick with IPA, despite its sludgy nature. It's full of alcoholly goodness. Which is the taste I go for.

We spend a few happy hours, pints joyously slipping down our throats. What fun. Then Uber it back to our hotel. Where I reacquaint myself with Canadian Club. And crash out around midnight.
 

Allô mon Coco
70 Rue Sainte-Catherine E,
Montréal, QC H2X 0C7.
https://allomoncoco.com/locations/allo-mon-coco-ste-catherine-e/


Microbrasserie Pit Caribou
951 Rue Rachel E,
Montréal, QC H2J 2J4.