We had the pleasure of having brunch at a local watering hole/hole in the wall in the Alexandra - Marconi neighbourhood of Montreal a couple weeks ago while visiting Vanessa’s family. We met up with our friend Camille, owner of Allume, who knew we were hungry and looking for the best vegetarian food that didn’t feel like vegetarian food; she also raved about their fake pulled pork. By the way Camille described it, we were expecting a new restaurant/cafe but when we arrived to our surprise, this was a trip back to any Quebecer’s childhood. As soon as you walk in, you’re greeted with the smell of delicious hot sandwiches, soups, salads and espresso. The whole space is literally a vintage bodega/convenience store with a dinner setup inside, the tables hidden within the shelfs of inventory and stock. The staff were super welcoming and provided great service. I came back the next day by myself because I didn’t wan’t to play around: I needed the Halloumi sandwich ASAP. Shout out to our awesome server who was a fellow east coaster from Fredricton, NB!