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!
coffee culture
The new Receiver Brass Shop Roastery & Breadworks /
Our good friends over at Receiver Coffee here in Charlottetown just opened their second location called The Brass Shop Roastery & Breadworks. It is located in the port area of the waterfront in downtown Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. We had the chance to sneak in during their unplanned soft opening and capture some shots before it got crazy. I went to junior high and high school with the owners Chris Francis and Sean Bruinooge way back in the day; and since opening their first flagship location on Victoria Row, these guys have been going full blast with helping to create a bustling craft coffee scene on PEI. These guys showed me the light when it came to making a good cup of coffee, and that sometimes mean dialling into things and getting very scientific when making that fresh, smooth, non-bitter coffee. I'm super excited and proud to see these guys powering through and really succeeding in their field. A lot of people helped with the buildout of the new location (sorry if I'm missing anyone important), but it wouldn't look so damn slick if it wasn't for our friend Brodye Chappell of Brodye Chappell Builds. Brodye has been a close friend of mine since childhood and recently burst onto the scene a couple years ago as a fine woodworking genius with his BCB brand. He, along with some others, spent weeks and weeks building out the amazing wood finishings you see from the second you enter the Brass Shop, to the time you leave. If you're in Charlottetown, most likely you've probably already had their coffee, but if you haven't, don't miss out on their incredible coffee roasted in house by Sean, Chris and their team. We had the chance to sneak in during their unplanned soft opening and capture some shots before it got crazy.
