July 2, 2006
Hello from Montreal: A Gourmet Dinner at
Nuances Restaurant, Followed by Amazing Fireworks
My personalized tour of the Casino
de Montreal was very interesting and taught me many different
things that I had never known about casino operations. My learning
experience was followed by an opportunity to sample the Casino’s
hospitality first hand. Alexandre took me up to the top floor of
the Casino and handed me over to Benoît, the restaurant manager
at Nuances,
the Casino’s gourmet restaurant.
Benoît, the Restaurant Manager at Nuances, and Alexandre,
my Casino guide
I had a perfect table by the window with a beautiful view overlooking
the St. Lawrence River and the downtown Montreal skyline. The sun
was just starting to set and the entire scene was bathed in golden
hues. Benoît even took me out on to a terrace on the top level
of the Casino that offered a completely unobstructed 180 degree
view of downtown Montreal and the entire island. The vista was absolutely
stunning. The Casino de Montreal is definitely one of the best places
to view Montreal’s skyline.
Nuances is a highly acclaimed fine dining restaurant that has been
awarded the coveted CAA-AAA Five Diamond Rating. This 72-seat restaurant
has a sophisticated atmosphere and a highly dedicated staff. Once
I got comfortable, Gérard, the waiter for my table, brought
an “amuse-bouche”, a starter plate that featured frozen
goat cheese on ice in a reduction of apple cider. The mixture of
sweet and tart flavours definitely perked up my taste buds and got
them ready for the culinary surprises yet to come.
As an appetizer I enjoyed mixed a vegetable salad and mesclun lettuce
with vegetable chips and a sherry vinaigrette. This entrée
was accompanied by three different types of bread with home-made
butter, made from heavy cream. Gérard explained that the
breads were a French baguette, a hazelnut/ honey / raisin bread
and a so-called Lodeve bread from the South of France.
I also got a quick peak at Nuances' three different wine cellars:
the wine cellar behind the bar features wines that are organized
carefully by region and type of wine. One of the cellars holds extremely
rare and expensive wines. I asked for Benoît’s suggestion
to select a main course as well as a wine to match. He recommended
that I try the Chilean sea bass. The black rice accompanying the
fish is also referred to as ‘forbidden rice” since only
the Chinese emperor was allowed to consume it. Benoît suggested
a glass of German Gewürztraminer to go with this dish.
Shortly after I received my meal and enjoyed the delicate taste
of the sea bass, accompanied by mixed vegetables such as wild asparagus,
bok choy and parsnips. The fish was drizzled in a yellow wine sauce,
made with wine from Jura in the French Savoie region. Some drops
of parsley oil rounded out the medley of complementary flavours.
As I would have to rush off shortly to go to the fireworks which
would start at the La
Ronde amusement park, Benoît ensured the speedy arrival
of my dessert: a Muscat wine jello with strawberries combined with
a vanilla and Szechuan pepper mousse on a chocolate base with a
pistachio sauce, a delicate treat. We even had a chance to visit
the kitchen to meet the chefs who had prepared my gourmet meal.
As I got back to my table and got myself organized, Benoît
dropped by with a “petit four”, a “little oven”
of baked goods that included miniature biscotti, fruit jelly, pistachio
jelly and American chocolate. I just loved the creative French terms
used, "amuse-bouche" and "petit four" are perfect
descriptions for these culinary delights.
This multi-course meal combined with the personalized and highly
attentive service and the stunning views of Montreal made my evening
at Nuances
a very special experience and a definite highlight of my trip. When
I had to leave Benoît took me personally down to the main
entrance of the Casino where he flagged down a taxi for me to ensure
I would make it on time to the fireworks at La Ronde. The staff
at the Casino
de Montreal went out of their way to make this evening a memorable
experience.
My five-minute taxi ride took me back across the bridge to Ile
Sainte-Hélène where my driver dropped me off in front
of the main entrance at La
Ronde. La Ronde is Montreal's amusement park and first opened
in 1967 as part of Expo 67, a world fair that really put Montreal
on the map. Today La Ronde is a member of the famous Six Flag family
of amusement parks.
My seat provided a perfect view of the soon-to-come spectacle and
the huge crowd was filled with anticipation. What seemed like many
thousands of people were located inside the La Ronde amusement park
in different seating sections and many thousands more were planning
to watch the fireworks from the Jacques Cartier Bridge.
The fireworks today were part of a competition series called
“L’International des Feux Loto-Québec”
which features a schedule of 10 pyro-musical events between June
17 and July 29, 2006. Countries participating in this competition
include Switzerland, Italy, Argentina, South Africa, Portugal, Canada,
the United States, France and Australia with a special finale on
July 29.
Our presentation tonight was put on by the Cienfuegos Fireworks
company from Argentina, which is a key player in the field of pyrotechnics
due to its unique know-how. Tonight’s program was anchored
around the personalities of Evita Peron and Che Guevara and enchanted
with classic Argentian melodies and music from Central America.
The stunning fireworks displays were choreographed in perfect harmony
with the music and lit up the sky with stunning multi-coloured displays
of light and sound.
This fireworks presentation provided a dramatic artistic ending
to three and a half wonderful days of Canada Day festivities in
Montreal. As I sat in the subway on the way back from Jean Drapeau
Park I realized that I would only have a few more hours in this
beautiful city before my train was going to leave tomorrow just
before noon. But I was determined to take advantage of every minute
here to discover yet another facet of this fascinating city and
sneak in one final walking tour
of the city before my departure.
Useful books about travel to Montreal:
Related articles:
Hello from Montreal 2006 - My 4-day
explorations of Montreal
Hello from Montreal: An interesting
train ride and first impressions
Hello from Montreal: Getting
the lay of the land in a driving tour
Hello from Montreal: Dinner and a
little jazz at Modavie
Hello from Montreal: Reliving
history with the Old Montreal Ghost Tour
Hello from Montreal: Architectural
discoveries in the Old Montreal Walking Tour
Hello from Montreal: Exploring
the Chateau Ramezay during a torrential downpour
Hello from Montreal:
Mexican delights at La Iguana & a peak at the Jazz Festival
Hello from Montreal: A guided bicycle
tour to explore Montreal's neighbourhoods
Hello from Montreal:
Biking on the Lachine Canal - Industrial history turned into a recreational
opportunity
Hello from Montreal: A chat with
André Giroux about Bicycling in Montreal
Hello from Montreal: Savouring Italian
cuisine at Galiano's and Canada Day Celebrations
Hello from Montreal:
Exploring the Olympic Stadium, the Botanical Garden & Insectarium
and outdoor action at the Jean Talon Market
Hello from Montreal: A Peruvian immigrant
success story at Restaurant Mañana
Hello from Montreal: Friendly
neighbourhood encounters on Square St. Louis
Hello from Montreal: Exploring
the Casino de Montreal
Hello from Montreal: Gourmet
dining at Nuances and amazing fireworks at La Ronde
Hello from Montreal: A final walk
to discover amazing architectural beauties
Helpful links for travel to Montreal:
Tourisme
Montreal - Montreal's official tourism information office
Quebec Tourism
- Official tourism website for Quebec
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