food truck Au Pied de Cochon

Montreal’s YUL EAT Festival, Did Just That…I Ate and Ate!

By on September 11, 2015

When I heard about the YUL EAT festival in Montreal, I thought now THIS could be loads of fun. How could I go wrong…

Beautiful setting of being in Old Port Montreal: Check!

Gorgeous sunny day by the water: Check!

Food Festival fit for the masses: Check!

Curious how the festival began and the significance of ‘YUL’, I did a bit of research.  It turns out that the YUL EAT festival started last year in September 2014 at The Esplanade Financière Sun Life. The primary goal was to bring “together fans of the culinary arts and local cuisine”.

The festival’s name reinforces the desire to highlight Montreal as a gastronomical force by incorporating the Montreal International Airport – YUL, and marrying it with the abbreviated E.A.T.:

E stands for Experience
A stands for Appetite
T stands of Terroir

This year’s 3 day event (September 5th, 6th and 7th) took place at the ever so beautiful and one of my favorite places in Montreal…Old Port Montreal at the Quai de l’Horloge.

Quai de l’Horloge at the Old Port of Montreal

Organisers went all out in regards to having varied activities and events to suit everyone’s palate.  Some of the all-day events included:

     • “Matua Buvette”, a terrace that not only provided some ever so needed shade from the insane heat we were experiencing, but it was also a place where dj’s did their thing while guests enjoyed a beverage or two.

     • Walking around, you could easily see and sample (a lot of sampling happened) at several agri-food companies. And I must add that they were very, very generous in their offerings!

     • A Farmer’s Market and General Store that had a multitude of artisan producers showcasing their products and fare.

     • And of course the main draw for many people – the 50 pop-up restaurants and food trucks to be gluttonous over.

In my case, the day started off by one of YUL’s events – The YUL Brunch. The YUL Brunch consisted of three well-known Quebec eateries who were trying their hand at street food by partnering up with a food truck…giving me a 6 course meal to start off my day!

YUL Brunch was about to start at the YUL EAT Festival in Old Port Montreal

First Course

Prepared by: Phoenix 1 & Manitoba

Verdict: The gravlax was well gravlax…nothing out of the ordinary. The dumpling however was incredibly savory and very comforting in taste.

Salmon gravlax with marinated fennel and beetroot on toasted naan bread

 

Tongue and pork belly dumpling, corn and garlic flower, algae broth and wild mushroom, Bas-du-Fleuve greens

Second Course

Prepared by: Grumman’78 & Jason Morris

Verdict: The taco was very simple and true to a brunch staple. The fois gras pared with the Cinnabon was not my favorite as I found the foie gras to be too cold for my liking.

Scrambled eggs and crispy beef tongue in a taco

 

Foie Gras Cinnabon

Third Course

Prepared by: La Sandwicherie Zoe’s & John Winter Russell

Verdict: Other than the salted Haloumi, I’m afraid nothing else stood out for me…on both dishes.

Haloumi cheese marinated in smoked pork fat, tomato and Angelique sauvage

 

Spinach, Portuguese chili, puffed rice with anchovy dressing, kombu and black garlic

Ok, so out of the 6 dishes I was only really impressed with one of them – the savory dumpling…but that was okay as I had the entire day ahead of me to eat, drink and be merry and that is exactly what I did!

Walking throughout the festival grounds, everywhere you looked there was something new to either eat or drink. And from my favorite caffeine fix, Nespresso (and this is coming from someone who normally doesn’t drink coffee, but Nespresso has converted me) they had their beautiful VIP lounge to sip and savour and of course to relax…that went ever so well with the beautiful summer day Montreal was having.

 

Nespresso Drinks

As I was saying, food choices were plentiful and if the sight of the different array of delectable culinary choices didn’t pique your interest, then the smell definitely did. How can anyone in their right frame of mind, not be seduced by the amazing smell of meat being cooked on an open flame?!

Rotisserie Piri Piri grilling their flavorful chicken

Entranced not only by the smell of the BBQ, but also by all the visuals that came along with all the food trucks and agri-food companies out on display – guests had plenty to choose from.

Looks like a good spot for a carnivore treat right?!

Kitchen Brïz tempted me with their freshly prepared ‘pogo’, but this wasn’t just your average “Joe” pogo. This was the ultimate pogo, if that even exists. Kitchen Brïz used their smoked BBQ pork and then fried their creation in a light and crispy tempura batter…the result speaks for itself! And if it wasn’t obvious – this pogo was off the charts in taste and texture.

The Food Tease and the Goliath Pogo!

One thing I did notice during the festival was how extremely clean the grounds were. I made special note of that especially since many festivals don’t make garbage disposing one of their priorities. Garbage in full sight can make for a very unpleasant setting, especially when you are trying to enjoy your meal.

The YUL EAT festival not only made sure that every couple of feet there were garbage and recycling bins present but also free water dispensers!!! I could not believe that! I am so used to being charged insane amounts of money for a bottle of water, that for me to see it be given away for free was so refreshing and shockingly impressive.

I forgot to mention that during the brunch, they were handing out free water bottles, as many as you wanted – great for the hot scorcher of a day we had. And on top of that, free water dispensers were so cleverly constructed that it gave guests the choice to either refill their bottles of water or simply to rinse them out so that they could enjoy a libation at another booth.

Speaking of libations, Maille mustard had one of the most clever booths at the festival and I’ll explain why. When we think of Maille we typically just think of mustard, but at the YUL EAT festival they tempted guests with macaroons, cocktails and other tasty treats to lure their guests to their beautifully laid out booth…And would you believe that all their products – sweet and otherwise were all made using the Maille mustard! Genius!

Maille mustard booth where cocktails and treats were made using Maille mustards

Not only did their booth make you feel like you were in France, enjoying a beautiful herb infused cocktail as you enjoyed sweet temptations but there was more. Maille also had a tasting bar so that guests could go sample their various flavors that they were selling. Fair enough right? But it went beyond that, they had their tasting bar be adorned with salty pretzels, baby dill pickles and onions – all to accompany the different flavored mustards. And the best part was they encouraged guests to go up and try as many as you wanted. Why would anyone ever leave this French inspired paradise?!

‘Que ça Maille’ cocktail: vodka with lemon juice and apples infused with Maille original mustard

Over the course of the three days, the YUL EAT Festival had guests chefs giving cooking demos, live one-on-one interactions with chefs, restaurants owners, farmers and producers.

I had the pleasure of experiencing it for the first time and after the full day of eating and drinking and taking it all in…I can’t wait to do it all over again next year!

 

Those who know me know I'm weak for tasty popcorn and @fromfarmtotablecanada
 spoiled me with theirs!! 🍿 😋

Proudly Ontario-made and woman-owned, From Farm to Table Canada has debuted their limited-edition CNE Kettle Corn in collaboration with the Canadian National Exhibition @letsgototheex for the 2024 season.Their beautiful package illustrations captures the fun that we have, when at the CNE 🎢.

It's the perfect blend of sweet and salty - my favourite!! 😍

They are available in two sizes: Family Bag and Grab & Go. Sold online as well as in retail chains and many independent stores.

This must-have snack for the summer is available until Labour Day. 

Get yours today and enjoy!!🍿🍿
A couple of evenings ago, I had the pleasure and honour of being invited by my alma mater, @lecordonbleuottawa to witness Chef @antonyannick70 be awarded France's L'Ordre du mérite agricole, the highest civilian honour from the embassy @franceaucanada 😃

This distinction recognizes the contributions of Chef Yannick to promote French culture in Canada and Ottawa specifically - through his work as a chef and instructor at Le Cordon Bleu Institute in Ottawa. 

Special moments of the evening included Ambassador of France to Canada, Michel Miraillet sharing with guests the numerous accomplishments that Chef Yannick Anton has accomplished over the years. Simply remarkable!!👏👏
A very touching and inspiring moment came when Chef Yannick Anton gave praise and gratitude to his mentors, who helped him attain his dream in the culinary industry. He also reminded the graduating class of chefs to always have a vision and to never let it go.👨‍🍳👩🏼‍🍳😍

And it wouldn't be a celebration without some tasty treats that exude French flare! They even had chocolate graduation hats - very cute and apropo 🎓🎓

Bravo Chef!!😊
Muy Caliente!!🔥🔥🌞🌞

With the insanely hot weather, nothing is more refreshing than this tasty Brazilian lemonade with some @bacardi Gold
Rum for the win!!🤩😋

And let me tell you, a pitcher was made...as it's THAT delicious!!

At this rate, I will finally start to enjoy the summer heat...providing I have my 'special' lemonade!😉

Cheers!

#foodblogger #travelblogger #cocktails #cocktailporn #brazilianlemonade #braziliandrink #summerdrinks #bacardi #rum #summerheat #summerheatwave #lemonadeforadults #thefoodteasedrinks #ifwtwa1 #tmac #enjoylife #enjoythemoment
After a long day, a rich and tasty avocado, egg and bacon salad was the way to go!!🥑🥚🥓😍😋

And the pièce de résistance, triple-cream Brie with @artisinbakery baguette - the perfect match for such a meal. 

At this rate, indulgence should be my nickname 😉

#foodblogger #foodporn #travelblogger #foodphotography #indulgence #longday #avocado #triplecream #baguette #frenchcuisine #enjoylife #luxelife #thefoodteaseeats #thefoodtease #ifwtwa1 #fwt #tmac
Sophistication, opulent decor, and beautiful luxury desserts - this is @delyseesottawa 🍰🍮
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Read The Food Tease column in the Spring/Summer issue of @luxeottawamagazine on how Delysees's Creative Director, Fred Naggar, successfully left awe-inspiring footprints in the fashion world to embark on a new adventure with his wife - the world of high-end desserts.😋🍰😍
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Sweets for the sweets... Enjoy!
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#foodblogger #foodporn #travelblogger #dessert #dessertsofinstagram #luxury #luxurydesserts #delysees #creativedirector #parisienne #frenchsweets #frenchdesserts #published #thefoodteaseeats #ifwtwa1 #travelmediaca #tmac
Happy Easter, everyone!!🐣 🐰
Enjoying my family's Easter tradition of our colourful egg fight...I didn't win, but there's always next year 😉
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#foodblogger #travelblogger #foodporn #easter #eastereggs #easterdecor #familytradition #annualtradition #europeanstyle #potofgold #familytime #thefoodteaseeats #thefoodteasetravel
Friday night, I had the privilege of attending the 2024 Canadian Culinary Championships - Mystery Wine Challenge - People's Choice Award🥇🥇@greatkitchenparty
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Congratulations to all the chefs involved in this intense competition. The chefs needed to create a dish to pair with the mystery wine. Each chef was given a tricky budget of $550 for the 250 guests. I was witnessing creativity at its best!!😋
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The winning dish🥇 (centered in the middle of the photo) was created by JP Dublado: Red Deer Resort and Casino, Red Deer AB
Dish: beet & soy cured albacore tuna - ponzu gel - tomato water - puffed wild rice - beet green oil
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Amazing talent from all the chefs as they paired with the mystery wine (a 2021 Lailey Vineyard Zweigelt)🍷🍷
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#foodblogger ##foodgram #foodcompetition #travelblogger #CCC2024 #greatkitchenparty #peopleschoice #peopleschoiceawards #underpressure #foodandwine #underbudget #onbudget #culinarycompetition #thefoodteasedrinks #thefoodteaseeats #ifwtwa1 #tmac
Planning for your BIG wedding day💍 and looking for something different than the traditional bachelorette party? 🎉🎉
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Then you need to read my solo Montreal getaway article featured in the latest issue of @ottawawedding magazine.
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Special thanks to @montreal for the beautiful experiences.
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Amongst the amazing activities:
● High Tea at the Ritz-Carlton 🍾🥂
● Pampering at the Scandinave Spa 💆🏼‍♀️and at Le Germain Hotel 
● Visiting the beautiful light show at the Botanical Gardens ⚘️✨️
● Culinary experiences at the Foxy restaurant and discovering local restaurants during a food tour😋😋
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Solo getaway or with a friend or two, any reason to visit and experience Montréal is a good one!! 😍🤗
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With its countless cultural activities and experiences, one can easily enjoy this beautiful city! And let's not forget their food scene... that alone is reason enough to visit!!😍😋
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I think it's time for you to discover, and for some, REDISCOVER Montreal! 🤩🤩
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#travelblogger #foodblogger #travelgram
#mtlmoments #mtl #mtlfoodies #published #presstrip #passportready
#alwaysexploring #travellikealocal #localbusiness #ifwtwa1 #tmactravel #thefoodteasetravel #exploremontreal #touristattractions #solo #solotravel

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