A Big MERRRRRY CHRISTMAS to Everyone!

I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday season. I would proudly like to share that my mom won Christmas by buying my boyfriend and I all new Lagostina pots and pans along with several other beautiful kitchen items. I also received two very nice cookbooks, a cocktail book and a gin-making kit. Stay tuned for some new meals with the new kitchenware and some fun winter cocktails!

I thought I’d quickly share of the best spots to be around Christmas time with family and friends in the beautiful city of Montreal, even though the season has passed (for next year, I suppose!):

1. Marché de Noël (Vieux Port Montreal): if you weren’t in the Christmas spirit already, this market will help you out. Under an array of romantic lighting, this market offers wine tasting, charcuterie samples, Santa (I know, but still!), a Cabane a Sucre, and endless hot chocolate (I will bring Bailey’s next time!)
   

   

   

   2. The Old Port Skating Rink: the manmade part of the ice is open at all times during the winter, but the best is when the natural surface (a giant ice track) around the centre is open! This beautifully scenic has music and mood lighting! The ‘Lac Aux Castors’ Skating Rink: located buried in the Mount-Royal mountain, this is a beautiful little rink with a large hut to leave your boots and other belongings while you enjoy a skate. Don’t have skates? Want to go tubing? Want to go x-country skiing? They rent everything. They even sell mittens and hats in case you’ve completely lost your mind.

    

   

   

   

   

   3. Downtown Montreal: I may be biased because we live here, but the lighting on the trees and down the streets is something to see. This year was a green Christmas, and these lights are still impressive. But, to be honest, with some snow, they are impeccable. Walk around with a hot chocolate or peppermint mocha and take in the warm feeling of Christmas time.

   

   

   4. Any B.Y.O.B Restaurant: well, this one is pretty obvious! What’s more shareable and warming than all the wine you can carry? On three separate occasions, before Christmas, I enjoyed L’Academie on Crescent with my family, our couple friends, and my girlfriends. With my family, we enjoyed Macon-Lugny Chardonnay from Bourgogne, and Saint-Emilion Merlot before the Habs crushed the Senators on a fine Saturday night. We then had our friends up for the weekend of the 18th of December. I enjoyed the Duck Magret (roasted duck with a raspberry sauce, porto sauce with roasted vegetables) with Cono Sur Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenere (organic red from Chile- one of my favourites these days!) and Crozes-Hermitage. The final trip to Academie before Christmas was with my girls. I enjoyed a mushroom and goat cheese penne with Luigi Righetti Valpolicella.

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   5. Local Events: the main reason for my girlfriends visiting was for Cirque du Soleil’s Toruk (Avatar). It’s always nice to go to a show, but we all grew up doing gymnastics, dance, and cheerleading, so this one is right down our alley. It’s always exciting treating yourself to something like this right before Christmas! Also, if you like hockey, hit up some habs games! From the 28th of November to the 15th of December, I had been to 5 games. Not only because I love the habs with all my heart, but it’s an atmosphere of togetherness that gives you that warm Christmas-y feeling.

   

   

   

   *6. (optional) Your Own Home! Okay, I realize if you’re reading this, you might not live here. Or you might! So take this as an optional Christmas time place-to-be. With friends and family, champagne (and mimosas), the ever-so-lusted-after ‘Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye’, breakfast caesars, fine wines, and more champagne was had. Something about the Christmas season that’s worth celebrating for weeks in advance.