About a year ago, I was taking a walk during my lunch hour when I stumbled upon this little gem. Faithful to form, I quickly proceeded to forget all about it for a good six months. But just from the window, you can tell that I would love this place, and had high expectations.
Good thing my subconscious made note of the little cafe. So a couple of weeks ago, the fiance and I made our way to the Old Port for lunch at
Olive & Gourmando. It was a beautiful Thursday afternoon (don't sunny days always feel so much better when it's a work day?) and the place was buzzing with people.
The decor is fantastic! O&G finds its charm in the details: the wild flowers in mason jars, the o&g shelf brackets, the exposed vents, the dishes served in baskets, the indie backgorund music and the colourful offbeat messages on the blackboard walls all come together to create a welcoming atmosphere.
The staff is friendly and efficient, and the food! Everything we tried was fresh and delicious. It was a food-gasm!
I had the homemade ice tea and a latte. Both were great. I don't like throwing around extreme statements, but the latte might've been the best latte I ever had.
I had the grain-fed chicken sandwich. It was light and tasty, with cajun spices, guacamole, tomatoes and mangoes. Rob had the cubain, a hot panini with ham, braised pork, homemade mayonnaise and gruyere cheese. We shared the soup of the day; a pleasant and surprising mix celery and apples. For dessert, I indulged in one of my favourites: the almond croissant.
A lot of the homemade goodies are for sale, like their jam, ketchup and mayonnaise - even the water!
They also offer some decent advice.
To sum up, Olive & Gourmando is a great little find. The atmosphere is friendly, the food is fresh and the decor strikes the perfect balance between homey and trendy. Check O&G out
here, or if you're in Montreal, drop by and see what all the fuss is about.
{photo credit:
my flickr}
