Who knew the good old taco had such depth to it? Montreal just keeps surprising us all when it comes to its creative culinary spin on your everyday basic foods. First it was Montreal Burger Week and the wide spectrum of burgers coming in all shapes, sizes and forms. At De la Rue Aux Etoiles we experienced the same concept, but the focus was on another food. The event came back for its 9th year with the central focus being on creating Montreal’s tastiest and most creative taco!
The event took place on Sept. 27th at the Montreal Science Center. The space was transformed into a huge tasting booth with the city’s top chefs duking it out to win bragging right as the creators of Montreal’s most talked about taco. Participants included local favorites Baxo, Bice, Bocata, Cafe Ferreira, Le Boucan, Pintxo, Tuck Shop and Taverne Gaspar, and to be very frank, each one of them worked, sweated and truly created magnificent presentations that not only looked mouth-watering but also tasted like pure heaven. Needless to say, we completely indulged ourselves at every station to the point that our pant buttons were popping open.
Aside from the taco stations, the event was clever enough to have a dessert and coffee station run by Le St-Urbain and Van Houtte ambassador Marc-Andre Royal. We participated in their Van-Houtte coffee profile test to discover that we were the “fruity bold” types, a fun interactive addition to the event. The attendance of two Mexican wrestling look-alikes walking around with great confidence in their spandex suits was another highlight that guests seemed to get a great kick out of – and some hilarious photo opportunities. The night was emceed by the wonderful Anne-Marie Withenshaw, an engaging and charming Canadian television and radio personality who really was the hostess with the mostest. She was amongst the panel of celebrity judges, which included The Gazette’s Lesley Chesterman, culinary columnist Jean-Philippe Tastet, a Grumman ’78 rep, and food blogger Clarah Germain. There was also a people’s choice award, which allowed everyone in attendance to give their two cents and expertise.
At the end of it all, Bice, with their international reputation for fresh, upscale Italian cuisine and stunning atmosphere nestled in the heart of Montreal, won both awards. This was the first time both the people and celebrity judges voted the same and, boy, was there happiness and high fives all around the room. Their ideally balanced sweet and tangy rib braised tacos were fresh and perfectly manicured to the last detailed. Congrats to Bice and the rest of the competitors – you all made the taco a world-class entrée. What will it be next year?
We leave the best for last: the entire reason this event even takes place. The fundraiser was created to support Dans la Rue, an organization founded by Father John, also known as “Pops,” that reaches out, listens and provides comfort to Montreal’s street kids and youth in high-risk situations, helping them develop their independence and realize their full potential. Dans la Rue has grown since its creation in 1988, with the opening of the Bunker overnight shelter and the Chez Pops day centre. Today the organization has a team of 65 employees and over 135 volunteers. The organization’s evolution has always been guided by Pops’ philosophy of service, friendship and respect. We love this organization and are so proud at Notable that Montreal is truly committed to helping those that are in dire need by having functions such as this one.
