Montreal 2011 Day 1

Wednesday, June 8, 2011
After many months of planning and hours refreshing our French, we head to the airport for our trip to Montreal for the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix. This is our fourth Formula 1 race and, from the looks of all the research, will be the best. Montreal embraces the race.

I haven't flown in a few years, so I was curious about the new security process. Other than missing the Priority Access stamp on my boarding pass, which would have allowed us to bypass the long line, I did not see any difference in the process. I did not see anyone being patted down.

After landing in Chicago, we go on search for lunch. Being gluten-free limits my choices, but we find a Wolfgang Puck Cafe near our gate. Dining at a restaurant with tablecloths at the airport was a first for me.

Our flight to Montreal was delayed a little bit, so it was rush hour when we landed. I had packed trail mix and gluten-free bars for the trip, but the customs declaration form spooked me so I dumped all the food in the trash before we went through customs. No one checked, so I could have kept it all.

Grabbed a cab for the hotel. There is a standard rate of $38 for the trip from the airport to downtown. When the cabbie asks where we are going, Frank responds, "L'hotel," which means the hotel. The cabbie naturally asks Quelle l'hotel (what hotel)? I thought here we go with an Abbot and Costello routine, but Frank responded with "rue St. Jacque" and the cabbie understood. Rush hour in Montreal is the same as anywhere else.

Arrived at the hotel around 6 pm. L'hotel is known for its art collection and you are hit with it at the entrance. There are Warhol's and Lictenstein's everywhere. My hours of listening to French language CDs were a waste of time because everyone speaks English. I did manage to get a few Bonjours in now and then.

L'Hotel Front Entrance

Version of the Love Sculpture

L'Hotel Lobby

Our room is spectacular. I sprung for an Executive King room, which on a normal weekend would be very reasonable. The rates for the Grand Prix weekend are about three times more. Hey, you only live once.

Entering the Room

Luxe

Bathroom Amenities



We quickly unpack and head to the lobby bar for a cocktail. The staff is extremely friendly and manage to figure out how to make a vodka martini. The Spanish bartender tells us that the Ferrari team is staying down the street at the St. James and he saw Alonso and Massa last year.

L'Hotel lobby bar

Now that we are sufficiently relaxed, we head out for dinner at Bar & Beouf. On the very short walk to the restaurnt, we spot signs of the race. The town seems decorated for the event, which I've never seen before in Indianapolis or Milan where we've been to F1 races before.

Billboard on Rue McGill

Shop Window on Rue McGill

Bar & Boeuf on Rue McGill

The Table Where We Sat

The View From Our Table

We decided to try the 4 course tasting menu with wine. We told the waiter that I couldn't eat gluten and they were so accomdating. The first course was Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes with a Mozzarella Di Bufala mousse, basil, pine nuts, edamame, and a white balsamic vineagrette. The sommelier brought the matching glass of wine and told us all about it. The second course was an amazing dish of Grilled Scallops with a citrus sauce and another glass of wine. The third course was beef, which was a little tough. Not my favorite. For dessert, they brought me a platter of cheeses and Frank got the apple compote. It was a very good meal, but the beef kind of killed the buzz. We loved the ambiance - very modern and upscale, yet the hockey game was playing on the bar TV. Lots of fun.

What We Missed While We Were Eating Dinner

We took a stroll down Rue McGill before heading back to the hotel. We passed by Boris Bistro, which the hotel bartender had recommended. It looks lots of fun, so we may change our plans tomorrow night.