Monday, July 18, 2011

GMZ : Gatineau Munching Zone

I've always loved discovering secret treasures of food and fabulousness in the area where I reside. Some years ago, I realized this had become a bit of an obsession when I noticed I'd been regularly cutting off people mid-conversation to blurt out stuff like: "Stained glass? Hey, there's a really great workshop just a few blocks from here!" I don't have to tell you that when you're having a conversation about a church being demolished in Rosemont, nobody cares about the two hippies up the street who are making Tiffany-inspired billiard hall lighting... Awk-ward.

Anyhoo, it's with that obsession in mind that I offer you this first report in an initiative that will henceforth be known as... the GMZ (Gatineau Munching Zone). In this feature, I will happily reveal the fun foodie finds that may help save a few trips across the bridge to those of us who have made the jump to the P.Q. side. I also hope this helps reveal and highlight how Gatineau has a wonderful cachet of its own, without taking anything away from the gloriousness of Ottawa... with its beautiful T&T grocery.... (insert jealous grumblings here...)

Of course, I'm not getting any sort of payback from these businesses in exchange for my promoting them... It's just karma: you're nice to me and provide me with good products? I plug your shop.

So here's the first find: Aladdin Roastery!


I looove me a good cup of coffee. Sadly, my nervous personality combined with my body's tendency to retaliate with severe tummy aches whenever I ingest caffeine, tannins or other irritants make decaf my only option when it comes to el cafe. Enter Aladdin Roastery, with two locations: one on Gréber near LaVérendrye in Gatineau, and one on St-Joseph right next to Autoroute 5 in Hull. They roast their coffee on site, and they're well on their way to carrying only free trade and organic coffee (most of them already are, including the DELICIOUS decafs.) The staff is always extremely helpful and friendly, and their knowledge of the different coffees they offer is impressive.

Aladdin is also a gourmet shop where you can pick up a variety of foods from chocolates to dried fruits to specialty salts and everything in between (I always grab some nougat when I get to the cash - that stuff's like crack, I swear). Finally, they have a beautiful selection of teas, herbal or not. Try the Turkish Apple tisane; it's lip-smackingly good with its big chunks of apple and citrus, and I suspect it would make a beautiful iced tea at half the price of David's.

Voilà... I think I'm going to have to make up a logo for this GMZ feature. Sort of like a "seal of approval" thingie. Love it. Thanks to Perf Daddy for starting the ball rolling!

À plus tard, les copains!

2 comments:

  1. I regular an Aladdin Roastery located on the main floor of Place du Portage Phase IV, great coffee! Totally made it possible for me to make it through this evil thing called Monday.

    Ed.

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  2. Kudos to Gee for making GMZ a reality!

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