Olive + Gourmando Montreal

This is Not A Cupcake - Zuchini and Pecan Cake

I love Olive and Gourmando’s. I almost want to eat there every day. Sigh. If only…

Arguably one Montreal’s best summer spots for lunch, Olive and Gourmando’s is always overflowing with people either waiting for a seat at a table or moving leisurely through the take out line. The look of the place is artfully messy, with pots and plants decorating the counters, colorful chalked up menus on the walls, and visually appealing fresh foods on display. As their menu is constantly updated according to the freshest ingredients available, O+G’s daily creations are listed on their site under the “What’s New” tab – inform yourself of today’s special here.

Being a party of five, we each happened to try a different item on the menu. Among the five of us, we tried all three hot paninis on the menu - The Goat Cheese with caramelized onions and a pot of homemade ketchup, The Cubain with ham, braised pork, gruyere cheese and homemade mayo and the Printannier with pesto, asparagus, salami and smoked mozzarella. We also got two of cold sandwiches – The Grain Fed Chicken Sandwich with guacamole, cajun spices, tomatoes and mangoes and The Smoked Trout with capers, spinach, herbed cream cheese and sun dried tomatoes. After sharing all of our sandwiches with each other, the group consensus was that Grain Fed Chicken Sandwich was one of the best. Perfectly seasoned, the chicken paired with the mangoes and avocados made every bite taste juicy and healthy at the same time.

Craving a little something to end our lunches on a sweet note, we got the Tartelicious and the This Is Not a Cupcake confection. The Tartelicious pastry literally melts in your mouth. The crust, full of butter, crumbles ever so gently and is the perfect base for the blueberry filling to work with. An interesting and ironic take on the cupcake, the This Is Not a Cupcake dessert was made of zuchinnis and caramelized pecans. Too sweet to be eaten all at once, I suggest getting it as a snack to be consumed throughout the day.

With the taste of summer lingering on our tongues we left Olive and Gourmando’s with pleasant thoughts and an imminent desire to return.

Olive + Gourmando Wall

Olive + Gourmando Menu

Olive + Gourmando Menu

Olive + Gourmando Seating Area

Pastry Counter

L’Arabars by the Cash

Olive + Gourmando Granola

Eska Water

Elixir – Pomegranite, Green Tea and Ginger

This is Not a Cupcake

Le Printannier With Pesto, Asparagus, Salami and Smoked Mozzarella.

Le Printannier With Pesto, Asparagus, Salami and Smoked Mozzarella.

The Goat Cheese with caramelized onions and a pot of homemade ketchup,

The Cubain with Ham, Braised Pork, Gruyere Cheese and Homemade Mayo

The Grain Fed Chicken Sandwich With Guacamole, Cajun Spices, Tomatoes and Mangoes

The Grain Fed Chicken Sandwich With Guacamole, Cajun Spices, Tomatoes and Mangoes

The Smoked Trout With Capers, Spinach, Herbed Cream Cheese and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Tartelicious – Blueberry Tart

This is Not A Cupcake – Zuchinni and Pecan Cake

This is Not A Cupcake – Zuchini and Pecan Cake

Rooftop View of the Old Port