Montréal’s new Culinary Offi ce As part of an overall multimillion-dollar strategy, the City of Montréal has invested $1 million to create the Montréal Culinary Offi ce (Offi ce montréalais de la gastronomie), an initiative of Tourisme Montréal. It’s not just about nurturing a sustainable industry… Montréal aims to be known as the gourmet capital of North America! “We want to position gastronomy as a driver of economic, social, cultural and environmental development and as a place of creation and innovation,” explains Stéphanie Laurin, manager of the Culinary Offi ce at Tourisme Montréal. “We’re talking about the social impact of gastronomy in Montréal and working to increase the number of initiatives with high value for the destination by stimulating projects like urban agriculture,” Laurin adds. “And we want to increase the number of conventions hosted in Montréal that are linked to agriculture, biodiversity and the culinary scene.” The Culinary Offi ce is working to showcase the city’s world-class talent, educate on the quality and variety of Québec products, and it is supporting industry members by addressing both challenges and growth opportunities, such as accelerating the use of technologies within the industry. Explore Montréal’s incredible culinary scene during MTLàTABLE, a weeklong fall extravaganza featuring 100 participating restaurants off ering three- or four-course, set-price menus Taste the world Montréal attracts foodie tourists from near and far thanks to a highly creative culinary scene shaped by an ever-evolving diaspora. The city is making huge investments to elevate every corner of the farm-to-fork ecosystem, from farmers, producers, chefs and artisans, to conference centres, caterers, restaurants, public markets and festivals. Fabulous fusions You can easily hop from one neighbourhood to another sampling diverse cuisines, but if your group is short on time, try one of these amazing restaurants. • Refl ecting the vibe of a traditional Caribbean market, Kamúy, in Montréal’s Downtown–Quartier des spectacles, marries Caribbean food with fi ne French cuisine and Québecois snack culture. • Situated in a stunning heritage building in the heart of Old Montréal, Babacool specializes in sharing plates inspired by Greek, Lebanese, Israeli and Moroccan cuisine. • Le Virunga, a pan-African restaurant located close to the Plateau Mont-Royal and Mile End neighbourhoods, is a fusion of African traditions and Québec infl uences. PHOTO: TWO FOOD PHOTOGRAPHERS 18 | Montréal | meetings.mtl.org
