Montréal Highlights Festival
by Malcolm Jolley

Susur Lee leads top Toronto chefs to Montréal this February

Things are getting plenty weird in the Canadian culinary scene - or at least the one east of Thunder Bay. Apparently Montréalers actually want to eat Toronto food, or at least food prepared by a handful of Hogtown's top toques. It's the annual Montréal Highlights Festival, which always includes a major chef visit: The Air France Wine and Dine Experience. Admittedly, there have been a few preceding cities in the previous eight festivals, including Paris and New York. But as any Torontonian visitor to Montréal can tell you, les habitants de la Ville Marie do not generally sing the praises of the cuisines found west of the Ottawa River.

Stranger still, Susur will be doing his Montréal cooking at Ristorante Otto. That's right: our Asian-Master-Iron-Chef will be stooped over a pasta pot! Well, maybe not exactly, but a quick scan of Otto's menu sees all the usual Italo suspects. Is this a cruel joke? Has the invitation merely been a way for the Montréalers to humiliate Toronto's great fusionists? Gremolata asked Chef Lee how this could have happened, and he merrily explained he had chosen the Italian resto! "I wanted to do something different," he said smiling at a recent press conference. Different indeed. Similarly Chef Lee chose the roster (see below) of Toronto Chefs heading east, ensuring a wide spectrum of styles and cuisines will be shown.

The Montréal Highlights Festival runs from February 21 to March 2nd. Toronto Chefs participating are listed below, more information, including other visiting chefs and culinary events can be found at Montréalenlumiere.com.