#shallote was pretty adorable too though

[kitkatt0430]

So I started playing Atelier Resleriana while I was sick last week and it's been really cute. The graphics are good, the mobile game format is actually well suited for the Atelier games alchemy fetch quest style, and the story is fun. I haven't seen much of the other original main yet, but Resna is really sweet and it's been fun seeing her interact with the main characters of previous Atelier main entries.

I've been slow in my progress though, so I'm only now reaching to the end of the first chapter (I think?) and Resna messes up, puts the other alchemists + Oskar in danger. So Ryza tells a little story of her own mistakes - a misunderstanding with a friend - to illustrate that they all mess up sometimes and encourages Shallie to do the same.

Shallie - So one time I rammed a ship into a town's harbor, destroying it, and then immediately asked for their help saving my home town. Very rude of me.

The others - O_O

They all cracked up afterwards though, 'cause Shallistera seems to have things super together all the time. And they are learning that she... does not. *snicker* I have been wondering where the other Shallie is though. I liked both Shallies, though Shallistera was my favorite of the two so if we're only getting one for now I'm not too disappointed it's this one.

[artificialqueens]

Galactica, Chapter 66 (Group Fic) - TheDane/Veronica

A/N: Click here if you’re looking for previous chapters (or here if you’d rather read on AO3). 💫

Last Chapter: Katya decided that parenthood might be in the cards after all, Pearl couldn’t get Dahlia out of her head, and Violet worried that Sutan’s friends would never be able to respect her.

This Chapter: Brunches, presents, an announcement, a trip to the champagne room, and a new hire.

***

Sutan opened the door to his apartment, a smile blooming on his face at the fact that the light was still on, which meant Violet hadn’t gone to bed yet.

It was after 8, Sutan spending the day with Gigi and then going to a Christmas reception in the evening with Tamisha, his boss pleading with him to please come with her and make sure no one she hated talked to her, Sutan guarding her for the entire cocktail hour.

“Violet?” Sutan called out, hanging his jacket up and toeing his shoes off.

“Bathroom!”

Sutan walked through the apartment, the door to the bathroom open. Violet was standing at the sink, her fingers braiding her hair into French braids.

“Hey,” Violet smiled and gave him a quick kiss, her lips tasting faintly like sugary lip scrub. “I didn’t know if you’d be home, but I got dinner for you too.”

“What are we having?” Sutan leaned against the sink, watching Violet who unscrewed the lid on one of her face creams, scooping out a dollop and rubbing it into her skin.

“Lentil soup.”

“Yum.” Sutan drawled, his tone bone dry.

It wasn’t that he hated lentil soup, but he’d never understand why Violet ate it voluntarily when the entirety of Manhattan's takeaway options were open to her.

“Don’t act like that,” Violet huffed, holding up her hand with a bit of leftover face moisturizer, silently asking him if he wanted it and Sutan nodded, Violet’s fingers gliding over his cheek seconds later. “It’s good for you.”

“Do I at least get bread this time?” Sutan had to bite his lip not to smile, Violet looking at him like he had grown a second head when he had complained about the distinct lack of bread on his plate the last time she had ordered dinner.

“Yes,” Violet rolled her eyes, but she continued rubbing in tiny circles, even dipping her fingers again to make sure she had enough to cover his entire face.

“Lucky me,” Sutan wasn’t sure if he was talking about the bread, or about the strange little things Violet always tended to do for him, this little traditions of theirs starting in Paris when Violet had needed to get rid of some extra hand moisturiser and had ended up massaging it into his skin.

“Did you have a good day?” Violet ran a finger down his nose, the pressure weirdly comforting, her never ending attention to detail carrying into this as well, the finishing tap on his nose a sign that she was done.

“Very good.” Sutan smiled as he watched Violet wipe her hands, her bedtime routine done for now even though she was still in her work clothes. “Been all over the city. Shopping, dinner, the whole shebang since I’m training a new model.”

“Great.”

Violet wasn’t fully paying attention because she had already heard of days like that before, instead grabbing her crutches to get to the kitchen, but Sutan didn’t mind.

In past relationships, he would have been interrogated if he had said he had spent the day with a model, Kahmora in particular, always keeping an eye on him.

He hadn’t thought much of it then, hadn’t even considered that there could be anything wrong with it, after all, it showed that they cared, but he had to admit that it felt amazing that Violet trusted him to do his job and just his job.

“I put your soup in the fridge,” Violet made her way to the kitchen table, sitting down to keep him company while he ate his dinner. “Sorry that it’s cold.”

“I don’t mind,” Sutan pressed a quick kiss to her temple, walking over to the fridge. “Oh. Speaking of.” Sutan looked over his shoulder. “I got you something.”

“You did?”

“It’s on the table.” Sutan grabbed the container of soup, an order of bread lying untouched on the counter. “White plastic bag!”

Just like with the ring dish, Sutan hadn’t actually realised how often he just dumped his stuff on his kitchen table, the quick pitstop he had taken at home to change into evening wear just enough time to add to the ever growing pile that Violet patiently stacked against the wall every single day.

Sutan dumped the soup into a bowl, opening the cabinet that hid the microwave to pop it in.

“Sutan… What…” Sutan turned around, looking at Violet who was holding the iPhone 6 box he had picked up at the Apple store. “What’s this?”

“A phone?” He leaned against the counter, the microwave humming away. “I’m sure you’ve seen one before.”

“I understand that it’s a phone, but why are you giving this to me?”

Sutan paused, that question not at all the one he had expected. He was thankfully saved by a ding, the microwave telling him that his food was ready so he had time to think.

“Well, isn’t it obvious? They had the newest model in stock,” Sutan took his bowl, grabbing a spoon before he walked over to the table, Violet’s brown eyes following his every step. “And your phone is barely working.”

“I don’t think-” Violet pursed her lips, clearly swallowing her words. “I can buy my own phone.”

Sutan smiled. Of course. He should have seen it coming. You wouldn’t know it just looking at Violet, his girlfriend so prim and proper from the outside, but she was adorably non-materialistic if it didn’t concern clothes.

“You could, but you haven’t, and I happened to be at the Apple store.”

“I-” Violet looked at him, her brown eyes searching his face. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome lovely eyes,” Sutan captured her healthy foot under the table, holding it between his own. “I’m here for whatever you need.”

***

Bianca picked up the French press and poured herself a second cup of coffee, inhaling the fragrance as she lifted it to her lips. She and Courtney had been in bed all morning, but finally decided to wander downstairs for a very late breakfast.

She looked up to where Courtney stood at the stove, concocting some kind of tofu scramble.

“How’s it going over there?”

Courtney had insisted it was one of the few things she knew how to cook, happily chopping tomatoes, zucchini, shallots, and pretty much every other vegetable Bianca had on hand before dumping it all in a sizzling wok. Bianca was frankly unconvinced that she knew what she was doing, but told herself she’d eat it regardless.

“It’s great! Almost done!” Courtney chirped, adding what Bianca noted was a respectable amount of hot sauce for a white girl.

“Sounds great,” Bianca said, opening a cabinet to grab some plates.

“It’s so nice having a stove,” Courtney commented. She said it in a breezy, offhanded way, but it gave Bianca pause, turning towards her with a furrowed brow.

“You don’t have a stove?”

Courtney bit her lip, suddenly embarrassed, and explained, “Well, my place is a studio, and...uh, there’s not like a full kitchen.”

Bianca nodded, doing her best to keep the judgment off her face. No stove meant that whatever place Courtney was renting was not a real studio, and likely an illegal sublet. She shuddered to think of all the potential safety violations in that kind of set-up. Nevertheless, she decided to drop the subject, putting the plates down and slipping an arm around Courtney’s waist, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

“Thank you for making breakfast, baby.”

“Anytime…” Courtney gave the pan another stir with a wooden spatula before leaning back against Bianca, letting her hold her even tighter.

“So listen...I, uh...have a proposal for you.”

“Oh?” Courtney tilted her head back, one eyebrow raised.

“Yeah, so, there’s this big fucking board meeting scheduled for January 6th, so I’m probably gonna stay in town over the holidays. I was thinking that maybe you could stay here, while Galactica’s shut down. With, uh, full stove access. Would you like that?”

Courtney whirled around, her beautiful face beaming, throwing her arms around Bianca’s neck and exclaiming, “I’d love it!”

Bianca leaned forward to capture her lips in a gentle kiss which soon grew deeper as Courtney arched against her, backing her up against the island. Bianca smiled against her mouth, unable to stop the dimples from piercing through as she thought about how lucky she was.

They stayed like that, blissfully wrapped in each other, until Bianca lifted her head to ask, “Is something burning?”

“Shit!”

***

“Mmh,” Trixie had to bite down a moan, his mouthful of waffles and bacon like an explosion of flavor. “Holy shit!”

“So?” Katya grinned, looking at him with her blue eyes. “Are they up to the standard?”

Their entire Sunday brunch crew, and even Violet, was gathered in their living room, Katya cooking for everyone, the table stacked with hearty and filling winter recipes like ginger and peach pudding, spiced sweet potatoes, apple pancakes and baked chickpeas.

“They’re amazing!” Trixie smiled, shoving another forkful down, the salt and the syrup perfect together.

“Awh thanks sugar butt,” Katya pressed a kiss against his cheek, which made Kim produce a retching noise.

“Take it to the bedroom you two!” Kim threw her napkin at them, which made Shangela snort and Ivy giggle.

“Be careful what you wish for Kimmie,” Pearl drawled, a stack of apple pancakes largely untouched on her plate, “because you really don’t want them to take it to the bedroom.”

“Everyone,” Max rolled his eyes, even though he was still smiling and Trixie snorted, a sense of pride welling up in his chest at Pearl’s words.

Sure, he and Katya had a tendency to be loud, but how could he not when Katya was the hottest woman alive, her innovation, commands and demands in the bedroom so fun and rewarding to follow.

“Actually,” Katya sat up straight, Trixie mourning the loss of her heat for a moment, until he recognized the serious expression on her beautiful face. “Trixie and I have an announcement.”

Everyone grew quiet, all watching them as Katya stood up.

“I’m pregnant...and we’re keeping it.”

At once, the table erupted in cheers, Ivy hopping up off the chair she was sitting on to go hug Katya, while Pearl made a beeline for the kitchen, yelling over her shoulder that she was getting the champagne.

“Congratulations!” Violet smiled, her hands clasped together. “That’s amazing!”

“It is,” Trixie smiled, warm happiness filling his entire body as he watched Katya laugh, Shangela joining in on the hug.

“Mama! I can’t believe you're gonna be a Mama!” Shangela grinned, holding Katya’s elbow and shaking her. “I thought you were completely set on never having kiddos?”

“I thought I was, but-” Katya looked at Trixie, their eyes meeting across the table. “It happened and, I mean. What’s the worst case scenario? That we fuck up and they become a serial killer?”

“Shit, that would be fucked up,” Kim snorted, her eyes widening. “Not that killer isn’t a cool name.”

“Now that’d be something!” Pearl grinned, returning to the living room with a bottle of champagne and several glasses, the stems between her fingers. She bent down, pressing her cheek against Katya’s stomach. “Hi Killer! We can’t wait to meet you!”

“Pearl!” Trixie swatted his best friend's shoulder, but Katya was laughing, holding Pearl’s head and pressing it against her stomach, and while Trixie seriously hoped his child wouldn’t become a serial killer, he had to admit that it was a little bit funny.

“Seriously,” Shangela looked around. “All y’all need Jesus. Stat.”

***

“Courtney,” Tyra said, rapping on the glass jewelry case to get her attention. “Courtney…”

“Court!” Morgan cut in sharply, and at that she finally looked up.

“You ready to take a break?” Tyra asked. “There’s a pho place right around the corner that we could try.”

“Oh, uh...yeah, just give me a couple of minutes.”

Tyra exchanged a put-upon look with Morgan, who returned her look with an exaggerated eye roll. When they’d suggested meeting up, neither of them were anticipating following Courtney around as she scoured antique stores to find the perfect Christmas present for Bianca.

She’d already found a huge book of 1960s fashion photography, as well as a vintage Hermes scarf, but apparently that wasn’t enough for her precious girlfriend. And worse, she’d been talking about nothing except Bianca all afternoon.

Tyra didn’t care if Courtney was gay or bi or whatever, but this slavish devotion to her brand new relationship was extremely tedious, and it made Tyra long for the days when Courtney would date men whose names she forgot three days later.

“Ooh, look at these!” Courtney exclaimed, pointing to a pair of earrings. “Aren’t they beautiful?!”

“Nice,” Morgan said, barely looking up from her phone.

They were nice. As annoyed as Tyra was, she had to admit that. They looked like brass, cut into art deco shapes and adorned with garnets, exactly the right style for Bianca, at least from what Tyra could tell from seeing her on TV.

“Excuse me,” Courtney asked the sales clerk, “How much are these earrings here? I can’t see the price tag.”

The clerk took a key and opened the case, pulling out the earrings to examine the price tag before declaring, “$279.”

Morgan whistled softly under her breath and the clerk raised one eyebrow, just barely but enough to be noticed.

“Shall I ring them up for you?” he asked drily, clearly expecting her to say no, already moving to put the earrings back into the case.

“Um…” Courtney bit her lip, fingertips resting on the edge of the glass.

“Court, you’re not seriously gonna spend that much are you?” Tyra asked, appalled. She’d seen Courtney’s apartment. That girl did not have a damn penny to spare.

“Yeah, she knows you’re poor, there’s no way she’s expecting some expensive gift,” Morgan added.

“No, I know, but…” Courtney squared her shoulders and looked at the sales clerk, saying, “I’ll take them.”

Tyra looked at Morgan behind her back, scandalized, shaking her head. Morgan smothered a laugh with her hand and gave a little shrug as if to say, ‘It’s her credit card debt.’

***

Pearl was back at the club again. At 4 pm on a Sunday. Which was totally normal, right?

Right.

She sighed slightly, swirling the whiskey in her glass, unable to hear the clink of ice cubes over the pounding bass. She should definitely leave, she knew that, and told herself that she would… She wasn’t going to say that she was obsessed, wasn’t going to give in to the fact that she couldn’t stop thinking about Dahlia, but she was leaning on the side of pathetic, and if there was one thing Pearl Liaison didn’t do, it was pathetic.

She probably had to rethink that though, as she handed one of the managers 200 dollars in cash, the man taking her to a small enclosed room, a heavy red curtain blocking out the rest of the club.

Her stripper alias was “Sin,” which was both absurdly simple and painfully fitting, Pearl drawn to her dangerous beauty like a spell, hungry for even the smallest taste of her.

Pearl tapped her fingers against her thigh, her lip between her teeth, when she heard a voice come from the doorway.

“Well well well,” Dahlia smirked, pushing the curtain aside.  “Look who’s back.”

Pearl felt her heart skip a beat as Dahlia gave her a slow once-over, her bedroom eyes even sexier when she was so close. Today’s outfit was a sinful (fitting) red set, a garter belt digging into Dahlia’s soft tan skin.

“Mmmh.” Pearl tried to keep her face blank and expressionless, tried desperately to hang onto the last bit of control, but she couldn’t stop her heart from speeding up as Dahlia made her way across the room, her palms getting sweaty as she swayed her hips to the music.

“So,” Dahlia smiled, swinging a leg over Pearl’s lap. “You know the rules right?”

She smelled like peaches, and Pearl had to dig her fingers into the velvet of the couch she was sitting on.

“No touching,” Dahlia reminded her, full lips twisted into a smirk.

“I’ve never been a fan of rules.”

“Good thing that isn’t up to you then,” Dahlia sat down, and Pearl had to bite back a groan as she took her weight, the woman an insane tease. “Promise me that you’ll be good?” Dahlia tilted her head, her lips slightly separated, “or I promise you that a bouncer will kick your ass to the curb.”

“Shit, right, right.” Pearl nodded, and Dahlia grinned.

“Good girl.”

Pearl swallowed. Dahlia reached out, grabbing a remote from behind Pearl, a small speaker inside their room powering up, and Pearl was in heaven as she began to move.

To call it a dance would be generous, but Pearl didn’t care. She was mesmerized by her curves, watching her with rapt attention as she swayed her hips, bent down to slowly unhook the garters, leaving them dangling. Dahlia was sin personified, her bra holding her perfect tits in place, the promise of hard nipples just underneath the lace.

Dahlia turned around, and Pearl knew instantly that she worked out, her ass round and firm, the kind of deliciousness that only came from discipline and hard work. A quick motion and her bra was now unhooked. She let the straps slide off her shoulders, finally dropping the bra on the ground.

“Turn around,” Pearl whined, unable to help herself, and Dahlia looked back over her shoulder, dark eyes flashing with amusement.

“You really want it, huh?” she asked, and Pearl nodded vigorously.

“Uh huh.”

Dahlia turned back slowly, hands demurely covering her chest, lashes fluttering.

“Please…”

She kneeled on the couch, straddling Pearl’s thighs before removing her hands, arching up forward to display her glorious tits, brown nipples hard and so, so close.

Pearl bit back a whimper, and Dahlia began to roll her hips slowly, inching closer and closer until her perfect mouth was right up against Pearl’s ear.

“What are you thinking about, baby?”

“How much I hate rules,” slipped out of Pearl’s mouth before she thought better of it, and Dahlia laughed.

“Poor thing...” Dahlia clucked, taking Pearl’s hand from the arm of the sofa and inching it towards her body. First her thigh, skating her fingertips higher and higher up her beautiful tan skin, flashing the naughtiest smile as she got closer to her lace, barely-there panties.

Pearl’s chest heaved, and Dahlia laughed, right in her face, redirecting her hand higher and higher, palm very nearly brushing against one of her pert nipples, finally letting it rest on her bare shoulder as Dahlia ran her own fingers teasingly across Pearl’s.

She arched forward again, those incredible tits grazing Pearl’s own chest. Pearl squirmed painfully on the sofa as Dahlia body-rolled against her, not daring to move her hand from where it was placed, fingers digging into the smooth skin.

She was close, could feel herself on the edge, and orgasm so close just from this, and then suddenly the song had ended, and Dahlia hopped up off her lap, re-clipping her garters, picking up her bra from the floor.

Pearl tried one last hail Mary, hoarsely saying, “Give me your number.”

Dahlia laughed, shaking her head. “No way. This...this is business.” She gestured to the room around them. “That would be...not. And anyway, what would your girlfriend say?”

“She-” Pearl swallowed. “We broke up.”

“Do you think I’m stupid?”

“We did!” Pearl sputtered. “It’s true.”

“Yeah, well, even so...you do know I’m her friend, right?” Dahlia asked pointedly.

“Well…”

“Exactly,” Dahlia said, shaking her head again. “You’re asking for trouble.”

“I want to see you again,” Pearl said.

“You can see me anytime,” she said sweetly, adding pointedly, “As long as you bring cash,” before leaving, shutting the curtain behind her.

Pearl let her head drop back against the sofa, a deep sigh leaving her. Fuck.

***

“So,” Trixie tried not to tap his fingers or look at himself as he watched his computer screen, Skype pulled up.

Trixie didn’t like doing job interviews, the process tedious and draining each and every time, living up to Fame’s expectations and wishes difficult on a good day.

Interviews, however, were especially draining when it happened digitally, trying to act natural hard enough on its own when on screen, but as the manager and department head, it was his responsibility to feel out potential hires, to figure out if they’d fit with his team or not, but he had a decent feeling with this one.

“Are you interested?”

“Fuck yes!”

Trixie had to hide a grin, Aurora practically beaming through the screen. She was very pretty with tan skin, white blonde hair and full brows, the striped shirt she was wearing fashionable and fun.

Aurora had an impressive portfolio, her references were decent, and most importantly, she seemed like someone Fame could be impressed with if given time and guidance.

“Oh fuck-” Aurora grimaced, the enthusiasm gone for a second before she recovered, trying to play it cool. “I mean yes. Yes I’d love that.”

“Great.” This time, Trixie couldn’t hold back the laugh, Aurora probably fitting right into his department if she could keep the attitude in check.

“Our legal department will take care of your visa,” Trixie jotted down that he’d have to talk to Rita, work permits always a massive pain in the ass, “but you’re starting January 10 either way, and hopefully you won’t have to work remotely for long.”

[nobleplumbob]

The Noble Save: Olde Platz, Windenburg

As promised on my update post, here is Olde Platz, Windenburg in the Noble Save!

Being the 2nd expansion pack for The Sims 4, Get Together is definitely one of my long time favorites to this day. Windenburg alone still being the biggest world in the game is definitely worth getting. This vast world is pretty much inspired by Europe wrapped in one big package. I've never been to Europe, but I plan to move there someday, hopefully on any of the Scandinavian countries as long as it's Norway lol. So that's one reason why I adore Windenburg so much, it gives me a taste of Europe. Also, I love the architecture, the Tudor style, but in general, I really admire traditional architectures and I love doing them in The Sims.

On to the deets. As you may have noticed, this post is different from the others. Since Windenburg neighborhoods are spread out, this one included, I couldn't get a decent bird’s eye view (there's some below) that'll give justice to the landmarks here. With this, I decided to take many photos and do a grid, but not just upload them all here and let Tumblr do its job. To me, for a place like Olde Platz, it'll most likely be packed with tourists, so I decided why not have a bit of fun and add tourist-y postcard-like greetings which I would love to receive in real life lol.

For the first set of postcards above, we have Simus Plaza which is a name I derived from the name of that fountain "Birth of Simus". Not to be confused though, the build on the top photo is named Simus Plaza just to represent this whole area as Simus Plaza. But in theory, both these tall builds are called Shops at Olde Platz. Currently, the Simus Plaza build is a residential lot, home to a familiar household, but you can easily move them out and easily convert it to a retail lot to maybe have a European shopping spree here. The last two photos are the renovated South Square Coffee and Old Quarter Inn which to me looks more alive than it was before.

For the second set of postcards is the Bernard Shallot Library. This build is a relocated and renovated version of the Quad Manor library. My idea here was to relocate this historic library to somewhere more prominent and to rename it to Bernard Shallot to commemorate how he helped shape Windenburg to how it is today, or just so he also has a building named after him since Mimsy has a coffee shop named after her at the countryside lol. This lot used to be where the Behrs’ live.

For the third set of postcards, we have the main attraction and the centerpiece of Olde Platz, the Frieden Cathedral. To this day, this build still amazes me how I was able to do such an intricate and iconic structure, and this was an old build too, with the addition of the catacombs just last year, I think. When I decided to finally do my save, this build is a 500% must-include. The last two are the Havisham House with a modern extension, and home to again, a familiar household and the Proprietor's Square expanded but staying true to the Tudor style, and is fully-furnished, and probably expensive.

For the last set of postcards, we have the bird's eye view which I mentioned didn't give justice to all the builds, but gives you a nice idea of how big Windenburg is in general compared to other worlds. So, with that being said, below is my general description for Olde Platz:

When Olde Platz was losing its prime, nearly fading due to the outdated establishments, and when not enough people cared and restoration and renovation expenses are astronomical, a group of individuals decided to give this old timer another chance and invest what they can to save it. This is when the Windenburg Historic Commission (WHC) was formed consisting of successful individuals on different fields that are generous enough to help out. From the rehabilitation of Olde Platz hotspots South Square Coffee and Old Quarter Inn, demolition of The Narwhal Arms, construction of high-end boutiques, relocation and renovation of the then Quad Manor, and to the reconstruction of the Frieden Cathedral that once perished in the great fires from centuries ago, this Windenburg old timer, with the help of WHC has once again restored its former glory.

With your footsteps clopping on cobblestones, surrounded by historic sites, high-end boutiques, hotspots, and a short hike to the ancient ruins, Olde Platz is a must-visit for a historical stroll back in time and an upscale shopping destination experience for history buffs and shopaholics alike.

And there we have it, Olde Platz. If you made it this far, thank you! Also, while I still feel slow with my progress, I’m continuously working on my save and I’m really, really excited to finish it. Stay tuned for more!

[bubblyani]

Envy Makes Two pt.2

(Lucifer Morningstar x Reader)

Part 2 of the Lucifer Morningstar Two Shot

Rating: Mature (18+)

Author’s Note: Shit just got real in this. Got into so many feels while writing this, I may have fallen for Lucifer all over again. Hope you all can relate once you read this. Enjoy!

Part 1 HERE

If you could have described yourself in one word tonight, ‘drained’ would definitely be it. And even a nice hot shower did not seem to help, though it helped to cleanse your exterior. It was one of those days, where the work pilled up in an instant, deadlines were tight, and the hours went by so fast you didn’t even remember which day it was.

Your tongue swept over your front teeth as you stared at the mirror over at the sink. You smiled, at least you tried smiling. You grinned, several times.  Suddenly you were fully aware of the wrinkles that formed around your smile. And you couldn’t help but wonder if your smile was ever even beautiful. And out of the blue, you wondered if it was as beautiful as Decker’s. You imagined her smiling, you imagined him being affected by that smile. His face affected with a look that could be close to affection or complete adoration.

Whoa, you thought. Why did I even go there?

Shaking your head, you tried to forget of the mere thought of it. You covered your face with your hands, sighing into them. Involuntarily your fingers went over your forehead, stopping by a scar. Gently caressing it, you scoffed slightly, smiling as the memory of the day you were gifted with it flashed before you.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

(6 months ago)

Heavy breathing, clear heavy breathing. That was all that you could hear, surprisingly managing to drown out all the intensity of the EDM as you stumbled across LUX.

Your body felt sticky. The need to jump in a shower was strong. Randomly you began to list down things to do once you got back home. Maybe a relaxing bath, and even maybe a glass of wine to forget all that happened. But first, you had more important things to tend to: your bleeding forehead for example.

Eyes squinted, you silently expressed your dislike over the flashing lights which made you dizzy. Though you made sure to throw in the polite “Excuse me”’s  and “Please make way”s, the crowds moved away before you could even finish, wearing looks of fear or disgust as you passed them by. You didn’t blame them, for you couldn’t. You didn’t want to ruin their night, you just needed one thing. And you were relieved the moment your eyes caught the glimpse of something that appeared to look like a bar. Your body suddenly had purpose to walk further, the hand on your gaping cut pressed tighter, and finally you stopped by the sound of extremely feminine giggles and by the sight of three beautiful women gathered around a man. Exclaims arose as the women saw you, thus forcing the man to turn around to look at you.

“Well...” holding a glass of whiskey, the man scanned you up and down, “looks like someone’s definitely not getting a Bloody Mary tonight!”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Sliding out of his bar stool, Lucifer Morningstar did not expect his Friday night to progress this way. Not especially when a woman turned up in front of him, with a bleeding head and shattered glass in her hair. Definitely not his type of surprise.

“Are you alright darling?” He asked, his tone laced with concern.

“Well, it doesn’t look like it” you tried to sound sincere, but the irony took over. Taking a step closer, he stared at you with parted lips, unbelievably quiet for a few seconds. Blood may have blocked your vision but it didn’t stop you from realizing how handsome this man was. And how his intense stare made you blush to an equal degree. But thankfully no one could notice. You were practically red in the face to begin with.

“Lucifer, aren’t you gonna join us?”

The pretty blonde from the posse could not hide her impatience as she posed the question.

“No...” he answered without hesitation, his eyes still on you, “Sorry love,  but no can do” he added. The posse expressed their disapproval with widened eyes and gasps that were tad overly dramatic. And some in the crowd did not hesitate to join in.

“Seriously mister, I’m not here to make trouble...” you said in pain, “…just point me to the nearest bartender with access to some ice ,  and I’ll be well on my way”

“Yeah man ...What the hell?...” a young man with a horrible tan stepped in from the crowd, “You’re ditching a foursome to bang a bleeding bitch?”

Raising one eyebrow, you exhaustingly shook your head with a sigh. Bleeding Bitch? Well that’s all women at some point , bruh! you thought.

Seemingly with more courage from his shot of vodka, the tanned fool jumped right between the both of you.

“Yeah that’s right. Beat it bitc- Aargh!”

An agonizing scream flew out of his lips the moment his hand was twisted sideways by Lucifer’s sudden grip.

“Ah ah ah…You better think twice before insulting a lady at my establishment, young man ” He said, through gritted teeth “now… imagine if it was not your hand, but something much more valuable to your manhood instead …” he continued, voice growing louder over the screams, “Would be terribly shameful and useless, especially when you stood up for those lovely ladies eh?”

“Alright man …” the man whimpered, face contorted with agony before looking over to you “I’m sorry” he said, voice shaking with sincerity.

Nodding, you were engulfed in your own suffering to be offended, but not engulfed enough to not appreciate the words this club owner spoke on behalf of you.

“And full disclosure, there will be no ‘banging’ where this woman is concerned” he cried out to everyone, as he walked over to you, “...at least not in this state, poor girl” you heard him mutter under his breath. You smiled softly in appreciation as he guided you upstairs.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

You finally felt relief the moment a pack of ice touched your forehead, and a sip whiskey touched your tongue. Sitting comfortably on his leather couch, you watched Lucifer stand opposite you with much curiosity.

“So...Y/N Y/L/N...” he enunciated your name with exaggeration, “Who did you make the angriest man in LA on a Friday Night?”

You chuckled, “A restaurateur...”

“I beg your pardon?”

Sniggering, you replied, “ I’m a Food Critic...” you continued, “I gave a bad review for this one restaurant which was ugh! horrible…” you shook your head slowly, reliving the horrid memories, “I beg of you, don’t you ever go there!”

“Really?…” Lucifer asked with fascination, “Was it Sarano’s?”

Your eyes widened, “YES ! It was …” you said loudly, surprised by his guess, “You think it’s horrible too??”

“Of course…” he replied, “That man definitely has punishment cut out for him in hell...but I’m just pleased you gave him a taste of it beforehand, I applaud you” he said, giving a short bow. You smiled, quite taken by his sense of humor.

“Yeah well, look what it got me...” You sighed. “Oh dear so this...?” “Yup, was walking after a party to get some late night groceries, and the bastard had the nerve to stalk me…” you said, leaning forward to cross your legs, “…only to scream filth at me, and hit me with a bottle of beer…” you added, “Ice cold brew by the way, what a shame” For a second you thought you saw a muscle twitch in his face, “Really?” he asked, as he sat down.

“I managed to punch my way out though...” You said proudly with a chuckle.

“Ah ...” And suddenly that tense expression vanished, replaced with a smile on his face, “Well I applaud you once again, my little Trooper”

Your eyes widened, “Trooper…as in fighter?” You asked, curious to core. Taking a sip, he nodded.

“Yes, but also meaning ���An Uplifter of spirits’. Hehe…Why not both?” He chuckled in return, raising a glass to you. You felt your heart grin widely.

The next day, you received news that the owner of Sarano’s would be compensating for your injuries and damages to your reputation as an apology. No wonder you thought of Lucifer as a “Good Omen”. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

(Present)

The reminiscence not only made you smile, but also made you hungry.

Risotto, your stomach whispered. Or at least the growling sounded like it.

Tossing your now braided hair to the side, you waltzed over to the kitchen in your silk chemise and night robe. But something felt missing. Cue the music.

The moment the stereo began to sing, your body began to move instantly. Movements divided equally into cooking and dancing, harmonizing effortlessly. You didn’t hesitate to do a light spin, playing with danger with the knife in your hand before resuming to chop the shallots. No one was present to judge, so you didn’t feel guilty to take a mini break to finish the whole song, dancing which was swift and sensual. It made you feel invincible. You were so proud of yourself.

Suddenly a sour thought crept inside. Sourness which urged you to wonder if she were able to do the same. Of course she could. Going down the path further, you wondered if she did it better than you. Why not? She’s incredible. You imagined him watching her, impressed and possibly even aroused, making his way over to claim what was his. 

Wait…not again!

Clenching your jaw with frustration, you stopped. You proceeded to cook by turning on the stove.

The smell of garlic filled the room as it cooked in the olive oil. But before you could savor the fragrance a little longer, the doorbell rang which was followed by incessant knocking. Quickly adding the shallots, you turned down the heat before approaching the door. Thanks to the peephole, you opened the door with confidence.

“Lucifer...” you breathed, “Hey!” The voice grew louder in greeting.

“Ah...seems like you can open doors, but can NOT answer the phone!” He snapped. Looking slightly more disheveled than usual, he had a concerned look in his face that you hadn’t seen before. It worried you.

“Wha? What do you-” you paused, “Ahh…” you said, coming to realization, “I must have left it on silent...Oops...” You laughed nervously, allowing him to come in.

“Well you should be more attentive, what if something happened to you?” His worried tone remained unchanged, his hands dug deeply in his pockets as you closed the door behind you.

“Well I’m fine aren’t I?” You chuckled, turning towards him, “Don’t worry...”you said comfortingly, holding him by the arm, “ Look look...I’m making risotto” excitement filled your phrase, attempting to infect him with the same as you dragged him into the kitchen.

Taking a deep breath, Lucifer exhaled it with a sense of pleasure. And it was evident in his eyes, “Oh father, it smells divine” he said. You smirked. You really loved cooking, but you loved it even more when you could cook for Lucifer.

“So, how goes the case?” You asked, giving the shallots a stir.  Lucifer sighed, standing on the other side of the kitchen island, facing you, “Well…turns out it was the girlfriend of Gomez who was the real culprit. An up and coming chef known for adultery didn’t exactly make Gomez the boyfriend of the year so, it all ended up being a petty revenge, although it was well orchestrated...” he said, in a surprisingly uninterested manner.

The image of him and Decker making the arrest suddenly appeared in your head. Nodding slightly, you looked at him, “You don’t exactly seem pleased to have solved it” you said, putting away the cutting board and knife into the sink.His eyebrows were raised with contradiction.

“Well, you don’t exactly seem pleased to hear about it either...” he said, glancing at your noticeably blank expression. Pressing your lips, you felt seen. Seen through the utter bullshit.

“I...uh...” you struggled, “I had...have some things in mind” you said. It was indeed the truth.

“Really?” Eyebrows furrowed, his response was inquisitive yet soft.

“Uh huh…” you looked down shyly. Awkwardness was all you could breath in, and it was uncomfortable. This was definitely a first for the both of you. Unable to take it, your eyes looked around for excuses under his inquisitive gaze. Until finally, you spotted your cellphone in your hand bag. “Aha!…you’re right…” you said, quickly grabbing it, still avoiding his gaze, which turned intense “I really didn’t see your calls nor your messages...” laughing nervously, your fingers swiped off all the notifications. “What’s so funny about that?” “Huh?” Looking up, you finally had to look back at him, for he did not sound pleased.

“Y/N...” he began, walking over to you “I was worried...” he said, grabbing the phone before tossing it back into the bag with emotion, “It was certainly unlike you to not answer or not return a call…” his voice grew louder, “…not to mention texts. You’re the one who even got me into the bloody thing!” “I-I” you were speechless, guilt washing over you. “I even got locked in the Detective’s car because apparently, I was whining about your absence like a child” “She did?” You asked, as you were tempted to smile with surprise. This was certainly news to you. Maybe it was the kitchen lights, but suddenly Lucifer Morningstar appeared to be more handsome, and you had quite the difficult time handling it. “What?” He asked, startling you. “Nothing...” you lied, while you added the the arborio into the pan. Longing for distraction, you stirred the ingredients with enough focus to engage in meditation. All felt strange suddenly. Why couldn’t you just feel normal again?

“I’m sorry Lucifer...” you muttered, giving him an apologetic look, “Make up for it with some Risotto?” Your puppy eyes did their very best. And it seemed you’ve succeeded when his eyes softened in response.

“Only with extra Parmesan” he said warmly with a smile.

“Heheheh...got it!” You said, snapping your fingers before pouring in some white wine. You thought that all was well once again. But little did you know while you stirred, Lucifer stealthily rummaged through your bag.

“So…” you heard him begin, “…the reason of you being so busy…” he continued, “… anything to do with the Chivalrous Coffee Cop Officer Reed?”

“Eh?” You looked up with confusion, to find him holding out the slip of paper with Reed’s number written on it.

How did he-? 

“Okay first of all...” you said, “Coffee Cop? I was thinking the same…wow what a coincidence” you said with excitement, inciting a surprised laugh from him. “And Second of all…” you added, slowly changing tone, “No he was not the reason” He doesn’t deserve to be a reason, to be honest. You thought,

“So he didn’t tickle your fancy then?” He asked, trying to sound unaffected yet you could still sense the concern linger. You shook your head. “Not one bit” you replied.

Suddenly you were haunted once again. You imagined her smiling. She smiled with happiness as she listened to him. She laughed at his jokes. They laughed together. Mutual laughter turned into mutual gazes of realization. The candle light made it even more romantic as Chloe’s piercing blue eyes melted by the sight of Lucifer’s own. Gazes locked into tighter as lips grew close enough to-

“But why do YOU care?”

You snapped out of the blue, angered by the image that’s slowly turning into a personal nightmare, “What if he did tickle my fancy?” You asked. It felt like torture for you to say it, “ You and I , we hang out, so won’t be the same when I hang out with him?”

“No, it is NOT!” This time he snapped back, while you poured in some broth into the pan, “He’s courting you…” he said, causing your eyebrows to raise, “Well maybe not, but it is still a date!”

“So? Why do you care?” You asked,  turning your back to the island as he stood in front of you, finally brave enough to say it, “Why do you care so much about that, Lucifer?”

“Because then he may get to kiss you!” He blurted, “And have sex with you, which will be wonderful, again and again cause he would be crazy to not stick around because he will fall MADLY in love with you” all that escaped his lips in such speed, “…and the mere thought of it simply drives me to the point of madness, that is why!!!”

You froze. For a second you were out of breath. And you swore you felt yourself clutching your chest.

“Lucifer…” you said, “a-are you…jealous?” You asked meekly.   Panting, he hesitated. You were patient, watching him with intent as he finally looked straight at you. “Yes…” Suddenly your two visits at the precinct flashed before you, finally points of confusion turned into points of clarity. It all made sense.

“I would’ve gotten you coffee if you wanted, you know…” “What are you still doing here? Don’t you have the lunch meeting?” “As much as your assistance was much appreciated Ms.Y/L/N, unfortunately we must ask you to leave”

“Wait…” raising your index finger, “…was that the reason why you were acting all strange that time at the precinct?” You asked. Sighing, he nodded with acknowledgement, “Yes…Yes you’ve caught me at foul play” he replied in embarrassment.

You scoffed, “…and here I was, thinking you were embarrassed by me, and just wanted me to leave…” you muttered softly, looking down. “What?” Suddenly he looked confused. Looking up, it was your turn to sigh. “I was kinda thinking that maybe you and…Chloe probably were…” you paused, pressing your lips, “…having something…” using absurd gestures by hand, your attempts of filling the blanks proved to be moot.

“Me? And the Detective?” Lucifer scoffed, “You really thought that?”

Arms folded, you nodded quickly. “That …probably might be…” sighing, you covered your face, “Who am I kidding?…that was the reason I’ve been kinda MIA these few days. I was…trying to…get rid of this feeling. Ugh! I hate being jealous. And her! Out of the all the women I’ve seen you with. I shouldn’t…she seems like such a great person” you spoke with such sincerity, “ and I can see you guys work so well together, you got each other’s back and…you can’t blame me for doubting”

“Oh dear…” he breathed, watching you pour in more broth after stirring, “Well…I suppose…Envy makes Two, doesn’t it?” He said, as you turned back to him. “Ugh! Tell me about it…” you said, making you both chuckle at the situation which seemed to be empathetic.

“But Wait! Hold up…” you said, turning the heat to low, “You wanted to have sex with me??” “Yes…” Lucifer replied, in a tone which sounded quite casual, stating the obvious. Jaw dropped, the notion of it seemed so unbelievable, it was only natural for you to burst out into laughter. “You…” unable to catch your breath, you struggled in mid laughter, “You serious ???” “Yes of course!” He said, “Since the very beginning” This was all too illogical, it certainly didn’t make sense. So it was no surprise why you couldn’t control your laughter. And certainly no surprise when you could not notice his shocked expression. Sighing, Lucifer shook his head, “And apparently you find this oh so amusing…” “No! It’s just that…” exhaling slowly, you looked at him, “All this time..I never knew you found me attractive.” “Y/N…the day I first saw you…” he said, holding you by the shoulders gently,  “With all that blood and mess…” his voice grew softer, “…you were still so beautiful” Compliments he showered you with were countless, but to be seen in his eyes this way was anything but imaginable to you. “I cannot believe I was thirsting for you …all by myself” you chuckled. Lucifer looked pleasantly surprised. “Darling…” he began, and suddenly that word sounded a thousand times more heavenly to your ears, “ why couldn’t you just tell me?” “Cause of my stupid pride” you sighed, placing your hand on his own, “I never bothered telling you cause… I thought maybe you would have approached me if you wanted to. I mean, I see you with all those women, and I didn’t want to be forward. The pride thing was strong, you know?” “I understand…” he murmured. You exhaled deeply as you suddenly realized his touch sent sudden tremors through your body. “ But the struggle…” your voice grew intimate, “ it was stronger, Lucifer. Oh…I tell you. Every…single…day. The want…the need…the desire” you breathed, reminding oneself of the million times you longed to break free from your constraints only to melt in his arms. Only to realize, his arms never really left your shoulders. “So was mine darling�� he purred, fully wrapping his arms around you, bringing you closer. And you felt butterflies in your stomach after what felt like ages. “So, if it was so frustrating, you could have just stopped hanging out with me. Why didn’t you!?” You asked. His smile grew warmer. “ I liked your company. We could talk for hours and hours. It was not often that I’d meet a lovely person such as yourself, who chooses to stay by my side despite everything. I didn’t want to compromise that” his voice filled with affection, you were nothing but moved. “I get it” you agreed, “I was willing give up my feelings… just so I could still be your friend” “Who said we should give up forever?”  He said, his eyes focused on your lips. He said “We”. Your heart sang. He said “We”

Nerves finally caught up with you, as you felt that joyful heart beat faster. Especially when his lips grew closer to yours. “Shit…” you whispered, “I’m so nervous” “I hate to admit it but…so am I” he whispered back. The oddly adorable side to him was finally revealed, and you couldn’t believe you were a witness. “What?” You laughed with surprise. Eyes widened, he cleared his throat. “That…does not leave this room, promise?” Chuckling, you were all smiles, “Awww…I promise. Oh you are so cute “ you cooed, involuntarily holding his face in comfort. Affected by your sudden touch, he found himself shudder. Both voices grew softer with each synchronized breath. “Lucifer…” “Y/N…” Time certainly seemed to have slowed down for you the moment you felt your lips finally embrace his, turning to a fully fledged kiss.

Literal shocks ran through your body, suddenly opening gates that invited warm waters to flow through your soul. Real warmth made itself home inside you, urging your legs to feel light as a cloud. It felt so intoxicating. Why the hell did you not kiss him sooner?

Your fingers grazed over his stubble as your hands moved down. Lifting the collars of his jacket, you casually held on to it tightly as you pulled him closer. His lips so irresistible, seemed equally infatuated with your own, savoring the softness that was offered oh so willingly. Taking a hold of your braid, Lucifer began to loosen it slowly, forcing you to pull away in surprise.

“Do you know how many times…” he began, in a deep tone, “ I watched you dance, trying so hard to keep my desires at bay?” He breathed into your lips, which were swollen but still hungry.

“I forgot how observant you were” you said, your grip on his collar still tight as before, as if you didn’t want this to end. He chuckled low, “I bet you were dancing just before” he said, “Oh…the sweet torture”

“Oh Lucifer…” you whispered, “I think you just reinvented dirty talk” you said, inciting a chuckle filled with pride. Finally with your hair falling loosely on the sides of your face, you felt a sudden change in the temperature. And you wondered if his lustful gaze was to blame? “Shit…” you said, breathlessly, “Is it getting hot in here?” You asked as you felt his fingers run through your hair. “Well…I am here” “HA!” You laughed out loud, “ Aaaand he’s back ag-Mmmm”

Shushing you with his lips, Lucifer kissed you fiercely while his fingers held on to your locks with passion. Those lips were filled with greed, moving past your jawline as they attacked your neck. Throwing your head back, you did not expect to be drowning in intense sensitivity.

“Oh my G-” stopping yourself out of courtesy, you chose to moan instead.

“Now that’s more like it” you heard him chuckle next to your ear. While his lips left no inch unattended, you looked down to find him skillfully undo the knot of your night robe, taking it off within seconds. Breaking away, he stared at you, standing before him in just your chemise. You body noticeably awakened. “Oh all the things I wanted to do to you” he purred low, causing you nothing but pure excitement, “Oh yeah? Like what?” You asked, biting your lower lip. “Actually there is a list, but for starters, a bit of well deserved appreciation for this…” he said, eyes scanning your frame “… is definitely a priority”. Blushing deeply, you inhaled sharply as his hands resting your upper back, began to travel down. It was painfully slow, your body felt noticed, it felt appreciated. Ending at the curves of your buttocks, you gasped as his hands grabbed them gently, proceeding to pull them up with greed, cleverly inciting more moans out of you, leading to more kisses. Growing even more impatient, you pushed yourself up, allowing you to sit on the kitchen island with ease as Lucifer stood between your legs. All the while your kisses remained strongly intact. You pushed his jacket back, which he permitted. But the moment your hands rested on those buttons on his white shirt, he broke away. 
“Never rush the art, my little trooper”

His voice was literal heaven for your ears at this point, as you watched him unbutton the shirt with hungry eyes.

“Ah…I know that look…” Lucifer said, in a pleased tone, “ Always wanted to see yours for ages”. Amused, you chuckled softly, “Well Congratulations Mr. Morningstar”

As those buttons opened, the sight of his bare flesh unveiled your dark fantasies. Those nights when you always wondered how it must be like. Those nights that were unspoken nor unmentioned even to yourself. Slowly, you felt the ends of your chemise caress the exposed upper thighs as it was brought up. The region between your thighs began to make itself known, as you felt itself moisten, desperately craving for attention. Thus, by force of habit, your hand rested there. Aware of the situation, Lucifer managed to divert your attention by peeling off his shirt in lightening speed.

“Madam, How dare you insult the artist?” He teased, holding your hand with an iron grip. “Insult?” You said, “I thought I was applauding” you breathed with desperation, while he moved toward your ear.

“Know that when I’m around, you needn’t to do that…ever… again..”

Arousing you even further, he savored your jawline with more kisses. Greed developed in heaps and bounds, you wrapped your arms around him, pulling him close enough to pepper your hungry kisses onto his collarbones, all the way down to his chest. All the while your hands were occupied unbuckling his trousers. Lucifer suddenly broke away to watch you engage it with focus. Looking up, you found his thoughtful expression in such close proximity.

“What?” You asked. “Never imagined this would actually happen”. Breaking into a huge smile, you were nothing but touched, “Me too”. He saw it in your eyes, it was clear as day.

Although clouds of lust misted your gaze the moment his trousers dropped down, forcing your jaw to drop in shock by the sight. 

“Wow! That’s one hell of a package” you giggled, looking up while biting your lower lip, “ I really must have done something good today, for I just got my treat-” And once again, he kissed you with fervor, and you certainly welcomed it.

When he pulled your straps down, the curvaceous lines of your heaving breasts made themselves known. Their existence needed validation.

“I guess the big book was right…” Lucifer said, his eyes feasting you without hesitation, “Patience is a virtue”. Your nods were barely noticed when he quickly held you by the hair, pulling it down to expose the neck. Teasing you to the point of submission, he kissed you slow, starting from your neck all the way down to your cleavage.

“Let me…” you whispered, before pulling your chemise up, taking it off in an instant. The way your body stretched as your back straightened made him stare at you with marvel while you threw the item of clothing away, ending up to be equally naked as he was.

Holding you by the waist, his lips continued their pilgrimage through your topography, greedy kisses landing on every inch of your breasts, some even trapping the erect nipples between his eager lips, only to be suckled hard in kind. Moaning louder, you reclined on the kitchen island, feeling the cool marble soothe your back as you tightly held on to his hair. Heat forming in between your thighs, you inhaled deeply, attempting to keep your composure before you would spontaneously combust. 


As you inhaled, something deliciously fragrant caught your attention. Smells like Risotto…Wait. Suddenly, your eyes widened with realization.

The Risotto!

“WAIT!”

Startling Lucifer, you sat up in a flash. Leaning to your side, you opened the lid in a hurry, letting a sigh of relief. The rice has dried up more than it should, but thankfully it was not burnt. Turning off the stove, you looked back at him with an embarrassed look, “Sorry about that…” you said. 
“Oh, on the contrary…” he said, with messy hair and a proud smile “ A post-coital meal is always a life saver” he added. You smiled back, “Yeah, and You’re gonna thank me for that later” you said, gasping with surprise as he pressed his forehead against yours. “Oh, I assure you… I’ll be thanking you… a lot tonight” he purred, his nose brushing against yours. “Uh huh…” you murmured, “…kiss me-” you demanded. “Gladly” he replied, lips hungrily latching on to yours. Breaking away, you groaned in frustration, “…fuck me” you said, eyes burning with lust. “Don’t mind if I do…” he replied in an instant, with your legs wrapped around him and his eager hand cupping your breast.

Holding his face, you felt your deepest desire bubble up inside. The desire that you never thought would see the light of day. “Love me…” Your eyes reflected your words in equal measure as they locked in with his, pleading him with sincerity. Breaking off, he looked surprised. Concern crept back in to your heart, for you did not know what to expect.

But before your concern grew stronger, you felt his thumb graze over your lips, you saw his eyes soften, as he replied firmly:

“With all my heart…”

___________________________________________

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this! <3

TAGGED: @yolobloggers @deadly-algebra @duhitztrinidy @ladyate @xxbeckybeexx-blog @kind-wolf @nightshade7117 @anita-e-taylor

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[heartofsnark]

Cooking with Tsuneko (Custom MC) Headcanons

Notes: This was a Ko-fi request by @otomemonogatari , she specifically wanted Tsuneko and Mamoru cooking together, but for the sake of headcanon format and ‘cause I thought it’d be fun, I decided to do them all. If you don’t know Tsuneko is my mc in my series Black Market Wonderland. She is my baby and I adore her. And if you’re not reading that series and like her character here, why not give it a chance…..?

Also, I’m still getting a feel for writing Luke and Shuichi, they aren’t in the fic at this point and I haven’t written much for them. So, if it sucks I apologize. Also, no Hikaru cause I haven’t played him yet and I have no how he’d interact with Tsuneko at this point. So. 

Eisuke and Tsuneko can surprisingly work pretty well together, when they want to, they just usually do not want to. They’re both similar in a lot of ways, not that either of them would ever admit this fact. They’re both perfectionist and efficient workers, there will be a lot of snide comments along the way though. Tsuneko and Eisuke cooking together would start with her giving him shit. 

“Can you even cook? I mean, you’ve probably had chefs your whole life, so I doubt you can.” 

“There’s nothing I can’t do.”

“You can’t pet cats or eat peas, but go off my dude.” 

He’s scowling as he makes his way over to the kitchen where Tsuneko is, she’s grinning that it worked. Eisuke washes his hands and ties a white apron over his expensive designer clothes. She’s snickering at how stupid it looks, she’d try to hide it, but she doesn’t care if she hurts his feelings. 

“I’ll sift the cake flour, you get the parchment paper and pan ready; trace the pan on the parchment paper, cut it out then grease the paper and pan.” 

“Because you can’t draw or cut straight.” 

“Draw on the fucking paper.” 

Once she’s sifted through the cake flour enough, she looks over to see Eisuke has finished greasing the pan with shortening, glaring at what sticks to his fingers, like it’s personally offended him. 

“It’s not gonna apologize to you.” 

His glare switches to her and he wipes his hand off on the apron. It continues to go well, both taking tasks and easily able to follow directions, though neither misses a chance to make a snide comment. 

By the end of it the two perfectionists have crafted a downright beautiful looking strawberry sponge cake. They then proceed to destroy it fighting over the strawberry on top. This is why we can’t have nice things. 

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“Why don’t you just learn to make your own omelets?” 

The look of concern on Soryu’s face makes Tsuneko laugh. She just figures it’s a practical skill, everyone should know how to cook for themselves and rolled omelets aren’t that hard. Soryu isn’t a stupid guy, so, what’s the worst that can happen?

He looks beyond awkward and clumsy as he ties on an apron. Tsuneko is trying her best not to snicker; he’s a complete fish out of water. 

“First, we just need to crack some eggs, very simple,” she says as she cracks one of the eggs into the bowl then gestures at the rest of them. 

Soryu reluctantly grabs an egg; he cracks it and promptly drops about half the shell into the bowl. She stifles a laugh as he awkwardly apologizes and picks out the shell. His cheeks are tinted red and a part of her feels bad, but not enough to stop her from insisting he cracks another. 

He tries to crack it against the counter before dropping the egg into the bowl, maybe he thinks it’ll help. Instead, the egg falls onto the counter instead. She bursts into laughter and his face turns about three shades darker of red.  She takes care of cracking the rest then adding in the mirin, soy sauce, and salt. 

“Okay,” she brushes oil over the pan and pours about a third of the eggs in, “now just let that cook about a minute then we’ll roll it, ‘kay?” 

Soryu takes over the pan while Tsuneko goes to get the spatula; her back is turned for a second before she hear Soryu yell. The kitchen is suddenly hotter. 

She turns around to see flames shooting up from the pan, Soryu’s hand thrown up in defeat as he backs away. Tsuneko grabs a pan lid and covers it, smothering the fire. 

“What the actual fuck happened?!” 

“I don’t know.” 

“My back was turned for less than a second.” 

“This always happens or it explodes.”

“Explodes?!”

Soryu awkwardly scratches the back of his head, cheeks red and avoiding eye contact. 

“You know what, how about you just go read,” she offers, taking off the lid to look at the burnt egg remains. 

He nods in understanding before making a beeline out of the kitchen. 

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Cooking with Baba, did you mean an hour of him flirting with her and then there’s food at the end? 

They’re both good cooks, Baba more so than Tsuneko. In true gentleman fashion, he keeps offering to do some of the more manual stuff for Tsuneko which while sweet can also be irksome.  

“Want me to dice those tomatoes for you, pretty lady?” 

“Don’t annoy me when I have a knife.” 

It’s also worth noting that Baba tends to just know how to cook, he doesn’t need to recheck or look over recipes. This does nothing but stress Tsuneko out as she is someone who triple checks what to do next before she does it. 

“Now to add in the peppers and shallots.” 

“Wait, let me double check, we might need to do,” Baba is already adding them in as she checks the recipe, “and that’s exactly the next step, how do you do that?” 

“Have I managed to impress you?” 

“If I say yes, will you stop winking at me, you fucking weirdo.”

Eventually, the dish comes out virtually perfect and mouth wateringly good. 

“Made with love.” 

“Don’t make me puke.” 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ota was not invited into the kitchen, he just showed up, to the absolute dismay of Tsuneko. Being the grade A little shit that Ota is, he just continuously gets in the way and annoys her.  It’s a constant battle of her batting his hands away from throwing random things into the batter. 

“No, the cookies do not need tomatoes.” 

“Don’t be boring, Koro.” 

“Mustard is not a part of the recipe!” 

“It might be good, you don’t know.” 

“I most certainly do know.” 

“I swear to fuck, if you put one pickle in there I’m smothering you!” 

It’s a constant struggle of smacking away his gremlin hands and making sure he’s not ruining something. The process of making cookies takes about an hour longer than necessary thanks to Ota’s shenanigans. 

Then comes time to decorate them, Tsuneko is suddenly out of her league. 

“What is that?” 

“Depends….what does it look like?” 

“That’s not how that works, Koro.” 

“It’s…supposed to be a bunny…”

“Pfffft, it looks like a sick plant.”

“Shut up, what did you make, art boy?” 

“Look, I drew you.” 

The frosting decoration on the cookie is a floppy eared dog and she promptly smacks it out of his hand. 

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“Are you gonna help?”  She asks as Mamoru is loitering around the kitchen and grazing, instead of making himself useful. 

“Wasn’t planning on it,” he grumbles as he starts to pop something in his mouth, she smacks his chest, not that it stops him.

“Either help or leave.” 

“Ugh, I’ll try not to get in the way.” 

She rolls her eyes, not quite sure why he isn’t just leaving. He expects her to cook him food, but won’t leave so she can do so in peace, maybe he just likes being an irritant. 

“Wash your hands and you’ll need an apron.” 

“Why do I need an apron?” He grumbles, half-assedly washing his hands. 

“Actually wash them, don’t just run water over them, you gross fuck.” 

She squirts soap over his hands and then goes to find an apron. There’s a couple aprons tucked away in her kitchen, there’s a few that are plain and more that are cutesy.  She decides on a pink ruffly My Melody apron, he wants to be an irritant; she’ll be one right back. 

“There, my hands are- what is that?” 

“An apron.” She tries to keep her tone even, but the way his eyes widen at the apron cracks her up.

“I’m not wearing that.” 

“Seriously, it’s just an apron, so you don’t stain your clothes.” 

“I don’t care that much about these clothes.” 

“That’s like, your one suit that doesn’t have stains, wear the apron.’ 

“Why does it have to be that one?” He glares at it like the pink ruffles have personally hurt him. 

“It’s the only other apron I have.”

“Why can I wear that one?” He points at the apron she’s wearing, dark blue with just a simple black cat, Jiji, peeking out of the pocket. 

“I’m wearing it.” 

“This is ridiculous, I don’t even wanna cook-”

“Too late, put on the apron.” 

He groans and rubs a hand over his face. 

“C’mon, I’m literally the only person who’ll see it; your masculinity can’t be that fragile.” 

Another groan and he yanks the apron from her hands, tying it on. She presses a hand to her mouth and sputters out a laugh; the feminine apron looks so goofy against his gray rumpled suit. 

“Shut up, brat.” 

“Okay, now would you strain the noodles for me,” she finally manages to get focused after a few more giggles at his expense. 

“Fine,” Mamoru grabs the pot by the handles and carries it to the sink with the strainer to pour, “FUCK!”

The pot clatters and topples over, splashing boiling water over Mamoru. 

“Shit, quick!” She grabs turns on the faucet and runs cold water, getting Mamoru’s hands under it. 

“How did you even manage to drop that?” she chastises as Mamoru groans in pain as the water cools his red skin. 

“I don’t know, just happened, fuck.” 

“Come on, the food can wait.” 

Tsuneko gets a cold compress, burn ointment, and bandaids before leading him to the couch. She gently rubs the ointment over his burned skin, earning winces and whines from him. Once that’s done, she carefully places some pink bandaids with My Melody on them over his blisters. 

“They match your apron,” she teases. 

“Haha, hilarious,” he grumbles as she puts the cold compress on his hand. 

“I had no idea you were so accident prone, maybe we should keep you out of the kitchen.” 

“Sounds like a plan.” 

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Rhion would be so excited to help Tsuneko in the kitchen, but his eagerness doesn’t translate to being skilled at cooking. Thankfully, while a disaster on his own, he follows Tsuneko’s directions well enough to avoid absolute catastrophe.  Though, Tsuneko babies him a bit, not letting him take over the more dangerous or important things. 

“Add in a cup of flour.”

“Got it!” 

“A pinch of nutmeg.” 

“Done!” 

“I’ll take care of the mincing and the oven.” 

He nods in understanding, humming along to the radio as they cook. Occasionally, when there’s a wait time he spins and twirls to the music. He’ll pull at Tsuneko’s hand and try to convince her to dance along. 

“No way, not happening.” 

“Coooooome on Alice,” he says with a pout. 

“Even your puppy dog eyes can’t make me dance, sweetie.” 

He whines when she pinches at his cheek, before continuing his antics. She watches and laughs each time he nearly falls over. 

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Tsuneko groans, a pain going through her hand. She’s trying to chop up chicken and vegetables to cook. 

“What’s wrong Sexy Bones?” 

“Holy fuck,” Tsuneko practically jumps out of her skin and turns to see Luke suddenly looming over her shoulder, “we need to put a bell on you or something.” 

“Are you hurt?” 

“Oh, I fell and hurt my hand earlier, so it’s hard to cut everything up.” 

“You should relax it.” 

“Yeah, well, I’m trying to cook.” 

Luke steps towards the counter, blocking Tsuneko from moving back towards it. He produces a scalpel from his pocket then uses it to quickly and efficiently cut everything up. It can’t take him more than a minute or two. 

“Is that all you needed cut, Sexy Bones?” 

“Uhhh, yeah, thanks.” 

The eccentric doctor wanders off, properly to read some medical text book and Tsuneko is left confused but thankful. 

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Shuichi has a tendency to micro-manage and Tsuneko has a tendency to hate that. While they both do well following instructions or recipe to absolute perfection, Shuichi tends to be more prone to breathing down someone’s neck. 

“Do you think you’re chopping that thin enough?”

“The pieces are practically see through.” 

“Did you preheat the oven to the right temperature?” 

“Check it yourself, if you don’t believe me.” 

“You managed to do it right.” 

“Yes, I’ve been cooking for years and I’m also capable of following basic instructions.” 

“I wasn’t aware.” 

“I’m this close,” she nearly presses her fingers together, “to stabbing you.” 

“This is basic supervising, if you can’t handle someone looking over your work, that’s not my fault.” 

“Firstly, this isn’t work, you aren’t paying me. Secondly, you’re not just looking over it, you’re micro-managing. No one would put up with this.” 

“You’re ridiculous.” 

“Fine, let’s see how you like it, you take over the rest of the sides and I’ll supervise.” 

“Fine.” 

“I don’t think you chopped that enough.”

“Are you sure you added enough sugar?” 

“Maybe you should stir that more.” 

She continues nagging him the same exact way he did to her, looking for any chance to criticize or correct him.  He stays calm mostly, just giving an annoyed sigh. 

“Did you spray that with nonstick stuff?”

“You just saw me do that,” he finally snaps and glares at her. 

“Awww, do you not like having someone breathing down your neck.” 

“Fine, I understand, I’ll relax.” 

“About damn time.” 

~Did you like this set of headcanons? Wanna request something similar? Just wanna support me? Consider buying me a Ko-Fi!~

[thisislizheather]

Best Thanksgiving Recipes

American Thanksgiving is in one week! Do I care? As a Canadian, of course not! The real one was on the second Monday of October. But since so many people are about to enjoy their sweet little late turkey, maybe it’s time to publicly declare my favourite tried & true recipes you might want to try this (fake) Thanksgiving.

Appetizers

Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip - It’s become a staple appetizer in my house now because it’s ridiculously easy, flavourful and can be made ahead of time then popped in the oven alongside the turkey. Tortilla chips taste best with it, but if you want to dunk a Dorito instead this is your life and you have to live it proudly.

Rumaki - I can't find the recipe for this, but it's basically water chestnuts wrapped in bacon on a toothpick and baked in steak sauce. Incredible. (Thank you for introducing this to me years ago, Marla!)

Cranberry Jell-O Shots - Alcoholic & adorable.

Spinach, Bacon & Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms - I absolutely love these stuffed mushrooms, but I’ve made them so many times I think I have to take a break from them for a little while. If you haven’t tried them though, you must. Whatever you do, don’t skip the breadcrumbs step because it’s the best part.

Cauliflower Toasts - Oh my god, the name is so boring but this is truly one of the best appetizers on the planet. Especially if you’re not hosting that many people and they happen to be mostly adults. Do children like cauliflower? I don’t know and truthfully I don’t care.

Side Dishes

Cranberry Sauce - This has been the one I’ve made for years now and it’s perfect. You can make it a few days in advance and it makes your home smell amazing. Even if you don’t like cranberry sauce, just make it… someone will appreciate it and love it. I am someone.

Cranberry Butter - It’s so good on literally everything (potatoes, dinner rolls, crackers, I can go on and I will, corn, garlic bread, green beans, stuffing). It’s untouchable. Even if this doesn’t sound amazing to you, I encourage you to make some kind of fancy butter because then if you screw up most of the meal, you’ll still be considered pretty fancy for making your own compound butter (honey butter, cinnamon butter, basil butter, etc.).

Kale Caesar Salad with Chickpeas & Sweet Potatoes - One of my favourite salad recipes of all time, even a kale hater MIGHT be okay with this salad because the dressing is just so good.

The Ultimate Salad Vinaigrette - If you dislike shallots then stay away from this recipe, but if you understand flavour and taste, then this is the greatest simple dressing of all time. The arugula part doesn’t matter much, pick whatever leafy green you prefer.

Boxed Stuffing - Okay, so I’m going to make homemade stuffing this year to see if it’s actually better, but every other year of my life I’ve made boxed because I love it, AS LONG AS YOU’RE FOLLOWING THESE INSTRUCTIONS.

Best Garlic Bread - I love this spread because it’s so involved, it just screams effort. And yes, simple garlic bread is beautiful and amazing, but for the holidays it’s nice to go a little nuts.

Chicken Caprese Pasta Salad - Does this seem insane to include as a side? I guess it would make sense to skip adding the chicken since it’s already such a big meal, but it’s truly just a great side dish with or without the chicken.

Creamy Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes - Any kind of mashed potatoes are good mashed potatoes. Since everything else on the dinner table is usually so much more decadent, I like having a simple potato dish. One year I attempted scalloped potatoes, but I used too deep of a dish and it came out raw so I’ve always been a little afraid to attempt those again.

Jalapeno Cheddar Corn Pudding - Yes the phrase “corn pudding” sounds disgusting, I agree, we have to move on from that initial thought because this is SUCH a good corn side dish recipe. But whatever you do, I beg you to cut the recipe in half. It’s insane how the portioning is off on this one, I guarantee you’ll still have leftovers even if you half it.

Make Ahead White Wine Gravy - So, so good.

Entrees

Easy, No Fuss Thanksgiving Turkey - My mom usually handles the turkey, but the one time I tried to help I used this rub and it was sublime.

Eggplant Lasagna - Too, too good. If you’re not offering vegetarian options in 2021, nobody likes you.

Desserts

Individual No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Cups - There’s just something about an individual dessert, it’s so classy and almost independent? I don’t know what I’m saying, but you get it.

Banana Cake with Coffee Frosting - Truly heaven on earth. I have put this frosting on cookies it’s so unreal. I’m really ruining your life by telling you about it.

Apple Fritter Cake - I’ve never made apple fritters and now I never have to. Truly shocked at how good this tasted. It’s a bit of a wet cake, but sometimes that can be a wonderful thing.

Leftover Ideas

Leftover Stuffing Muffins - Simply incredible. I purposely make extra stuffing mainly so I can make these for the following week. Oooo and you can cut a stuffing muffin in half and then make yourself a mini turkey sandwich! Just thought of this! Gah! How am I not in charge of more things in this life?! It’s infuriating.

The Leftover Sandwich - Okay, so every year (starting with last year), I have altered the bread in this sandwich recipe. I think that will just be the tradition from now on because I kind of love it. Last year I went with focaccia (stellar) and this year I did a soft ciabatta roll (wowza). The main ingredients are turkey, cranberry sauce (or cranberry butter), stuffing, caramelized onions, cheddar & gravy. I love this sandwich and it will remain the legacy I leave on the world. That might be sad? I’m okay with it.

All that being said, I love to try a few new recipes each year to see what works and what doesn’t. Here’s what has caught my eye this year.

Mushroom & Leek Bread Pudding - It’s an Ina recipe so how could it be bad? Also, I think I love the idea of doing a bread pudding instead of a stuffing. Although I do love stuffing. So I might just make this and call it a mushroom & leek bread stuffing, which would solve everything in my brain.

Turkey & Cranberry Ravioli - Love this as an idea for leftovers. I just bought wonton wrappers and I. am. PUMPED.

Loaded Baked Potato Chips - I love when appetizers are individually portioned out already. Makes me feel like I’m at a rich person’s house.

Simple Stuffing - I do love the idea of making this for the first time. I’m just so worried it’ll taste SO boring so it’s a toss up between this one and old bread pudding at the top there.

Stuffed Mushroom Casserole - Genius idea! Absolutely doing this.

Southern Baked Mac & Cheese - Is this insane on a Thanksgiving table? Or is it just what has been missing?

Honey Garlic Butter Roasted Carrots - I can’t decide if my family will laugh me out of the house if I put these on a table and expect them to be eaten? We’re not exactly a “vegetable” family. (Hahah, is that like stupid apparent?? I put frosting on cookies for christsake.)

Peas & Pancetta - How could this not be good? But again… the vegetable conundrum.

Leftover Turkey & Stuffing Croquettes - These are giving me such strong crab cake vibes, I couldn’t be more into it.

Maple Pumpkin Gingersnap Tiramisu Trifle - I mean, this looks almost royal.

However you’re eating this great meal on Thursday, I beg you to try at least one of these. You will thank me greatly and everyone will love you.

Hoping you have a “Happy” “Thanksgiving!”

[topfygad]

The Best Foods To Eat In Montreal In 2019 (And The Best Montreal Restaurants To Eat Them At)

From bagels fresh from the oven, to warming pho and poutine with a twist, find out the best foods to eat in Montreal, and the restaurants to add to your hit list.

Oh look – I’ve been eating my way around another destination. It’s become quite the habit of mine! It’s all in the name of research though, so I can pass on some top tips to you guys, and encourage you to go on your own culinary adventures.

When it comes to food, Montreal has a reputation for being one of the best cities in Canada. There’s the fabulous mix of French and Canadian cuisine, plus plenty of multicultural dynamics, with Vietnamese, Mexican and Middle Eastern restaurants all making their mark.

There are stylish Montreal restaurants with Instagrammable décor,  food markets to buy Quebecois ingredients, plus places deserving of several Michelin stars, if the rating system was present in Canada.

Old Montreal

Montreal is a city that takes eating out seriously. In fact, after New York, it has more restaurants per capita than any other city in North America. It’s a city I’d 100% recommend you eat your way around, sampling a little bit of everything along your journey. So, take a look at the video, then scroll down to see a few of the best foods to eat in Montreal right now! 

The Best Bagels In Montreal – Fairmount Bagel At Crew Collective

Firstly, Crew Collective is an incredible place to stop for a coffee and a bite to eat. Housed in an old bank, you’ll find the counter area located where the tellers once were. The building is full of opulence, with high ceilings and grand staircases. It’s part café / part workspace too (hello dream freelance office!)

Crew Collective, Montreal

Secondly, Crew Collective serves up great coffee and bagels. I went for the Fairmount bagel, which was served with smoked sockeye salmon, cream cheese, capers, pickled shallots and fresh herbs. Photogenic and tasty, Crew Collective was a great place to soak up the relaxed Montreal vibes too. 

Fairmount Bagel at Crew Collective, Montreal

The Best Pho In Montreal – I Am Pho

There’s a huge Vietnamese population in Montreal. In fact, a lot of the restaurants in Chinatown are actually run by Vietnamese people. It’s a cuisine I absolutely adore. It’s so fresh and flavoursome, with its mix of raw and cooked ingredients, and kicks of chilli and lime.

After a day of snowy adventures on Mount Royal, we headed back to downtown in search of a warming bowl of pho. I Am Pho had excellent reviews, and we couldn’t wait to try it out. After some tasty summer rolls, we both enjoyed a huge bowl of beef pho, which came with all the extras, including lime, beansprouts and fresh lime and basil. It was more than either of us could manage, but it certainly revived us after our busy morning playing in the snow.

Pho at I Am Pho, Montreal

The Best Wine Bar In Montreal – Pullman

A few locals recommended we check out Pullman – a Montreal wine bar, which takes its food just as seriously. It’s a cosy spot, lit by a few flickering candles. There’s an enormous wine list, which at first was overwhelming to flick through, but thankfully the staff were happy to guide us to a bottle that suited our mood and palette.

The food was great too. They serve a menu of small plates, perfect for sharing, with local ingredients like Quebec cheese, and tasty combinations like beets with buttermilk and herbs. Our favourite dishes were the tuna tiradito, venison tartare, and the local cheese board.

Top Tip: If you’d love to try some great wines but often feel restricted by budgets, visit Pullman on a Sunday. The entire wine list is half price, so you can try some bottles that might otherwise have been out of your price range.

Walking by the clock tower in Montreal

The Best Smoked Meat Sandwich In Montreal – Main Deli  

Did you even go to Montreal if you didn’t try a smoked meat sandwich?! This is one of the city’s most iconic foods, and one you should definitely try on your first trip to the city. Montreal smoked meat is made from brisket, then layered up and stuffed between two slices of rye bread with a squirt of yellow mustard for extra flavour.

While everyone will tell you to go to Schwartz’s Deli on Saint-Laurent Boulevard (sometimes there’s a queue out of the door!) we’d had it on good authority that the sandwich at Main Deli opposite was better. It’s not a refined or pretty dish, but that meat sure is tasty.

Smoked meat sandwich at Main Deli, Montreal

The Best Peruvian Food In Montreal – Tiradito

Located close to Place d’Armes, Tiradito is a great spot for times when you fancy a cocktail and a bite to eat in a buzzy environment. It’s a trendy spot, with red neon lights and a young professional clientele.

The passion fruit sour (a twist on the Peruvian pisco sour) was absolutely delicious – sweet, tangy and oh so boozy! Meanwhile, the food was colourful and elegantly presented too. The tuna tiradito was a huge triumph, along with the crab tostadas. I could have happily eaten my way through the entire menu!

Toastadas at Tiradito, Montreal

Cocktails at Tiradito, Montreal

The Best Restaurant With A View Of Montreal – Les Enfants Terribles

We visited Les Enfants Terribles on our final evening in Montreal, and it felt like the perfect spot to reflect on our time in the city. They have a few restaurants around the city, but the star of the show is their 44th floor venue in Place Ville Marie. It’s one of the tallest buildings in the city, and THE place to enjoy lunch or dinner with a view of the city.

In London, restaurants with views as good as this one would come with an enormous price tag. However, the food and drinks at Les Enfants Terribles are surprisingly reasonable, for example mains are between £10-£15. Food was good, although I think this is somewhere you come more to enjoy the experience and the twinkly city lights than anything else!

Dinner at Les Enfants Terribles, Montreal

The Best Value Steak Frites In Montreal – Brasserie T  

Have you heard of Toque! –  one of the best restaurants in Montreal? Well, Brasserie T is its less formal sister restaurant. The ethos is the same though, so expect great ingredients and chefs who know how to really work some magic in the kitchen.

We enjoyed salmon tartare and steak frites, washed down with some delicious red wine. I thought the steak was excellent; juicy, medium rare as requested and served alongside a mountain of perfectly cooked chips. The restaurant was a nice weekend spot, with the buzz of a Parisian brasserie!

Brasserie T, Montreal

Steak frites at Brasserie T, Montreal

The Best Trendy Bar In Montreal – Bar Furco

After dinner one night we were looking for somewhere to go for a drink. Someone recommend we check out Bar Furco, a local bar, housed in a former fur factory. Along with all the usual drinks, Furco has an interesting cocktail list, plus craft beers and organic wines.

We visited on a Saturday night, and I couldn’t help but enjoy the eclectic crowd, which included students in their early 20s, couples in their 50s, and a few big groups of girls in their 30s. There was also a DJ spinning some tunes, creating a bit of a party vibe to welcome in the weekend.

Bar Furco, Montreal

READ MORE: Top Things To Do In Montreal In Winter

The Best Vegan Food In Montreal – LOV 

If you’re vegan or vegetarian, this is one of the best places to eat in Montreal! While most restaurants in Montreal cater for both, LOV was the only place we visited that was dedicated to the cuisine.

We visited the branch in Golden Square Mile, which is beautifully stylish with giant lampshades hanging from the ceiling and plush booths in green and white stripes. The ladies toilets even had a mini urban garden, with a plant growing out of an unused toilet!

The menu at LOV is great fun too, with lots of choice including pasta, tacos, pho, salads, burgers, banh mi and even a vegan poutine. Is it the best poutine in Montreal? Nope, but it’s not far off! Well, when in Quebec…!

Vegan poutine at LOV, Montreal

LOV, Montreal

The Best Poke In Montreal – Le Poke Bar

We rocked up at Le Poke Bar after an intense travel day. Long haul flight + 5 hour time difference + a packed day in the city… we were tired, had eaten lots of carbs and were craving something healthy and delicious.

We were so happy to stumble upon Le Poke Bar. They have several poke bowls on the menu, or you can build your own (as we did). We enjoyed a salmon, kale, edamame and rice creation, which was super fresh and tasty. It was massive too, so if you’re visiting as a couple, I’d recommend ordering one to share. 

Le Poke Bar

The Best Coffee In Montreal – Nous Sommes Café

This is a tough category to judge based on my experiences in the city, as other than a watery Tim Hortons when we were in a hurry, we had a lot of excellent coffee in Montreal.

My favourites were at Pigeon, L’Editeur and Nous Sommes Café. The latter is run by a lovely guy from South Korea, and located in the colourful Plateau neighbourhood. The coffee was great, décor was simple and the metallic cups were next level cool – just check out those reflections! 

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                        A post shared by NOUS SOMMES CAFE (@noussommes.cafe) on Nov 16, 2018 at 5:17pm PST

The Best Burger In Montreal – Verses Bistro

After a morning at Bota Bota (Montreal’s spa boat) we were ravenous and in need of big feed! Verses Bistro is a charming spot in Old Montreal, serving up a reasonably priced and varied menu.

The burgers were excellent, stuffed with bacon, brie, pickles and salad. Plus the portion was enormous – I mean, I actually had to admit defeat (which is very rare!)

Burger at Verses Bistro, Montreal

The Best Restaurants In Montreal… to be continued!

And finally – while I feel like I ate my way around Montreal, there are plenty of restaurants I’d book a flight back to try! It’s a city made for food lovers, so if you get the chance, try these and let me know how they are…

Pastel – Innovative tasting menus from top chef Jason Morris.

Europea – A Theatrical culinary odyssey that you’ll never forget (think Heston Blumenthal, but Canadian!)

Monarque – Seasonal ingredients, interesting menus and a great space, complete with a view of the kitchen.

Un Po’ di Più – Exceptional Italian food in a relaxed setting in Montreal’s old town.

Toque! – No.2 on Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants 2018, Toque! takes fine dining to the next level.

Elena – Sleek Italian serving some of the best pizzas in Montreal.

Dinette Triple Crown – Authentic Southern BBQ. They’ll even pack your food into a picnic basket so you can take it to the park!

Macro – One of the best seafood restaurants in Montreal.

Le Blueboy – Playful ice creams for the biggest kid you know. 

Finally, if you want to learn more about the city’s cuisine, I’d recommend taking a Montreal food tour. We really enjoyed the one we did with Local Montreal Food Tours, which introduced us to some great restaurants in Montreal Old Town.

I hope you’ve enjoyed eating your way (virtually) around Montreal with me! Big thanks to Destination Canada, Quebec Original and Tourisme Montreal for inviting us to explore this beautiful city. Lots of great info on their sites if you want to find out more. As always, all opinions are my own.

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[laurallama52-blog]

Grain-free Thai Beef Bowls Paleo, Whole30, Keto

Grain-free Thai Beef Bowls. This is an easy, one-pan meal, ready in just over 15 minutes, and it’s a weeknight staple in our house. Garnish all pretty-like to create colorful masterpiece, serve over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles or go with  regular rice or noodles.  This recipe is paleo, whole30 and keto friendly. 

I know for many of you with families and busy schedules, though the summer is supposed to be about relaxing and chilling, somehow before you know it, the schedule fills up and you are going non-stop. Dinners are eaten on the run and you are quite literally setting up your digestion for a rough go. While it’s far easier said then done, to slow down, I think much of this action can take place with meal planning and preparing meals that can me made start to finish in under 30 minutes.

Even with working from home and being a child-free family, I adore 30-minute meals on summer weeknights. Most evenings after we eat, we take advantage of the longer hours of light and we take a family walk together (hubby, myself and the pooch). If I am slaving over a big elaborate meal, if we have a sink full of dishes and a huge mess, those walks don’t happen and many nights, this is the highlight of my day. This is when Mark and I catch up on our work days, when we bounce ideas off of one another and just relish in the beauty of our neighborhood.

These bowls pack a punch in the flavor department and are a breeze to make, without the need for any complicated ingredients. As usual, customize this recipe how you’d like. Adjust your heat, as you prefer. Serve over cauliflower rice, which I prefer or zucchini noodles. You can also serve over regular rice or rice noodles. Swap ground turkey, chicken or pork for the beef, if that’s more your scene. The toppings leave some room for play, too! However you serve them up, enjoy the quick prep and cook time and the limited dishes. It doesn’t get much easier.

Grain-free Thai Beef Bowls

1 tablespoon coconut oil or ghee

2 shallots, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated

1-2 fresh Thai red chiles, seeds removed and finely chopped (you can also sub in California red chile or red jalapeño or leave out)

1 pound grass-fed ground beef (other ground meat will work here, too)

¼ cup coconut aminos, gluten-free tamari or soy sauce

2 teaspoons fish sauce

1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar (or lime juice)

red pepper flakes, to taste

sea salt, to taste

¼ cup fresh basil, thinly sliced or roughly chopped (Thai basil, preferred, if you can find it)

carrots, peeled into ribbons or spiralized

cucumber, thinly sliced

scallions, thinly sliced or cut into 1-inch pieces

thinly sliced red chiles

red pepper flakes

bean sprouts

limes

cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles (you can also serve over regular rice or rice noodles)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots to the hot pan, stir constantly and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add the garlic, ginger and red chile, cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain the excess fat.

In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut aminos, fish sauce and rice wine vinegar. Add the coconut aminos sauce to the pan and stir until well combined, allowing to simmer until it reduces slightly, about 3 minutes.

Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped fresh basil.

Serve immediately over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles. Garnish with fresh carrot, cucumber, scallions, red chiles and additional fresh basil.

adjust heat by using less chile and skipping red pepper flakes swap in half a red bell pepper for chile for less heat you can swap in ground turkey, chicken or pork for the beef, or a meat-free option if you are vegetarian

3.5.3229

Source: http://tasty-yummies.com/grain-free-thai-beef-bowls/

[topfygad]

The Best Foods To Eat In Montreal In 2019 (And The Best Montreal Restaurants To Eat Them At)

From bagels fresh from the oven, to warming pho and poutine with a twist, find out the best foods to eat in Montreal, and the restaurants to add to your hit list.

Oh look – I’ve been eating my way around another destination. It’s become quite the habit of mine! It’s all in the name of research though, so I can pass on some top tips to you guys, and encourage you to go on your own culinary adventures.

When it comes to food, Montreal has a reputation for being one of the best cities in Canada. There’s the fabulous mix of French and Canadian cuisine, plus plenty of multicultural dynamics, with Vietnamese, Mexican and Middle Eastern restaurants all making their mark.

There are stylish Montreal restaurants with Instagrammable décor,  food markets to buy Quebecois ingredients, plus places deserving of several Michelin stars, if the rating system was present in Canada.

Old Montreal

Montreal is a city that takes eating out seriously. In fact, after New York, it has more restaurants per capita than any other city in North America. It’s a city I’d 100% recommend you eat your way around, sampling a little bit of everything along your journey. So, take a look at the video, then scroll down to see a few of the best foods to eat in Montreal right now! 

The Best Bagels In Montreal – Fairmount Bagel At Crew Collective

Firstly, Crew Collective is an incredible place to stop for a coffee and a bite to eat. Housed in an old bank, you’ll find the counter area located where the tellers once were. The building is full of opulence, with high ceilings and grand staircases. It’s part café / part workspace too (hello dream freelance office!)

Crew Collective, Montreal

Secondly, Crew Collective serves up great coffee and bagels. I went for the Fairmount bagel, which was served with smoked sockeye salmon, cream cheese, capers, pickled shallots and fresh herbs. Photogenic and tasty, Crew Collective was a great place to soak up the relaxed Montreal vibes too. 

Fairmount Bagel at Crew Collective, Montreal

The Best Pho In Montreal – I Am Pho

There’s a huge Vietnamese population in Montreal. In fact, a lot of the restaurants in Chinatown are actually run by Vietnamese people. It’s a cuisine I absolutely adore. It’s so fresh and flavoursome, with its mix of raw and cooked ingredients, and kicks of chilli and lime.

After a day of snowy adventures on Mount Royal, we headed back to downtown in search of a warming bowl of pho. I Am Pho had excellent reviews, and we couldn’t wait to try it out. After some tasty summer rolls, we both enjoyed a huge bowl of beef pho, which came with all the extras, including lime, beansprouts and fresh lime and basil. It was more than either of us could manage, but it certainly revived us after our busy morning playing in the snow.

Pho at I Am Pho, Montreal

The Best Wine Bar In Montreal – Pullman

A few locals recommended we check out Pullman – a Montreal wine bar, which takes its food just as seriously. It’s a cosy spot, lit by a few flickering candles. There’s an enormous wine list, which at first was overwhelming to flick through, but thankfully the staff were happy to guide us to a bottle that suited our mood and palette.

The food was great too. They serve a menu of small plates, perfect for sharing, with local ingredients like Quebec cheese, and tasty combinations like beets with buttermilk and herbs. Our favourite dishes were the tuna tiradito, venison tartare, and the local cheese board.

Top Tip: If you’d love to try some great wines but often feel restricted by budgets, visit Pullman on a Sunday. The entire wine list is half price, so you can try some bottles that might otherwise have been out of your price range.

Walking by the clock tower in Montreal

The Best Smoked Meat Sandwich In Montreal – Main Deli  

Did you even go to Montreal if you didn’t try a smoked meat sandwich?! This is one of the city’s most iconic foods, and one you should definitely try on your first trip to the city. Montreal smoked meat is made from brisket, then layered up and stuffed between two slices of rye bread with a squirt of yellow mustard for extra flavour.

While everyone will tell you to go to Schwartz’s Deli on Saint-Laurent Boulevard (sometimes there’s a queue out of the door!) we’d had it on good authority that the sandwich at Main Deli opposite was better. It’s not a refined or pretty dish, but that meat sure is tasty.

Smoked meat sandwich at Main Deli, Montreal

The Best Peruvian Food In Montreal – Tiradito

Located close to Place d’Armes, Tiradito is a great spot for times when you fancy a cocktail and a bite to eat in a buzzy environment. It’s a trendy spot, with red neon lights and a young professional clientele.

The passion fruit sour (a twist on the Peruvian pisco sour) was absolutely delicious – sweet, tangy and oh so boozy! Meanwhile, the food was colourful and elegantly presented too. The tuna tiradito was a huge triumph, along with the crab tostadas. I could have happily eaten my way through the entire menu!

Toastadas at Tiradito, Montreal

Cocktails at Tiradito, Montreal

The Best Restaurant With A View Of Montreal – Les Enfants Terribles

We visited Les Enfants Terribles on our final evening in Montreal, and it felt like the perfect spot to reflect on our time in the city. They have a few restaurants around the city, but the star of the show is their 44th floor venue in Place Ville Marie. It’s one of the tallest buildings in the city, and THE place to enjoy lunch or dinner with a view of the city.

In London, restaurants with views as good as this one would come with an enormous price tag. However, the food and drinks at Les Enfants Terribles are surprisingly reasonable, for example mains are between £10-£15. Food was good, although I think this is somewhere you come more to enjoy the experience and the twinkly city lights than anything else!

Dinner at Les Enfants Terribles, Montreal

The Best Value Steak Frites In Montreal – Brasserie T  

Have you heard of Toque! –  one of the best restaurants in Montreal? Well, Brasserie T is its less formal sister restaurant. The ethos is the same though, so expect great ingredients and chefs who know how to really work some magic in the kitchen.

We enjoyed salmon tartare and steak frites, washed down with some delicious red wine. I thought the steak was excellent; juicy, medium rare as requested and served alongside a mountain of perfectly cooked chips. The restaurant was a nice weekend spot, with the buzz of a Parisian brasserie!

Brasserie T, Montreal

Steak frites at Brasserie T, Montreal

The Best Trendy Bar In Montreal – Bar Furco

After dinner one night we were looking for somewhere to go for a drink. Someone recommend we check out Bar Furco, a local bar, housed in a former fur factory. Along with all the usual drinks, Furco has an interesting cocktail list, plus craft beers and organic wines.

We visited on a Saturday night, and I couldn’t help but enjoy the eclectic crowd, which included students in their early 20s, couples in their 50s, and a few big groups of girls in their 30s. There was also a DJ spinning some tunes, creating a bit of a party vibe to welcome in the weekend.

Bar Furco, Montreal

READ MORE: Top Things To Do In Montreal In Winter

The Best Vegan Food In Montreal – LOV 

If you’re vegan or vegetarian, this is one of the best places to eat in Montreal! While most restaurants in Montreal cater for both, LOV was the only place we visited that was dedicated to the cuisine.

We visited the branch in Golden Square Mile, which is beautifully stylish with giant lampshades hanging from the ceiling and plush booths in green and white stripes. The ladies toilets even had a mini urban garden, with a plant growing out of an unused toilet!

The menu at LOV is great fun too, with lots of choice including pasta, tacos, pho, salads, burgers, banh mi and even a vegan poutine. Is it the best poutine in Montreal? Nope, but it’s not far off! Well, when in Quebec…!

Vegan poutine at LOV, Montreal

LOV, Montreal

The Best Poke In Montreal – Le Poke Bar

We rocked up at Le Poke Bar after an intense travel day. Long haul flight + 5 hour time difference + a packed day in the city… we were tired, had eaten lots of carbs and were craving something healthy and delicious.

We were so happy to stumble upon Le Poke Bar. They have several poke bowls on the menu, or you can build your own (as we did). We enjoyed a salmon, kale, edamame and rice creation, which was super fresh and tasty. It was massive too, so if you’re visiting as a couple, I’d recommend ordering one to share. 

Le Poke Bar

The Best Coffee In Montreal – Nous Sommes Café

This is a tough category to judge based on my experiences in the city, as other than a watery Tim Hortons when we were in a hurry, we had a lot of excellent coffee in Montreal.

My favourites were at Pigeon, L’Editeur and Nous Sommes Café. The latter is run by a lovely guy from South Korea, and located in the colourful Plateau neighbourhood. The coffee was great, décor was simple and the metallic cups were next level cool – just check out those reflections! 

            View this post on Instagram

                        A post shared by NOUS SOMMES CAFE (@noussommes.cafe) on Nov 16, 2018 at 5:17pm PST

The Best Burger In Montreal – Verses Bistro

After a morning at Bota Bota (Montreal’s spa boat) we were ravenous and in need of big feed! Verses Bistro is a charming spot in Old Montreal, serving up a reasonably priced and varied menu.

The burgers were excellent, stuffed with bacon, brie, pickles and salad. Plus the portion was enormous – I mean, I actually had to admit defeat (which is very rare!)

Burger at Verses Bistro, Montreal

The Best Restaurants In Montreal… to be continued!

And finally – while I feel like I ate my way around Montreal, there are plenty of restaurants I’d book a flight back to try! It’s a city made for food lovers, so if you get the chance, try these and let me know how they are…

Pastel – Innovative tasting menus from top chef Jason Morris.

Europea – A Theatrical culinary odyssey that you’ll never forget (think Heston Blumenthal, but Canadian!)

Monarque – Seasonal ingredients, interesting menus and a great space, complete with a view of the kitchen.

Un Po’ di Più – Exceptional Italian food in a relaxed setting in Montreal’s old town.

Toque! – No.2 on Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants 2018, Toque! takes fine dining to the next level.

Elena – Sleek Italian serving some of the best pizzas in Montreal.

Dinette Triple Crown – Authentic Southern BBQ. They’ll even pack your food into a picnic basket so you can take it to the park!

Macro – One of the best seafood restaurants in Montreal.

Le Blueboy – Playful ice creams for the biggest kid you know. 

Finally, if you want to learn more about the city’s cuisine, I’d recommend taking a Montreal food tour. We really enjoyed the one we did with Local Montreal Food Tours, which introduced us to some great restaurants in Montreal Old Town.

I hope you’ve enjoyed eating your way (virtually) around Montreal with me! Big thanks to Destination Canada, Quebec Original and Tourisme Montreal for inviting us to explore this beautiful city. Lots of great info on their sites if you want to find out more. As always, all opinions are my own.

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The post The Best Foods To Eat In Montreal In 2019 (And The Best Montreal Restaurants To Eat Them At) appeared first on Wanderlust Chloe.

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The Best Foods To Eat In Montreal In 2019 (And The Best Montreal Restaurants To Eat Them At)

From bagels fresh from the oven, to warming pho and poutine with a twist, find out the best foods to eat in Montreal, and the restaurants to add to your hit list.

Oh look – I’ve been eating my way around another destination. It’s become quite the habit of mine! It’s all in the name of research though, so I can pass on some top tips to you guys, and encourage you to go on your own culinary adventures.

When it comes to food, Montreal has a reputation for being one of the best cities in Canada. There’s the fabulous mix of French and Canadian cuisine, plus plenty of multicultural dynamics, with Vietnamese, Mexican and Middle Eastern restaurants all making their mark.

There are stylish Montreal restaurants with Instagrammable décor,  food markets to buy Quebecois ingredients, plus places deserving of several Michelin stars, if the rating system was present in Canada.

Old Montreal

Montreal is a city that takes eating out seriously. In fact, after New York, it has more restaurants per capita than any other city in North America. It’s a city I’d 100% recommend you eat your way around, sampling a little bit of everything along your journey. So, take a look at the video, then scroll down to see a few of the best foods to eat in Montreal right now! 

The Best Bagels In Montreal – Fairmount Bagel At Crew Collective

Firstly, Crew Collective is an incredible place to stop for a coffee and a bite to eat. Housed in an old bank, you’ll find the counter area located where the tellers once were. The building is full of opulence, with high ceilings and grand staircases. It’s part café / part workspace too (hello dream freelance office!)

Crew Collective, Montreal

Secondly, Crew Collective serves up great coffee and bagels. I went for the Fairmount bagel, which was served with smoked sockeye salmon, cream cheese, capers, pickled shallots and fresh herbs. Photogenic and tasty, Crew Collective was a great place to soak up the relaxed Montreal vibes too. 

Fairmount Bagel at Crew Collective, Montreal

The Best Pho In Montreal – I Am Pho

There’s a huge Vietnamese population in Montreal. In fact, a lot of the restaurants in Chinatown are actually run by Vietnamese people. It’s a cuisine I absolutely adore. It’s so fresh and flavoursome, with its mix of raw and cooked ingredients, and kicks of chilli and lime.

After a day of snowy adventures on Mount Royal, we headed back to downtown in search of a warming bowl of pho. I Am Pho had excellent reviews, and we couldn’t wait to try it out. After some tasty summer rolls, we both enjoyed a huge bowl of beef pho, which came with all the extras, including lime, beansprouts and fresh lime and basil. It was more than either of us could manage, but it certainly revived us after our busy morning playing in the snow.

Pho at I Am Pho, Montreal

The Best Wine Bar In Montreal – Pullman

A few locals recommended we check out Pullman – a Montreal wine bar, which takes its food just as seriously. It’s a cosy spot, lit by a few flickering candles. There’s an enormous wine list, which at first was overwhelming to flick through, but thankfully the staff were happy to guide us to a bottle that suited our mood and palette.

The food was great too. They serve a menu of small plates, perfect for sharing, with local ingredients like Quebec cheese, and tasty combinations like beets with buttermilk and herbs. Our favourite dishes were the tuna tiradito, venison tartare, and the local cheese board.

Top Tip: If you’d love to try some great wines but often feel restricted by budgets, visit Pullman on a Sunday. The entire wine list is half price, so you can try some bottles that might otherwise have been out of your price range.

Walking by the clock tower in Montreal

The Best Smoked Meat Sandwich In Montreal – Main Deli  

Did you even go to Montreal if you didn’t try a smoked meat sandwich?! This is one of the city’s most iconic foods, and one you should definitely try on your first trip to the city. Montreal smoked meat is made from brisket, then layered up and stuffed between two slices of rye bread with a squirt of yellow mustard for extra flavour.

While everyone will tell you to go to Schwartz’s Deli on Saint-Laurent Boulevard (sometimes there’s a queue out of the door!) we’d had it on good authority that the sandwich at Main Deli opposite was better. It’s not a refined or pretty dish, but that meat sure is tasty.

Smoked meat sandwich at Main Deli, Montreal

The Best Peruvian Food In Montreal – Tiradito

Located close to Place d’Armes, Tiradito is a great spot for times when you fancy a cocktail and a bite to eat in a buzzy environment. It’s a trendy spot, with red neon lights and a young professional clientele.

The passion fruit sour (a twist on the Peruvian pisco sour) was absolutely delicious – sweet, tangy and oh so boozy! Meanwhile, the food was colourful and elegantly presented too. The tuna tiradito was a huge triumph, along with the crab tostadas. I could have happily eaten my way through the entire menu!

Toastadas at Tiradito, Montreal

Cocktails at Tiradito, Montreal

The Best Restaurant With A View Of Montreal – Les Enfants Terribles

We visited Les Enfants Terribles on our final evening in Montreal, and it felt like the perfect spot to reflect on our time in the city. They have a few restaurants around the city, but the star of the show is their 44th floor venue in Place Ville Marie. It’s one of the tallest buildings in the city, and THE place to enjoy lunch or dinner with a view of the city.

In London, restaurants with views as good as this one would come with an enormous price tag. However, the food and drinks at Les Enfants Terribles are surprisingly reasonable, for example mains are between £10-£15. Food was good, although I think this is somewhere you come more to enjoy the experience and the twinkly city lights than anything else!

Dinner at Les Enfants Terribles, Montreal

The Best Value Steak Frites In Montreal – Brasserie T  

Have you heard of Toque! –  one of the best restaurants in Montreal? Well, Brasserie T is its less formal sister restaurant. The ethos is the same though, so expect great ingredients and chefs who know how to really work some magic in the kitchen.

We enjoyed salmon tartare and steak frites, washed down with some delicious red wine. I thought the steak was excellent; juicy, medium rare as requested and served alongside a mountain of perfectly cooked chips. The restaurant was a nice weekend spot, with the buzz of a Parisian brasserie!

Brasserie T, Montreal

Steak frites at Brasserie T, Montreal

The Best Trendy Bar In Montreal – Bar Furco

After dinner one night we were looking for somewhere to go for a drink. Someone recommend we check out Bar Furco, a local bar, housed in a former fur factory. Along with all the usual drinks, Furco has an interesting cocktail list, plus craft beers and organic wines.

We visited on a Saturday night, and I couldn’t help but enjoy the eclectic crowd, which included students in their early 20s, couples in their 50s, and a few big groups of girls in their 30s. There was also a DJ spinning some tunes, creating a bit of a party vibe to welcome in the weekend.

Bar Furco, Montreal

READ MORE: Top Things To Do In Montreal In Winter

The Best Vegan Food In Montreal – LOV 

If you’re vegan or vegetarian, this is one of the best places to eat in Montreal! While most restaurants in Montreal cater for both, LOV was the only place we visited that was dedicated to the cuisine.

We visited the branch in Golden Square Mile, which is beautifully stylish with giant lampshades hanging from the ceiling and plush booths in green and white stripes. The ladies toilets even had a mini urban garden, with a plant growing out of an unused toilet!

The menu at LOV is great fun too, with lots of choice including pasta, tacos, pho, salads, burgers, banh mi and even a vegan poutine. Is it the best poutine in Montreal? Nope, but it’s not far off! Well, when in Quebec…!

Vegan poutine at LOV, Montreal

LOV, Montreal

The Best Poke In Montreal – Le Poke Bar

We rocked up at Le Poke Bar after an intense travel day. Long haul flight + 5 hour time difference + a packed day in the city… we were tired, had eaten lots of carbs and were craving something healthy and delicious.

We were so happy to stumble upon Le Poke Bar. They have several poke bowls on the menu, or you can build your own (as we did). We enjoyed a salmon, kale, edamame and rice creation, which was super fresh and tasty. It was massive too, so if you’re visiting as a couple, I’d recommend ordering one to share. 

Le Poke Bar

The Best Coffee In Montreal – Nous Sommes Café

This is a tough category to judge based on my experiences in the city, as other than a watery Tim Hortons when we were in a hurry, we had a lot of excellent coffee in Montreal.

My favourites were at Pigeon, L’Editeur and Nous Sommes Café. The latter is run by a lovely guy from South Korea, and located in the colourful Plateau neighbourhood. The coffee was great, décor was simple and the metallic cups were next level cool – just check out those reflections! 

            View this post on Instagram

                        A post shared by NOUS SOMMES CAFE (@noussommes.cafe) on Nov 16, 2018 at 5:17pm PST

The Best Burger In Montreal – Verses Bistro

After a morning at Bota Bota (Montreal’s spa boat) we were ravenous and in need of big feed! Verses Bistro is a charming spot in Old Montreal, serving up a reasonably priced and varied menu.

The burgers were excellent, stuffed with bacon, brie, pickles and salad. Plus the portion was enormous – I mean, I actually had to admit defeat (which is very rare!)

Burger at Verses Bistro, Montreal

The Best Restaurants In Montreal… to be continued!

And finally – while I feel like I ate my way around Montreal, there are plenty of restaurants I’d book a flight back to try! It’s a city made for food lovers, so if you get the chance, try these and let me know how they are…

Pastel – Innovative tasting menus from top chef Jason Morris.

Europea – A Theatrical culinary odyssey that you’ll never forget (think Heston Blumenthal, but Canadian!)

Monarque – Seasonal ingredients, interesting menus and a great space, complete with a view of the kitchen.

Un Po’ di Più – Exceptional Italian food in a relaxed setting in Montreal’s old town.

Toque! – No.2 on Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants 2018, Toque! takes fine dining to the next level.

Elena – Sleek Italian serving some of the best pizzas in Montreal.

Dinette Triple Crown – Authentic Southern BBQ. They’ll even pack your food into a picnic basket so you can take it to the park!

Macro – One of the best seafood restaurants in Montreal.

Le Blueboy – Playful ice creams for the biggest kid you know. 

Finally, if you want to learn more about the city’s cuisine, I’d recommend taking a Montreal food tour. We really enjoyed the one we did with Local Montreal Food Tours, which introduced us to some great restaurants in Montreal Old Town.

I hope you’ve enjoyed eating your way (virtually) around Montreal with me! Big thanks to Destination Canada, Quebec Original and Tourisme Montreal for inviting us to explore this beautiful city. Lots of great info on their sites if you want to find out more. As always, all opinions are my own.

Enjoyed this post? Pin it for later…

The post The Best Foods To Eat In Montreal In 2019 (And The Best Montreal Restaurants To Eat Them At) appeared first on Wanderlust Chloe.

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