Fuchsia Epicerie Fleur
4050 Avenue Coloniale
Cuisines: Vegetarian
About
If you are planning a romantic getaway to Montreal, you will want to pencil this place in for a late lunch or tea, as love and flowers are always in the air at Fuschia Epicerie Fleur, a cozy little flower themed restaurant/café in the heart of The Plateau, lauded for uniquely preserving a sliver of Montreal's architectural heritage, what was once known as the Mr. Peanut dry-goods store, and then for decades left virtually untouched. Fuschia has re-purposed the store, which last thrived in the 1950s, with a homey restaurant replete with wooden counter-tops, shelves from the old days. Most of that early 20th century-turquoise paint, now stripped and left only as a graceful accent. All the lush wood, brought back to its beauty is now ensconced by flowers of all kind--dried, baked, tossed and fresh. But it's the unique palette used in the food that has people patronizing on a regular basis. The flower theme is ever-present as they add a floral touch to all the food and drinks. There's a daily Tea of the Day, guaranteed to be a concoction of various flowers, which is only to set you on your course of adventurous flower-eating. The daily salads are chock full of nasturtiums and other colorful edibles, and along the counter-top is a proud display of the days baked goods; delicious goodies. There are cakes, pies and cookies, all infused with more than a garden variety of flowers, and in the display fridge sit the rice puddings, made from wild or black rice, and mixed with Jasmines and Day Lilies and other sweet flowers. There is one principal plate served every day, which does make choosing from the menu a much simpler process, and if you weren't a person already willing to take a leap of faith every now and then, you wouldn't be sitting there eating flowers. Would you The meals are always vegetarian, on some days you will find a delicious eggplant potato and jasmine curry, or a cheese-stuffed zucchini with cumin-scented black beans. Drinks might include a mint and rose iced tea or hibiscus and rose hip tea. For the coffee fiends, they also serve espresso and Café-au-Laits. A full meal will only set you back $10 plus tip. This is a cozy and intimate little café, it's decorated with take-out gifts; glass masons jars filled with tantalizing teas, even pre-mixed "Cookies in a jar" which are, naturally, florally infused; the "Biscuits en pot" flavors range from Oatmeal Rose to Quinoa Orange Blossom cookies. All you have to do is add milk, stir and bake. And the baked goods is really where the floral alchemy of Fuchsia Épicerie Fleur really stands out (the reader will have to forgive my, er, flowery description to follow); here's where violets and pansies collide in cream cheese frosting, while raspberries and roses make truffles and orange blossoms dance with dark chocolate in spicy cakes. You might find yourself even taking some lavender shortbread , or elderflower banana bread back to your hotel for later. The feel of Fuchsia Épicerie Fleur is not quite like being in someone's home, but as if it's the whole neighborhood home, with timelessness that warms the soul. The word is that Binky, the owner, is known to 'shost small parties with multi-course meals, in case you are looking to book a special intimate and unique meeting while you're in town. You will be happy you visited this chic, yet delightfully old-fashioned café.
