So the last few weeks I’ve been playing around in the kitchen to come up with the best Naan-za. What is a Naan-za?! It is what is sounds like pizza using naan bread, best of all it only takes 30 minutes to bake so whether you’re doing a date night or having a friends over last minute. This is quite easily the best tasting & fastest pizza you can make without using any odd ingredients, cont.

Posted under montreal

It’s been a while since I last shared some tracks with everyone. This time I around I wanted the mix to have a radio show feel, jumping from vocal bits to the more “bleeps & bloops” or just flipping it up the sound and going in a new direction and and building it up again. So with a whopping 21 tracks (this is the first time I’ve mixed this many tracks) under 1 hour (a nice little blend of UK Garage & Deep House) here is the first, but definitely not the last in the: Peanut Butta Lova series. Big thanks to Doctor Klein & the Drop Box Crew for introducing me to a few of these tracks.

Enjoy the mix and feel free to download, comment & share it with your friends, family, co-workers, gym spotter, parole officer, dog walker, etc.Enjoy the mix and feel free to download, comment & share it with your friends, family, co-workers, gym spotter, parole officer, dog walker, etc.

Peace P

ps. Tracklisting can be found after the jump

Peanut Butta Lova by parvezlakha

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Posted under music

We’ve all grown to love and admire the magnificence and charisma of Old Montreal… the abundance of restaurants, the growing need for top fashion boutiques and most sought-after brands, the scenery, the lifestyle, and of course the activity! Well, renown Old Montreal gurus have been at it again, introducing the new kid on the block: Taverne Gaspar!
The Antonopoulos Group, owners of Old Montreal’s top hotels and restaurants including the infamous Hotel Place d’Armes, Mechant Boeuf Bar & Brasserie, and Hotel Nelligan (to name a few), have recently introduced their new baby to the scene and to Montreal junkies. A new restaurant in the style of old english tavern with a modern twist will entice the minds of local Montrealers and tourists alike.

At the helm of it all, Zach Suhl, former owner of Brunoise Restaurant and Brasserie and Chef Mario Guerrera, formerly executive chef of the W Hotel and sous-chef of Cube Restaurant, will offer accessible comfort cuisine inspired by British gastropubs with French and Quebecoise accents. What would that taste like you ask? Well I was lucky enough to tickle my palette last week. Courtesy of the Antonopoulos Group and their genuine enthusiasm to show their skills, a full menu tasting took place at the resto to give us an idea of what Taverne Gaspar is all about.

It started off with a tasting of 7 types of Jim Bean Bourbon hosted by their savvy mixologist who explained the components of each one…yes that’s a really good “start” if you ask me! The evening then proceeded into a generous tasting of most items on their menu. This included an array of comforting traditional dishes with delicate touches of contemporary cuisine: A trio of savory tarts (think grandma’s tourtiere in bite-size form), delicious crab rolls light and flavourful, luscious two color beet salad, scallops with pork belly, fried chicken and biscuits, a tender spatchcock cornish hen with beluga lentils, eggplant parmesan, mac and cheese and of course for the carnivourous junkies, the Tavern burger with pork belly and manchego cheese, and a Filet mignon with cheesy mashed potatoes. Bringing back some home-cooked memories? That’s the point… and this does not include the specials of the day, oyster bar and killer deserts! Insider secret: do not leave without trying the buttery perfection of their pecan pie!

A glutonous evening at that, I was pleasantly pleased as my belly soaked in the delights of good eating in great company! Not to mention location, location, location! Situated on de la Commune, Taverne Gaspar overlooks the St.Lawrence River right next to the Auberge du Vieux-Port (another successful establishment of the Group). With authenticity and conviviality in mind, the design of the tavern has been entrusted to Camdi Design. Raw materials, oak tables and woodwork, copper accents, antique mirrors and fixtures all perfectly compliment the stone walls and the original cachet of the venue, an old 19th century warehouse untouched for several years. The long bar, the eclectic music mix of classic and indie sounds, all add to the cozy environment of what will now become an Old Montreal hot spot. Drinks, tapas, food, ambiance, Taverne Gaspar is your next destination. Official opening is today, October 4th! and please…two words: pecan pie!

Posted under Events, dining, food, hotel, montreal

What would happen if the delicate brushstrokes of a fine renaissance painter would mary the elegant precision of a skilled couturier? The answer is Helmer Joseph, a designer who has recently returned to his roots in Montreal offering an entirely different perspective on the art behind fashion design. A tailor by trade and training, Helmer practiced his art for the benefit of some of the greatest names in fashion and the performing arts in France, Italy, Japan and Spain. A master of dimensions, volumes, textures and layers, Helmer’s creations illustrate the mystifications of the artistic mind, and complexities behind the skill and precision of a couturier.

As expectations of an anxious crowd awaited, Helmer unveiled his Spring-Summer 2012 collection in a private show that took place within the divine backdrop of the St.Jean Baptiste Church on Rachel street, in the heart of the Plateau Mont-Royal. Without an ounce of disappointment, the first creation came out and bled a river of ingenuity, mastery, and pure magnificence. An amalgamation of textures, fabrics, bold structures, loops and woven details, filled our eyes as the sounds of the organs carried us away into his world.

And a daring world that is… The theme of this collection is inspired by Greek mythology and Helmer open’s Pandora’s Box! Just as Pandora opened a jar to unleash all the evils of the world, this designer experience proudly exhibits a collection of symbolic garments representing the seven deadly sins; the seven great modern curses. Through his use of contrasting color, Helmer presents us with a mythical collection that transpose the ramifications that burn within our modern society. Utilizing the representation of emblematic colors like pink and red, each creation touches on the vulnerability of modern day issues such as Breast Cancer and AIDS. Through an array of three dimensional metaphors, Helmer delivers once again a sea of beauty and true talent that one can only applaud. A true genius within the hands of our brilliant city!

In case you are not yet aware, Helmer’s boutique is situated at 2020 St.Laurent, and features his haute couture, partially-finished and ready-to-wear designs and accessories. His collection can also be found in the ISHI gallery-boutique-spa located at 2122 Crescent Street in downtown Montreal and in the new boutique Une Ile en Amerique at 102 Laurier Avenue West.

Posted under Fashion, design, exhibition, montreal

PR 101: Cet article + Partage sur les médias sociaux est gratuit.

Bonjour Jean-Aymeri,

Suite à mon appel téléphonique, voici le « petit peu » de détails :

Nous aimerions t’inviter à assister à un évènement artistique qui aura lieu dans la semaine du ********** dans le but d’obtenir une couverture éditoriale sur votre blog. ll s’agit d’un vernissage de pièces artistiques uniques, créées par ***********. L’évènement aura lieu à Montréal.

Si l’offre de collaborer avec nous t’intéresse, svp, reviens-moi avec les détails de tes coordonnées afin que nous te communiquions plus d’informations.

Il nous arrive ici de parler d’événements auxquels on est invité à participer, car c’est parce que cela nous a plu et qu’on a envie aussi de vous en informer, c’est notre ligne éditoriale. Et pas du tout parce qu’on a été invité ou qu’on a reçu un cadeau… Chaque semaine on participe d’ailleurs à des événements de ce genre, les agences de RP nous sollicitent et on sait très bien pourquoi… et on ne fait pas d’article à chaque semaine sur ce genre d’événements, même si on pourrait très facilement. On est invité, et si on a un intérêt on y va, ce qui nous permet de déterminer si on a un intérêt d’en parler ici sur le site. Des fois, même si on a moins d’intérêt, on y va seulement car nos amis blogueurs y vont, c’est un effet d’entrainement que les agences maitrisent bien, mais ça ne veux pas dire qu’on va en parler pour autant, il n’y a pas de mal a être curieux puisqu’on est inviter.

Les blogueurs ne tirent pas de revenus de leur site et chacun décide de sa ligne éditoriale… Un blog, c’est personnel, pas comme un média traditionnel, mais je vais pas faire ici le débat de la différence entre journaliste et blogueur. Par contre, j’en profite pour confirmer une bonne fois pour toutes (j’espère) que ce n’est pas le genre de chose qu’on fait, ou fera sur Montreal State Of Mind. Je pense qu’il est vraiment temps que certaines agences de RP comprennent que les blogueurs ont des principes, comme les journalistes. J’ajouterais aussi que ce qui est triste c’est que d’autres blog n’ont peut-être pas cette rigueur par rapport a leur lectorat et qu’ils tomberont dans le panneau des cadeaux, je juge pas la, je constate… dommage pour l’intégrité des blogues et pour les lecteurs, surtout!

Donc :

• On vend de la pub (des bannières publicitaires)
• Vous pouvez nous envoyer des échantillons de produits et/ou des cadeaux qu’on acceptera avec grande joie et dont on parlera seulement si on en juge l’intérêt pour nos lecteurs.
• Notre présence à votre événement ne garantit pas d’articles sur Montreal State Of Mind.
• On veut bien venir à vos événements et on en parlera seulement si on aime ça, ou si on en juge l’intérêt pour nos lecteurs.

Cet article est gratuit, la leçon aussi

Posted under montreal

Electro drum samples, analog synthesizers, melodic hooks are all trademark sounds of Remixers/Producers/DJ’s: Andre Allen Anjos, Andrew Maury and Karl Kling or better know as the Remix Artist Collective aka Rac. Hailing from Portland (Andre & Karl) & New York (Andrew) the trio definitely have definitely carved a niche as hard workers when it comes down to remixing. Unlike some remixes where you hear just a sample of a loop, beat, chorus or verse and dragged out into a 7 minute club mix a RAC remix is like hearing a brand new song. From Phoenix, Washed Out, Delorean, Phantogram, U2, Kele, Holy Ghost!, Kings of Leon & Chromeo to name a few are some of the bands who have had their work reinterpreted/reinvented. With such a disiplined approach to production and remixing we can only imagine what they have in store when they DJ. Check them out their work below then in person this Saturday at Le Belmont.

RAC Portfolio by RAC

You can pick up tickets for $12 or $15 at the door.

Atom Heart - www.atomheart.ca - 364-B rue Sherbrooke Est
L’Oblique - 4333 Rue Rivard
Beniamino - 455 Avenue Viger Ouest
Online @ www.lepointdevente.com

Stay tuned to our facebook fanpage for your chance to win a pair of tickets!

Posted under Events, montreal, music

50’s pop culture, spoofing sports & famous animation studios, tongue in cheek humor, Andy Warhol making art using illustrator, those were some of the terms we used to describe Antoine Tavaglione Dirty Does It exhibit last month. Sounds to good to be true, right? We have some of pictures from the exhibit and it definitley did live up to its expectations. We literally could’ve bought all of them to put in our homes and office!! Below are some our personal favorites.

Turns out Antoine not only had art in mind but as well as fashion. During the Dirty Does It exhibit Antoine also launched/exhibited his Dirty Thoughts collection (dude! do you sleep?!?!!) which we are really proud to point out that it is 100% designed & made in Montreal!! You can find the t-shirts currently in Montreal at Influence U.

You can see more picutres and screens after the jump. Let us know what pieces you like!

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Posted under Events, Fashion, art, montreal, street art

A little musical tale of the last 5 months. These are tracks that I either played while DJ’ing or discovered in a friends car while racing through Manhattan to hit up an afterhours warehouse party in Brooklyn. Essentially this a reflection of those amazing nights where you end up drinking, laughing & dancing with friends until its time to pass out (yes even those nights where you wait for the bodegga to sell you beer at 7:45am). I hope you enjoy this mix as much as I did making it. Tracklisting can be found after the jump & you can download it here.

Peace!

P

ps. We apologize the mixcloud setup, we wanted to share this mix on soundcloud but had some issues clearing a track. We couldn’t re-do the mix as we felt one of the songs needed to be on there. Stream/download/share it while you can before it gets taken down.

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Posted under montreal