Buffet La Bonne Carte (Casino de Montreal)

Buffet La Bonne Carte

Eating is not usually at the forefront of people's minds when going to a Casino. At least that's what I thought. After having the buffet dinner with my wife last week at Buffet La Bonne Carte, we understood what all the fuss was about. You're getting a whole lot of bang for your buck at $24.95/person.

From the moment the hostess brought us to our table, the waiter we had was very professional and ready to answer any questions we had. Not typical for a buffet restaurant! Also not typical was the quality, variety, and freshness of all the foods that were available "a volonte".

The wine list was the only disappointment we had with just 2 choices each of Red and White wine. Resisting going back to the grilled shrimp station over and over left some room for desert. The Chocolate fountain and fresh fruits was a favorite for yours truly, while my wife feasted on the many choices of cakes from Brownies to Apple Crumble and Chocolate Mousse.

A must visit for anyone trying there luck at the Montreal Casino!

http://www.casino-de-montreal.com/montreal/nav/en/restaurants-bars/buffet-la-bonne-carte

Buffet La Bonne Carte

1, avenue du Casino

Montréal (Québec)

Canada H3C 4W7

Telephone: 514 392-2746 or 1 800 665-2274

Boccacino's

We were recently downtown for a meeting at McGill. We met our colleages for lunch at Boccacino's restaurant, just down the street from the main gates at McGill.

The restaurant is on the ground floor, with easy handicap access. We ate upstairs, overlooking the main restaurant.

The menu features a nice array of pasta, and a smattering of North American fare. Based on what the six of us ordered, the Italian food was MUCH better than the North American offerings. The pasta servings were a good size, and quite tasty.

The bathrooms upstairs are small, but clean.

Boccacino's
1251 Mc Gill College,
Montreal, Qc, H3B 2Y4
514.861.5742
f ax: 514.861.1534

Hiring a contractor

Hiring a contractor to work on your home can be one of the most stressful experiences in your life.

We recently watched an excellent episode of CBC's MarketPlace where they absolutely trashed the Toronto contractor Max Pies, the Hummer driving rip-off artist who leaves behind dozens of unfinished jobs and unhappy clients.

Go check out the show online - CBC has posted the entire episode.

Also, check out Mike Holmes site - he's got tons of excellent tips for anyone thinking of having any work done at their home or office.

Some of the basics (from CBC):

• Get Bids - make sure the contractor comes to your house, and thoroughly understands the work.
• Check references. Actually talk to people who have had work done. Also check the BBB, and the contractor database.
• Get a contract. Get it in writing. Make sure that the contract specifies in great detail everything you want done, including things like permits, insurance, completion dates, who's going to pay for the dumpster, etc.
• Check the contractor's license. Make sure it's valid.
• Check the contractor's insurance. Often, your home insurance will NOT cover the costs if the house is damaged by a contractor while they are working on your house.
• Make sure the contractor gets building permits for all the work. Specify this in the contract.
• Split the payments up. Pay no more than 25% down payment, and then pay out bits along the way when you are satisfied. Have a 15% holdback that is not paid for a month or two after the work is complete.
• Check out the CBC's Red Flags section - watch out for these signs that the contractor is a fraud, or at least, worrisome.

Have you had good or bad experiences with contractors in Ottawa? Let us know here at ReviewOttawa.com either via email, or by a comment to this blog entry.