Breathe in. Breathe out. Through the nose... it warms the air. Breathe in. Breathe out. Now, what do you smell? Me, I smell chicken. In my neighbourhood, I always smell chicken.

It's not always exactly what I'd like to inhale, but there it is. It's in my face so I might as well suck it up. The smells, the sounds, the constant sensory input...it's part of living in the Plateau - and a fantastic one at that. That's what I think, at least.

I feel as though my design skills have gone downhill since last year's festival, so this year I'm going to stick to words (written and spoken) to walk you through the best lunches, dinners, snacks, drinks, and chocolate of the Montreal Festival en Lumiere for all budgets and tastes.

Chef Fisun Ercan's Turkish cuisine at Su Restaurant in Verdun is a whole lot more than kebabs and tahini-based dips with pita bread. It's still all about meze: those small plates of eggplant, grilled tomatoes, chopped salads, and vine leaf-wrapped rice - but here they're beautifully presented, and the rest of the menu features a few original items you won't find at most other Middle Eastern places in Montreal.

It's no secret that Russ Cooper likes the strange and tasty culinary events Montreal has to offer. So it was no surprise when he wrote in with a detailed account of the hopes and aspirations he had for the Happening Gourmand, a chance for locals to get "cheap" fares at otherwise pricey old port restaurants. If you're thinking of heading out to sample the event, read on.

Sure, terroir can be an immensely interesting subject. Some even argue that Quebec has very little culinary sway in terms of the traditional terroir due to a few limitations; among them, a shortened growing season over huge and relatively unvaried landmass, reliance on established French cuisine techniques, and a reputation for the meaty, fatty, and kinda dirty.

Don't get me wrong. Sometimes, there is nothing better than a watery steamé. I've murdered coagulated blocks of poots and fantasized about doing it again and again. To boot, this province wears the national cheese crown, an attribute that keeps my spare tire happy and round. These are the staples that bind us, especially through the arctic nightmare we call winter in Montreal.

For me, cuisine de terroir means Quebec-on-a-plate in a way. But since it may be the atmospheric and cultural conditions that often drive our foodish desires, can we consider these conditions part of the terroir on some miniscule extent? Probably not.

But let's just say we could. Could I taste years of linguistic squabbling or hockey sweat? Would there be notes of that joie-de-vivre that keeps us afloat? Road salt? What about crusty 100% wool? Would my smoked meat be imbued with les Gitanes?

The First Date Series takes a look at restaurants in Montreal where you might want to go -- or might not want to go -- on a first date. If you're not heading down to Old Montreal for Happening Gourmand, and you, or your date, is in the mood for Thai, you might want to try Phayathai.

After a brief hiatus from the dating world, I found myself on a double date at Phayathai on Laurier. There's no shortage of Thai food on this street - Phayathai is roughly a block away from two other more-than-decent Thai restaurants. Apparently good things do come in threes.

In her First Date Series, MP writer Tara has managed to make some great restaurant recommendations to impress that special someone. Conscious of the budget-minded modern condition, she has (with one exception: see link) steered clear from the Old Port. This comes as no surprise. Old Port wine bars, bistros and taverns are often rich experiences - in more ways than one.