November. That cruel angry month that comes after the colorful transition of October, but before the festive year-end of December. Those vicious thirty days when the last warmth of summer lies dead under damp, long-fallen leaves and the cold angry fingers of approaching winter creep from the ground and reach skyward like the skeletal trees laid bare by the vivid excesses of Autumn.

An evil two fortnights of dull mornings when cold wet needles of dampness pierce the woollens resurrected from summer's hibernation. Dark afternoons, when the last of a remembered tan flees the body, chased away by bone-chilling shivers brought on by long silvery rains that slip mercilessly from the menacing grey skies and dampen against all resistance. The only respite from this horror is found late at night under a down-filled duvet, the cat curled tight at your feet providing a few welcome degrees of extra warmth.

Do not come to Montréal in November, dear readers. Although the winter months are, indeed, colder, their chills are offset by a collective resistance built on the foundation of a lively indoor bar and cafe culture, the sportive pleasures of snow, the body's long-fought and hard-won acclimatization, and central heating. No, November is the cruelest month - a month of transition of the nastiest sort.

But if you do come, this is Montréal after all, so there is always plenty to do...

November Cultural Events!

Here are a few of the more interesting cultural events that are sure to help you shake off that bone-racking chill, if at least just for a few hours at a time...

Cord'en Fête (aka, String Festival)
October 27-November 5 Various locations.
A new festival for Montréal! The first annual festival dedicated to string instruments of all styles: Jazz, Blues, electric, Tsigane, Folk, Celtic, classical...

Cinemania
November 4-14
This is one of my favorite festivals. A festival of French films with English subtitles! All screenings at the Maxwell Cummings Auditorium, 1379 Sherbrooke Street West (under the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts).

Salon du Livre
November 18-23 Place Bonaventure. A huge book fair, with expositions, readings, presentations, booths galore, and literary prizes! Focused primarily on French-language books.

Bobby McFerrin and the MSO!
November 9-10 Salle Wilfred Pelletier (Place des Arts).
Bobby McFerrin, unfortunately best known for that "Don't worry, be happy" song, conducts the Montréal Symphony Orchestra, performing, Prokofiev, Gershwin, and Rimsky Korsakov, as well as his own music. Yes, he's a real musician.

A Streetcar Named Desire
November 9-28 Saidye Bronfman Centre.
Fiona Reid leads the Toronto ensemble Soulpepper Theatre in this acclaimed classic.

Spotlight on Polish Film
November 2-14, 1999. Cinémathèque Québécoise.
The place for a serious cinematic experience. Small screening rooms, very comfortable seating, flawless projection, top-knotch sound...

ed's Cheap Eats Pick o' The Month
If you're in the mood for grilled chicken, it's hard to beat the Portuguese hole-in-the-wall on the corner of Rachel and Clarke in the Plateau Mont Royal district, just off the Main. I think it's called Rotisserie Portugaise, but don't quote me on that.

The setting, simply put, is "nothing fancy". It's a peeling-paint lunch counter with about eight bar stools, but if you squeeze past the big guy on the end and walk through the "kitchen" there's a small dining area at the back. The kitchen consists of a large grill and a kitchen stove like my mother used to have. The service is gruff, but friendly.

The menu here is basically grilled things and fries, with a few scraps of lettuce on the side. Doesn't sound appealing, but the chicken here is divine! Stay away from the other assorted salty and over-cooked meats, and stick with the frango.

This is certainly more of a day place than a night place. If you're lucky, the chicken will be the day's special, in which case a hefty portion will run you $5. Otherwise it's about $7.00. To really get that Portuguese verisimilitude, wash it down with a small green bottle of the very sweet Sumol pineapple soda.

Location: South-east corner of rue Rachel and rue Clarke.

(No advertising fee was paid for this Cheap Eats blurb.)

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