Category: News and Features

La Belle Province Decarie adds Nathan’s kosher hot dogs

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By Mike Cohen

I have been among the many regulars at the La Belle Province franchise on Decarie Blvd. for many years. Well, it was recently sold. Costa Angelis and Angie Tourgelis are heading up the operation. The interior was completely renovated, from an attractive and colorful paint job (yellow and blue), new booths, washrooms, outdoor patio tables and an electronic display menu. Not only are there now hotdogs for 99 cents (except for delivery), there are also foot long Nathan’s kosher hotdogs and breakfast on weekends from 7 am to 11 am.

The newly refurbished interior.

Believe it or not, under the previous ownership there were no functioning washrooms. I recently dropped by and tried the new addition from Nathan’s, as well as a smoked meat sandwich and those great fries. The ownership is cognizant that there is a strong Jewish clientele, so adding kosher hotdogs to the menu was a nice touch. Thus far the response has been very positive.

My Nathan’s hotdog was delicious, with a submarine bun. Ditto for the smoked meat sandwich, procured from Lester’s, was nicely cut between two slices of rye bread. You can also get poutine, salads, spaghetti, club and submarine sandwiches, chicken burgers, grilled cheese, a kids menu and more. There are people from all walks of life eating here. That’s what makes it so successful.

The story of La Belle Province restaurants began in 1967 in the heart of downtown Montreal. Nick Glezos and his manager Peter Kivetos, a native of Greece, opened the doors on downtown Ste-Catherine Street. Unfortunately, the following year, a major fire destroyed the restaurant and building to the ground. It was moved and rebuilt by Kivetos on Sherbrooke Street in 1969. He founded a unique fast-food operating system and this was the first La Belle Province restaurant in Quebec with the concept we know today. Today, there are over 125 restaurants under the banner.


There is a large parking lot on Decarie and the drive through remains very popular. You can’t really beat this place for location. There are other La Belle Province franchises, but this one has a very comfy vibe.
You can also order on Uber Eats and Door Dash

Costa and Angela showcase some of the Nathan’s hot dogs.

This newly refurbished La Belle Province is located at 7555 Decarie Blvd. You can call 514-738-0696l. Log on to www.restaurantlabelleprovince.com

Montreal’s newest kosher deli a delight

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   By Mike Cohen

Eliran Hadad with his sons Yosef (left) and Ori (right)

It has been a few  weeks as of this writeup since Deli770 opened at the Westbury Montreal complex and there is no question the project is an unqualified success.

The 770 reference pays tribute to the world headquarters of the Chabad Lubavitch Hasidic movement in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Deli770 is owned by Eliran Hadad, who runs the operation with his wife Liraz and two of their 11 children,  Yosef and Ori. His brother Roy works on the marketing side.

A smoked meat sandwich on a baguette with fries.

Deli770 first opened in St. Laurent in 2015. However, when the prime real estate at Westbury became available, Hadad jumped at the opportunity. It is directly across the street from the beautiful Homewood Suites and Hilton Garden hotels and next to a Starbucks and the Super Marché PA. The Westbury complex has many residential apartment units and a pretty park area. You can get free indoor parking in the latter’s garage for 45 minutes. If you stay longer, the cost is nominal. Brothers Sam and Joe Scalia are the visionaries who came up with this concept. While we were eating at one of the tables on the patio, Joe Scalia stopped by to check on his newest tenants.

Ori even puts on a client’s teffillin at the cash.

I recently dropped by for my tasting with friend Glenn J. Nashen and his son Jeremy. Yes indeed, we were impressed. Eliran greeted us and pointed to behind the counter where his sons were serving a steady line of customers. In the kitchen was his charming wife.

While the menu had some tantalizing items, I chose the smoked meat sandwich. This was  a culinary delight featuring succulent slices of cured and smoked beef brisket, traditionally seasoned with a blend of aromatic spices. This sandwiches here are served on fresh rye bread or a baguette  and grilled panini style. I opted for the latter format and it was fantastic.  While Yosef was putting the sandwich together and placing it on a tray, with coleslaw, his mom appeared from the kitchen and added some crispy fries. 

Yosef cuts the smoked meat.

Besides smoked meat, you can  order club sandwiches, deli rolls, classic schnitzel, hamburgers, omelets, poutine, salads, a soup of the day, hot dogs as well as salami and turkey sandwich options.

“Yes, we are a kosher restaurant,” said Eliran, “but we are serving anyone who want to enjoy a good deli menu.”

Their tag line is catchy: “Where Every Bite is a Delight!”

While there a few tables inside and on the patio, Deli770 is a popular spot for take-out and delivery.

Deli770 is located at 5193 Ave. De Courtrai.  Stay tuned for their website at   www.deli770.com, You can call 514-Deli-770 (514-335-4770) and order as well via Uber Eats.

MNAs Derraji, Kelley and Garceau award $25,000 to West Island food banks

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West Island MNAs Monsef Derraji (MNA for Nelligan), Gregory Kelley (MNA for Jacques-Cartier) and Brigitte B. Garceau (MNA for Robert-Baldwin) are proud to unite their efforts to support three local food banks – On Rock Community Services, West Island Mission and West Island Assistance Fund.

Kelley, Garceau and Derraji

This community initiative coincides with the holiday season and with an economic situation that has become increasingly difficult. The face of poverty has changed – now it is characterized by small families, single mothers, children, workers, students and seniors. There are currently 600,000 Quebecers who are monthly users of food banks.

The three MNAs are providing a total of $25,000 in funding in order to allow the food banks to offer much-needed assistance and support to our most vulnerable citizens. Over and above this support, the MNAs are taking advantage of the opportunity to recognize the outstanding contributions of these three organizations and to thank their members and their volunteers for all they do.

Ontario Keeping Thornhill Seniors Healthy, Active and Connected

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MPP Laura Smith (pictured above), Member of Provincial Parliament for Thornhill, visited the Mintz Family Elderhome on Crestwood today, to make an important announcement alongside the Hon. Minister Raymond Cho and PA Daisy Wai. The Ontario government is investing our Thornhill seniors by funding $69,695 in three projects that will help seniors stay safe, fit, active, healthy, and socially connected across the community with Seniors Community Grants. “Age and disability should not be a barrier to happiness. This is why we continue to support non-profits, such as Reena, for the work they do for individuals who mean so much to our communities and families,” said MPP Smith. “Reena has been a strong presence in my riding, for over 20 years, and has continued to recognize and address the increased needs of individuals with developmental disabilities as they age. We support our not-for-profits, because they support us.”