"Seriously everyone is hot it seems it’s ridiculous. Lived in Ottawa, Halifax, and even Toronto and it’s never been this bad. Stop being so hot and leave room for the average people!" wrote u/BigBingus72 two months back (the whole thread's pretty great).

Montreal's a great city for love, right up there with Paris, New York, Barcelona. Curling up in the cold, feeling the heat of the summer—our city's a rich backdrop for falling in love with someone, yourself, or the city.

If you read that and start thinking about everything wrong with the city, don't forget: Something or someone's mistakes, quirks and flaws are what make you fall in love with them. You love them for the good, the bad—comme ci comme ça.

Lucky you, we've nothing but love this week, from planning a V-Day dinner to new local businesses to check out, architectural appreciation, and why we love Portuguese chicken so much.

Activities, parties, points of interest, art exhibitions, you name it: These are the weekend events you don't want to miss.

Thursday

• The 2024 edition of Montréal’s Black History Month and its theme of Many Stories, One History begins, and with it, a month of diverse activities.
• This is the second last weekend of Igloofest and its outdoor electronic dance parties—biggest acts of the weekend are 100 gecs, Surf Gang, and Odile Myrtil.

Friday

• Queer Asian pole, burlesque, and striptease artists will be performing at Lust Cove's Lunar New Year Show on stage at Café Cléopatra.
• DJs Ray Chan and DK are headlining the Lunar New Year Celebration at YOKO LUNA—expect a lot of theatrics to go with the bottle service.

Saturday

• The 19th Chinese New Year Canada Gala will be bringing choreography and acrobatic performances to Théâtre Maissonneuve.
• Montréal is hosting a Davis Cup tennis event for the time since 2012. Team Canada will take on the Republic of Korea at IGA Stadium on Feb 2 and 3.

Sunday

• Concordia's Cinema de Sève will be screening Alejandro Jodorowsky's SANTA SANGRE, the story of a boy magician at the Circus Gringo, a shabby touring show in Mexico.
• The OSM's hosting a unique musical performance, Sportissimo, that'll turn the work of musicians into an arena combining music and sport.

WHAT TO EAT & DRINK IN AND AROUND MONTREAL: THE V-DAY EDITION

Everyone knows you have to plan ahead to get a good table for Valentine's Day, so here's your guide to planning a romantic night out:

The top pick 👇

• Ratatfia's Anti Anti Saint-Valentine is back with a two-of-everything approach plus a bouquet of flowers included on February 14.
• Oysters with prawn and daikon, foie gras croquettes, mazemen, scallop ceviche, matcha tiramisu and heart-shaped chirashi is on offer at Otto Bistro.
• Keep things simple with new tea time services at NDG Luncheonette offered at 1pm and 3pm on Thursdays (just a day after V-Day proper).
• Saint-Henri's new-wave Korean restaurant 9 Tail Fox is serving a $65 menu with pairing options—check out the menu here.
• Take a look at the sweet nothings coming to the shelves and fridges of Lecavalier Petrone.
• Fugazzi's got a 'Love Trolley' serving 3-course menus including pasta served in a wheel of Parmesan & a heart-shaped pizza.
• Red velvet cakes, ice cream with stracciatella and raspberry, and a few more sweet things are on offer at Dalla Rose.
• If a chic diner's your idea of a good time, Foiegwa is doing a three-course meal for the sultry price of $69.
• Staying in? Westmount's Paradiso is selling at-home pasta kits to take your romantic night a delicious one.

Scope the latest restaurant openings, recommendations on where to eat, plus new menus, old classics, and everything in between.

• The big opening this week goes to Miracolo, a 110-seat restaurant its principles are calling an 'Italian Majestique', and man—does it ever look it.
• The minds behind the vegan eats of Chuchai have created a new Thai spot to eat at with CHAI-YO.
• Elena's celebrating its 6th anniversary with a carbonara party featuring Danny Smiles.
• Bistro La Franquette's got an incoming cocktail pop-up with @thecloakroombar on February 4.
• The 12th edition of La Poutine Week will be running from Feb 1 to 7, and with it, upwards of 75 restaurants will be serving their own versions.
• Le Bon Vieux Temps is now officially open in the heart of the Latin Quarter.
• La Presse has done a deeper dive into Saint-Henri new yet discreet Italian restaurant opening from last month, Estelle.
• Taiwan's first @machimachi_canada has arrived in Montreal, and with it, see-through, photogenic, canteen-like bottles of ready-to-drink matcha beverages.

Hi-Fi and Fine Filipino Dining

According to these local chefs, Montreal hasn't seen Filipino cuisine go beyond its traditional trappings—a reality that spurred their creation of what they're billing the city's first modern Filipino restaurant, Jun Jun, a new generational take combining fine dining experience and familial memories. (The Main)

Jun Jun: The hi-fi restaurant modernizing Filipino cuisine in Griffintown

Montreal’s first modern Filipino restaurant brings together a supergroup of the community to create a new generational take on their cuisine and culture.

J.P. Karwacki

Here, you'll find a weekly round-up of the latest local news, from entertainment to current affairs and more.

Perfect imperfections

One of the progenitors of what's been called the 'New Chabanel', where Montreal's makers have flocked for space to create, Michaël Fiset (known to some as the BMX rider Mike Fiz) of ināt has called his studio home for half a decade now. There, he's a rare presence creating what he calls 'perfect imperfections'. (The Main)

ināt: Crafting perfect imperfections in Montreal’s New Chabanel

Furniture maker and woodworker Michaël Fiset (AKA Mike Fiz) of the workshop ināt on creativity, finding purpose, and (re)building.

J.P. Karwacki

A vision of the future from the past

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed three buildings in Montreal between 1964 and 1969. Walking around his buildings doesn't feel like stepping into the past, so one wonders if walking through them in the late 1960s might have been like walking through the future, writes Justine Smith. (The Main)

Traces of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in Montreal

On the futuristic allure of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s Montreal creations, where sleek and minimalistic architecture reimagined modern living.

Justine Smith

What came first, the Portuguese or the chicken?

You love Romados, Ma Poule Mouillée, the works of Plateau's Little Portugal, but why? This here explores the roots of Portuguese chicken, how it made its way to Montreal, and what it tells us about how cultures are transmitted—and transformed—through food. (CBC Montreal)

How did Portuguese chicken get so popular in Montreal? | CBC News

Whether it’s served on a pillowy Portuguese bun or paired with roast potatoes or poutine, Montrealers seem to love Portuguese chicken. But why? We break it down for you in this first episode of Good Question, Montreal.

CBCAinslie MacLellan

Bad boys bad boys, whatcha gonna do

Montreal’s transit authority unveiled its newest tool in its strategy to increase métro security amid a rise in complaints Thursday—a squad of “safety ambassadors” whose role will be to answer commuters’ questions and relay their concerns about safety in the underground network. (Montreal Gazette)

Safety ambassadors are officially on the job in the métro system

Their role is to give information and increase security amid a rise in complaints.

Montreal GazetteRené Bruemmer

Is your aura fading, Montreal?

Is Montreal still an essential stop for stars on international tours? Yes and no. Between the lure of festivals and competition with Toronto, the metropolis is doing quite well according this article, but we've got some rising competition. (La Presse)

The mafia as aesthetic

French-manicured nails, fur coats, animal prints and layered gold jewelry: The mobster wife aesthetic has taken social media by storm in 2024, but beyond the mob wife archetype, who are these women, really? 24 Heures posed the question to two Montreal mafia experts. (24 Heures)

Ralentissement de service at Metro Metro

Held for the first time in May 2019 on the esplanade of the Olympic Park, the Metro Metro festival managed to attract major international stars to the metropolis, including Cardi B., Snoop Dog and Drake. Now it'll be going on a hiatus this year. (24 Heures)

Pizza slices as big as your torso, anyone?

If you follow Alto on social media, you may already know that they don't take themselves too seriously. From memes to TikToks and pranks, the Montreal pizzeria's following suit with the sensational strategies found in the States—and it's working. (CTV Montreal)

Montreal restaurant gives away hundreds of dollars in treasure hunt

Alto restaurant in downtown Montreal is giving away $200 to customers as part of a social media game.

Montreal

A broken and hole-y hallelujah

The hole is an essential part of the bagel. Without it, a bagel is just a doughy frisbee. But what if bagels didn’t have holes, a new campaign from cream cheese maker Philadelphia bravely and/or cravenly asks? (Montreal Gazette)

St-Viateur is selling no-hole bagels because nothing is sacred anymore

Is this a sign of the apocalypse?

Montreal GazetteDavid Rudin

And that wraps yet another weekly bulletin. We’ll be back with more curiosities, local stories, and events to discover next week.

If ever you catch something we should know, don't hesitate to reach out to us on Instagram.