You don't need a silver fork to eat good food

Or any fork at all if we're talking about this Montreal staple. Icehouse is a tiny little dive on the corner of Roy and St-Dominique in the plateau area of Montreal. Icehouse opened in 2011 by Chef Nick Hodge who also happens to be a winner of Iron Chef (with freaking goat tacos... hello my curious food loving palate wants this in my life!) and his wife Nathalie Doucet. When I say this place is tiny and cozy I mean it, with maybe 7 tables, some bar seats and an adorable terrasse this place feels like home from the moment you set foot in the door and take in the aromas to the last sip and well wishes. Mike and I have a serious soft spot for this southern comfort slice of paradise. We both love everything southern in general, we're talking sweet tea, Bourbon, country music, sun dresses, plaid, farms, pick up trucks, football and the food... we can never get enough of southern comfort food! We were both clearly born in the wrong place. Will we ditch the city for the country one day? Very likely but until then we have Icehouse to make us feel at home!

So last night was date night and we weren't exactly sure what to do, it also happened to be the first Habs game of the year so we knew we had to find a spot with a tv and some beers. Also fall has aggressively crept up on us (don't think this is a complaint I freaking love the cooler weather!) so we knew we wanted something cozy and comforting. We bounced around the idea of heading to a pub, maybe a walk in the old port? Pool bar? Portuguese chicken? And then we both looked at eachother in the car and naturally Icehouse was the one and only option for this cool October night!

We started off our meal with the special of the night. Roasted Shishito peppers tossed with the softest Queso and pickled onions. Simple. Perfect. They say 1 in 10 of these peppers is supposed to be spicy and guess who got two? Though I have to say I felt bad for Mike who absolutely loves anything spicy enough to make him sweat, watching me get the only two spicy peppers of our batch and suffering through it when he would have probably loved them. But hey what can you do this is pepper roulette and I was on a roll.

Speaking of spicy. Icehouse shares an extensive amount of hot sauces from sweet and spicy honey to the hottest of hot sauces that could make even the strongest sweat it out on a cold january night. This is one of Mikes favorite things about this restaurant. We get in there and he just can't wait to browse the hot sauces and try as many as he can. Like a kid in an ice cream store.

So we get in there, we get the peppers, I get a good sweat on, we order our beers, for him the Creemore Lager for me The Creemore IPA. And then we pick our meal. Our sweet perfection. The one thing we dream about on a daily basis until our very next visit. The big ol' bucket of fried chicken. This is where it gets exciting!

I should warn you, if and when you plan on going to Icehouse (because let's be honest you're not going to be able to resist) don't expect to be all prim and proper and leave with clean hands and/or possibly tee shirts (depending on how you wish to devour this meal... and I say devour because there is no other way but to be an absolute barbarian about this meal...) First they will set you up with a paper ''table cloth'' if you want to call it that, and then they bring you some house smoked potato salad and coleslaw. You think, all good this looks like grandmas barbeque... but this ain't grandmas backyard barbeque... Then they come along with this giant stainless steel bucket and they don't just place it on the table bid you ''bon apetit'' and walk away. Nah B they flip that thing over and create the most beautiful majestic pile of crispy fried chicken and fluffy cornbread that you've ever seen. And that shine... that shine is a sweet honey sauce glazing their honest-to-god perfection making it even more irresistible. This sticky greasy mess is exactly what we keep coming back for (the oyster po boys also had me at dripping-down-my-forearms but that's another story for another time!)

Beyond the fried chicken Icehouse has some great drink options from signature beverages to beers and wines that are perfectly selected to accompany their menu, try the Bourbon Lemonade it's a classic and theirs is one of my favorites. Also I have yet to make it to dessert (I know shame on me!) because we always end up stuffing our faces with their meals in all their glory, But you can bet your sweet cheeks that I'll be going back for the pecan pie and brownie very soon!

Also I'm not quite sure if this is still a thing but during my research I found a heck of a brunch menu, and brunch is life... So I will get on it and if it is true... I'm moving in. You're stuck with me Icehouse!

Till next time,

Stay sweet!