The Bulletin: An Alleyway Party & Magazine Launch, a Local Design Showcase, and Free Dinner If You're Named Jessica [Issue #201]

Morning, Montreal.

In truth, there are many things afoot this weekend, but:

There’s only one place we want to see you.

Later today(!), we’re hosting a party, as we’re sure you know (we’ve only hinted at it for weeks and announced it a few times over in recent weeks).

Tonight from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the ruelle verte that runs alongside the McCord Stewart Museum, we’re throwing a party that brings together all of our favourite people: readers, and locals doing amazing things for this city.

Food from Parcelles, Elena, and Beigne Habitude, drinks from Aupale Vodka and WILLS, and a set from DJ HIDI will be there waiting for you.

Together, we’ll eat and drink and celebrate the launch of our special edition magazine, The Last Good Days, a celebration of harvest season in a province rich with outstanding produce.

It’s been over a year since our last party, and while I’m pleased to say our readership has grown considerably since then, tThe catch is that I haven’t had the pleasure of putting faces to names since our last block party. I hope you’ll come out and say hello, pick up a copy, and enjoy yourself.

— JP Karwacki, Managing Editor

The Editors' Picks

The places our editors keep coming back to. Every one has earned an editorial badge.

We’ve got a few cafés and a few restaurants for you today—each with its own style and strengths. From a new French bistro in the Mile End to a more than 50-year-old casse-croûte, from a beloved Mediterranean sandwich shop to a Filipino café and an Indian buffet.

Discover these spots and more of our favourites in our mapped Directory.

If you think somewhere in Montreal deserves a closer look, we want to hear from you! Send an email to hello@themain.com. We read everything you send.

One Story to Read This Week

Every driver on the Métropolitaine has caught a glimpse of the gothic, fortress-like facade, a building locals refer to as the “Château de la 40.” In this week’s suggested read, we embrace the incoming month’s Halloween-y flair, with a profile of the owner behind this mysterious roadway fixture, originally published in URBANIA.

When the enigmatic barrier between this man and this mansion is overcome, what emerges is a story about a lifelong lighting technician with a habit of collecting and a passion for his ever-evolving spooky storefront.

Run, don’t walk

This one’s for the athleisurely, the jog-hungrey, the fit and it crowd, and those looking for a good reward at the end of a run: We have a group run starting at ciele in Griffintown that’s ending at our party tonight.

Waiting at the finish line (apart from the food, drinks, and music): five caps from Ciele's new collection going to random attendees, and first copies of our special edition magazine and guide to eating seasonally in Quebec.

Dress in your Thursday (running) best and we’ll be there at the museum to welcome you with something cold to drink and warm to eat.

Thursday

🎈We’re partnering with Ciele for a 5km run, ending at our zine launch and party at the McCord Museum alley, with drinks and food on us.

🖼️ MAPP_MTL continues with its third day of programming, with a projection show featuring more than 60 artists.

🎷 MUZ Montreal hosts the 16th edition of its world music festival, featuring 17 artists and groups each with a unique sound.

🧶 Loosends and Café Even are collaborating for another crochet workshop, where you can make your own bottle bag.

🖼️ DADA Montreal transforms the RCA Building into a hub for installations, meetings, and immersive experiences, uniting designers, artisans, artiechts, and brands.

Friday

🎪 The Old Port Fall Fair throws its second weekend of fun, with rides, carnival games, and food.

🧑‍🎨 Collectif Créatif MTL continues with the second weekend of its Autumn Market, with over 100 different artisans across food, art, jewelry, candles, ceramics, and more.

🎭 Centaur Theatre is putting on a production of The Sound of Dogs, a play about children of deaf parents that blends spoken English and American Sign Language

🎭 Roadtrip, an immersive and sensory performance intended for toddlers and their adults, is playing at Maison Théâtre.

🎧 Pampa Social Club is throwing a party, and you’re invited. Music, dancing, and fun.

Saturday

📖 The International Literature Festival concludes, featuring concerts, performances, lectures, screenings, and more.

💃 Festival Phénomena, an interdisciplinary festival ranging from performance, dance, music, film, and cabaret, commences its 15th edition.

🎈 Monktoberfest comes to Monk Boulevard in NDG for a day of music, local artisans, food, and family fun.

🎧 DJs Poolboi and Cinéma Quartier Latin are turning tables all night at Bar Le Ritz PBD, for the first event hosted by local record label Class of 2095.

💃 Creole Month begins, celebrating rich culture through concerts, shows, exhibitions, cinema, gastronomy, and conferences.

🎧 Ferias is heading to Le Balcon for the Voyage Funktastique party for a night of jams, AND they’re DJing the MAPP_MTL block party at Van Horne Skatepark for hours, for free.

Sunday

💃 Watch a spellbinding performance of MÁM, a music and dance work from choreographer Michael Keegan-Dolan and concertina virtuoso Cormac Begley, rooted in Irish traditions.

🕹️ Every Sunday, l’Espace Public and North Star Pinball are hosting the Ligue de l’Est, complete with great beer and good competition.

📸 Toronto-based photographer Laura Jane Petelko has a new show at Galerie Veilor, called The Shape of Undoing.

🍴Restaurant Maison Close is having a garage sale, and selling all of their unused kitchenware surplus.

What to Eat & Drink In and Around Montreal

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

Café Poente, a new Portuguese café in Mile End, is officially in soft opening.

Riposte, a new restaurant in Saint-Henri, is officially open and taking reservations, serving up seasonal dishes.

Verdun Beef is celebrating hockey season with game-time specials, including $1 chicken wings and $5 beer. Valid during any match.

Every Saturday in October, Heritaj Restaurant is comping a 3-course tasting menu for anyone named Jessica, Sarah, Francis, or Gabriel.

Plaza Wunderbar is throwing its first-ever Oktoberfest, from Friday, September 25 to Sunday, October 4, with live music from the group VIEUX MUZICH.

Mon Lapin celebrates its cookbook launch with an event at the restaurant from which it all emerged, on Thursday, October 1.

Café Brut is heading to Maison Pause for a month-long collaboration, stop by for a class or to grab a pumpkin spice latte, starting October 1.

Polari wine bar is hosting guests Max Hughes and Carolyn Aubry for a residency from Friday, October 2 to Monday, October 5.

Espace Old Mill x Frankies, of Burlington, VT, collaborate on a locally sourced dinner, breaking down borders. October 2. Book your spot here.

La Base café is having a Pizza & Wine special on October 2, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. A glass of wine, small cheese plate, and pizza for $30.

Jean Talon Market is hosting the last Oktoberfest of the season at Montreal’s public markets, from October 2 to 4. Enjoy craft beers, food, music, and activities.

Restaurant Nozy is celebrating its first birthday on Saturday, October 3, with two special omakase services at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., 11 dishes paired with sake tasting.

Isle de Garde is saying goodbye to summer and hello to autumn, with an oyster bar, diner-inspired menu, and a biergarten in classic Oktoberfest fashion. October 3 from noon to late.

Cafe Pista Beaubien has been open for a decade, so they’re throwing a party out front on October 3 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Donuts, prizes, music, and more.

Oktoberfest is coming to Taverne Atlantic for the last day on October 4, featuring lots of local beer and housemade sausage.

Head to Bar Darling for its Oktoberfest, featuring special beer selections, until October 4.

Kampai Montreal, a festival celebrating the diversity of Japanese sake, returns after a three-year hiatus with 10 exhibitors and 150 varieties of sake on October 4.

Prince Pub x CuiCui take over the staff meal at Pierre Morneau, starting at 4 p.m. on October 4. Mozza sticks and pizza, in limited quantities.

Chef Omar Zabuair is heading to Bistro la Franquette, cooking rotisserie classics. The menu is three courses, at $80 per person. October 4.

Restaurant Bruce is welcoming Chef Diego Condesa from Liverpool House for a Sunday Roast Takeover, Asado style. October 4, 4 p.m. till sold out.

Café Chez Teta is turning six and is celebrating with a block party, including Lebanese BBQ, a DJ, surprise collabs, and more on October 4 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Burgundy Lion is catering your Thanksgiving, with a whole feast for just $350. Place your order by Wednesday, October 7 at 3 p.m.

Babar Restaurant and Pigeon Hill are launching a collaboration cuvée with a party in Saint-Armand. Lamb kebabs, wine, and fun on October 11 from noon to late.

Espace Old Mill x Frankies, of Burlington, VT, collaborate on a locally sourced dinner, breaking down borders. Friday, October 2. Book your spot here.

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Here, you'll find a weekly round-up of our stories from the past week, plus the latest local news.

Don’t forget: The Main is marking the peak of harvest season with a party and a new special-edition zine to pick up while you’re there. Get all the details here.

Brad Pitt, a retired combat dog and 60 mies of Alaskan wilderness... we’ve got some thoughts on which of the two leads steals the show in Heart of the Beast. Read More.

You’ve been to an Épluchette de blé d’Inde, but do you know where the tradition really comes from? The story behind Quebec’s favourite corn cookout is younger than it looks. Read more.

Five parties, one vote on October 5, and lots of promises. We’ve sorted out what each would mean for your rent, groceries, commute, and more. Read more.

Top Chef winner and Menu Extra Founder Francis Blais spent six years running pop-ups. Now he finally has a room of his own, with a wine cellar stocked from his own collection. Read more.

For decades, Indigenous artists in Montreal had nowhere of their own to exhibit work. Co-founder Skawennati tells us how four artists finally built that place themselves. Read more.

Ahead of his Montreal shows, John Cleese is candid about mortality, why comedy matters, and a certain classic film. Read more.

Everyone says print is finished, but the crowd at a magazine night in Montreal suggests otherwise. Who’s buying magazines now? What will it take to keep them alive? Read more.

A Kanien'kehá:ka professor teaches a room of 150 students, many of whom know very little about Indigenous history. Here, she writes an open letter for Truth and Reconciliation Day. Read more.

The last residential school closed less than a century ago, so what has actually been done since? Can a settlement ever stand in for reconciliation? What comes next? Read more.

For more than a century, one Montreal family has been shaping pipes by hand. We reflect on their legacy on their closing day. Read more.

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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.

👋 Masthead: Philip Tabah, Founder & Head of Creative / Daniel Bromberg, Co-Founder & Head of Operations / Jean-Philippe Lauzon, Co-Founder & Head of Tech / JP Karwacki, Managing Editor / Whitney Domingo, Community Manager / Anahi Pellathy, Producer / AnnaClare Sung, Junior Staff Writer / Saskia Wodarczak, Editorial Operations Coordinator