Balls for La Queue, Gagnaire Thinks France is Sad in Comparison to Montreal

DOWNTOWN— You need balls, apparently, to work for Peter Morentzos at La Queue de Cheval. [Vimeo]

FOOD MEDIA— Superstar chefs Pierre Gagnaire and Andoni Luis Aduriz were in town recently for separate events. Gazette critic Lesley Chesterman got some face time with both and put the same set of questions to the culinary titans. On Montreal and Quebec, Gagnaire had this to say: "Quebecers should be better at selling themselves. But I adore it here, this francophone city in the middle of America. France is sad and defeatist in comparison." [Gazette]

MILE END— Ryan Gray (Nora Gray) and Cassady Sniatowsky (wine geek about town, late of Kaizen) cajoled Hôtel Herman owner Dominic Goyet to open the restaurant's first Twitter account. @hoteherman promptly got off this inaugural tweet: "Happy birthday@joebeef" [Twitter]

CONTESTS— Dic Ann's wants you to design the Montreal hamburger chain's 60th anniversary logo. [99designs.ca]

COFFEE WIRE— Métro recently put together a massive, unscientific - yet rigorous - search to finger Montreal's best café. The photo finish came down to Anthony Benda's Myriade and Marie-Ève Laroche's Pikolo. Both sat down with journalist Vincent Fortier to discuss. [Métro]

FOOD MEDIA— Le Devoir critic Jean-Philippe Tastet recently sat down with Toqué! executive chef Charles-Antoine Crête to discuss his imminent and amicable departure from the venerable restaurant and to squash a few rumours. [Tastet]

LITTLE BURGUNDY— Joe Beef and Liverpool House both need cooks in 2014. [Twitter]

MILE END— Baker Jeffrey Finkelstein and critic Lesley Chesterman disagree on how best to make use of Hof Kelsten's baguette. [Twitter]

GRIFFINTOWN— Prog-house DJ/producer and Toronto native deadmau5 will take his talents - and giant shiny mouse mask - to New City Gas on Janaury 3. [Twitter]