Montreal Bartender Lands on Big Brother Canada

MILE END — A bartender from popular Mile End bar Sparrow is currently competing on Global TV’s reality series Big Brother Canada. 25-year-old Kyra Shenker is competing in the show’s seventh season — they’re billed as a savvy but emotional contestant on the highly-strategic show. “Though very caring, Kyra is also analytical and hopes the houseguests will see them as emotional support rather than a threat,” reads Kyra’s bio. The show is currently in its third week — Shenker was nearly kicked off in week two in a close vote, but is still competing.

• In other reality TV news, Takeshi Horinoue, chef-partner of Westmount Argentine restaurant Lavanderia will appear on season seven of Top Chef Canada, which premieres April 1. Horinoue is a key player in chef Antonio Park’s mini empire on Victoria Avenue, as he’s also involved with restaurants Park and Café Bazin. Horinoue is the only Montreal chef to make the cut for this season of the Food Network series. [Vancourier]

Randall Brodeur/Eater Montreal

• Acclaimed Griffintown restaurant Le Fantôme is shaking up its service — the restaurant is now doing à la carte service instead of a tasting-menu-only approach (and is now open seven nights a week to boot). The menu will change seasonally — no word yet on whether chef Jason Morris’ foie gras PB&J will be a permanent fixture. [EaterWire]
• Sugar shack season is here, and CTV notes that vegan and vegetarian options are beginning to be A Thing at certain cabanes à sucre. Shacks like Sucrerie du Domaine and La Pause Sylvestre are catering to the meat-free crowds with options like lentil-mushroom tourtière and lard-free baked beans; maple syrup is, of course, vegan. [CTV]
• The will-they, won’t-they debacle over the demolition of Pointe-Claire bar Pioneer (Le Pionnier) continues: the city rejected the original plans for condos that were to take over the bar’s location. Now that developer has returned with plans that citizens say are too similar to the original rejects. [Montreal Gazette]
• Old Montreal Californian resto Venice has been expanding rapidly of late — now owner Charles Manceau is bringing out a cookbook, named La Cuisine Fraîcheur du Venice. It drops April 3 under KO Éditions. [EaterWire]

SealFest/Official

• SealFest, the aptly-titled Montreal festival of seal meat, is returning for its second year, starting this Thursday. It runs from March 21 to 31, with 15 restaurants taking part. The adolescent at heart will be cheered to know that the event’s French name is PhoqueFest. [EaterWire]
• A Montrealer will head up Canada’s team at the 2021 Bocuse d’Or competition in Lyon, France — Samuel Sirois from the ITHQ will lead the national team at the event, considered akin to a “culinary Olympics”. Also on the team is Tarik Belmoufid, of excellent Île Bizard restaurant Bistro 1843. [EaterWire]
• Looks like Metcalfe Street Italian restaurant MKT is moving: documents filed with the Régie des alcools suggests that it’ll move to the former location of Giovanni “Jean-Claude” Apollo’s restaurant Apollo 1333, on Robert-Bourassa Street. [EaterWire]
• In other move news, somewhat touristy piano bar Chez Eric has moved from St-Paul Street to Place Jacques-Cartier. [Facebook]