As training camp starts (I went to a rookie camp practice yesterday!), there are a lot of question marks for the team.

In Goal:
Will Carey Price continue his amazing rise to fame by making the team and becoming the team's no. 1 goalie?

Will Jaroslav Halak pick up from where he left off and make his own claim on that no. 1 spot?

Will former all-star and oft-injured Cristobal Huet be able to fend off the advances of the other two youngsters?

On Defense:

Will Roman Hamrlik in fact be an upgrade on Sheldon Souray, replacing some of his offence while being a better defensive defenseman?

Will Patrice Brisebois fit in as a no. 6 or 7 d-man?

Will one of the youngsters such as Ryan O'Byrne, Josh Georges, or Matthieu Carle be able to impress enough to make the lineup and help fill the void left by the departure of Craig Rivet?

Up Front:

Will the enigma of Alex Kovalev continue to haunt the team?

Will local hero Guillaume Latendresse build on his so-so rookie campaign and be more of an impact player on this year's roster?

Will Saku Koivu continue to fend-off the hostile french press or will he get frustrated and request a trade part way through the season?

Which of the youngsters will crack the lineup this year?

Behind the Bench:

Will Guy Carbonneau build on his first year of experience as a head coach and get this team to play to its potential?

All in all, there are a lot of questions, many surrounding as yet unproven players. Call it a fan's blind hope, but my gut tells me that a couple of youngsters are going to step up and challenge for the Calder trophy this year.

Keep an eye on:

Carey Price (goal) - his proverbial stock keeps rising. In practice yesterday, I watched him do drill for about 1/2 an hour before he let a puck go by. He's focused and motivated.

Jaroslav Halak (goal) - with all the attention on Price, Halak might just "sneak" into the No. 1 position. His 10 or so games experience at the end of last season, including two shutouts, and his domination in the AHL show that he's no joke between the pipes.

Ryan O'Byrne (defense) - this guy is BIG. He also has decent mobility and could have a shot at the lineup. The team could use another big d-man. (Who couldn't?)

Pavel Valentenko (defense) - a long-shot, but he has decent size, good mobility, and good hands. He will probably spend much of the season in the AHL getting used to the North American game, but he could get a call-up and learn under fellow russian Andrei Markhov.

Matt D'Agostini (winger) - a speedy pain-in-the-butt type player who could be a good fit. Maxim Lapierre fit in very well last year in this role and the team could use another character guy who has good wheels and maybe will chip in (eventually) 15 or so goals.

Kyle Chipchura (centre) - good size and a good player at the AHL level. Somehow, if there's a spot for him, this guys could be a good fit on a team lacking big centremen. The problem is, with Koivu, Plekanec, Smolinski, and Lapierre already in the lineup, there might not be space for him.

Jahnne Lahti (winger) - a "late rookie" at 25 years of age, this guy had a lot of jump in practice yesterday and could be a very good fit on the 3rd or 4th line.

I'll post updates from time to time.

GO HABS GO

Theo OUT

This is a cool place and they DON'T play that cheesy mariachi music like many other Mexican restos. That to me is a huge plus right off the bat! The atmosphere is trendy: we sat in the bar area on modern sofa-type things. The service is freindly and reasonably fast. We were there for lunch, so everything was pretty relaxed (i.e. not crowded), so kicking back and enjoying a margharita was very nice.

The food is great. I had guacamole as a starter and a bowl of chili as my main dish. My friend had the cheese and bacon quesadilla. Everything was fantastic.

It's certainly not cheap, but not over priced given the neighbourhood.

I'd recommend making reservations if it's a hockey game night (or a big concert) to make sure you make your event on time.

Mesa 14 (1425 Bishop, 284-0344)

Theo OUT

This place has a nice selection of beer (I particularly liked their India Pale Ale) and a unique food menu. It's a great part of town, just off the Main, and a nice lively/trendy atmosphere. There don't seem to be a lot of drunken college students like at Brutopia (another brew-pub downtown).

I'd recommend Le Reservoir to beer lovers visiting town!

Brasserie Artisinale and Bistro Le Reservoir
9 Duluth East
Montreal, QC H2W 1G7
(514) 849-7779

What better to do than go people watching? Thursday's is a bar/club on the "strip" in downtown Montreal. This strip is the gaggle of nightclubs on Crescent St. between Rene-Levesque and Sherbrooke. There is everything here from Irish Pub's to Mexicain Restaurants to "pick-up joints". Thursday's probably falls into the latter category.

I dropped by to see what all the fuss was about. The place was packed, but I was able to find a lone seat at the bar, order myself a drink, and watch the festivities. One nice thing about Thursday's is that it's not pretentious. The staff is friendly and the customers are all ages, shapes and sizes. Everyone is welcome.

It's an odd experience though, sitting watching people mingle! Everyone is dressed to impress, including chic and grunge looks. All in all it was an entertaining couple of hours.

I'd recommend this place if you're visiting with a group of friends and want to go somewhere that's, well, "hopping" with action. There's also the "club" downstairs with loud music and dancing for those so inclined. I didn't venture down, but the "locals" told me it was a fun spot.

So, it's Saturday, why not drop by Thursday's to see what the Pretty People are up to!?

Bar Thursday's
1449 Rue Crescent
514.288.5656

Theo OUT

Meat: Very nice texture and flavour. This one doesn't have that home-grilled taste that some do, so slightly disapointing in that light, but a very nice chunk of meat just the same.

Tsatziki Sauce: Nice creamy texture with a hint of .... hmmm, I'm going to guess oregano but I'm not very good at blind-identifying spices. Still a unique sauce that has a conservative garlic kick and excellent texture.

Extras: I dropped the ball here and was in a hurry. I didn't take any extras. Everything LOOKED good though!

I highly recommend this souvlaki, but I am a bit biased. This has been my favourite neighbourhood joint for several years. I also am partial to places that are not chains.

Villa du Souvlaki
5347 Sherbrooke St. West (near Decarie)
(514)489-2039

Theo OUT

From June 28 to July 8, there are dozens of Jazz and other musical acts performing at venues around the city - with prices ranging from free to in the hundreds of dollars. Notable acts include Manu Chao, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Amon Tobin, Chaka Khan and - say it with me now - Mr. Bob Dylan. Along with these big names, there are quite a few lesser-known acts and indie outfits for your listening pleasure.

Bands range from all around the world, although Canadian and Quebecois bands are definitely represented - fitting, I suppose, seeing how the festival brochure calls Montreal the "cultural metropolis [and the] crossroads of Europe and America." All information about the Festival and packaged hotels deals are available through their website. Go now. Get tickets. Be there. Good luck getting into the Dylan concert.

In the summertime, they have a small outside seating area which is great if you're shisha-ing, and they very thoughtfully have two speakers on the outside to help combine the ambience of the inside with the fresh air and people-watching of the outside. According to the waiter who was serving us, somebody sitting outside runs off without paying the bill every night, so be prepared to pay right when you're initially served. Taxes must truly be too high here in Quebec.

The music at Kafein, I feel, deserves special mention. I have been to many bars, clubs and lounges in Montreal, but rarely have I come across music that so clearly spoke to my soul - and yet wasn't coming out of my iPod's headphones. The playlist could largely be described as experimental dance music, with lots of remixes of popular songs sprinkled among eclectic numbers that you can't help but notice, and if your musical tastes are similar to mine, gleefully appreciate.

Kafein has an upper level too, which perplexingly has none of the style, flair, or abject coolness of the lower quarters. The music is the same, and there is some art to be admired, but for the most part the upstairs comprises of a few spartan tables and chairs. It's quite a jarring experience to go from the spacious experiment in objet d'art downstairs to the spartan nothingness upstairs. It seems like a holding pen for those not cool enough (or early enough) to chill downstairs.

Assuming you can find a place downstairs (or outside), Kafein is highly recommended. Most people come for the cocktails or the shisha, but if you're like me, you'll stay for the tunes.

Hot on the heels of my little Grand Prix preview, here's a quick note on Montreal's "wackiest" festival. I'm talking, of course, about the St Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival .

About 100 different shows, varying from modern dance to standup comedy, stopping off at the undescribably bizarre along the way. This festival is "un-curated". This means that rather than proposing a show via press kit and video (for example), artists are chosen by lottery.

As such, there is no quality control whatsoever. This means that this is a chance to see acts who wouldn't be given an opportunity at more commercial festivals. This also means that some of the shows probably really stink.

Your best bet is to head over to Fringe Central, Parc des Ameriques, on the corner of Rachel and St Laurent, get a program and read through the show descriptions. Your best sources of advice on which show to pick are the many fringe volunteers (usually identifiable by their t-shirts) running around doing "volunteer things". They tend to know the buzz about what the shows are like and can offer suggestions depending on what interests you.

Another perk is that all week long, free concerts are held in Parc des Ameriques. This is a good chance to see some of Montreal's indy-rockers showing their stuff.

Happy Fringing!

Theo OUT

Meat: nice texture, not too dry, not too greasy.

Pita Bread: yummy!! This had a very grilled feel to it. Not at all stale or rubbery.

Tsatziki Sauce: a very basic sauce, not over-done with garlic and a nice creamy texture.

Extras: I had the combo with fries, greek salad, and a small serving of rice. Everything was good. The home-style fries were fresh tasting, nice fresh greens, and buttery rice.

So far this seems like a good review, I'm sure. I was quite enjoying everything up to the point when i spotted a dead bug in my lettuce. I'm not overly squeamish about these things, so it didn't completely ruin lunch. BUT, it does mean that the lettuce wasn't washed properly and this could be a big problem for some folks.

In the end, a nice souvlaki, but think twice about it if you're concerned about bugs.

Souvlaki George: 6995 Monkland

Theo OUT

Once a year, the F1 and its entourage come to Montreal for the Grand Prix du Canada. This entourage consists (allegedly) of hundreds of thousand of people along for the party. Many of these tourists are from Europe, where most of the F1 supporters are, so we experience a little culture shock too, but the good kind

The main party area is the above mentioned Crescent (and Bishop) street. Any bar or restaurant will be catering to the crowd. At some point, probably Thursday, Crescent will be closed for a car show. Some F1 cars and lots of other fancy sports cars will be on display. Usually there is also a mock "pit row" and crews doing tire changing races etc.

If you're a visitor or a local, there is a LOT of people watching to do. Generally, if you can deal with crowds, you can have a very good time in downtown Montreal. The official festivities start only on Friday, but unofficially, the place is already starting to rock. Most of the fun starts at around lunch time and goes until the wee-hours of the morning. Downtown bars get a second wind as the race fans arrive back in town at the end of the day on Fri-Sat-Sun, so expect a surge of activity around 11pm or so.

The Gilles Villeneuve race track expects about 100 000 people per day at the site. Montreal tourism experts estimate 75 million dollars will be spent. That's quite a week!!

You can get specific Grand Prix info here: http://www.grandprix.ca

Otherwise, have a great time during race week!

Theo OUT