Do you know why soft drinks taste better when you get it from McDonald's? You will find out below! Also on the menu, disconcerting news about the number of restaurants in Quebec which has been in significant decline for ten years and the delightful story of the Alma restaurant.
First, McDonald's seems to have found the perfect formula to make its fountain Coca-Cola strangely more refreshing than anywhere else.
According to the Uproxx website, the chain uses three tricks linked to the freshness of the beverage. These “secrets” which are no longer known include pre-cooling the Coca-Cola syrup, adjusting the syrup/soda water ratio to anticipate the melting of the ice cubes and cooling the filtered water coming from the dispenser linked to the fountain .
McDonald's also mentions that the slightly wider size of their straws intensifies the drinking experience by allowing the soft drink to hit the taste buds more pronouncedly during a sip.
Wow!
Second, Quebec is currently experiencing the lowest number of restaurants in ten years, with 26,160 permit holders in 2023, representing a drop of approximately 8% in four years.
Maximilien Roy of Restaurants Canada attributes the decline to the industry's difficulty, combined with the pandemic and inflation, calling the situation an obvious "perfect storm." The first months of 2024 do not appear to be reversing this trend, with the end of COVID loan repayments in January having already led to the closure of several restaurants. The figures include various types of establishments, including snack bars, canteens and cafeterias, which contribute to the overall decrease in permits.
The Association Restauration Québec highlights an 18% decrease in “commercial” restaurants between February 2020 and July 2023.
Restaurants Canada, for its part, calls for increased support from the state, suggesting preferential prices on alcohol with the Société des alcools du Québec and the resolution of the labor shortage, including the use of workers foreigners. Finally, the association is requesting an extension of the deadline for adopting a new mandatory sales registration system to comply with a reform of the transmission of transactional data to Revenu Québec.
Finally, the Alma gastronomic restaurant in Outremont has adopted a “modern Mexican” orientation over the past year, influenced by several renowned establishments in Mexico and Oaxaca.
Chef Juan Lopez Luna, associated with La Quebequita, prepares his masa using Mexican criollo corn purchased in Masienda, California. The menu features dishes like tetelas with foie gras, sweetbreads on mole verde, and carnitas croqueta topped with white anchovies, showcasing the culinary genius of Juan Lopez Luna. His initial training in French and Italian cuisine, as well as his later interest in Catalan cuisine, has recently been complemented by the rediscovery of his Mexican culinary roots. Juan's personal story, emigrating from Mexico to the United States at age 16, mirrors that of many Mexicans in search of the famous "American Dream." After various jobs, Juan solidified his career at an Italian restaurant in Wyoming, then toured several locations with his partner Lindsay Brennan before opening Alma in 2019 in Montreal. Alma's cuisine has evolved into a fusion of Italian, Catalan and Mexican flavors, with a particular emphasis on the dishes of her childhood. A trip to Oaxaca in 2022 marked a turning point, inspiring the integration of traditional Mexican dishes into Alma's menu, including taco omakase in October, combining Quebec ingredients and Mexican flavors.
