Opened by former Le Pistou staffers, Lustucru bistro is the latest foodie stop on the Parc Avenue strip.

We love the open kitchen where you can watch chef Iannick Lessard prepares plates of tartar and charcuterie using ingredients from local agro producers. Choose a few appies (from $4) like beef tartar with lemon confit or horsemeat tataki with peach salsa before moving into delectable deli spreads (from $5) of black pudding with rhubarb chutney and rabbit rillettes with pistachio. 

Throw in '70s-style leather banquettes and a bottle of French Syrah and even the staunchest of vegetarians might start rethinking things.

5159 Parc Ave., Montreal, 514-439-6701, www.bistrolustucru.com

Frisbee, swimming or volleyball? None of the above, thanks. Our summer pastime du choix is people watching.

Westmount’s Wellhouse bistro is our new playing field for pretty people and good grub. Throw on some lip gloss, plant yourself under a patio umbrella and order spicy breaded calamari ($8) or hearty wild mushroom fettuccine ($16). Wash it down with a pint of locally brewed Bierbrier ($7) or a glass of St-Emilion Grand Cru from the restaurant’s Enomatic wine dispenser and that cutie on the corner will go from Z. Galifianakis to Z. Efron in the bat of an eyelash.

Score.

Wellhouse, 4858 Sherbrooke Street W., Westmount, 514-482-2167, www.wellhouse.ca

Chef Normand Laprise’s Brasserie T! is not only fab food but pure design genius.

Set in a simple rectangular box in the new Quartier des Spectacles, the skylights and floor-to-ceiling windows cast pretty glows on all who enter. The menu is simpler than Laprise’s Toqué! but no less yummy. We started with fried cheese ($4) followed by perfectly salty La Quercia cured ham ($12) (made by Ohio Amish) and rich Coquille St. Jacques ($20). There’s no liquor license yet so sweeten your tooth with a Big Band mocktail ($8) made with pineapple, vanilla and coconut. And come winter, the outdoor terrace will be turned into a mini skating rink.

Now that’s thinking outside the box.

1425 Jeanne-Mance St., Montreal, 514-282-0808, www.brasserie-t.com

More than just two-steppin’ and trailers, in Austin, Texas you’ll find slow food cuisine, effortless cool and lots and lots of tequila. Yee ha!

sleep
With its rock ’n’ roll décor and laid-back vibe, the Hotel Saint Cecilia is like having your own SoCo bolthole. Our poolside bungalow was fitted with a shower for two (or three), vintage turntable and mini-bar filled with flatbread and brie. We sat on our private terrace, sipping spicy margaritas and listening to Al Green records from the hotel library. Rooms from $350, 112 Academy Dr., Austin, TX, 512-852-2400, www.hotelsaintcecilia.com

eat
The burgeoning 2nd Street District is home to La Condesa serving up Mexican City street food with a modern edge. Give them three days notice and they’ll roast a whole suckling pig just for you! We tried mini tostados with squid, tuna and chipotle mayo ($12) followed by Carne Aasada ($32). With over 80 varieties on offer, do indulge in tasting flights of Mezcal and Blanco tequilas (from $15) while the ‘sommelier’ explains smoky vs. smooth.  Muy caliente! 400a West 2nd St., Austin, TX, 512-499-0300, www.lacondesaaustin.com

eat more
Austin’s hippest new 'hood lies east of the I-35 where we discovered East Side Show Room, a former 1920s grocery store revamped with a breezy back patio, local art and farm-raised food (all suppliers are listed on the menu) like antelope tartar ($14) and snapper baked in parchment paper ($22). 1100 East 6th St., Austin, TX, 512-467-4280, www.eastsideshowroom.com

do
Take yourself to the roller derby show for live bands and babes on skates. Every weekend the Lonestar Rollergirls compete on a banked-track, knocking down teams like the Tonya Hardings and Rhinestone Cowgirls. We wouldn’t want to meet these gals in a dark alley but after a couple of Shiner beers we found ourselves cheering wildly for the Cherry Bombs. Tickets from $13 at www.txrd.com

see
For something tamer, the LBJ Library and Museum celebrates the former president and his flower-loving wife, Lady Bird. Her hosting prowess, elegant gowns and pink-toned office reminded us that Jackie wasn’t the only glam first lady of the 1960s. 2313 Red River St., Austin, TX, 512-721-0200, www.lbjlibrary.org

shop
At modish boutique by george (524 North Lamar Blvd., 512-472-5951, Austin, TX) you’ll fawn over Balenciaga purses, silk Dries Van Noten dresses and sassy platforms from Fiorentini & Baker. Can’t break the bank? We took the staff’s advice and drove 30-minutes south to San Marcos Premium Outlets (the third largest in the world) for jaw-dropping deals on Fendi frocks, La Perla panties and Ferragamo flats. Premium Outlets, 3939 South IH-35, San Marcos, TX, 512-396-2200.

For more on Montreal editor Marianne Wisenthal’s Austin adventure, visit today’s Editors’ Diary.

Our mother always taught us that to be a true lady, we had to have impeccable table manners.

On a recent trip to Le Boucan we ignored her advice completely. We started by inhaling a plate of chicken nachos with a smoky tomato salsa ($10), and then licked our fingers clean after a plate of succulent BBQed ribs ($18). We didn’t even offer to share a single bite of our salty-sweet bacon brownies ($6) with our dining companions.

Sorry, mom. We’re still a lady. But we’re also a bit of a tramp.

Le Boucan, 1886 Notre-Dame St. W., Montreal, 514-439-4555, www.leboucan.com

After a long, cold winter, Montrealers don’t just desire to dine al fresco, we downright deserve it.

L’Autre Version’s stunning vine-covered terrace offers an urban oasis in the heart of Old Montreal. We dined on a duo of taratare ($17), featuring succulent ostrich and savoury smoked duck, followed by a melt-in-your-mouth filet of deer with Guinness cheddar potato puree on the side ($35). Challenged by the owner, we tried to determine the seven secret ingredients in the l’Aphrodesiaque cocktail. No one has ever done it (we guessed five), but if you do, your meal is free.

Now that’s what we call getting your just desserts.

L’Autre Version, 295 St-Paul St. E., Montreal, 514-871-9135, www.restoversion.com

Sure, we go to Paris to admire the impressionists in the Musée d’Orsay or drool over fashion history in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, but we always end up spending most of our time indulging ourselves in food, drink, and shopping.

sleep
Located in the working class 20e arondissement, the Philippe Starck-designed hotel Mama Shelter offers urban-oasis styling on a budget. With quirky touches like plastic masks for bedside lamps (our room had Shrek and Princess Fiona), chalkboard ceilings, and elevators wallpapered with fun facts, as well as hallway mirrors listing neighbourhood concerts and events, it’s clear that this Mama is the loving kind. Rooms start at €99/night. 109 rue de Bagnolet, 75020, Paris, +33 (0)1 43 48 48 48, www.mamashelter.com

eat
Tucked away from the noisy red-light atmosphere of Le Pigalle is the charming garden courtyard restaurant at the Hotel Amour. Far from its old clientele during its by-the-hour days, the restaurant and bar now cater to a chic crowd who like to dine on tartare de boeuf, then play foosball in the basement. Hotel Restaurant Amour, 8, Rue Navarin, 75009 Paris, +33 (0)1 48 78 31 80, www.hotelamourparis.fr

drink
Hidden behind a vine-covered black gate is Le Très Particulier, the private bar at the Hotel Particulier Montmartre. Knock and say you are there to “boire un verre,” and then let David, the New York bartender, fix you one of his original creations. Reservations are a must. 23, Avenue Junot, 75018 Paris, +33 (0)1 53 41 81 40, www.hotel-particulier-montmartre.com

shop
Forget Colette! Merci is the newest lifestyle concept store creating a buzz in Paris. Browse the airy loft for clothes, books, furniture and even flowers. With proceeds going to a foundation helping children and women in Madagascar, designers including Annick Goutal, Yves Saint Laurent, and Stella McCartney offer custom items at 30 per cent off. Merci, 111 Boulevard Beaumarchais, 75003 Paris, +33 (0)1 42 77 78 92, www.merci-merci.com

In search of dinner spots off the beaten path, we discovered Restaurant Kiano, just a few steps off frantic St-Catherine Street. 

This cozy Antillean and Caribbean joint serves up handmade dishes like Creole and Jerk chicken (from $7.95), curry rum raisin salad (from $6.95) and perfectly tart ceviche with tender crab, lobster, shrimp and red snapper ($9.95).

If you just can’t break away from the beat, wash down your rum cake dessert ($6.95) with spicy ginger beer whie you listen to live steel music on the breezy back terrace.

Ya mon.

Kiano, 1433 City Councillors St., Montreal, 514-845-6845, www.kianorestaurant.com

Looking to shape up for summer? Forgo Doritos dinners for MyAntidote.ca.

This home delivery service is run by farm-raised gals Jadwiga and Ewelina, whose mandate is high-quality and uber-healthy. Log in daily to find locally sourced basics like hand-picked produce, artisanal loaves (from $3.19), daily homemade soups ($7.89) and organic spices. Choose your items before 2 p.m. and the ladies will have them at your door the very next day.

And if you can pull yourself away from the ThighMaster, stop in at their sweet new bistro for sit down snacks. 

Short shorts are in your future.

Free delivery over $19.99, My Antidote Bistro, 5887 Sherbrooke St. W., NDG, 514-515-3853, www.myantidote.ca

At Le Quartier Général, stylish decor, French bistro dishes and locally sourced ingredients are worthy of our impeccable SAQ selection.

We devoured appetizers like scallops in curried cream sauce and tartare du moment ($9) followed by savory Stanstead rabbit sausages ($29) served tongue-in-cheek with a side of Bugs Bunny carrots. Kalhua cheesecake for dessert? 

Wine not!

Le Quartier Général, 1251 Gilford St., Montreal, 514-658-1839.