Kelly Ripa finds romance in Montreal. .
Photograph by Robert Ascroft.
Kelly Ripa has talked to every single living celebrity in America.
Twice. Maybe even more. I have not verified this fact, per se, but
she's served alongside TV legend Regis Philbin for almost seven
years as cohost of
Live with Regis and
Kelly, so it must be true. Or close to it. And yet, Ripa -
plenty famous in her own right, known for acting on
All My Children and in sitcoms as
well as for playing the role of TV talker - is still
genuinely interested in the vaporing of the vainglorious, the
gabbing of the glitterati. You know, the stuff that famous
people talk about.
She Said…
Here's where Kelly Ripa
parle
français in Montreal. |
LODGING
Hôtel le St-James, very expensive,
(514) 841-3111,
www.hotellestjames.com
Hotel St-Paul, expensive, (514)
380-2222, www.hotelstpaul.com
DINING
Eggspectation, inexpensive, (514)
282-0119, www.eggspectation.ca
Ferreira Café, moderate to expensive,
(514) 848-0988,
www.ferreiracafe.com
Olive & Gourmando, inexpensive to
moderate, (514) 350-1083,
www.oliveetgourmando.com
NIGHTLIFE
Vauvert, expensive, (514) 876-2823,
www.restaurantvauvert.com
THINGS TO SEE AND TO DO IN
MONTREAL
|
|
Formula One Grand Prix du
Canada, www.formula1.com
Just for Laughs Comedy Tour, (514) 845-2322,
www.justforlaughs.ca
Montreal International Jazz Festival, (514) 871-1881,
www.montrealjazzfest.com
Old Montreal, www.vieux.montreal.qc.ca
Spa Diva, (514) 985-9859, www.spadiva.ca
SHOPPING
Les Cours Mont-Royal, (514) 842-7777, www.lcmr.ca"I'm a pop-culture
junkie," she says from her office inside
ABC's Manhattan
headquarters, where
Live is produced. "I
never get tired of it. There's always something they haven't
revealed, something that you've never heard anywhere else. I really
find it fascinating."
Then again, not everything the famous and rich say and do is
fascinating. And, to be sure, some things are simply better left
unrevealed. To wit, do you really want to know that Britney Spears
had a number-three value meal with a Coke at McDonald's last night?
Probably not. But many of us - or at least I - still manage to
obtain this type of knowledge on a daily basis.
It would be wrong to blame Ripa for that. She's certainly never
grabbed a camera and followed a pop star to a fast-food restaurant.
(I have not verified this fact, per se, though surely it is true.)
But Ripa, 37, does regularly open her own life to the other
pop-culture junkies in the world, right down to discussing what she
had for dinner last night. Each weekday morning on
Live, she and Philbin, 76, engage in
20 minutes of remarkably unscripted banter that touches on
everything from their noshing habits to the day's news (well,
celebrity news, anyway) to where babies come from -
specifically, where Ripa's babies come from, in at least one
case.
I had somehow forgotten about this when Ripa and I recently
chatted. We were talking about Montreal, her favorite romantic
getaway and a place that she and her husband, fellow
All My Children alum Mark Consuelos,
visit nearly every year sans the kids (Michael, 10; Lola, 6;
and Joaquin, 4). But then, exactly 10 minutes and 34 seconds
into our conversation, Ripa reminds me that she keeps few
secrets from the public. "One of our children was conceived
in Montreal, actually," she says, quite unprompted. "Mark and
I went for our anniversary one year, and Joaquin was our
souvenir."
This is one of those things that we - okay, maybe it's just me -
actually don't want to know. Or maybe it's just something that we -
or again, maybe it's just me - don't know how to react to. Regis
would likely come up with something witty or wacky to say in reply.
The best I can do is, "Oh, so Joaquin came right out speaking
French, eh?" I am no Regis.
Thankfully, since Ripa talks for a living, she bails me out.
"That's why we gave Joaquin the exotic name," she says. "I was
going to name him
Jean Pierre. But I thought that was too much.
Jean Pierre Consuelos doesn't really go together."
Jean Pierre. It's probably just a joke. But still, I hadn't heard
that before. It's funny - and, sure, fascinating.
You know what else is fascinating? Montreal. Especially Kelly
Ripa's Montreal. Here are the things you do want to know about.
Here's where we
allons in Montreal.
LODGING
Novotel Montréal Centre, moderate, (514) 861-6000,
www.novotelmontreal.com. The Canadian dollar is no longer a
bargain, but the Novotel still is. Its budget-friendly digs
are comfortable and convenient, and it's near the
intersection of Rue Sainte-Catherine and Rue Crescent,
where clubs, restaurants, and shops abound.
Opus Hotel Montreal, moderate to expensive, (514) 843-6000,
www.opushotel.com. If you were a touring rocker with a
touch of fame, you'd probably stay at this slick, modern
downtown hotel. It would be a smart move. The Opus offers
its style at a discount, compared with prices at Montreal's
other sleek digs.
DINING
Au Pied de Cochon, moderate to expensive, (514) 281-1114,
www.restaurantaupieddecochon.ca. You will be fighting for a
reservation with foodies from around the world at this
simply decorated eatery, where pork and foie gras are the
main attractions. Yes, they cook them together.
Banquise, inexpensive, (514) 525-2415. Located in the
Plateau neighborhood, largely a French-speaking area of
town, this diner-style restaurant serves more than a dozen
different kinds of poutine. That's a Quebec specialty
featuring, when at its most basic, french fries topped with
cheese curds and gravy. C'est magnifique!
Le Réservoir, inexpensive to moderate, (514) 849-7779. This
neighborhood joint is just off what Montrealers call the
Main - Boulevard Saint-Laurent, the old dividing line
between the French- and English-speaking sides of town.
Celebrate the détente with international snacks, and drink
house-brewed beers until the last call, at three a.m.
NIGHTLIFE
Casa del Popolo, (514) 284-0122, www.casadelpopolo.com.
Maybe you'll get lucky and catch the next Arcade Fire
performance at this venue, which is popular with the
indie-rock set.
|
Les Deux Pierrots, (514) 861-1270, www.lespierrots.com. Does
sitting in a brick-walled bar in Montreal's oldest neighborhood
while singing along to French and English cabaret songs sound
silly? Well, then, it's time to get silly.
SHOPPING
Marché Bonsecours, (514) 872-7730, www.marchebonsecours.qc.ca.
Unfortunately, they're no longer selling fresh vegetables at this
European-style marketplace. But they are selling locally made
crafts, so that's nice.
ATTRACTIONS
La Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal, (514) 842-2925,
www.basilique
nddm.org. Is the interior of this scaled-down, nineteenth-century
replica of
Paris's Notre-Dame more dramatic than the original's?
That depends on how you feel about the stunning use of the color
blue.
Le Mont Royal, (514) 843-8240, www.lemontroyal.qc.ca. Frederick Law
Olmsted, who laid out New York's Central Park, also designed this
sprawling space. It's filled with hiking and biking trails and is
capped by a 98-foot-high cross, which honors Paul de Chomedey,
Sieur de Maisonneuve, the city's founder.
About
Montreal: There are more than 3.6 million people in Montreal
and its immediate urban area. That's nearly half the population of
the province of Quebec. Some 70 percent of those people are native
French speakers, making Montreal the second-largest francophone
city in the world, after Paris. Plus, Montreal is in Canada.
About Kelly Ripa's Montreal: "My
husband has friends who live in Montreal," Ripa says, "and
he'd been raving about it for years, telling me how wonderful
it is and that we just had to go and that I would love it.
The first time I went, I think, was for our fourth or fifth
wedding anniversary. When we landed, everyone at the airport
was speaking French. So I turned to Mark, and I said quite
possibly the dumbest thing I've ever said in my life. I said,
'You're right; it's so romantic and wonderful. It's just like
being in another country.' He said, 'I hate to burst your
bubble, but we are in another country.'?"
About Montreal: The city has seen a boom in
swank boutique hotels in recent years, especially in Old Montreal,
a neighborhood with narrow, cobblestoned streets that dates back to
the founding of the city, in 1642. Plus, Montreal smells nice.
About Kelly Ripa's Montreal: "The St-James
in Old Montreal is a wonderful hotel," Ripa says. "It is simply
luxurious. Also, the St-Paul Hotel is very boutiquey and kind of
rock and roll. They give you these wonderful colognes that you can
take with you when you leave. I sometimes call the hotel and ask
them to send me some because they smell so good."
About Montreal: The city claims to have
more restaurants per resident than any other city in North America.
It is famous for café au lait, smoked meats, and game-based
Quebecois cuisine. Plus, some of the restaurants serve breakfast
even at lunchtime.
About Kelly Ripa's Montreal: "Mark
and I go there without our kids," Ripa explains. "It's the
only place we go without our kids. I mean, I know it's
wonderful for children, but it's just been our
romantic-getaway place. So we usually get up and have
breakfast at lunchtime - which, you have to understand, with
three kids, that's such a luxury for us to not have to get up
early. So we usually go to Eggspectation. It's a very good
sort of diner-breakfast place. There's also a specialty place
called Olive & Gourmando in Old Montreal. It has café au
lait and croissants and beautiful breads. Unfortunately, I
don't know the street it's on. Mark and I just sort of wander
around there."
About Montreal: The city has thriving live
jazz and rock scenes - the noted indie act Arcade Fire is just one
rock band to emerge from Montreal. And the city is packed with
watering holes. There are, on average, 9.5 bars per square
kilometer. Plus, there are lots of restaurants and music venues
(which can also be called watering holes).
About Kelly Ripa's Montreal: "If you [can],
go to Old Montreal. There are these little cobblestone streets, and
every place is a jamming supper club or an amazing jazz bar," Ripa
says. "I just think it's magic.
"You have dinner very late there. It's very European in that way.
Then a lot of these restaurants that start out serving food will
turn into nightclubs. All of a sudden, the tables vanish and a DJ
comes out.
"They have this place called Vauvert in the St. Paul. You can have
dinner, and then right after dinner, the DJ comes in. They call it
diabolique when the DJ is there on Saturday nights. It's like a big
party. So you eat dinner, and then you dance. It's one-stop
shopping. Plus, the people are gorgeous, and the waitresses have
designer uniforms. It's all very sleek and very elegant."
About Montreal:
More than half the Canadian fashion industry's workers are employed
in Montreal. It's no surprise, then, that the city is home to
numerous fashion designers and boutiques. Plus, there are spas.
About Kelly Ripa's
Montreal: "For shopping, I like to go to the Cours
Mont-Royal," Ripa says. "It's kind of like a mall, but there are a
lot of small boutiques in there. I mean, you have to buy something
when you travel. You have to at least get the kids something.
You're leaving them. 'Bye! We'll be back in two days. Have fun with
Grandma and Papa!' Also, I really love Spa Diva, which is in the
Cours Mont-Royal. It's very relaxing."
About Montreal:
Despite the fact that Montreal is known for its French speakers and
French heritage, one in four Montrealers is an immigrant, and the
city is surprisingly diverse, supporting its own
Chinatown and
Little Italy. There's also a slice of
Portugal.
About Kelly Ripa's Montreal: "There's a
wonderful place called Ferreira Café, which Mark took me to for my
birthday one year," Ripa says. "It's Portuguese food and is just
fabulous. Mark kidnapped me. I'm not kidding. He flew me
blindfolded to Montreal and took me to Ferreira. Well, I was
allowed to take the blindfold off when we landed. I didn't have to
eat blindfolded. He had me home in time for the show the next
day."
About Montreal: Winters are long and can be
stingingly cold, which explains why the city loves its warm-weather
festivals. It hosts international mega-gatherings to celebrate
jazz, comedy, and film. It also has really fast car races.
About Kelly Ripa's Montreal: "Mark loves
the
Formula One race," Ripa says. "He goes every year if he can.
That's in June. They also have the jazz festival. That's great;
it's in July. But the comedy festival, for me, is the most special.
You see the most amazing performers. You just know that any day
now, a sitcom is going to come out of one of the great performances
you just saw on the stage."
About Montreal: The city is the site of a
semi-risqué routine performed at the aforementioned Just for Laughs
comedy festival by a certain American star named Kelly Ripa. It
included some, ah, other performers.
About Kelly Ripa's Montreal: "Yeah, thanks
for noticing that I did that," Ripa says. "It was amazing fun. The
joke was that we hired all these drag queens to do a burlesque
striptease with me. I had just had a baby, and they all looked much
more like women than I did. So people were like, 'Oh, look at these
beautiful women … and Kelly.' Then the audience figured out that
they were all men … and Kelly."
Career Questions
Kelly Ripa explains what she does when she's not relaxing in
Montreal.
Did you set out to be an actor/talk-show
host?
No. My whole career has been a series of accidents. I accidentally
got into acting because my friends were doing it. They were doing
extra work, and they were making good money. So I was like, Hey,
why not? That led to the soap [
All My
Children], which led to the talk show, which led to the
sitcom, which led to the production company.
What production company?
Mark and I have a TV production company together now. We sold a
scripted show that did not get picked up this past fall, and we
just sold a pilot to the History Channel for an interesting show
called
Wild Gourmet. It's about a man who
is a trained chef and an anthropology major. He takes you through a
culture's hunting and eating of a specific animal.
Why production?
You can't be on camera forever. Very few people can. So I'm one of
those people who would eventually like to work behind the
camera.
Wait - hasn't Regis been on camera
forever?
He's the one in a million. He's always relevant. He's always
charming. He's always gorgeous. [Laughs] I don't see it turning out
that way for me.
Speaking of Regis, I've heard people say he's
quitting when his contract is up. True?
I don't believe that. I've been hearing that since I got here. He
loves it. I love it. It's a great place to work. It's a fun, sort
of easy schedule for people like us, who really just want to be on
vacation all the time.
You did voice work for two animated movies that
are coming out soon. What was that like?
I don’t even remember. You do these things, and then for, like, the next seven years or something, they animate the film. It’s all that computer
animation. I had almost forgotten that I did them. One of them,
Fly Me to the Moon, my son is also in. I play a fly, and my son plays the friend of one of my maggots. It’s very cute.