If you love luxury, beautiful, well-appointed homes in the most historic and trending part of our city, and a heck of a fabulous host with an effervescent circle of fun and interesting friends (not to mention the best nibbles, bubbles, and vodka in town), then you definitely want to be a guest at—or at the very least, a fashionable fly on the ceiling—of the next 5-7 cocktail dinatoire hosted by none other than beloved luxury real estate broker Martin Rouleau at Engles & Volker.
Not only does he greet you with all the warmth, joviality, and authenticity sorely missing in a disconnected world (giving us a palpable reminder of the human in humanity), but the super-successful (albeit incredibly humble) professional knows how to throw a party!
It may have a thing or eight to do with who the savvy entertainer surrounds himself with when in party mode.
The Planners
First off, he knows that an experienced and talented event planner is always a good idea, especially with a schedule as action-packed as his. (The powerpack with boundless energy is a top performer in his field and routinely garners all kinds of awards for his luxury sales prowess and knowledge of the market.) Which is precisely why he turned to one of the best planners in the city, Tania Tassone of TassOne Events, for an evening of fun and good laughs (who worked tirelessly alongside Sarah Yelle, another great talent). Tania’s so good at what she does— seamless, really—that you often don’t feel like there’s any party stress at all—just good old anticipation and excitement for a special night!
The Food
Second, the self-described foodie who loves fine cuisine and always makes top-tier fare a priority when entertaining, had a vision for this intimate evening of an easy and casual setup whereby guests could enjoy a table brimming with some of his favourites while grazing at their discretion. He also likes to mix things up on the flavour front to keep it interesting and so, made a point of topping the well-appointed table (details to follow) with offerings from well-known and established Montréal caterers and eateries including outstanding charcuterie boards exquisitely presented (and tasting!) from the masters at À la table by Hanna, North America’s first grazing table company; hard to resist fresh sushi from his neighbors at KYO at Hôtel Place d’Armes (a big hit!); and desserts prepared by the Patisserie Mahrouse team, who seduced with the most decadent and delicious middle eastern flavours, personally delivered by the gorgeous owner, Roula, who brought her signature warmth to the event too.
The ‘Tails
In addition to impressive fare, Martin is also a con- noisseur of the right beverages. To that end, he served nothing but the finest and enchanted with the world’s best bubbles from Dom Pérignon and the latest luxury liquid, Belvedere 10, currently available only in clubs and for elite private clients. Not surprisingly, it exceeded expectations (next-level vodka vibes). And that bottle, like jewellery for the home! Another perk on this front was the genius of master mixologists Lawrence Picard and Antonio Fiaz of Nectar Concept, who brought their usual A-game and made sure everyone was well fortified with some truly amazing Belvedere 10 mix creations that were as beautiful as they were tasty.
The Florals
When it comes to fantastical florals, one of our city’s most gifted and popular floral design aficionados is Alain Simon, the visionary behind his namesake, Alain Simon Fleurs, well-situated in the Ritz-Carlton Montreal. For forty years now, this enormous talent has been a go-to for every occasion (he literally works 24-7), and Martin was extremely lucky to have both his mastery on display (a well-imagined cacophony of brilliant colours and blooms that added much to the table and overall décor) and a cameo, which is a rare occurrence for Alain in the lead up to Mother’s Day!
The Guest List
Though we’ve touched on this, it merits repetition. The host with the most knows it’s especially fun to bring together new and old friends, an eclectic and inspiring group, who he just has a knack for feeling will enjoy each other and even link up after the fact. He’s well known for being a connector in this respect and loves to bring people together.
The Secret Ingredient
Finally, Martin is well versed in the single most important ingredient in throwing a successful and soul-affirming get-together of any magnitude: LOVE! If you sprinkle the evening with that, you’re guaranteed an evening to remember, which it was.
For more on Martin, visit him virtually at @martinrouleau on social media, or even better, connect with him live at his office on Greene. Who knows, that just might culminate in an invitation to his next spectacular soiree…