SubscribeBRUNCH January 12, 2008 and January 13, 2008
It has been quite the whirlwind year for Anise/Bazaar. First came news of the closing of fine dining Anise, followed by reports that a new more relaxed restaurant Bazaar Anise had risen from the ashes at the same location. Then Bazaar Anise closed down only to be reborn a few blocks up Laurier, now firmly known as Bazaar. I had really enjoyed the food at Bazaar Anise (here and here) and was surprised to see it close down after such a short run. Still, the old space, while interesting, was not very efficient and not conducive to the bistro ambiance generally preferred by Montreal diners.
The new space features 8 or so tables, an open kitchen with bar seating and more bar-type setting looking out at Laurier. It is a mish mash of styles, including the red chairs from Anise, Middle Eastern knick knacks and industrial steel floors accented by cheerful yellow walls. While this might seem discordant, I found it was relaxed in a chic-eclectic kind of way. While the restaurant has only been serving lunch and brunch it will now be serving dinner as well with the menu essentially identical to the one at Bazaar Anise.
On day one, we wandered into Bazaar for the brunch service which starts at 11. Our mimosas were delivered with thyme griddle bread toast served with a fig and anise jam. The griddle bread will be recognizable to Anise devotees. The toast and jam was very much in the Racha Bassoul spirit of making the simple elegant. No smoke and mirrors here, just good, simple ingredients and strong composition. My eggs with soujouk reinforced that message. Two eggs, sunny side up, cooked into a helping of soujouk–those little Middle Eastern lamb sausages stewed with tomatoes, and fries on the side. I have always been partial to the Bazaar fries and these did not disappoint. The JJ is a big yogurt fan and loved Bazaar’s homemade version with honey, nuts and kanafeh served with fresh grapefruit, kiwi and blueberries.
She loved it so much in fact, that we were back the next day. We skipped the mimosas and the JJ opted for the smoked salmon with labneh. A pile of the salmon was served on half a homemade bread vaguely resembling an oversized English muffin. The other half was topped with a mound of labneh, a fresh Middle Eastern cheese that is light and spreadable, and black caviar. Having run out of menu options with the JJ taking the salmon, I opted for the open-faced foie gras sandwich. Also served with fries, the dish featured three miniature toasts topped with a tangy pear confit and a melt-in-your-mouth panfried foie. Hard not to like this dish, which I paired with a muscat suggested by our server but it is sheer extravagance first thing in the morning.
At least some of the servers from the old Bazaar Anise have followed Ms. Bassoul to the new location and the great, personable service of the old restaurant seems to have been smoothly transferred to the new location. Not only was the food enjoyable, the atmosphere was as well and it is no doubt in large part to the efforts of these people.
The JJ rates this as her favorite breakfast. I really enjoyed both meals as well although I’m not sure I want to eat eggs with soujouk every weekend. The good news is that there is a dinner menu to explore as well. Hopefully the new incarnation of Bazaar will be more successful than its predecessors.
Cost: Approximately $60 each day for two people, with coffee and tip
Bazaar
365 Laurier W.
514.276.6999
