SubscribeDINNER December 4, 2009
Crescent Street is one of my least favourite places in Montreal. Most of the businesses scream “low-rent” (with apologies to the Hugo Boss Red Label store) and the restaurants seem more likely to give you hepatitis than a good meal. Newtown, even in the days it was owned by washed-up race car driver and failed minstrel Jacques Villeneuve, always seemed a little too smart for its surroundings. And once the new owners lured up and coming chefs Marc-André Jetté and Patrice Demers away from Laloux to this gaudy part of Montreal, the food promised to become a lot smarter as well.
The new Newtown looks a lot like the old Newtown. It’s a complex with a club downstairs, lounge on the main floor, an upstairs terrace and the second floor restaurant. The restaurant looks pretty similar too, although the big old leather chairs have been replaced by sleeker, Nordic-looking models that lighten up the space and fit in well with the modern decor. Arriving downstairs into a crowd of guys who look like they’re auditioning to be the next Sham-Wow pitchman I start to wonder if I was wrong about coming here for an intimate meal. But the crowd in the restaurant upstairs, populated by tables of older folks, mostly women and mostly wealthy looking, couldn’t be more different than the one in the lounge.
Although the Newtown website prominently features a 3-course $33 “NHL Menu” when the Habs play, it practically takes an inquisition for our waitress to admit that such a menu exists. I can understand that they would rather have people order off the regular menu but its not really fair play to make people pull an Oliver Twist just to take a look at it. Our waitress, apart from this incident, is actually charming, knowledgeable and efficient–charming really.
The JJ starts with a cream of Jerusalem artichoke soup with rock shrimp, a mustard yogurt and dill. The poached shrimp are amazing: plump, juicy and cooked just enough so that they still possess a delicate saline crunch. They are served in a bowl with the mustard yogurt and the soup is poured tableside. Nice presentation (flashbacks of Paris) and a deft combination of ingredients that work very well together. A meaty mackerel fillet is carved into pieces and served on drifts of a smoky squash puree with pickled cipollini onions, pulverized dehydrated black olives and a stream of olive oil. A really beautiful plate (forgot my camera again). The fish, while tasty, doesn’t really shine on its own but the combination of flavours and textures on this plate is about as good as it gets. The salty crunch of the olive dust, the sweet sharpness of the onion and the depth of flavor from the squash all play well off the strong flavor of the mackerel. If this plate isn’t 3-star material, it’s pretty close.
With two stunning appertizers behind us, we turned to the mains. A duo of trout and pork features a thick chunk of seared steelhead and a braised then roasted slab of pork belly on a ragout of cipollini onions, baby spinach and chanterelles surrounded by a salsify puree. The pork is rich, not too fatty and works fabulously well with the ragout and the puree but the fish, with skin seared to crispy perfection, and a great texture, is less of a match for the other ingredients on the plate. Frankl, I could have done without it. And as small and delicate as my mackerel appetizers was, this main was definitely a full serving of protein. Scallops and lobsters feature a couple of seared scallops and lobster tail served on parsnip puree with French green beans and sauteed mushrooms as well as a a hazelnut foam. Again, the flavour combinations aren’t obvious but work very well together, although we both agree that they don’t knock us out like the apps did.
Any restaurant with Patrice Demers is going to have a leg up on dessert. Long recognized as one of the leading pastry chefs in the city despite the fact that he still looks like he is about twelve years old, Demers’ touch is evident not only because of his signature pot de creme caramel with Maldon salt but also in a delicate caramel tart served with ginger ice cream, candied cashews and coconut, both pureed and pulverized. My preference is always to have a small but elaborate and well thought out dessert than a big slice of simple. The desserts at Newtown certainly hit the spot on this count.
I have to say I was quite smitten by my meal which, with a bottle of 2007 Rosenblum Viognier and a couple of espressos came in at $160 pre-tip. It is going to be very hard to avoid Crescent Street in the future and I suppose that is a shame. I’ll just try not to touch anything before I get inside the restaurant.
Have you tried the new Newtown? Whether you love or hate Crescent, we would love to hear what you thought. Feel free to leave your comments below.
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I had a huge smile when you wrote “it practically takes an inquisition for our waitress to admit that such a menu exists”. I was left under the exact same impression on a latest visit there. But it’s no biggie, they will accomodate in the end. And to your question “Have you tried the new Newtown? “, Yes I went there 3 times this year (twice this summer with my wife + very recently with couple of folks). My personal experience had some highs and lows (the very 1st dinner was impressive from 1st bite to the last. The 2 others, less stellar with couple of menu items that left me indifferent while others were hits. But the desserts (I am fond of desserts) were winners on each of those 3 occasions.
As for Crescent, I am fine with it, especially in summer with all the attractions, cafes, terraces… albeit I wish it was a bit wider.