DINNER June 26, 2010

Kitchen Galerie Poisson, rumours of which MontrealFoodie had sniffed out in March, is finally here. Cynics might see the name  as a clumsy leveraging of the brand to enter the lucrative (and competitive) downtown lunch market. But the name says what it is. This new venture from chefs Jean-Phillipe St-Denis and Mathieu Cloutier borrows bits from mothership Kitchen Galerie, such as a suite of foie gras dishes (including the “dishwasher” foie gras), the stellar rib steak for two (which when eaten supersized with foie gras and truffles must be one of the top 10 food experiences in the city) and the practice of having the chefs wander out of the kitchen to serve patrons. The “Poisson” is reflected on the menu in a selection of Canadian oysters from the east and west coasts, a choice of daily grilled fish, a selection of caviars, a sampling of deep fried specialties and the pesca-centric choice of salads, apps and mains. Continue Reading…

DINNER June 18, 2010

It is perhaps not surprising that a place in which people refer to grilling as barbecue would not produce much in the way of barbecue joints. Most Canadians don’t really get what barbecue is or why the boiled ribs they slather in Kraft BBQ sauce and carbonize over a gas grill don’t qualify. Bofinger seemed like a light in the wilderness a few years ago, but its higgledy piggledy expansion has effected the quality of the food which, in my experience, is now more often than not a little  disappointing. Le Boucan, a new restaurant in now-officially-trendy Little Burgundy whose biggest claim to fame so far is that it will be featured on a new Food TV series, promises “a smokehouse inspired menu”  and “Southern style dishes”. Apparently this means barbecue is happening on the premises although nobody seems to be coming out and saying it. The menu also reflects this ambiguity. Mains include barbecue  ribs, chicken as well as pulled pork, all of which can be combined in a “pit boss” plate that feeds two, but also include grilled salmon which isn’t exactly barbecue fare. The division  of the menu into appetizers and sides also seems a little awkward with dishes I would normally consider sides, such as mac & cheese and poutine, offered up as starters and grilled shrimp another menu item that doesn’t seem to belong on a barbecue menu. Continue Reading…

DINNER April 30, 2010

We’ve already seen some interesting restaurants open further and further from the city center (notably Michel Ross’ Mas Cuisine) but Marc-Andre Royal’s new restaurant way up in Ahuntsic was by all accounts bringing fine dining where it had not tread before. Fleury Street, with its mix of  little independent stores and apartments actually has a sleepy charm that is somewhat punctured by the hip (in a Laval way) crowd drawn to Le St-Urbain. The restaurant, located in what once housed a fruit store, looks a bit thrown together. An open kitchen at the back and a wall size blackboard dominate a sizable dining room featuring modern chairs matched with melamine wood tables. Mass produced vintage prints, bits of wine crates, assorted knick-knacks and dim lighting give the room an unassuming but welcoming feel. The best tables line the immense windows fronting on Fleury where one can check out the locals walking their dogs whilst eating dinner. This isn’t a slick restaurant but the space feels relaxed and comfortable. The crowd is eclectic, though tending to older, the  music is varied, the restaurant is packed and mackerel wafts out of the kitchen and throughout the room. In a word, this is the place to  be on Fleury. Continue Reading…

Numerous LUNCHES  March and April 2010

I miss Brasserie Brunoise. It wasn’t the best restaurant downtown, but the food was good, the  prices were right, and there was always a  bit of a crowd just a five minute walk from the office. Since its demise I haven’t found a worthy successor, so it was with great interest that I  heard news of the refurbished Dominion Square Tavern. It promised to serve upscale pub fare in the sort of atmosphere only an Anglophile could enjoy, the whole within a stone’s throw of my office. The old Dominion Square Tavern, renowned purveyor of pig’s knuckles, was a bit rough around the edges and not the type of place in which a sophisticated fellow would likely be found. So stepping into the new place is quite the surprise. Open, bright and  airy, with electric chandeliers, vintage tiling, a long copper bar set off by timeworn lead backed mirrors and the original plaster coats of arms on the wall.  It doesn’t look so much like an English pub as it looks like what a rich Japanese might imagine an English pub to look like. Still, it is a beautiful space: one of those rare places that make you feel a little more hip for being inside  it. Continue Reading…

DINNER January 30, 2009

San Lorenzo has been open for a while, but I couldn’t get the JJ to eat there with me. I understood why. It looked like all style and no substance. All valet parking, guys with gold medallions and girls with big hair. But reading Robert Beauchemin and Lesley Chesterman’s glowing reviews made us both a little more comfortable.  Beauchemin, especially, is money. If he says a restaurant is good, you can usually take it to the bank.

It’s a bit of an odd space. One of these newish looking spaces with all the charm of a shopping mall. It sports floating ceilings and lots of concrete that someone has tried to put lipstick on with big, old wooden tables, chandeliers, mirrors and tapestry. The overall effect isn’t bad, but the tiny skirt the waitress is wearing and Raging Bull playing on the projection screen  make you think you are much lower on St-Laurent than you really are. Having Christmas decorations still in the wall when it’s almost February is also a bit off putting. The menu is a cheap stapled jobs that you might get in a BYOW on Duluth and the minute it hits my hand I feel an impending sense of doom. Continue Reading…

DINNER January 22, 2009

Regular readers will already know the affection I bear for Mas Cuisine. I had the opportunity to dine at the restaurant again recently and wanted to post a brief description of the meal and some pictures. Once again, I was very impressed by the creativity and strength of execution of the kitchen.

Marinated salmon with curried cauliflower florets, raw grapes and pine nuts was an interesting on a number of levels. The silkiness of the fish layered on the rich pine nuts contrasted with the crunchy cauliflower and the sweet, acidic pop of the grapes, the whole bathed in undertones of turmeric, coriander and cumin. Continue Reading…