SubscribeA hazy category which, for lack of a better definition, is the food of our continent. Derived from the multitude of culinary traditions that have been imported to North America, and the interaction of their techniques and recipes with our local ingredients, North American cuisine is among the most accepting of change and adaptation. It is often focused on local ingredients and may be characterized as fusion. In Quebec, it includes a number of restaurants inspired by traditional French Canadian fare and has strong bonds to French cuisine . Some of the best and most interesting restaurants in Montreal fall into this category.
LA CHRONIQUE
If I had to pick my favourite restaurant in Montreal it would be La Chronique. This little jewel-box of a restaurant, all dark wood and red tones set off with black and white photographs exudes a classic warmth. Chef Marc de Canck is a wizard with sauces and French technique is evident in the well conceived andtechnically stunning market based cuisine that relies heavily on local ingredients. This is food that emphasizes purity of ingredients and real thought in conception. Portions are generous, the wine list well thought out and the service is always excellent. The lunch menu is a fantastic deal although the food tends to be not as eye-popping as during the evening service.
BLOG REVIEWS
March 2, 2008
http://www.montrealfoodie.com/reviews-and-opinion/2008/3/3/la-chronique-chronique-bussoniere-montreal-highlights.html
CONTACT
99 Laurier West
514.271.3095
AU PIED DE COCHON
Chef Martin Picard has made a name for himself with his innovative French Canadian inspired cuisine, making liberal use of foie gras and other luxury items combined with oft-discarded ingredients such as liver, tongue and pig’s feet. Au Pied de Cochon features high end versions of local comfort food, such as the excellent foie gras poutine, and the pig’s foot stuffed with foie gras. The seafood is painstakingly sourced and very fresh and the meat dishes are generous and hearty. The space, all wood and brick with nary a tablecloth in sight, is rustic, warm and welcoming.Personally, I think Au Pied de Cochon is a restaurant that gets a little too much hype. Nonetheless, as the finest example of a successful French Canadian restaurant, Au Pied de Cochon is a must-visit.
BLOG REVIEWS
June 22, 2008
http://www.montrealfoodie.com/reviews-and-opinion/2008/7/4/au-pied-de-cochon.html
CONTACT
536 Duluth East
514.281.1114
LE CLUB CHASSE ET PECHE
A definite contender for top restaurant in Montreal, CCP serves contemporary fare influenced by a multiplicity of sources with a strong emphasis on technique and presentation . Try the Surf and Turf, a constantly changing take on the traditional steak and lobster tail that might feature kobe sirloin and butter poached lobster tail one day and kurobota pork paired with grilled jumbo shrimp the next. The decor is inventive and does a fantastic job of transforming the low ceilings, tiny windows and claustrophobic rooms of a fur trade-era Old Montreal building into a slick, spacious and seductive dining room. CCP is a real winner and an experience not to be missed.
BLOG REVIEWS
None
CONTACT
423 St-Claude
514.861.1112
TOQUÉ
Toqué is often overlooked by local foodies, perhaps because this Relais & Chateaux member is a step above price-wise than its contemporaries. While it is true that Toqué does not present much of a value in Montreal terms, if you take cost out of the equation it might still be the top restaurant in the city. If Michelin were to come knocking, Toqué would be first in line to be starred for its inventive and rigorous cuisine and the ironclad consistency of chef Normand Laprise’s brigade. It may have lost a little of its soul in moving from St-Denis to its current location in the Caisse building, but this restaurant still delivers. Toqué, with its impeccably professional service,expensive décor, obsessive plate presentations and big ticket prices is in the mold of big name New York restaurants and it compares favourably to many of them.
BLOG REVIEWS
None
CONTACT
900 Place Riopelle
514.499.2084
COCAGNE
Cocagne is, in more ways than one, a descendant of Toqué. Not only does it now occupy the same locale in which Toqué became a Montreal stalwart but its head chef is one of Laprise’s former sous-chefs. The accent is on local ingredients, French technique and updated Quebec classics, all of which are treated very seriously. Cocagne is, in my opinion, one of the more underrated restaurants in Montreal and offers great value for the serious foodie.
BLOG REVIEWS
May 16, 2008
http://www.montrealfoodie.com/reviews-and-opinion/2008/5/20/cocagne.html
CONTACT
3842 St-Denis
514.286.0700
LA MONTÉE
Formerly known as La Montée de Lait, a tiny restaurant in the upper plateau that punched well above its weight, La Montée shortened its name and moved to the cheesier part of downtown albeit in a very nice old house. The innovative menu, which allowed you to pick four or seven appetizer-sized plates from a choice of entrees, mains, cheese and dessert, has also been reduced to a more manageable number. The kitchen is strong technically and can produce whimsical dishes that still knock your socks off, the products are local, there is a strong emphasis on presentation and the results very satisfying. Past highlights have included scallops with boudin, tempura salmon fish & chips, suckling pig with white beans and pina colada panna cotta with poached pineapple.
BLOG REVIEWS
October 19, 2007
http://www.montrealfoodie.com/reviews-and-opinion/2007/10/20/montee-de-lait.html
February 22, 2008
http://www.montrealfoodie.com/reviews-and-opinion/2008/2/24/montee-de-lait-4th-year-anniversary-montreal-highlights.html
CONTACT
1424 Bishop
514.289.9921
BISTRO BIENVILLE
It was not long after opening that this tiny neighbourhood bistro captured the hearts of Montreal critics and foodies but it still seems to fly under the radar. With room to seat about twenty and an open kitchen, this is an intimate spot but the casual-chic décor stops it form being claustrophobic. The accessibility of the market influenced cuisine is apparent in an abbreviated menu on which the accent is on plates for two such as grilled fish, game hen or filet de boeuf béarnaise with sides. The staff are friendly , the wine pours freely, heat radiates out of the kitchen and the decibel level in the dining room rises to boisterous levels. Reservations are a must.
BLOG REVIEWS
August 15, 2008
http://www.montrealfoodie.com/reviews-and-opinion/2008/8/28/bistro-bienville.html
CONTACT
4650 Mentana
514.509.1269
KITCHEN GALERIE
Jean-Phillipe Saint-Denis was already a known quantity in Montreal before he opened Kitchen Galerie with Mathieu Cloutier, but it’s fair to say that this restaurant has pushed him over the top. There are no waiters at Kitchen Galerie and the menu, which changes, daily is short and ingredient driven. The chefs take your order, pour your wine and profer chit-chat all while banging out top notch French influenced market cuisine which is simple but immensely satisfying. It helps that the Jean-Talon market is not 50 feet from their backdoor.
BLOG REVIEWS
August 18, 2007
http://www.montrealfoodie.com/reviews-and-opinion/2007/8/18/kitchen-galerie.html
CONTACT
60 Jean-Talon E.
514.315.8994
JOLIFOU
Far off the beaten track in Rosemont lies Jolifou, a charming little restaurant where French and Latin influences meet a real dedication to sourcing quality products. Dishes like poached fish in a mussel broth on a bed of avocado or bison asado, are worth the detour. A vintage toy dots every table in this cozy, yet modern space and the service is as friendly as you’ll find anywhere. The kitchen is not as consistent as it might be, but even when the food at Jolifou isn’t perfect it’s usually very, very good.
BLOG REVIEWS
February 15, 2008
http://www.montrealfoodie.com/reviews-and-opinion/2008/2/21/le-jolifou.html
July 17, 2009
http://www.montrealfoodie.com/reviews-and-opinion/2009/7/19/jolifou.html
CONTACT
1840 Beaubien E.
514.722.2175
MAS RESTAURANT
In our very own version of the Paris bistronomique movement, chef Michel Ross closes a very succesful restaurant on the Plateau to re-emerge in Verdun with low overhead, a small crew and great food at low prices. The resulting restaurant, Mas Cuisine, is probably the most impressive to open its doors in Montreal in quite a while. Elegant food featuring local ingredients, great professional wait staff and a bargain basement wine list all conspire to make this 20-seater a hard table to book. You can get more glamorous in Montreal, but you can’t get a better deal for a great meal.
BLOG REVIEWS
April 18, 2009
http://www.montrealfoodie.com/reviews-and-opinion/2009/4/23/mas-cuisine.html
CONTACT
3779 Wellington
Verdun
514.544.3779
RESERVOIR
Okay let’s get to the point. Reservoir is a micro-brewery. So how does it fit in with all these serious restaurants? Quite well in fact. With an accent on fresh and local and a real eye for combining seemingly incongruous flavour, chef Samuel Pinard might be at the helm of one of the best value restaurants in Montreal. Try the salmon tartare and tell me it isn’t so. Reservoir also offers, hands down, one of the most interesting (and for my money, the best) brunch experiences in town. Remember, it still is a micro-brewery so there are no reservations and, depending on when you go, you can expect more of a bar scene than a quiet dinner, but the food makes it all worthwhile. Pinard’s newer joint, Salle A Manger, is actually a real restaurant with similarly influenced food but on a grander scale. While it is a solid restaurant, it doesn’t represent nearly the same value as Reservoir nor was the food so blindingly good that it makes this list on that basis alone.
BLOG REVIEWS
June 15, 2008
http://www.montrealfoodie.com/reviews-and-opinion/2008/6/18/reservoir.html
CONTACT
Reservoir
9 Duluth E.
514.849.7779
