New Montreal Restaurant Thread

[chef]

..........
For those of you who still suspect that Chef has been shilling for Europea, I have received independent confirmation of the excellence of this rue de la Montagne eatery. I was comparing culinary notes with another American guest who was staying at the Omni and he told me the best meal he had all week was at Europea. He told me that he and his wife ate there, he spent $200, and "it was worth every penny." It was clear from our conversation that during the week, he had eaten at many high end restaurants that I was familiar with, so I did not take this praise lightly.

Thanks Beav. I was always concerned that I would be accused of shilliing for them. I really do like the restaurant. I just wish that they would do away with their risotto cromesqui amuse bouche; it is a bland, deep-fried rice ball that is no indication of what is to follow. I had a really superb salmon tartare there the last time; it was a "gift from the chef" (an extra course) while we were waiting for our main courses. I tried to replicate it at home, to no avail; I do need the recipe.

BTW Mikasa once gave me a salmon tataki as an extra, and it too was great.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Hurley's (Crescent Street): we went to Hurley's, which does not exactly have the greatest burgers in the Crescent Street area ....The burger was overcooked and hard as a bull's prick, but with all the crap they dressed it with, it was reasonably tasty and I wolfed it down pretty quick.

I've been going to Hurley's for years & i hadn't even realized that they cook food there. Wow! You learn new stuff every day!

 

[EagerBeaver]

Doc,

Hurley's has a pretty standard menu consisting of typical pub food: nachos, wings, burgers, a few other kinds of sandwiches, some salads also I believe. I haven't eaten anything there that was better than average for pub food. They have some kind of beef sandwich that Special K likes, but I have not tried it.

The kitchen closes at about 10:00 p.m.

 

[Special K]

we were supposed to meet up there with Voyager and Special K. Calls were placed to both Voyager and Special K, and they later claimed not to have gotten them. In any event, I told Rumples I wanted to eat something so I ordered the house everything hamburger, and I believe Rumples ordered the roast beef au jus sandwich. After this, we paid our bill and left because SK and Voyager at that point were no shows (I heard they showed up later).

Waaaah...waaaahhh...stop your fucken whining Beav...If you weren't such a bitch and didn't have to be in bed by the time the street lights came on every night you could've stayed and had a great time. We showed up a few minutes after you left with one of your greatest admirers in tow as well...Too bad you missed him.

 

[EagerBeaver]

SK,

As I explained I had about 2 hours sleep the prior 3 nights combined, and none at all in the prior 48 hours despite travelling 2 days. Under those circumstances, one does not exactly feel like partying the night away. Unfortunately, this insomnia situation is an ongoing thing with me.

By the ways, this thread now has 33,215 views and 592 replies since it was started. Keep the reviews coming.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Casey's Bar & Grill

I found out recently that other than at the airport, there was a Casey's to be found in Mtl. However, it's not exactly close to downtown. I'd estimate it to be a 15 minute drive & i recommend having a navigator (GPS) in your vehicle in order to make it easier to locate.

It's located next to a mall & also has an outside 'terrasse'. The restaurant is fairly nice, but similar to most of the other Casey's Restaurants located throughout Canada. The waitress was very friendly & cute, and told one of my buddies to go for the burger instead of the fajitas when he asked her for advice. I wasn't that hungry since i had already had lunch at my favorite restaurant (Reuben's), so i just ordered chicken wings & chicken noodles soup. It took a while for their food to arrive. The restaurant was somewhat empty & we couldn' figure out why it would take over a half hour at least to get our food. The wings were good, but nothing to write home about. The burgers my buddies ordered were very good, but one of them had trouble concentrating on the food since he probably would be running late for an appointment with an sp scheduled for late afternoon. I joked to him when he'd speak to the agency owner to advise of a slight delay that he should tell him "now you know how the client feels when he has to wait for the girl."

We finally were able to leave the restaurant about 5 minutes prior to my buddy's scheduled appointment & he did advise the booker once again that he'd be about 10 minutes late. That's what happens when you go too far to have lunch prior to an appointment!

All in all, nice restaurant, but too much traffic going by the 'terrasse'. Cute waitresses, but it took longer than usual for our food to arrive. Oh yes, before i forget. The waitress told me that my wings could have been ready sooner, but one of the waiters had mistakenly grabbed the order and gave it to his table. So i had to wait for his original order to be ready & she brought it to me soon after she brought my buddies' burgers. No big deal & i suppose i'm not gonna make a big fuss (unlike other people) for her honesty.

Do i recommend this restaurant? No.

Reason for not recommending it: Too far from downtown. Not worth the 15 minute drive.

Note: I would have recommended it if it was located downtown. But there's not that difference between what's on its menu & what's on the menu at the Hard Rock Cafe. An hour later, i went to the Hard Rock Cafe (my 2nd most popular place to eat) with another buddy & had my usual, which are the classic chicken wings. It is my opinion that the Hard Rock Cafe has the best chicken wings i've ever eaten anywhere!

Casey's Bar & Grill
1031, rue du Marché Central
Montreal, PQ

 

[Special K]

The burgers my buddies ordered were very good, but one of them had trouble concentrating on the food since he probably would be running late for an appointment with an sp scheduled for late afternoon.

I too would not recommend Casey's for their burgers. It was average at best and would've been a better choice to go to Baton Rouge for burgers.

 

[EagerBeaver]

I too would not recommend Casey's for their burgers. It was average at best and would've been a better choice to go to Baton Rouge for burgers.

Baton Rouge does indeed make a very good (and good sized) charbroiled burger, but as I mentioned in my review earlier in this thread, avoid their BBQ burger. Baton Rouge's barbecue sauce has way too much molasses for my taste, and is inferior to most barbecue sauces I have had south of the border. However there are plenty of other good burger choices on the menu, and if you need to have a sauce on your Baton Rouge burger, stick to good ole ketchup.

 

[Doc Holliday]

I am going to be in montreal next week and i am wondering if there is any restaurants around the cresent street area of montreal where you can go at lunch time and get a good variety of homemade soups. Such as chicken noodle, vegetable soup, beef barley and so on. Sometimes i like something light like this at lunchtime but on my last couple of trips to montreal i wandered up and down st catherines and could not find what i was looking for.

Soup and Noodles (corner of St-Marc & Ste-Catherine) is very good. It rated #1 in various "Mirror" reader polls over the years.

Soup and Noodles (1871 Ste-Catherine W., 933-0531)

 

[putneyswope]

Duck cofit, at it's best???

Which restaurant is the best for duck confit???

 

[chef]

Which restaurant is the best for duck confit???

I asked this question a while ago as I am particularly fond of duck confit. I did not get any responses. Surprisingly, the one at Pied de Cochon is not good.

 

[chateaulafite]

I love confit de canard, and for me the best in Montreal is definitivelly the one serve at Le P'tit Plateau

Small place in the heart of "Plateau Mont-Royal"

It's a "bring your wine" restaurant

service is very very rude but food is outstanding

Confit de canard Mulard is offered "à la carte" for 28$ (at my last visit)

Entrée (5 or 6 choices) are around 8 or 9 $ and dessert (also 5 or 6 choices) are also around 8 or 9$

Adress is : 330 Marie-Anne est

Marie-Anne is one street south of Mont-Royal avenue and the vresto is on the corner of Drolet wich is one street west from St-Denis

Phone number : (514) 282-6342

Reservation necessary, it's small and always packed.

Only bad thing : two services, one at 18h00 and one at 21h00. If you are at the one at 18h00 you have to leave the place for the one for 21h00. So you cannot decide to arrive at 19h00 or 20h00

I agree that Pied de Cochon is not the place for confit de canard, it's the place for Foie Gras de canard

Few years ago, Le P'tit Plateau used to serve an amazing Cassoulet Toulousain (with off course a full leg of confit de canard). I don't know why, they stopped to offered it even if it was one off their best sellers

 

[Dee]

Coupons for Montreal restaurants here:

http://www.restomontreal.ca/restaurants/features/montreal-restaurant-coupons.php?lang=en

 

[chef]

An European (sic) Lunch

A couple of weeks ago, at loose ends around lunchtime, I decided that it was time for me to try the $25 lunch special at Europea; it was recommended to me highly by the much-maligned GG.

The place was busy, but not full, so I got in without a reservation, and without waiting for a table.

I started with a glass of Sancerre; it was from a new house I did not recognize and cannot remember, but it was better than Chateau de Sancerre and not as good as Henri Bourgeois.

The lunch special is now $26.50 and consists of 3 courses from a limited selection (the way I like it).

First was a risotto cromesqui with "mayonnaise", the one thing I really don't like there as it is tasteless. I wolfed it down so I could not taste its tastelessness !

Next was the lobster capuccino. They have changed the recipe so that it's now tomato-based. It was still quite nice, but there was a bit of a bitter aftertaste to it. I still maintain that the one I make is better.

Then came the cauliflower "taboulleh" - cooked and finely diced, and served cold, with a hot, grilled shrimp. That the veggie was served cold was a surprise, but it worked surprisingly well.

While waiting for my main course I got a "gift from the chef" - the salmon gravlax I enjoyed so much before. It was sublime !

My main course was prosciutto-wrapped halibut that was probably oven-roasted. It was interesting to compare it with the halibut I had at Garcon! a few weeks prior. Garcon! had a definite edge over Europea when it came to texture, but for a more robust flavour Europea was better. My preference was for Garcon's as it was more delicate, but Europea's was no slouch.

Dessert was a multi-item affair: citrus financier (a misnomer), cassis (I think) sorbet, caramelised apples with whipping cream, an impossibly small but delicious coconut macaroon, and some meringues. They were all excellent.

The only difference I could see between this $26.50 lunch and Europea's $46.50 table d'hote at dinner (besides the price) was the pre-dessert (chocolate ravioli - not my favourite) and the tuxedo strawberries. It was excellent value for the money.

Before leaving I was given a tiny cake "to go with your coffee tomorrow".

 

[sadbuttrue]

Just tried Bonaparte's today per CK's recommendation. Excellent restaurant and staff.

I wasin a trying mood, so I had the Lobster Bisque, Escargot, Quail and the Venison all very good.

The Escargot was wrapped in a flaky shell so it had the look of the top of a Lemon Meringue pie.

Total was $76, but you have to count all the things I had .

-Sad-

 

[montreal_monk01]

Just discovered a very nice restaurant if you are into exotical cuisine:
Le Piton de La Fournaise, 835, ave. Duluth E. (Plateau Mont-Royal)
It's french creole cuisine from Reunion Islands (Indian Ocean).
Impressive top-notch quality food, savourish dishes with a very talented cook. They have the "Bring your own wine" formula.
Just make sure to go there in the week (Wednesday particularly) when their chef Marcel works. Avoid the Fri,Sat (the cooks are not bad ... just not as talented as their main chef). The decoration is cute, clean, warmly exotical.
http://www.restolepiton.com/
http://www.restomontreal.ca/restaur...searchresults&q=piton de la fournaise&lang=fr
Enjoy!

 

[smuler]

Montreal Monk- I went there last year. Located by a nice park, in a residential part of the city. I wish I could remember what I had ( a bit stoned thanks to my escort buddy). But it was a fish dish, with nice sides. I called weeks ahead for a table from the US. Pleasant experience from the taking of the reservation, to the end of the meal. Since it was BYOB, I paired this fish meal with a Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA ( 9 %) .

Best Regards

Smuler

 

[chef]

Khyber Pass

I had dinner tonight at Khyber Pass, an Afghan resto on the Plateau (on Duluth). Getting to the Plateau from the 720 was half the battle as there were so many roads closed; the other half of the battle was finding parking on the Plateau.

I bought a bottle of a very unremarkable Chablis (William Fevre 2006, $23), but then we were using bog-standard glasses with rolled rims; it's a BYOB resto.

The resto was quite busy, and it took a while before our order was taken. My dinner companion and I shared two appetizers: fried eggplant with yogourt sauce, and fried pumpkin with tomato sauce ($6.95 each). Both were tender and really delicious. For mains we both selected lamb ($17.95 each), one with spinach and 3 types of rice, and the other with rice, raisins and julienned carrots; there was a cucumber and tomato salad on each plate. The portions were enormous. The lamb was tender and very tasty. There was no room for dessert.

Dinner for two (excluding the wine and the tip) was $56.

Definitely recommended.

 

[montreal_monk01]

Big thanks to the Gents who recommended "Le Bonaparte"

I went there last night with my girlfriend.
Both her and I are not picky, but our Saturday night romantic dinner is a tradition we have to enjoy in a good restaurant, and Le Bonaparte was a great welcome pleasurable discovery for us: nice romantic setup, great service, great choice of wine, and most importantly: a savourish cuisine prepared by a talented chef (My girlfriend had the "Leg of duck confit with fricassée of mushrooms" and I had the "Wild boar marinated with red wine and fresh pasta"). Again, big thanks to the ones who shared their appreciation of this great restaurant.

 

[voyageur11]

For those of you coming to Laval www.lesmenusplaisirs.ca.