New Montreal Restaurant Thread

[EagerBeaver]

Three Hit or Miss Restaurants

Next on the restaurant parade are three classic "hit or miss" restaurants. What I mean by "hit or miss" is that depending on what you order, you will get something that is great, or terrible. All 3 I have eaten at many times, and the first two I went to mainly because of their proximity to the Omni on evenings that were cold as a witch's tit:

Mikasa (Peel): I only go here for the sushi, because the selection is good. The traditional Japanese fare they serve is not recommended. With regard to the sushi, they have a large menu of choices but some of them are misleadingly described. For example, I ordered the "tempura scallops" thinking I was getting batter fried scallops chopped and then placed and wrapped on sushi rice. What I got was scallops that were mixed with a lot of mayonnaise and tempura crunch. In fact, a lot of the sushi here seems to be made with mayonnaise, and you should ask the waitress rather than rely on the menu descriptions. There are some good sushi items, but you have to be real careful to stick to the classic stuff and avoid the nouveau rolls that are misleadingly advertised.

Zen (basement of Hotel Omni): They have an all you can eat special for $32/person, which I only tried once when I took Karyna of Eleganza here for dinner a few months ago. I let Karyna order a bunch of things, but the truth is that a bunch of them were not that great but a few were. To me the standout dishes are the vermicelli salad and the dumplings with peanut sauce, both of which I ordered a la carte when I returned last week. Avoid the chicken satays; they are served badly overcooked.

Reubens (St, Catherine between Peel and Stanley): A classic hit or miss restaurant. If you are like Doc Holliday and order the same thing every time you go there - the overstuffed Reubens smoked meat sandwich- you will be all set. If you are like me, and experiment and order and try different things, you will see they do some things well, like their buttermilk pancakes and potato latkes, and some things not so well, like their hamburgers. I ordered the All American Burger and it was served on a stale kaiser roll and badly overcooked, with little taste. I didn't even finish it, even though I was ravenously hungry when I arrived in Montreal and went there for lunch.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Weinstein & Gavino's

I had a pretty good lunch here a few months ago with Banger, so I let Special K talk me into going for dinner here one night last week. The dinner I had was not quite as good as the lunch. A big turnoff for me is the pounding decibel level of the music at this place, especially if you eat or drink at the bar on the lower level. However, we ate upstairs which is noticeably quieter and suitable for dinner conversation.

SK and I were joined by Voyager, Rumpleforeskin and Cloudsurf. I ordered a mixed greens salad, linguini with white clam sauce and for dessert, the apple cobbler a la mode. The only thing I really enjoyed was the apple cobbler. The veggies in the salad were not fresh, the dressing was weak and the pasta can best be described as very average tasting, with unusually tiny clams.

At least the conversation was interesting. Rumpleforeskin persisted with his aggressive efforts to recruit me to join him on a tour of FKK spas in Germany. Though well intentioned and well articulated, Rumples' recruiting pitch, at least as to me, was as misguided as a Steve Blass curveball, and ultimately was significantly less successful than the Yankees' efforts at recruiting Andy Pettite back into their rotation for 2008. Cloudsurf and Voyager were both caught up in discussing their recent hobbyist adventures (any claims by Cloudsurf of having retired were clearly belied by his recent escapades). It seems like at these gatherings, Special K is the only one of us levelheaded enough to monitor the tone and language used in conversation, lest it go badly astray within earshot of eavesdropping ears.

 

[chef]

......

Special K got some kind of egg creation which was served in an oval casserole dish. It looked like poached eggs of some kind with a hollandaise sauce and spinach over it. I am not sure what you call that in English or French.........

Eggs Florentine.

 

[Special K]

Eggs Florentine.

It's an amazing benedict of oeufs, jambon and espirard? Well worth it!! Oh and the talent serving us was worth the price alone.

 

[chef]

It's an amazing benedict of oeufs, jambon and espirard? Well worth it!! Oh and the talent serving us was worth the price alone.

If I'm not mistaken, the spinach is supposed to replace the ham for a true Florentine; you are not supposed to get both.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Chef,

Who said it was a "true Florentine"? I said in my original post that it was an "egg creation" and SK's follow up post also supported that. I would say that Martin's chef made something that was creative and possibly original. Maybe it was a hybrid between eggs benedict and florentine.

 

[chef]

...........
Zen-Ya [SIZE=-1]486 RUE SAINTE-CATHERINE OUEST (next door to FutureShop 2nd floor)[/SIZE] ............. I also like Zen-Ya for its setting, but the quality of the fish is not as good as Juni.........

I find the decor and lighting depressing. Was not impressed with the food, either.

I also don't like the black decor at Chasses et Peches; it is cold, especially since it is on the site of my ATF resto, Le Fadeau, which used to be really warmly decorated. The food was very mixed when I went there. Le Fadeau was the very best resto at which I have eaten.

 

[chef]

Chef,

Who said it was a "true Florentine"? I said in my original post that it was an "egg creation" and SK's follow up post also supported that. I would say that Martin's chef made something that was creative and possibly original. Maybe it was a hybrid between eggs benedict and florentine.

Check your original post - you did not identify the ham, hence my conclusion that it was a Florentine. "Chef creativity" ? I do it all the time

No fair - after I addressed your sideswipe about "chef creativity" you edited it out before I even had a chance to quote you. But, all is forgiven, Beav, old buddy.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Chef-

I did not identify the ham because I did not see it, nor did I try it. It was Special K's dish, not mine. What I was able to identify were an oval casserole dish, a poached egg-like appearing food item, a sauce on top of that item, and a green vegetable appearing substance on top of the sauce. That's all I identified and because I did not eat it or sample it, I could not identify anything else. But I am sure there was ham in there if SK says there was.

I did not see what they called it on the menu and whether it was "oefs benedict" or "oefs florentine", but I suspect it was called neither. I don't know the name of this dish in French or English.

If you go to Cafe Eggstase and speak French, you can describe what SK and I described in this thread, and I am sure they will direct you to what SK ordered. Go and give it a try!

 

[chef]

Chef-

I did not identify the ham because I did not see it, nor did I try it. It was Special K's dish, not mine. What I was able to identify were an oval casserole dish, a poached egg-like appearing food item, a sauce on top of that item, and a green vegetable appearing substance on top of the sauce. That's all I identified and because I did not eat it or sample it, I could not identify anything else. But I am sure there was ham in there if SK says there was.

Hehe! I love all of the "definite maybes" in your testimony

I did not see what they called it on the menu and whether it was "oefs benedict" or "oefs florentine", but I suspect it was called neither. I don't know the name of this dish in French or English.

Probably "oeufs en cocotte à la façon du chef"

If you go to Cafe Eggstase and speak French, you can describe what SK and I described in this thread, and I am sure they will direct you to what SK ordered. Go and give it a try!

I do speak French. Do you have any idea whether the English Muffin-appearing substances were any good? I have found that most places murder Eggs Benedict/Florentine/whatever by serving rubbery English Muffins....except of course Garcon!, who do a superb version.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Last week I managed to catch Special K and Voyager on the tail end of their trips to Montreal, and they both convinced me to join them for a late morning breakfast at the new breakfast eatery operated by the legendary Martin of XXXtase - Cafe Eggstase.

Great review of the restaurant, but i was just wondering if the owner of the place felt comfortable being openly associated with that other business he operates?

 

[EagerBeaver]

Doc,

Special K already posted a long review of Cafe Eggstase many weeks before I did (see post #606), and others also discussed it and Martin's association, so I only discussed that which has been on the Board for weeks if not months before I posted my own review. I suggest you take a look at some earlier reviews in this thread that predate my own. I did not discuss anything that was not discussed previously by others. Furthermore, if there was anything inappropriate in my post Martin never mentioned it to me and I communicated with him several times during and after my trip, by phone and by PM, and he never even mentioned the post. Martin himself has discussed the opening of his resto on this Board, also long prior to me discussing it.

By the ways, I also heard from a reliable source that Martin has now gotten some English translation menus, which was the one criticism I had of the place. Bravo, Martin!!!!!

Regarding Reubens, I recall a minimum of three lunches in which you ordered the smoked meat sandwich, eating the cole slaw last each time.

 

[EagerBeaver]

..... Martin knows you're Eagerbeaver when he's spoken with you on the phone?

The last time I spoke to him, he had no idea who I was. I identified myself by my real name. He asked me if I was Voyager (by Voyager's first name), whom he had apparently spoken to earlier in the day (NOTE: Voyager and I have different names). I told him I wasn't. He then asked me if I was EagerBeaver. I told him I was. This was after I had eaten at his restaurant. He doesn't know me, has never met me (as I stated in my review) and clearly doesn't recognize my voice. To him, I am just another American sounding dude.

I think he may remember me if I call and ID myself by my real name and where I am from.

 

[EagerBeaver]

So Martin now knows the real name of EagerBeaver. Only first name I hope.

Actually he knows nothing, and I doubt he even recalls the conversation. I only used a first name, and I seriously doubt he remembers the name unless it's connected with something else, namely a location. The guy does not speak English brilliantly and he did not recall conversations I had had with him in the past when reminded of them. All I am to him is another guy who speaks with a New England accent, Maxima. And when I call him I never say, "hey! it's EagerBeaver, remember me dude?" It's for that reason that he has no clue who I am when I call. If you are looking for a conspiracy theory you need to look elsewhere. I am a bit mystified why this thread has gotten sidetracked with COMPLETE BULLSHIT.

The guy runs a good restaurant, and that is all that matters. If his resto was shit I would not be afraid to say so. In truth it was a lot better than what I expected. You guys should go there instead of posting bs. See my prior review which is 100% accurate.

For the record, Martin never knew I was in his restaurant until my meal had been ordered and consumed (and paid for in full by me). I spoke to him AFTER THE FACT and I told him over the phone what I thought of his restaurant, which is the same as what I posted here.

It's pretty fucking pathetic to speculate that someone would use their handle to try and get a good breakfast. A good breakfast? I mean, come on!!!!!!!!!! Martin isn't the cook there............and the guy who is probably doesn't speak a word of English. And I don't speak any French.

 

[Special K]

Any chance to see his waitresses work at the agency as well?

You'll have to dine at the resto to find out.

 

[EagerBeaver]

It was so not you to reveal anything personal to an operator and throw caution out the window. It was a surprise to me.

How is anything personal revealed when someone is talking to you and they think they are talking to someone else, then well into conversation they suddenly realize it's not who they think they are talking to, and randomly guess at what your FAKE identity is? Maxima, come on! How many times does this have to be explained before you get it? I gave him my name but he evidently didn't get it (I am an Anglophone, he is a Francophone) and he thought he was speaking to fellow New Englander Voyager (who has a different name). Duh. The guy obviously does not have a degree in New England accentology 101; not many native Montrealers do.

Maxima, do me a favor and go to the resto and contribute to this thread with your own review - good, bad or indifferent. Or at least find some other resto to review. You will find the answer to your question if you go. And let's get back to discussing restos rather than collateral issues which, in fact, are not issues.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Okay, back on the subject:

A&W (located at the Complexe Desjardins foodcourt):
This fast-food joint is part of a large chain located all across North-America. You either see them in malls at foodcourts or on the side of a highway in a small orange building. Their expertise is burgers & they make their own root beer, which is also sold in supermarkets & his extremely popular.

Types of burgers: teen burger, double-teen burger, mamma burger, papa burger, etc. Back in the ol' days when i first discovered A&W, things were different. It was known as a drive-in back then. You'd park your car in a parking lot & each lot had its own speaker, where you'd tell them your order. Five to ten minutes later, a waitress would come out with a tray, install it adjacent to your car window, and your food would be lying on it. Nice setup at first, but not very pleasant in cold or rainy weather. They dropped this format years later when the company nearly went under, however, it eventually made a comeback & what added to its success was it's very popular tv ads with the famous A&W root bear. As for the burgers, the teen burger is its most popular. It's the only burger containing a slice of cheese, unless you request it for the other burgers. The mamma burger is an all-dressed burger with all the works (no relish, though), the papa burger is basically the same but with two patties, and the grandpa burger has three beef patties. Personally, i prefer the double-teen burger without cheese or the mamma burger. Before i forget, the chain used to offer Baby burger back in the days when i first discovered the restaurant. It's no longer omn their menu. It was a smaller burger with a smaller pattie & not much else.

Fries: I find their fries quite good, but not as good as McDonald's fries. I never put salt on my food, but for some reason, salt is a must when eating A&W fries.

Rootbeer: The rootbeer is fantastic! I always take it without ice. Ice was always a marketing device used to fool the consummer into thinking soft drinks taste better with ice. All it really was was a ploy to save beverage & make more money. The drink is always chilled, no matter if there's ice in it or not. I always take my soft drinks without ice since i don't like watery-tasting soft drinks.

Pricing: It's competitive, but slightly more than what you'd pay in a McDonald's or other burger joint (unless it's located at an airport, which is usually more pricy than elsewhere). They offer few specials, but usually have a 2-for-1 daily special going on every day. If it's my burger of choice on special, i'll take it (without fries). These days, it's the Mozza burger that's on special. Not my bag.

Other items are also available, such as onion rings. No hot dogs are offered & likely never will be. All in all, the food is decent & it tends to be addictive. I try to avoid it as much as possible whenever i stay at the Hyatt Regency, but it's difficult since i get that craving whenever i pass by the A&W counter. I also feel the same way about St-Hubert BBQ, but that review will follow sometimes in the future. As for the service, it's prompt & it only takes about 2 minutes or so for your food to be ready. Tidbit: I once bought half a dozen of these burgers & gave them to the beggars (including a couple of young women) who can sometimes be seen walking around the foodcourt begging people for food & money. Most were appreciative & one even came back & asked for more.

 

[bond_james_bond]

USA Today reviews Patati Patata:

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2007-12-26-montreal-patati-patata_N.htm

 

[chef]

Notes From A Recent Visit to Europea

On a recent visit to Europea I noted that 3 things I had complained here about the resto in the past had improved. Maybe they are monitoring this thread and changed according to my critique? Nah ! I am flattering myself! In any case, they are:

- the risotto cromesqui (deep-fried rice ball) seemed to be lighter and tasty, which is a definite plus since they always serve it.

- the lobster cappuccino had a bit of a sharp after-taste in the past. Not any more. It is now velvety, creamy, and smooth. As I was drinking it, the phrase "deeply satisfying" came to mind.

- the pre-dessert chocolate ravioli is not doughy any more. It is now light and most enjoyable.

I finally tasted their "chaud-froid" of foie gras. The "foie gras au torchon" of Garcon! is definitely better, as it is lighter and tastier. It is perhaps a case where, like chocolate, it should not be served cold. But Europea gets points for serving hot toast with theirs, whereas Garcon! does not, unfortunately, or it would be sublime. I can't remember Garcon!'s seared foie gras, but Europea's was silky smooth; however, I thought it could have spent a bit more time in the pan.

 

[gohabsgo]

Has anyone tried Restaurant Rosalie on de la Montagne?