1226 Van Horne Ave. (near Bloomfield); 514-271-7502 Website: leparisbeurre. com; no wheelchair access; reservations are essential; vegetarian-friendly; Parking: Small lot next to the restaurant or street with meters. Price range: $$-$$$
Four years ago, I had one of those dream bistro dinners at Outremont's Le Paris-Beurre. The dream bistro dinner is all about garlicky terrines, lush salads, melting confit, toothsome bavettes, rich profiteroles and silky custard creams. Add some inky French red wines and a charming waiter to the mix and you have the dream bistro dinner. Le Paris-Beurre also has this great out-of-a-Truffaut-film bistro setting and an attractive service staff and crowd of Outremont regulars straight out of central casting.
1251 Gilford St. (corner Brébeuf), 514-658-1839. Open: Tuesday to Saturday, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. No wheelchair access. Reservations are essential. Major cards. Not especially vegetarian friendly. Parking easy on surrounding streets. Price range: $$-$$$.
Published on Apr 09, 2010
A service station at Le Quartier Général
Am I ever excited about this week’s restaurant, and if there’s one thing this column needs lately, it’s something to get excited about. After a barrage of lackluster restaurants to review in 2010, I’m happy – no, make that thrilled – to report on a solid newcomer. And on top of that, it’s a bring-your-own-wine establishment. Take note, restaurant-goers, this column’s worth saving.
4115 St. Denis St. (near Duluth Ave.) 514-903-5089. www.restaurantlescavistes.com. Major cards. No wheelchair access. Parking difficult on street; try the paying lot on the corner of Roy and Rivard Sts.
Reservations are essential. Price range: $$-$$$.
Published on Jan 30, 2010
Street view of Les Cavistes
It was quite the “deer in the headlights” moment when I was dropped off in front of Les Cavistes. Located on St. Denis St. between Rachel St. and Duluth Ave., the restaurant looked so appealing from the outside that I understood why it took two tries to nab a reservation.
1083 Beaver Hall Hill; 514-861-2634; www.andiamo.ca; no wheelchair access; reservations are essential; vegetarian friendly; major cards; price range:$$-$$$.
Mussels with chorizo sausage, tomatoes and white wine
Lunch is a beat I rarely cover in this column, and for that I apologize. The reason is that most restaurants serve a cheaper, abbreviated menu at lunch and, as most chefs work nights, it's often the B team doing the cooking. And then there's the time thing. Catering to the harried business crowd, many restaurants aim to serve lunch in less than an hour. At night, dinner is a leisurely affair, which for me is essential for enjoying a luxurious meal. Yet there are now so many excellent restaurants doing lunch that I've decided to investigate, starting with the 4-month-old Andiamo.
160 Laurier Ave. W. (corner Jeanne Mance St.); 514-495-7666; www.greasyspoon.ca; major cards; no wheelchair access; parking on the street with meters; vegetarian friendly; reservations are essential; price range: $$-$$$.
Greasy Spoon's poutine
It boggles the mind to see how many new sources there are for Montreal restaurant reviews on the Internet. Besides newspapers, you'll find message boards, blogs, sites dedicated solely to restaurants, Twitterers, Facebook pages and so much more. I recently had dinner with a fellow newspaper critic who told me he rarely reads other people's reviews.
I do. Well, the good ones at least, where I can actually tie a real name to some wise thoughts. What I find fascinating about this chorus of critics is that it tends to sing very different notes when it comes to most restaurants, even the biggies. Yet most everyone seems to be in agreement over one new restaurant: Greasy Spoon. If there is one positive review to be read about the place, please point it out to me.
So allow me to be the first, then, or at least one of the first, to say I like Greasy Spoon
330 Mount Royal Ave. E. (corner Drolet St.); Phone: 514-286-0123; www.aucinquiemepeche.com; wheelchair access; reservations are essential, major cards; vegetarian friendly; price range: $$$.
Seal appetizer: seal salami salad, smoked seal and seal croquette
Summer is a season for open-plan restaurants, terrasses and places where you can sit bare-legged, savouring a fish tartare next to a floor-to-ceiling window while soaking up warm breezes. And yet it's funny how now, with fall lurking in the shadows, I'm already eager to get back into the black turtleneck bistro mode complete with heady Côtes-du-Rhône wines and a steaming plate of cassoulet. I'm a sucker for neighbourhood bistros, with their blackboards, charismatic waiters and checkered floors. I also like the intimacy of such small restaurants, where one group of people having a few laughs is enough to create ambience for the entire room. Add a few Piaf tunes to the mix and you have the makings for one memorable restaurant outing.
236 St. Zotique St. E. (corner Alma St.); 514-273-5776; www.ilmulino.ca; wheelchair access; reservations are essential; valet parking; vegetarian friendly; major cards; price range: $$$-$$$$.
Photo The Gazette
Chef Tony De Rose and partner Aniello Covone
Ever have the perfect restaurant dinner? I've dined out hundreds of times but have only experienced a handful. What do I mean by perfect? Seamless service, welcoming ambience, appealing surroundings, skilled wine choices, and, most especially, flawless food.
6422 St. Laurent Blvd. (corner Beaubien St.); 514-276-0444; www.apolloglobe.com; wheelchair access; reservations recommended; major cards; vegetarian friendly; parking easy on surrounding streets; price range: $$-$$$.
Seafood Salad at Apollo Bistro
There is no Montreal chef I find harder to review than Giovanni Apollo. This is the fourth time I'm writing-up one of his restaurants, and I'm just as puzzled after this meal as I've been in the past.
The first review came in 2001, after I dined at Tentation, a restaurant with excellent if somewhat fussy food, located in a dreary space unworthy of its glitzy occupant. The next was for The Lychee Supper Club, where the surroundings were impressive, but the fussiness of the food veered out of control. Think bison tataki with sautéed Thai vegetables and grilled shiitake mushrooms. Get the picture?
3610 Wellington St.(near LaSalle Blvd.); 514-768-4224; www.simplechic.ca; major cards; no wheelchair access; vegetarian-friendly; parking easy on the street; price range: $$$.
Tables overlooking Wellington St.
Restaurant reviews usually focus on new restaurants, 'cause we all want to know if the new bistro getting the buzz really is all that. Once said establishment has been reviewed, the fact that it draws crowds is testimony to its success. Yet, restaurants are a work in progress. Or, worst-case scenario, a work that ceases to progress. All too often, I have endorsed restaurants that eventually fail to hold up their side of the bargain. People think that time can only make a restaurant better. But often it's the opposite: the restaurant goes from sharp to unfocused. Case in point: Simpléchic.
2347 de l'Eglise St., Val-David; 819-322-3196; www.restaurantleszebres.com; major cards; wheelchair access; parking lot on site; vegetarian friendly; price range: $$-$$$.
Entranceway at Les Zèbres
I spent the past month holed up in a chalet in the Laurentians watching the rain come down. As grim as that may sound, it wasn't. Turns out loon-watching is exceedingly entertaining, jam-making never gets old, and I can now pinpoint the exact two-millimeter hole in my leaky roof. Anyway, the best thing about the Laurentians is that if you're willing to drive a bit, there are endless discoveries to be made, one of the best being the town of Val-David.
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