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Chez Tousignant

24 Jan

In Quebec, the casse-croute is a tradition. That little neighbourhood joint where you get a nice simple breakfast, a greasy lunch, dinner or even just a coffee and a doughnut. Nowadays for most of us, we think of casse-croutes as those greasy spots by the highway or the Belle Province you go to grab a bit after a late night outing. Not exactly the highest of quality.

As an unabashed fan of Michele Forgione and Stefano Faita – and their drive to make everything homemade within their restaurants GEMA and Impasto – All the “test” pictures of burgers, bread, hot dogs and doughnuts that Michele has been posting on Instagram for the past year or so have been killing me. When would we be getting this ideal old school casse-croute? Finally, just prior to the holidays, it finally arrived: Chez Tousignant run by Impasto’s previous chef de cuisine (and originator of the idea) Yann Turcotte. I was away for 2 weeks but as soon as I came back, it was clear that I needed to finally satisfy the cravings from all those pictures.

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Located on Drolet near the Jean Talon market, Chez Tousignant has a great old school diner look – the neon sign in front, the ceramic tiled floor, the metal-topped tables and counters, the stools. Everything even down to the menu signs fits the old style.

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Foodwise, this is a casse-croute through and through. On my first visit, I went classic – a Michigan hot dog and some fries. The fries were great – as you need at a diner – but right now, we NEED to focus on that hot dog. Homemade all-beef dog. Homemade potato bun. Topped with homemade meat sauce and cheese curds. Good lord this thing was amazing. Officially the best hot dog I have ever had and it’s not even close. The all-natural beef frank is such a change from the usual industrial variety. Cooked on the griddle, it had a nice crunch to it while still having a nice tender texture inside. And that bun….. oh that bun. Man, they nailed it. When you add the buttered grilling on the griddle, that dense yet soft bun gets a nice rich crunch to it. Rare is the time where one hot dog would fill me up but this one hit the spot. When you’re doing hot dogs with ingredients with this quality, that’s what you get apparently.

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The second time around, I went for some other classic casse-croute staples – cheeseburger and poutine. The cheeseburger – served with special sauce, lettuce, onion as well as tomato and pickle if you wish – was another hit for me. The potato bun was once again spectacular – god I need to learn to make these – with that same buttery goodness off the griddle. The meat was meaty with a nice crust, the cheese was nicely melted on-top and the sauce added a nice little creaminess. A classic yet spectacular burger.

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The poutine was a beauty as well. First off, curds at the bottom. Not just on-top. Big hit with me. A very nice touch. Anyway, we’ve got here a generous portion of fries with plenty of curds and some amazing gravy. This wasn’t some off the shelf St-Hubert gravy mix. So dark and rich, the gravy ties the whole thing together. It’s amazing how given all the ways that people feel the need to dress up a poutine now if you just use the best elements, the classic one is simply the best.

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On top of all this goodness, there is even more! Chez Tousignant also does a pie of the day and some doughnuts for dessert. I went with a doughnut because I couldn’t resist the beautiful stack of doughnuts on-top of the counter. An old-fashion cake doughnut with a vanilla bean glaze. The doughnut itself was dense but nicely chewy – sweet with a touch of cinnamon. The glaze though was the impressive part to me. The vanilla bean came through nicely and the glaze was firm – no stickiness whatsoever – but cracked nicely once you bite into it.

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Lastly, I went with a milkshake because of course I did. Chez Tousignant does chocolate or vanilla. I tried one of each on my two visits. Rich and smooth in both cases with nice deep flavour. You actually got chocolate or vanilla flavour – not just milk with a hint of either one.

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Chez Tousignant was a blast in the past in the best way possible. A true casse-croute where care is taken to make everything homemade because that is how you provide the best to your clients. All through the process of testing, chef Forgione labeled all his pictures with #ParceQueVousLeMeritez – that’s the essence of what Chef Turcotte and the Chez Tousignant team are about – it may be lots of work but as a client, you cannot help but appreciate the craftsmanship on display.

Cheers!

Chez Tousignant
6956 Drolet
438 386 6368

Chez Tousignant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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EVOO Cuisine Soignée

7 Nov

Two and a half years ago, I came to EVOO for a quick brunch with a friend. The experience was good enough that I told myself I should come back for dinner at some point. Well, it took awhile but for the event of MTL à Table, I finally came back last week ready to see how EVOO held up after all this time with my girlfriend and some friends of ours.

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First thing of note for me was the completely change in decor. Gone was the contemporary white and purple look of before. Now, the space is more rustic in appearance with a harvest theme running through the room – use of light yellows, harvest tools and greenery on the walls, old mismatches wooden chairs and a large mirrored wall in the front. Compared to before, the space feels warmer although there is lack of pop visually and the room still feels a little empty somehow.

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I also need to make mention of the wonderfully offbeat playlist that played all night – jazzy covers of pretty much anything possible from “Stacy’s Mom” to “Gangster’s Paradise”, “Girls Wanna have Fun” and Kanye West’s “Only One”. For the entire night, our table was laughing and smiling at the great and weird songs to the point of asking our waitress exactly how found these songs.

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We decided to start with some of their speciality cocktails. Personally, I went for the Autumn Martini – Ice Cider, bourbon, apple juice and spices. An excellent blend of sweet and spice. Officially a cocktail I need to re-attempt at home.

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My girlfriend went with the rhum ground cherry – white and brown rums mixed with angostura bitters and ground cherries. Not a huge rum fan but again a very nicely balanced cocktail. A hint of bitterness to go with the spiciness of the rum and the sweetness of the ground cherry.

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Amongst the four of us at our table, we were able to try the entire menu EVOO had set up for MTL à Table. The first starter was a Bass Escabeche with roasted cauliflower, yogurt, smoked tomato jam and pickled fennel. Nice tender pieces of poached bass served cold as is traditional of a escabeche. The use of the smooth yogourt and the smoky tomato jam provided nice flavour kicks to pair with the fish. A nice presentation as well.

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Second starter was a homemade Ricotta salad with cucumber, brussels sprout, carrot, beet and walnut dressing. Another beautiful presentation and a wonderful fresh. A great creamy rich texture to the ricotta and the use of all those fresh vegetables matched up well with the inherent richness of the cheese.

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The final starter was a red wine onion soup with parmesan foam. The lack of that big crouton and melty cheese that we usually associate with a French onion soup made this feel a little lacking in the end. The flavour was very nice though – the red wine coming through strongly in the broth. More a question of expectations than anything else.

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Our first main was the Québec bison ribs with Anthony’s vegetable stew, chimichurri and pangritata. The meat off the rib was beautifully tender and juicy – simply falling off the massive rib in the plate. The pangritata breading added a little crunch and the vegetable stew provided a hearty comfort to the dish. Very enjoyable.

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Next was the mushroom ravioli with Mr. Petit’s confit goat, pear, crispy cipollini and parmesan. Nicely sized raviolis with a solid amount of filling. Nice flavour overall with the addition of the sweet pear provided a nice counter to the goat itself.

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Finally, we had the stuffed quail with Gaspor bacon, grilled lettuce, Labrador tea, sage mascarpone and root vegetables. The bird was nice and juicy and the rest of the dish had this great feeling of being technical but still comforting. Another excellent dish.

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Desserts brought further enjoyment. First was an assortment of Québec cheeses with some caramelized nuts, apple butter and fennel and coriander crackers. Next was an medley of desserts – salted caramel flan, aerial chocolate, apple, fireweed ice cream and some meringue. A great showcase of different technical skills and flavours. Very good across the board. The final option – for a little extra cost – was the Banoffee – caramelized bananas, dulce de leche, creme fraiche, shortbread and toffee. I was very happy I went for the extra cost to get this. The combination of the bananas with the caramel and the toffee was perfectly sweet and some nice crunch as well. This dish disappeared as quickly as it arrived at our table.

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It may have taken me longer to come back than I hoped but EVOO thankfully did not disappoint. An excellent meal – a showcase of technique and great ingredients – that left us satisfied and full. With all the changes and new restaurants opening on Notre Dame, it’s great to see EVOO is holding its own and providing a great experience.

Cheers!

EVOO
3426 Notre-Dame Ouest
514 846-3886

Restaurant EVOO Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Lili Co.

1 Nov

There are so many restaurants in Montreal that I wish to check out but sadly I don’t have enough time (or frankly money if we are being truthful). For the part 3 years, the October-November event of MTL à Table has allowed me to get to certain restaurants at a reduced price which I am very thankfully for. When I first looked at the restaurants participating this year, the one that leaped off the page for me was Lili Co. Originally a small Plateau restaurant, partners Catherine Draws and David Pellizzari moved into a bigger space on Saint-Laurent earlier this year. Reading the big reviews they have gotten over the past few years – including a most recent one in the Gazette in July – Lili Co.’s use of offal and off-cuts really intrigued me and had me pinning for a visit. Sadly, the MTL à Table menu didn’t have any of that – unless you paid a little extra – but I still wanted to go and give them a try.

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Visually, Lili Co. is a nice clean space. The main focus is on the two wrap-around bars which circle both the bar area and the open kitchen where you can watch Chef David and his crew do their work. In fact, outside of a few spots – including where we were sadly! – the entire room is set up to face the kitchen. Service was quick and efficient. Noise level was pretty loud given the room was full. As such, there was background music throughout the night but I honestly couldn’t tell you what it was. It is not the most fancy room around but sharp nevertheless.

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I felt like a cocktail this evening so I tried one of their seasonal specialities – The “Sans nom d’automne” – zubrowska, cachaca, natural apple juice, teapot bitters and star anise. I like this one in theory but the flavour left me indifferent. The sweetness of the cachaca and the apple juice were not noticeable. I was left primarily with the bitterness and the zubrowska – not really I had hoped for.

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With the cocktail consumed, we moved on the food. First up was the pork belly served with cashew butter and creamy coleslaw. A generous peace of fatty pork with a nice crispiness to the skin. The creamy coleslaw paired well with the meat. The cashew butter was nice as well.

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Our other starter was wild mushrooms poached in butter served with caramelized cauliflower purée and black bread crumbs. A simple dish but so well executed and delicious. The mushrooms were soften slightly with their wonderful earthiness intact. The real star though was the cauliflower puree – so rich and smooth. Very enjoyable.

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Our second course started with Gnocchi à la fajiole served with romano beans, smoked tomatoes and parmigiana. A nice creamy sauce paired well with the pillowy gnocchi and the beans. Only complaint would be the portion size – definitely would have been nice to have a few extra gnocchi!

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The second main was grilled octopus with a hibiscus glaze, chorizo, soy beans, black olive powder and lemon. The hit of the evening for us. The mixture of the glaze and the chorizo gave the tender octopus a hint of both sweetness and spiciness. The soy beans added a little extra sustenance to the plate. Definitely a dish I would order again.

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For dessert, we were treated to house doughnuts with lemon mousse and huckleberry jam. The doughnuts were light and fluffy in the inside with a nice crunch on the outside. Add the sugar coating to the jam and the mousse and you have a nice dessert right there. The final dessert was a brioche with a nut beurre monté, sumac and a wild flower glace au miel. Just like the doughnuts, the brioche was nice and fluffy. The special touches of the beurre monté and the glace au miel provided some nice sweetness and richness.

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I’ll admit I was disappointed that no offal or off-cut dishes were present in the menu option – since that is what attracted me to Lili Co in the first place – but in the end, that is on me for having waiting until MTL à Table to finally visit Lili Co. The food was excellent and the atmosphere enjoyable – you can see why they needed to move into bigger digs this year. This meal simply reinforced that I will need to come back again. Looking forward to visiting chef David and Catherine on a more regular occasion.

Cheers!

Lili Co.
4675 Saint-Laurent
514 507-7278

Lili Co. Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Bier Markt

28 Oct

I tend to avoid the big flashy restaurants… especially in the ones in the downtown core. Part of me is always leery. When your main clientele is tourists and the business crowd – simply by location alone – there is a good chance that the food is not necessarily up to par with the cost associated to the meal. Now, I am always willing to be proven wrong so when I had a chance to try Bier Markt for the first time recently, I went in with an open mind.

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For the uninformed, Bier Markt is a Toronto chain of restaurants that came to Montreal and took over the old Queue de Cheval location in front of the Bell Centre. Bier Markt’s claim to fame is the ridiculous amount of beers they have available – over 150 beers from 30 different countries. The selection is extremely varied and quite good. The beer menu is nicely elaborate. It does a great job of categorizing and describing each beer to help with selection. The prices vary widely though which is a bit strange. I also appreciated that the food menu provides recommendations with pairing for each dish. For a restaurant like this, that detail is essential and provides a nice way to try new beers.

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Foodwise, the menu is a mixture of beer garden and classic bar/pub fare. My friends and I went for three starters initially. First up was the French onion soup au gratin with caramelized onions, house veal stock, toasted bread and Gruyère cheese. Personally I did not try it but the response from my friends was good – not great.

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Next was the baked Brie with Granny Smith apples, lingonberry jam, roasted pecans, pickles and baguette crisps. The jam was nice but once again, overall the dish was good, not great. The portion size was only not that great considering its cost either.

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The final entree was the baked crab dip – wild Canadian rock crab, white cheddar, cream cheese, Old Bay spices and toasted house flatbread. This was a more interesting and well done dish. Very creamy with nice pieces of meaty crab within. Main issue once again though was the size relative to the price. Very limited amount of flatbread and frankly, this appetizer was barely sufficient for me much less as a dish to share – which at its price point, it needs to be.

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Prior to the description of the mains, I will just take a moment to discuss the service. Now, for the most part, I am pretty relaxed about service in general – I simply want timely, friendly with a good handle of the menu. However, there are a few things that are BIG no-nos for me. One of them is very simple – you should never serve the next course without clearing the table first. During our meal, not only was that done but that was after all the empty dishes were left in front of us for about 20 minutes before serving. On top of that, the waitresses serving our table had no clue who had which main so the second course became a awkward and complicated dance of simultaneously removing, moving temporary around and serving dishes. And then, the same thing was repeated at dessert time later on! With the number of waitresses working around us, these were big red flags about the quality of service.

Back to the food now. The first main was the Merchant burger – 10 oz. Wagyu beef burger, smoked bacon, charred red onion, vine-ripe tomato, iceberg lettuce, “Bier 58” sauce, toasted bun with house frites. A good sized burger – a little overcooked for my liking but still flavourful. A solid burger but again for its price, more was hoped for.

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I personally went with the Chicken ABT – fresh chargrilled chicken breast, avocado, crisp smoked bacon, vine-ripe tomato, shaved iceberg lettuce and honey Dijon aioli in a Portuguese roll served with fries. The sandwich was good but somehow left me underwhelmed and wishing I had ordering something else. Some extra aioli and avocado may have helped to provide more kick but otherwise I felt the sandwich lacked pop. The fries were nice and crisp at least – very classic bistro style.

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The final main was the smoked pork back ribs which are spice-rubbed and smoked for 6 hours, served with a golden BBQ sauce, fries and a red cabbage & caraway slaw. The ribs were nice and tender but because the sauce needed to be added by the client, they were a little dry. The BBQ sauce was a necessity to add, not a choice.

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The final dish we ordered was the waffle ice cream sandwich – house-baked chocolate waffles served warm with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. Best thing we had all night – creative, chocolatey and rich. Always nice to end a meal on a positive.

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In the end, Bier Markt left me cold. The beer selection was nice and varied – definitely the draw to coming back. However, the food was uninspiring and simply okay. The service was poor. Okay food can be acceptable at certain times but not when my personal bill was 80$ without tip. At that price, there are a heck of a lot better options I can enjoy. Bier Markt is a great happy hour spot for excellent beer but not a worthwhile dining option.

Cheers!

Bier Markt
1221 René-Lévesque Ouest
514 864 7575

Bier Markt Montréal Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Cabane À Sucre Au Pied de Cochon – Harvest Season 2015

28 Sep

It’s that time of the year again – another season at the Cabane à Sucre Au Pied de Cochon. After the disappointment of not getting a spot for this year’s sugar season – thanks website outage! – I made sure that this would 5 out of 6. Going more than a year being visits seemed unfathomable. Thankfully, things were worked out and I set out with another table of 12 friends ready to set what Martin Picard and company had set for us.

For the uninitiated, the sugar shack is a set menu for the season – alcohol and tip excluded. This season being harvest season, the focus is on ingredients from the garden here as well as the local producers around the area. Each season, this is a collection of specialty cocktails. This time around, the focus was on gin – as our waitress noted that the PDC has a gin coming to stores soon! There was a solid gin and tonic, a Gin-nette – gin with spruce beer, a blueberry mojito and a house ginger ale and rye whiskey served with strawberries.

Food-wise, first up was a series of 6 starters dishes to enjoy. The initial one was a cold melon soup with a mix of garden vegetables and fresh herbs served over top. I hate melon…. but loved this dish. Silky smooth and surprisedly spicy. A very refined and subtle dish. Paired with the soup was some housemade bread lathered with butter and slices of house cured ham.

Then came the necessary PDC foie gras dish – Poached pears with aged cheddar and pan seared foie gras. A wonderful combination of richness and sweetness. My girlfriend’s lack of interest in foie gras provided me with an extra serving so a nice win for me.

That was followed by gnocchi served with sweat peas, ricotta, bacon and garlic pesto. I really loved this dish – the gnocchi were great, the pesto gave this dish a strong garlic flavour but the addition of the creamy ricotta and the bacon helped to dull it somewhat. The sauce itself was perhaps more liquid than some will enjoy but the flavours were outstanding.

The next dish was the miss of the night for the entire table – a whole sturgeon poached in a potato and leak sauce served with mussels. The sauce itself was great as were the mussel. However, the sturgeon, for us, was overcooked. The flakiness of the fish was completely gone.

Back to positive however with the next one – homemade tagliatelle pasta served with a fresh vegetable sauce made with garden eggplants and tomatoes as well as coins of sausage. The dish was prepared in front of us as the pasta was mixed in a hollowed parmesan wheel to add some cheese. A very fresh and surprisedly light pasta dish – which was a nice contrast to the more fatty and rich gnocchi dish. This wasn’t a hit for everyone at the table but I enjoyed it personally.

The last starter was a margarita pizza made using baguette bread dough and topped with a mornay sauce, fresh garden tomatoes, garlic chips, basil and parmesan. The whole thing was cooked on charcoal. A solid pizza overall – slice crunch to the crust although I’m not sure exactly what the use of baguette bread dough did to make a difference compared to standard pizza dough. The mornay sauce provided some creamy richness to the classic fresh margarita.

After a brief moment to digest, we were served the main course – A DIY pot-au-feu. We were a provided a large meat platter, some condiments, vegetables and thermos of broth with which to make our individual plates. The meat platter, in keeping the ethos of Pied de Cochon, was huge and quite varied. It included duck confit, smoked BBQ beef ribs, steamed pork belly, white blood sausage, bone marrow, pork filet, pig’s foot, a cornish hen and smoked bison tongue. The condiments included a mushroom sauce, salsa verde, dijon, radishes and pickles. The stars here were the meats and they were glorious. Particular note to the smoked meat like consistency of the bison tongue, the fatty bone marrow and rich pig’s foot.

After that orgy of meaty goodness, we were ready for desserts. First, we received an palate cleanser of vanilla and apple soft serve swirl ice cream with a good amount of Calvados in the middle. Then, it was on to a foursome of options.

There was peaches served in mead and with cubes of raspberry jelly; a prune clafoutis; crème fraiche ice cream and a raspberry tiramisu, presented as a potted plant, complete with a shower of poured coffee. Point for originality of presentation for the tiramisu however, personally as I hate coffee, this dish was a non-starter for me. The clafoutis was a great hit for me. The ice cream was nice and creamy and the peaches provided some nice sweetness.

All in all, another great meal at the Cabane. I admit that compared to previous experiences, this one didn’t wow me as much – most dishes were solid, not the spectacular we often expect with Martin Picard and Co. The fact that two dishes didn’t work for me was also a first…. As a first experience, I can imagine people still being blown away. The amount of food one gets for the price is still great. However, for someone like myself who has been 5 out of the past 6 seasons, the standards set by the PDC crew makes this one seem a little less exciting. I’ll still be at the computer at midnight December 1st for sugar season though – I hooked and can’t imagine missing the next hopeful surprise from this crew.

Cheers!

Cabane à Sucre Au Pied du Cochon
11382 rang de la Fresnière
St-Benoit, Qc

Cabane à sucre Au Pied de Cochon Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Taverne Sur Le Square

13 Sep

With the rapid succession of new restaurants that open in Montreal, it is sometimes very easy to focus on the new stuff without considering some older more established spots. Just because they aren’t new doesn’t mean they aren’t worth visiting. I was reminding of this a few weeks ago when I met up with my girlfriend and some of her co-workers for a post-work dinner at Westmount Square and more specifically at Taverne Sur Le Square, a place I had never been to before somehow.

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The second of chef Stephen Leslie’s three restaurants – after Monkland Taverne and before Le Sieur d’Iberville – Taverne Sur Le Square called itself comfort food with international twist. The space is one befitting its place in Westmount Square – one of our city’s architectural beauties. The open room is warm and welcoming while keeping that touch of refinement. We chose to sit outside on the terrasse gently lit by patio lights strung across the space. Because of the risk of rain that evening, we were pretty much alone out there – one should never turn down some terrasse time especially with how short terrasse season is for us but I digress….

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Looking at the menu, I decided to go with the table d’hôte whereas my girlfriend went with a couple of starters for a lighter dinner. My selection of the table d’hôte gave me a salad to start – very simple and served with roasted seeds over top. The roasted flavour of the seeds was a nice touch. The portion was very generous as well – very uncommon as a table d’hôte starter.

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My girlfriend’s first starter, the salmon tacos with Pico de gallo and avocado, was a slight miss. Loved the soft tortillas and the creamy avocado and the fish was fresh but it felt bland. The pico de gallo didn’t have much punch to it and the portion felt a little small even as an entree.

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The second starter was more along the right track – Grilled octopus with chickpeas and red pepper puree, sauce vierge, parsley and red onion. The octopus was plentiful and grilled nicely with just a bit of char to it. The puree was nice and creamy and the sauce vierge paired nicely with the whole thing.

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As a main, I decided to go with the soft shell crab served in a bun with remoulade, tomato, pickle, lettuce and tavern sauce. This item was the reason I went with the table d’hôte for a change. The soft shell crab was plentiful and had a great crunch. Add some fresh veggies, a creamy sauce all put between a great soft bun and you had an awesome sandwich to enjoy. Plus, it was served with a nice of wonderfully crunchy fries to enjoy. Goodness all around.

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The last I got to try was their creme brûlée – always a sucker for a creme brûlée and a little sweetness to finish off a meal. A very solid creme – nice caramelization on the top with a richness and creaminess underneath.

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Despite a couple of neutral or slight misses, my first experience at Taverne Sur Le Square was a solid one. You can see how this restaurant has survived being in the relatively dead zone restaurant wise for over 14 years now. A place where you can grab a quick bite and drink after work or have a nice refined dinner for a special occasion. Taverne on the Square isn’t perhaps on the forefront of the “Hot” restaurants in Montreal but if you willing to deviate from the current trend and try a classic, you may wonder why it’s not on that list to begin with.

Cheers!

Tavern on the Square
1 Westmount Sq Ste
514 989 9779

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Deli Sokolow

7 Sep

There is just something about a Jewish-style deli that I really enjoy. Given my lack of Jewish ancestry, it is not simply a function of what I grew up with because I didn’t. There is simply something about the homeyness, the familiarity, the old school nature of a deli that I love… well that and the smoked meat of course. Leaving my place on Prince Arthur meant no longer being walking or short bike distance from Schwartz’s and the Mile End. Not cool when I need my fix. However, when I heard about a new deli opening in St-Henri, only a short distance away from my new place, I was immediately intrigued and felt the need to give them a try.

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Deli Sokolow is a deli and ice cream shop offering day around options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Located right on the corner of Notre Dame Ouest and Sainte-Marguerite, the shop definitely is going for a old Deli feel with its use of old school chairs, glass counters, laminate tabletops as well as a metal bar and stools by the window. The decor could use a bit extra pop to it colorwise but otherwise it is a old deli through and through.

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For my first visit, I went with a mixture of classic and twisted fare. First was a side of coleslaw – traditional with a vinegar base. And of course, I needed to have a root beer at a deli. Exactly what I wanted. Nothing more and nothing less.

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The interesting item though was the latke poutine. Yeah that’s right…. a latke poutine. When I heard about this, I knew I needed to try it. I love latkes – once I tried some proper homemade ones years ago, I was hooked – and I most certainly love poutine. I was very curious to see how this would stack up. The portion was generous enough and had a nice thick homestyle gravy and the proper cheese curds. However, the use of large thinner latkes as a base made it that they got stuck together since they were very hot. First time I have ever needed to use a knife when eating a poutine. Right flavours but perhaps not served in the ideal fashion.

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For my second visit, I went a bit of more classic. I decided to start with some perogies – potato and cheese stuffed – served with some sour cream. Good flavour as one would expect. Thankfully, they also had a golden crunch all the way around. There is nothing worse than a soft soggy perogy.

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The Reuben sandwich was my main attraction this time and hit all the right notes – the melted cheese, the acidic sauerkraut and deliciously rich and fatty smoked meat. Personally I would prefer the smoked meat to be medium cut versus lean but that would be a bit of a nitpick in this instance. A solid solid sandwich and frankly one of the better Reuben’s I’ve had.

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And of course, you can’t forget about the ice cream. Being able to get classic hard serve cookie dough ice cream in a cone was a nice trip to memory lane for me and a nice way to finish off a meal.

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Deli Sokolow is a solid deli option and in an area lacking one, a very worthwhile option. The mixture of new and old items is good and you feel the classic Deli vibe. I would recommend however they get other payments options though – cash only so be prepared for that. My first visit was delayed by that… not cool walking by your lunch option realizing it’s a no go. Otherwise, a solid joint and thankfully close enough to satisfy my deli fix.

Cheers!

Deli Sokolow
4350 Notre Dame Ouest
438 392 3239

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Tuck Shop

7 Jun

About 5 years ago now, I read a review from Lesley Chesterman in the Montreal Gazette about a restaurant in St-Henri – a neighbourhood I knew nothing about – called Tuck Shop. Everything about what she wrote about the restaurant – from the food to the decor to the music even – peaked my interest and I made a note of it. Fast forward to now – I have moved to Pointe St-Charles and have spent tons of time in St-Henri visiting all the great new restaurants and spots that have popped up…. except for Tuck Shop. The one initial reason I even knew about the neighbourhood. Well that needed to change. Taking advantage of a rare evening free for both myself and my girlfriend, I set up a last minute dinner date to finally see if Tuck Shop was worthy of its high spot on my to-visit list.

Relatively nondescript when you walk by, Tuck Shop is a 40-ish seat place with a great mixture of hardwood floors, white brick tiles and wooden walls. The open kitchen in the back creates a more dynamic feel to the space and I love the granite countertop bar in the middle of the room. The room is adored with mason jars filled with marinades and sauces which provide a homey touch. The music the entire night was right up my alley and kept me humming along the whole meal – from CCR to Grease to Steve Miller Band. Noise level was moderately high – you could still have a conversation but not in a hush tone. Service was punctual and on point – I particularly enjoyed when we received our menus and were recommended to try a cocktail…. especially since the server in question was the one who made them. And in fact, the menu said cocktails by Seabass. Loved the friendly and fun way that was done. The entire team all night brought the same energy and vibe. Well done.

After being sold by Seabass, I couldn’t say no to one of his cocktails. I went with the Maple Rhubarb – Brandy, maple syrup, mint, lemon and rhubarb bitters. The rhubarb taste was subtle but there. The overall drink was sweet enough that my girlfriend enjoyed it but balanced enough that I could taste the brandy and not feel I was being stiffed. An solid starter.

We decided to share an appetizer and went for the Florida soft shell crab with green papaya, coloured carrots, cucumber, radish, coriander, chili, peanuts and kaffir lime mayonnaise. A wonderfully light but flavourful dish. The crab was beautifully rich and tender with the outer crust providing a bit of crunch. The green papaya salad underneath provided some sweetness and a bit of heat which could be countered by the lime mayonnaise. A beautiful dish throughout.

The first of our mains was the fish of the day – in this case, salmon – with herbed ricotta gnocchi, morels, fiddleheads, fava beans, carrots, Tokyo turnips, sorrel, daylillies, salsa verde and root vegetable puree. The fish was beautiful but the star here was the herbed ricotta gnocchi – rich and fluffy delights. The inherent earthiness of the fiddleheads, morels and fav bears were an interesting pairing with the creaminess of the puree and the fresh kick from the salsa verde. Enjoyable all around.

Our second main was the Cornish Hen with Littleneck clams, homemade chorizo, fennel, white beans, kale, coriander, chili, charred onion puree and tomatillo. I simply loved this dish! So much going on but oh so good…. The chorizo was the driving force flavour-wise – spicy almost to the point of overwhelming the palate but it didn’t. The hen was juicy and crisp on the outside. The underlying clams and white beans helped to dull the chorizo as did the sweetness of the puree. The jalapeño added even more hotness if you were so inclined.

With a bit of room left, we went for the brownie with noix de Grenoble and homemade vanilla bean ice cream. Loved the ice cream – great rich vanilla taste however the texture of the brownie was a bit too dry for my preference.

Outside of the minor quibble at dessert, Tuck Shop was exactly what I had hoped it would be even all the years later – A beautifully relaxed atmosphere serving kickass refined comfort market driven food. My biggest disappointment is that I waited so long to eat there. Believe me, that will not happen again. It’s great to see such an awesome spot holding down in St-Henri for this long now. There were one of the first here. Here’s hoping they continue to do so for many years longer.

Cheers!

Tuck Shop
4662 Notre Dame Ouest
514 439 7432

Tuck Shop on Urbanspoon

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Maison June Rose

31 May

When ones hears of All-You-Can-Eat Chinese, you tend to automatically think about dingy looking places in strip malls where everything is fried, the tables are covered in plastic and plenty of little kids are screaming about. Not the most enjoyable experience for sure. Well, the people who brought us Big in Japan last year ventured into this space with the opening of Maison June Rose just around the corner from their restaurant. Being a fan of Big of Japan, I could not help to be intrigued by June Rose and how exactly they would do All-You-Can-Eat.

First thing, this space is just beautiful. A beautiful ornate wall welcomes you when you walk in and then your eyes focus on all the lanterns above you. About 75 or so from my rough count which provide nice diffuse lighting to go with the candles in the booths around the edge of the room or on the larger U-shaped counter in the center of the room. And while the look is certainly old school Chinese, the sound certainly is not. A mixture of classic oldies from the Beatles to Steve Miller Band to the Four Tops played throughout the evening. Certainly a winner for me and likely most of the patrons who come here off of the Main late night. Service was quick and attentive as well.

The format at Maison June Rose is pretty simple – 25$ per person for the All-You-Can-Eat menu. Extra for alcohol and desserts. The menu consists of 18 items which the staff recommends you order in group of 2-3 at a time. The portions are Tapas-size so pretty small but the service is quick so you can have a steady stream of dishes coming to you without too much difficulty. Which is what we did as we ordered every item on the menu safe for the marinated vegetables… just didn’t feel like them for some reason. Looking at the dishes, you will notice that most of the items are definitely not of the classic “Chinese” variety that most of us are used to and also the plating is pretty nice for what is an All-You-Can-Eat place. Definitely not the kind of attention to detail you would expect.

We were first presented with an amuse-bouche of prosciutto with pear and pickles. A nice combo of fat, sweetness and saltiness.

The chilled Won Ton soup was an interesting idea for the season – a warm pork ravioli in a cold broth. Nicely sized and fully stuffed with pork, I loved the ravioli. The cold broth was okay. The right flavours but the temperature change didn’t work for me.

The scrapple Imperial rolls were served with a roasted peppercorn vinegar. One of the big hits for us – a nice crunch on the rolls and meaty goodness inside. I also really enjoyed the dipping sauce – a cool mixture of pepper and acidity that added an interesting component.

The duck rillettes were okay. Nothing that special and frankly the use of jalapeño overpowered the fatty duck. The use of a very large rice pancake also made it impossible to eat in a single bite which seemed to be the point in the first place.

The BBQ Char Siu pork was served with hoisin sauce. Thinly sliced, I enjoyed the flavour of the pork but the hoisin sauce was way too sweet to be used more than once in my case.

Our first vegetable dish was the Wok-fried Chinese broccoli. Perfect texture to the broccoli as the leaves were wilted while the stems stayed a bit crisp.

The mustard greens were exactly as one would expect – strong mustard-like taste but cooked down enough to have a softer texture.

The braised eggplant and pork was another favourite. Nice soft but slightly firm texture to the eggplant although the pork was only crumbs in the sauce which was not what we expected when it arrived. Larger pieces of pork would have been nice.

The salt and pepper tofu was a real surprise. I hate tofu. My girlfriend as well. Neither one of us could believe how this preparation gave the tofu a nice crispy exterior while the interior was soft but not the mushy kind we both despise. Served on some wilted fried spinach, this was the surprise hit of the night.

The salt and pepper smelts were essentially the same preparation as the tofu but with fish. That gave this dish more saltiness and fattiness than the tofu. The additions of some cooked onions provided some sweetness to offset.

The Kung Pao chicken had strong flavour although a touch too sweet perhaps. The fried texture was perfect as well although the fact that they were small bones to contend with, despite having been warned by the waitress in advance, made this less enjoyable to deal with.

The black vinegar cloud ear mushrooms were very vinegary in flavour which I enjoyed however texture wise, the addition of the egg folk made this dish almost gelatinous which wasn’t as much of a hit.

The Singapore curry rice noodles were exactly what you expected and wanted. Noodles were perfect, the mixture of onions, celery and scallions worked well and the scrambled egg put it all together.

The orange beef served with a caramelized orange was a slightly disappointment. The very thinly sliced cold beef was good but I didn’t get the orange flavour I expected. The orange itself brought that instead.

Shepherd’s pie with sweet and sour sauce. This was awesome. The use of a sweet and sour sauce really made this an Asian play on a classic Quebecois dish.

Roasted salmon head was something I never would have ordered if it wasn’t for the fact this was All-You-Can-Eat. Preparation was excellent and what I eat of it was good. Some good fatty meat to grab hold of there but definitely not a favorite.

At the end, we then treated to the combination of fortune cookies and oranges where the pulp had been pureed and placed back on the rind. A cool approach that worked pretty well.

After all of that, I am ambivalent about Maison June Rose. Love the look and feel of the space so much. I also loved the All-You-Can-Eat approach and how the dished are not too your usual “Chinese” junk. However, when it comes to the dishes themselves, there were only a couple of items that were true hits to me. The vast majority were good but not enough to make me really want to order them again. And there in lies my issue. I enjoyed Maison June Rose enough to know I could have a good meal there but I’m not sure I have a strong pull to go out of my way to visit again.

Cheers!

Maison June Rose
16 Des Pins Est
514 439 7054

Maison June Rose on Urbanspoon

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Il Focolaio

31 May

Pizza is a deeply personal thing. While most of us can tell what is a good pizza and what is a bad pizza, it is the differentiation between good pizzas where people argue. Details like the tang of the tomato sauce, the amount of each ingredient present, thin crust vs. thick crust…. all of these lead to many discussions about which pizza is “best”. Here in Montreal, we are spoiled with many great options. Personally, I am a huge fan of thin crust pizza and a certain place in Little Italy right now that I won’t mention here to avoid direct comparison through this post. I took my girlfriend there and while she enjoyed it, she told me that she preferred her personal spot. And thus, we had no choice but to go to Il Focolaio right by Phillips Square to see how it would rank for me.

Open since 1984, Il Focolaio does thin crust pizza in a maple wood burning oven. The crazy part about their menu is that they have 75 different pizzas! That is an insane number and frankly one that made me a little scared…. when a menu gets that big, I wonder how many can be truly great. I still kept an open mind and plus it was a beautiful night so we sat on the terrasse with a beer ready to enjoy some pizzas.

Given we had a friend with us on this Friday night, we tried three pizzas. First up was La Milanese – tomato sauce, artichoke hearts, capicollo, mushrooms, black olives and mozzarella. A nice crispy crust on the underside – the pizza held up to grabbing with one hand. On the flip side, I found the top of the crust to be a little burnt in spots and a little too flaky to my liking. In an ideal world, I want crunch but still chewy once I bit in. All three pizzas were the same so they are consistent with the cooking in the oven. In this instance, I suppose it is more a matter of personal taste. Each pizza is about 12 inches so a solid size as a personal pizza. Plenty of ingredients as well which cover the entirety of the pizza. This particular mix of ingredients wasn’t my favourite – I liked the fatty capicollo and the mozzarella but I’ve never found artichokes and mushrooms very enjoyable on a pizza especially if they are rough cut as they were. I also hate olives – I guess you can tell by now this wasn’t my choice – which didn’t help.

Our second pizza was the Spinarto – Tomato sauce, spinach, garlic, artichokes, mozzarella and olives. This one – again not my choice… darn olives! – was more enjoyable to me. The garlic and spinach worked well and somehow helped to make the artichokes less noticeable to me.

Finally we get to my choice, the Renaissance – Tomato sauce, spinach, garlic, olives, mozzarella and spicy pancetta… without the olives of course! The extra kick of the pancetta gave this pizza more bite compared to the more vegetarian pizzas we had before. Also the cheese was a little bit more golden on the top than the previous ones which provided a little different flavour and texture. Pretty enjoyable to me.

Lastly, while Il Focolaio doesn’t have many things on the menu other than pizzas, they do have Sicilian cannolis which I can never say no to! Solid crunchy shell with a nice creamy filling, these were a solid way to finish off the meal.

In the end, I enjoyed Il Focolaio but its pizza didn’t blow me away. It’s definitely the best one in the downtown core I’ve tried so but left me firmly believing in my own personal favourite at the moment. My girlfriend didn’t succeed in swaying me which means that pizza will remain a point of contention between the two of us. Guess we will just have to alternate between spots for a while if we want harmony to remain!

Cheers!

El Focolaio
1223 Phillips Square
514 879 1045

Il Focolaio Pizza Resto on Urbanspoon

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