Food | Ramblings from the Complex Mind of a 30 Something

Archive | Food RSS feed for this section

La Fabrique

Sometimes the closest restaurants to you are the ones you never check out. They sit on your “to visit” list and get ignored. Be it because you forget about them or get distracted by other places. This year’s taste MTL allowed me to finally eliminate one such place from my list – La Fabrique Bistrot. Situated in front of St-Louis Square and a short walk from my neighbourhood, this open kitchen concept restaurant makes quite the impression when you walk in. The kitchen right in the middle of the room, beautifully wood panelling all around and tons of lighting accents. It creates a very inviting and rustic feel all without losing the fine dining element.

For taste MTL, they were offering a 39$ menu that combined regular menu items with some other options. They also offered a wine pairing option for an additional 27$ for each of the meal. My dining companions and I went with this option and were satisfied with the selections – particularly the Muscato I received during the dessert course.

Prior to the actual menu, we received a small bowl of squash, corn and nut soup as an amuse-bouche. Nice and rich, we were pleasantly surprised by the addition of the corn and the nuts. The corn provided some sweetness and the nuts a little salt on top of the texture additions both provided. A nice starter to the meal.

The 2 appetizers offered for Taste MTL were a beetroot, carrot and orange salad with horseradish cream and ratatouille in a terrine with Vitello tomato and foccaccia. The salad was wonderfully light and fresh with a strong kick from the horseradish to spice things up. The ratatouille terrine was a very unique concept that worked beautifully and the sauce provided a nice creamy component to mix with the terrine.

The first main course was a slowly cooked pork with apple, squash, turnip and sweet potato sautéed with Papineau’s maple syrup and ginger. Perfectly executed, the pork just felt apart. The fattiness of the pork was augmented nicely with the sweetness of the maple syrup and the freshness of the vegetables in the dish. The addition of the cheddar on top added some nice sharpness as well. A very creative and delicious dish all around.

The second main was salmon preserved in sunflower oil with miniature pepper, parsnip, onion and a carrot purée. The preparation here was a bit more straight forward compared to the pork dish but very well done. The salmon was perfectly cooked and the carrot puree was wonderfully sweet. The other vegetables were good but didn’t hit home as much as the puree.

We also ordered an extra side of home fries as they are fried in duck fat and served with house ketchup. Duck fat always adds a little something extra to dishes and that was no exception here. The fries had just that little extra taste and bite which was nice. The house-made ketchup had a nice tanginess to it as well.

For dessert, the options were French toast with clove caramel and fleur de sel or an apple and maple syrup in a homemade yogurt cream. The French toast was ridiculous – a thick cut slice of bread with a rich and cream caramel with just the right hint of salt to balance out the sweetness. The apple, maple and yogurt mixture was quite good as well but got quickly overshadowed by the French toast. And then, once the bills came, so did our final surprise dessert – house cotton candy! Nice, sweet and fluffy without that pesky stickiness which hampers handling. A very playful way to end a great meal.

From beginning to end, la Fabrique was a great experience. Having the kitchen in the middle of the dining room is a cool hook to get you in but the great food and atmosphere are what will make you come back for more. It is nice to know I have another awesome restaurant a short walk over in my neighbourhood. Just another reminder to not ignore what you have close to you. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Cheers!

La Fabrique
3609 St Denis
514 544 5038

Tags: La Fabrique, La Fabrique Bistrot, MTL à Table 2013, Open Kitchen Concept, Open kitchen montreal, Open kitchen MTL, Plateau Mont-Royal, St-Louis Square, Taste MTL 2013

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories Food, French, Plateau Mont-Royal

Pastaga

20 Nov

Over a year ago now, I visited Pastaga for a Sunday brunch and left with the strong feeling of needing to return for dinner. It took way too long but through Taste MTL, I finally did. For the uninitiated, Pastaga is the brainchild of chef Martin Juneau who, since opening this restaurant in 2012, has opened up Pub St-Joseph as well as the Mr. Crémieux food truck. Pastaga is a ode of nature wines as well as great food to pair with those wines. The food definitely has French influences at its core but branches out extensively in other food genres.

Located on the relatively barren strip of St-Laurent just before little Italy but after Mile End, the restaurant is a small, simple space with mirror walls, misshapen wooden tables and ample lighting via power bars on the ceiling. The real beautiful touch is the bright red tilted kitchen that is visible in the back of the space. A glass wall blocks out the sound from the dining room but we can see everything going on. There is also a large table located in the kitchen for larger groups to enjoy if you can get it. Overall, it is a very cozy and comfortable environment to enjoy a meal in.

I visited during Taste MTL where they were offering a 39$ menu of items off their current seasonal menu. Me and my dining companions ordered all of the options to try. First up, there was grilled Albacore tuna with braised fennel and citrus gel. The tuna was grilled to perfection. The braised fennel and the citrus were perfect compliments to the fish. A very nice start to the meal.

Next up was marinated salmon with salmon jerky and a creamy potato salad. The salmon was, like the tuna, cooked perfectly. The potato salad was, as indicated, quite creamy with a strong hint of dill which paired very nicely with the salmon – bringing to mind a classic smoked salmon dish in terms of taste.

The third main was a play on Jewish chopped liver with bagel chips, capers and hard boiled eggs. Now, I have never been a big fan of chopped liver. Despite my enjoyment of foie gras, the texture of Jewish-style chopped liver always created a roadblock for me. I went in with some apprehension but came out loving it. The texture of the liver was not an issue and had that great fatty flavour. The pickled onions brought some sweetness to that dish. The hard boiled egg was perfect and the bagel chips added that little bit of crunch and saltiness. A very well executed dish.

The final main was, to me, the best thing we had all night – maple lacquered pork on a pancake with a parsnip salad. The pork and pancake combination was brillant – the right mix of sweetness, fattiness and starch. The pork, in particular, just fell apart without any effort. Great texture achieved by the kitchen staff there. The salad of parsnip added a little crispness and freshness so you felt a little better health-wise about eating pork, maple syrup and pancakes for dinner!

For dessert, there were 2 options plus a cheese plate. The cheese plate was a goat cheese with candied nuts, apple butter and a mini cake loaf. The goat cheese (I forgot the name of it sadly) was quite good – soft but still firm enough to handle properly. The other 3 elements of the plate allowed you to add different levels of sweetness to pair with the cheese – the apple butter was a particularly wonderful surprise in terms of its strong flavour and consistency.

In terms of desserts proper, we had the choice of a Mr. Crémeux Sundae with milk crumble and sous-vide Prunes or a raspberry cheesecake. The sundae was delicious. Anyone who visited the Mr. Crémeux food truck over the summer knows that Chef Juneau and company know how to make a great soft serve vanilla ice cream. The addition of sous-vide prunes provided some tartness and the crumble was nice and crunchy. The cheesecake was good as well – the texture was spot-on and the coulis was nice as well.

Dinner at Pastaga met all of my expectations and more. Our waiter provided great service especially in terms of the wine pairings for each dish. You could tell he knew his wine list well. The food was wonderful across the board and the dining room itself relaxed and quiet enough to allow good conversation. This meal reinforced the notion that I waited way too long to stop by for dinner. I will definitely not make that mistake again… and I hope you don’t either.

Cheers!

Pastaga
6389 Saint Laurent
438 381 6389

Tags: Martin Juneau, Mr. Crémeux, MTL à Table, MTL à Table 2013, pastaga, Taste MTL, Taste MTL 2013, Vins Nature, Vins Nature Montreal

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories Food, Saint-Edouard, Wine Bar

L’ Atelier d’Argentine

10 Nov

November in Montreal means Taste MTL – the wonderful restaurant week that gives people the opportunity to try out restaurants at a reduced cost through special tables d’hôte. This year’s edition, featuring over 120 restaurants, is sponsored by the Maple producers of Quebec so the inclusion of maple products is the theme for this year’s menus. For my first restaurant this year, I went with an Old Port spot that I have had an eye on since it opened up over a year ago now – L’Atelier d’Argentine.

This Argentine steakhouse, situated in the former DNA space, has a lounge/bar space as well as a beautiful dining room. The lounge/ bar space utilizes large light fixtures and brick as the main focus points for that area whereas the dining space combines wood, metal and glass with more subtle lighting to create a intime but very striking feel.

Now, before I enter into the meal itself, I need to spend a moment discussing a big sticking point from this dinner for my dining companions and I which was the overall service. Now, I rarely have a issue with service at a restaurant and will generally let minor things go – if the food is good, I can accept slight issues without a problem. However, in this case, the meal was almost completely derailed from the start. We made our presence known to the hostess and were told that the table wasn’t ready yet. We would need to wait a few moments – no issue there, given the late time of our reservation. There were a few other groups around us in the situation. After 15 minutes of standing in the entrance way and a few of the other parties waiting around with us getting seating, the same hostress asks us if we had been helped yet. Oh boy…. informed that we had presented ourselves prior, she found out that the party at our table still hasn’t paid yet, so she offers us a seat at the dining room bar in the meanwhile.

We sit at the bar where none of the dining room staff had been made aware of our situation because we sat for 15 minutes without anyone bothering to come serve us. One of my friends actually got up and went to speak to a waiter so that we could get a drink menu. We finally ordered drinks but we got our table before the cocktails came – a full 40 minutes after our original reservation time. Now thankfully the cocktail I had – their signature Diplomatico Old Fashion (Tequila, agave syrup and orange bitters) – was excellent and one I definitely will try to make myself but I had hoped to have it much sooner.

Finally at the table, we started with the two appetizers available on the Taste MTL menu. First up, smoked trout glazed with maple, raspberry and arugula. Very simple but well executed dish – the sweetness of the maple mixed well with the bitter arugula and the slight sourness of the raspberries. The 2nd dish was roasted beet, green onion and young goat cheese with roasted garlic oil. Once again, a successful plate – simple but well done.

At this point, having had the wine list taken away from us for some reason despite our stated intend to order a bottle, we got it back and ordered a bottle of white. The waiter was surprisingly unable to give us an opinion on the bottle we had in mind but at least was honest enough to admit his lack of knowledge about that particular bottle. We were presented the bottle but told it is warm so the waiter will chill it for us. I like the honesty but why exactly was this bottle of white wine warm in the first place? Again, a very weird and disappointing service instance between our courses.

The mains came through next. We ordered both Taste MTL options as well as an extra one off the regular menu. The taste MTL options were pan seared duck filet with grilled orange, fennel & shallot salsa; and a semi-smoked flank steak with buttery potatoes and chimichurri. The duck was excellent – perfectly cooked to the right temperature. The fennel and shallot salsa was delicious and complemented the fatty duck well. The roasted orange also added a nice element. The flank steak was okay – the interior was perfect temp but the exterior was a little too chard which made the meat tougher than it really was. The potatoes were plain but the chimichurri was outstanding.

From the main menu, we went with the pan seared Chilean sea bass with a ripe mango, roasted bell pepper & arugula salad. The sea bass was seared well but surprisingly lacking of any punch of flavour. I assume that it is to offset the very flavourful salad which was wonderful. Great use of mango and peppers to add sweetness to the dish.

For dessert, we went with the two Taste MTL options – Lemon flatbread and basil sorbet; Sponge cake with cream, dulce de leche and peach – as well as one of the regular menu, the almendrado which is an almond crusted vanilla glace with a dark chocolate syrup and sugar cookie. The flatbread was good but relatively forgotten especially when compared to its companion the sorbet. The basil sorbet was possibly the best thing I had all night. Perfect texture and great balance of flavour – the basil is strong but not overwhelming to taste. The sponge cake dish was solid across the board but not particularly memorable. The almendrado was a very unique take – almost a deconstructed Haagen-Dazs bar – that worked pretty well.

Overall, the evening was a mixed bag. I loved the setting and the general ambience of the space – very much the kind of experience I like from the Old Port. The drinks and food were solid as well despite a few minor quips. However, it is hard to overlook the poor service we received throughout the meal. Speaking to other people I know who have been, I have heard hits and misses in this area as well. In the end, I would be willing to return because the regular menu interests me enough to give the service another shot. At the very least, I would return to the bar side for a nice drink or 5 à 7. Hopefully those of you who go for dinner get a better aspect of service than we did.

Cheers!

L’Atelier d’Argentine
355 Rue Marguerite D’Youville
(514) 287-3362

Tags: Argentine Steakhouse, Diplomatico Old Fashion, L'Atelier d'Argentine, MTL à Table, tasteMTL

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories Food, Old Montreal/ Old Port, Steakhouse

Moishes

21 Oct

There are few true Montreal institutions. Places that you, your parents, your grandparents… heck even maybe your great grandparents know about and respect for what they do. Moishes is one such a place. A place that evokes a certain timelessness and yet still works to this day. Up until last week, I had never been to Moishes. Yes… I know. A combination of factors really. Chief among them is that I am not really a steakhouse guy. I love meat but I can’t tell you the last time I actually ordered a steak in a restaurant. If given the choice, I will always select something else off the menu. Steak is one of those things where I don’t really see the point of paying a high premium. Just my perception but one that makes me choose to spend that money at a different restaurant than a steakhouse.

Moishes has a late night menu where for 25$, you get a entree, a main and coffee/tea. A steal of a deal… and a great way for me to finally try them. So away we go. The late night option includes the normal complimentary pickles, coleslaw and bread which at the time of our reservation was a welcomed sight. Add my usual old Fashioned cocktail and I was ready for a good late night meal on the Main.

As appetizers, we selected the salmon tartar and the caesar salad. Both were competent solid dishes. The salmon was not over-seasoned with just the right hint of dill. I would have liked it to be a bit bigger though. The salad portion was good and the dressing was the right combination of flavour without being too rich and creamy.

As mains, we went with the steak frites and the filet mignon poutine. The steak was perfectly cooked to order. The cut was leaner and thicker than the typical steak frites you get at the many restaurants in and around Montreal which was a slight surprise but good regardless. The fries were nice, golden and plentiful. Good crisp and seasoning as well.

The filet mignon poutine was something I had been curious to try and came away quite satisfied. Same golden fries as above topped with pieces of filet mignon and melted cheese. A very rich and filling dish. The real key here was the perfectly melted cheese that binds everything together into a delicious mess. Definitely a dish I will be having again.

My first experience at Moishes was a good one. A place where you see the attention to detail that 75 years in business provides. Great service from beginning to end, a nice dining room space and great food. I admit to be a little surprised to see how casual of dress some of the patrons were… especially when compared to the tables where people were in suits and dresses. Moishes is a place where I feel like a dress shirt is a requirement at minimum but regardless…. I waited a long time before finding coming to Moishes. The wait won’t be that long next time.

Cheers!

Moishes
3961 Saint-Laurent
514 845 3509

Tags: Filet Mignon Poutine, Late Night Menu, Moishes, Moishes Steakhouse, Montreal Steakhouse, Steak Frites

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories Food, Plateau Mont-Royal, Steakhouse

Le Vin Papillon

19 Aug

The Joe Beef guys opened a wine bar. That was pretty much all that I needed to hear. It took just over a month after its opening but I headed down to the corner of Charlevoix and Notre-Dame (which at this point is probably my most visited street block in the city outside of the Jean Talon Market and my own apartment) with a friend for a little early weekend dinner.

The first thing you notice when you walk in is the visual differences between it and its brethren. No crazy or folksy paraphernalia on the walls. A very clean and elegant look with white brick, white tiles, wood tables and black leather. The entire right side of the narrow space is a beautiful bar where all the prep work is done. There is also a small relatively sparse terrasse in the back with communal tables. Overall, there is a sleeker look in keeping with a wine bar but once you add the blackboard menus and the alternative music, it keeps that Joe Beef/Liverpool House feel that I love.

Like its brethren, Le Vin Papillon has no set menu on paper. When you enter, there is one blackboard with the day’s menu listed as well as a couple that list the wine choices they have by the bottle. Surprisingly enough for a wine bar concept, they don’t have very many selections by the glass. It is almost all by the bottle. The wines were mostly French and Italian from my browsing of the choices. The wines I tried were selected by our waiter because, to be honest, I have a complete lack of knowledge of wine outside of California so I figured he would be in a better place to provide me a good glass. Both were quite good but I won’t go into details here. I’ll stick to the food.

The menu is very interesting in that it is very light on meats which is really separates it from both other restaurants. The dishes are mainly vegetables based and are very much dishes design to accompany wine and share amongst your dining party.

First up, we went with the haricots-coco-romano. Local quebec green beans with some prosciutto, sun-dried tomatoes, romano cheese and beans tossed in some olive oil. As will be a pretty consistent theme through the meal, this plate was a great showcase of local produce with a few augments to enhance and up the flavours. The sun-dried tomatoes and the romano were nice pairings with the crisp green beans. The olive oil allowed all the ingredients to blend nicely.

We followed that up with a selection of their cheeses of the day. Again, we left the choices up to the staff with the caveat of no blue cheese (still not a favorite of mine by itself). We got 3 out of the 7 they were offering that day. Great selection by the staff as they mixed up the texture and the tastes nicely. With the cheese, we got a plate of toasted artisan loaf bread with butter as well as fresh nuts to crack and enjoy. Loved the bread – thank god they didn’t leave a basket at the table during the whole meal because I wouldn’t have stopped eating it. As from the nuts, I love the idea but the practice of cracking them at the table is a little messier than is ideal.

Next up, we went with the roasted onion and ricotta cheese. Just a great dish and a kind of item pairing that in hindsight I wished I had thought up sooner. Fresh creamy ricotta cheese with a beautifully roasted sweet onion and some more of that bread. Absolutely no complaints here.

The final dish of our first selection was the chicken wings with tarragon. Nice flavours here and the wings were cooked as they should be, however I feel this was the least successful dish but only because of the impractically of eating wings at a wine bar. A little too messy and sticky to enjoy with a glass of wine even when trying to eat them neatly.

Still somewhat hungry, we decided to order a couple of more plats. First up this time, their rotisserie Cauliflower. Yeah, that’s right. This dish was by far the most unique thing we had this evening. Roasted cauliflower with thyme, crispy chicken skin, candied lemon peels and a spicy oil mixture on top. A surprisingly spicy dish but one with great texture and crunch from the roasted cauliflower and the chicken skin. Very enjoyable.

We then went with our waiter’s suggestion of the vinegar eggplant. Roasted eggplants topped with a tomato/almond mixture, some melted cheese, some fresh basil and of course, as the name implies, vinegar. Nice earthy flavours throughout with the sweetness of the tomatoes, the richness of the cheese and the acidity of the vinegar mixed in. A surprisingly filling dish on top of all that. Very well done.

To finish the whole thing off, I went with a homemade chocolate truffle with some fresh blueberries. Rich creamy chocolate interior coated with some crushed pistachios for a little nutty crunch. Perfectly done and the perfect sweet touch to cap off the meal.

Overall, a very nicely executed wine bar concept and one with a menu that surprises with its emphasis on vegetables. A few dishes and some wine glasses later, you leave stuffed and quite satisfied. I think that is really all you can ask from a great wine bar. Note that they do not take reservations so you may wait a bit if you go during peak hours. Otherwise, just sit back and enjoy some wine!

Cheers!

Le Vin Papillon
2519 Notre Dame Ouest

Tags: Dave McMillan, David McMillan, Fred Morin, Frederic Morin, Le Vin Papillon, Montreal Vine Bar, Vine Bar

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories Food, Little Burgundy, Wine Bar

Liverpool House

4 Aug

There are certain restaurants that just speak to us. Everything, from the decor to the ambience to the music and of course the food, works within your sensibilities and creates a space that would go gladly go back to day after day if you could because it just feels right. Fred Morin and Dave McMillan created just such a place for me with Joe Beef. Since my original visit there last year (and further reinforced by my recent meal there this summer), I have always had their second restaurant (and neighbour a few doors down) Liverpool House on my “Must Check Out” list. Well, I finally got the chance with the family to see if the Morin and McMillan spell on me would continue.

With our 9:30 reservation and the dim lighting, there wasn’t really the chance to take some interior pictures (and impacted the quality of my other pictures as well) but Liverpool House continues the casual and off-beat look that Joe Beef has in spades. Beautiful bar to enjoy a drink while a Steven Segal movie plays on a mini TV, wood panelled walls with large chalkboard menus, leather banquets and wood tables, a canoe on the ceiling, a mounted deer on the wall and way too many paintings of 18 wheelers. I simply cannot do it justice without images. All to say, I love it and the vibe it sets for the meal. Add some great alternative music and you’ve got me hook, line and sinker.

Before we even discuss the food, we must start with the cocktails. Liverpool House has a few house cocktails and I got to try 2 over the course of the evening. First, the Old Pal – basically their twist on a Negroni. A very bitter cocktail but one that I enjoyed tremendously. The second one was called a St-Vincent Sour – their play on a Whiskey sour but using Bourbon and maple syrup instead. Love the overall balance of this cocktail – very smooth with a slight touch of sweet and no bitterness. Complete 180 to the Old Pal in every sense. I definitely will be playing with that combination of ingredients at home shortly.

As a appetizer, I went with their “Beer Cheese” dish – a mixture of blue cheese, cream cheese and goat cheese with some beer and other spices which becomes a spread served with marinated vegetables and some grilled toast. A very solid cheese blend that balances itself quite nicely. The cream and goat cheeses lent a nice smooth creamy texture while the blue cheese added a bit of kick but not enough to overwhelm the other elements of the spread. The marinated vegetables added a little vinegar to the party and the deliciously toasted bread served as the perfect platter for all of this. A great appetizer.

On to the main. I decided to go for the veal sweetbreads with a mix of onions and Romesco sauce. Served on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes and some jus, this dish will make anyone who has issues with sweetbreads love them. Nice and crispy on the outside with a perfect soft and fluffy texture inside, the sweetbreads were cooked to perfection to truly showcase the natural fattyness they hold. The mixture of onions added some nice sweetness to the dish and the Romesco sauce (a Spanish nut and red pepper-based sauce for the un-initiated as I was that night) provided a little garlic kick and as well as a little sweet spiciness. This dish was returned completely picked clean – loved every inch of it.

There was one other main course I tried as there was some leftovers at the table and that was the curry shrimps. The reason for some being left over is quite simple – the portion they serve is huge. Over a dozen large shrimp served in a curry mixture with spicy lentils, pilaf rice and a yogourt sauce. The sauce for the shrimp was nice and mild in terms of curry. I cannot say the same for the lentils – a little too much heat for my tastes, especially the after-taste. Thankfully the deliciously creamy yogourt sauce cooled my palette off quickly. Add a solid rice pilaf and you have a solid dish through and through.

Finally we get to dessert. I went for the Apricot Financiers. Mini light and fluffy almond flour-based cakes with a hazelnut crust served with some cherries, apricots and house-made vanilla ice cream. Wonderfully executed dessert all around. I was a big fan in particular of the ice cream. Just a great depth of vanilla flavour on top of a velvety texture. A great end to a awesome meal.

In the end, Liverpool House had me from the moment I walked in and never let go. The entire experience was wonderful and simply made wish I could come back more often (and believe me… if it weren’t for budgetary notions, I would be there and at Joe Beef pretty much monthly). If you have been to Joe Beef and enjoyed it, then you need to check out Liverpool House. If you haven’t been, then no worries. Just come down anyway and I am sure you will convert quite quickly. Now to go save more money to visit again soon….

Cheers!

Liverpool House
2501 Notre-Dame St W
(514) 313-6049

Tags: apricot financier, beer cheese, Dave McMillan, David McMillan, Fred Morin, Frederic Morin, Joe Beef, Liverpool House, old pal, st vincent sour, Veal sweetbreads

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories English Pub, Food, French, Little Burgundy

Cafe Griffintown (Brunch Edition)

31 Jul

For the first time in a long while, I went to brunch where the choice of location wasn’t made by me. As one starts to become known within his friend circle as the “restaurant guy”, usually I am the one tasked with the selection. Not this time around as a couple of friends decided it was time that I tried a favourite of theirs closed to their neighbourhood (and one I actually have had on my list for some time), Cafe Griffintown.

Located on Notre-Dame street just off de la Montagne, this cafe has just a beautiful space to work with. High ceilings, exposed brick walls, beautiful aged wood floors, metallic accents with an open kitchen and a terrasse to boot, I love pretty much everything about this space. Add some great jazz and big band music in the background and you have a cafe that I could spend hours at.

But enough about the interior design, you want to hear about the food because frankly this is a food blog after all. The brunch menu is one of breakfast classics with some unique twists as well. To start, I ordered a glass of their “Palm Spring” – a mixture of fresh papaya, banana and pineapple juice. Great balance to this juice – not too sweet, not too sour, just a nice refreshing drink on a warm summer day.

As a main, I went for the crab cake and eggs. Homemade crab cake with sunnyside-up eggs, a side of bacon, a smoked and marinated jalapeños remoulade and a fresh salad. The crab cake was nice and dense with crab meat – no excessive binder here. The bacon was cooked as I like it – not crispy and the eggs were cooked as listed. The remoulade was not nearly as spicy as I expected (which for me is a good thing) and provided a nice tang to the dish. The only miss for me was the salad as it really didn’t have a reason other than to make the plate seem larger. No dressing to really speak of and the lettuce honestly didn’t seem all that fresh. If we ignore the salad, the rest of the plate is a winner.

One of my friends went with the Mac & Cheese – L’Ile-aux-Grues, Swiss gruyere, Bierbrier beer with a side of bacon, poached eggs and some greens. The poached eggs were well done, the bacon was cooked the same way as mine was and the macaroni had great flavour. Both cheeses and the beer used in the Mac & Cheese added a nice creamy sharpness to the dish but not one that would feel overbearing and heavy towards the end. The greens used here also seemed fresher. A very nice dish that I definitely would want to try next time as my own main.

My other friend went with their Canadian breakfast – 2 eggs your way with a side of meat (chorizo, bacon or prosciutto), potatoes, toast and a green salad. The eggs (scrambled in this case) were solid, the potatoes had good flavour and the bacon was cooked as the previous 2 dishes had been. The green salad was actually like mine which was disappointing but the real star here was the bread. Nice thick cut pieces of fresh bread grilled well and buttered. Every time I get bread like this in a restaurant I am reminded of my desire to bake my own sourdough bread. I definitely need to get on that. Anyway, solid dish apart from the salad once again.

After our meal, we sat there for another hour so clearly we felt right at home in this cafe. What can I say… my friends make good restaurant choices. I taught them well. Just kidding. Anyway, they were spot-on with this choice and it led to a great Sunday brunch. People in the Sud-Ouest region either living there or visiting, look no further than Cafe Griffintown for all your brunch needs. I only wish the live Jazz they have during the week was also there during Brunch. Then we would have probably stayed there a few more hours.

Cheers!

Cafe Griffintown
1378 Notre Dame St W
(514) 931-5299

Tags: brunch, Cafe Griffintown, Canadian Breakfast, Crab Cake and eggs, Mac & Cheese, Montreal Brunch, MTL Brunch

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories Brunch, Food, Sud Ouest/ St-Henri

Food Trucks – Le Cheese, Pas d’Cochon dans mon Salon, Meatball MTL, Dim Sum MTL, Boite à Fromages

29 Jul

Bouffons Montreal 2013 has come and gone officially. A great event that gave many people the opportunity to check out many of the different food trucks for the 1st time. In the past year, through a couple of Just for Laughs presentations I saw, I got to try a few more trucks to continue my explorations of what we have available to us.

Up first, Le Cheese – a truck all about cheese and the different ways one can enjoy cheese. On my first visit, saddened by the Fried Cheesecake being sold out (more on that later…), I went for their special of the day – a fried onion, bacon and swiss grilled cheese. A nice size sandwich – the bread had a great grilled crisp exterior and the combo of onions and bacon gave a nice fatty sweetness to the sandwich. The swiss wasn’t completely melted to my liking but honestly a minor quibble. Still a great sandwich.

As luck would have it, I got the chance to walk by Le Cheese again a few days later when I went back to a final go-through and they had the fried cheesecake still available. 3 mini pieces of cheesecake deep fried and covered with a strawberry coulis. The cheesecake itself was nice and the strawberry coulis added some sweet fruitiness. The batter really had no flavour to speak of but at least it didn’t get in the way of the cake. A solid dessert.

Le Cheese
On Facebook and Twitter @LeCheeseTruck

Next up, from the crew from La Salle à Manger, the trailer that is Pas d’Cochon dans mon Salon. These guys use charcoal grilling to deliver some great BBQ. They also offer some oysters and a few other items for some variety. They were one of the first “trucks” present last year during the festival run and have come back for some more – although their lack of a true truck prevents them from being part of the trial run in Ville-Marie.

Their pulled pork sandwich is what they are known for so of course I would have to try one. What a beast of a sandwich this thing is. Huge portion of pulled pork, covered with a sweet tangy barbecue sauce and stuffed in a bun. Quite honestly, you pretty much need a fork to lighten the load before biting down on the sandwich proper unless you’re cool with getting BBQ sauce all over yourself in public. The pork itself is quite tender – it just falls apart as one would expect from great pulled pork. The BBQ sauce has a nice balance between sweetness and tanginess which I appreciate and the bun does a great job of soaking up all that sauce. Well done all around.

Pas d’Cochon dans mon Salon
On Facebook and Twitter @Pas_d_cochon

Meatball Montreal is a truck that specializes in…well… meatballs of course! On this evening, they had 2 options – classic meatballs or a BBQ variety – as well as lemonade and potato salad. Given what I had already had eaten, I decided to stick to just the classic ones.

In one order, you get 2 meatballs with two pieces of bread, some tomato sauce, fresh basil and freshly grated Reggiano cheese. The bread was nice and crispy, the tomato sauce provided a nice tangy flavour and the fresh basil and Reggiano provided some bite but let’s be honest… none of this matters if the meatballs aren’t up to snuff. Thankfully, these meatballs are quite good. I think the key thing with meatballs is texture. Firm enough to hold together but still tender enough to really let the flavours of the meat and binders to come through. Perfect in this case. The meatballs could be cut quite easily just using a fork but they didn’t fall apart afterwards. A great and unique truck concept that truly stands out from the crowd.

Meatball Montreal
On Facebook and Twitter @Meatball_Mtl

Fast forward to a couple of days later where, other than the fried cheesecake mentioned earlier, I got to try 2 of the more unique trucks we have going around. First up, we have a Dim Sum truck!! Just let that sink in for a moment….. I have to give major props to the folks who though this one up because this is, in theory, a great truck option and would that really brings a different flavour to the party. This very colourful truck offers a number of combos using some Dim Sum staple items.

My sister and I went for combo #4 – a BBQ pork bun, a shrimp dumpling and a Sui Mai dumpling. The bun was probably the worse thing here – the pork itself had a nice BBQ flavour but the bum was completely flat and quite dry. The steamed shrimp dumpling was great and the Sui Mai was solid although pretty much pork with one mini shrimp instead of a true mix of the two. I love the concept and this has the potential to be a great component to our regular truck lineup.

Dim Sum Montreal
On Facebook

And lastly, from the Plateau boutique of the same name, we have Boite à Fromages – a truck all about Raclette – in this case, the basic raclette dish of cheese melted on top of potatoes. Using that base, you can select from a few extra combination of ingredients added on top of that.

I decided to go a little crazy with my selection and went with apples, caramel pecans and fleur de sel. Loved how the sweetness of the apples and pecans paired with the fleur de sel and the richness of the cheese. The potatoes, as always with raclette, provided a nice means to enjoy the unique flavour profile here. Very cool idea from these people and my only though once I was done was that I wanted to try their other options as soon as possible. I think that speaks volume to the quality here. Very well done.

Boite à Fromages
On Facebook and Twitter @boiteafromages

Cheers!

Tags: Boite à Fromages, Bouffons Montreal, Cuisine de Rue, Dim Sum Montreal, Dim Sum MTL, Express Raclette, Le Cheese, Meatball Montreal, Meatball MTL, Montreal Dim Sum, Montreal Food Trucks, Montreal Street Food, MTL Dim Sum, MTL Food Trucks, MTL Street Food, Pas d'Cochon dans mon salon

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories Food, Food Trucks

Barcelona 2013 – General Travel Log

24 Jul

Finally, after many distractions and false starts, I’ve have gotten around to this post!

A few months ago, as a vacation, I was in Spain for 10 days visiting both Barcelona and Madrid. There will be a few other posts on some specific culinary experiences that I had while I was there but I figured I would start with a overview post about my time there food-wise – specifically in Barcelona. When one talks about Spain from a culinary point of view, we think about Tapas, Manchego cheese, Iberico and Serrano Ham, amazing seafood and wine. Well… I got to enjoy all of that and then some while on this trip.

We made a concerted effort to try and follow Spanish timeline food-wise and get the true experience. We seeked out tapas bars, markets, cafes and terraces in order to try Spanish food. We weren’t in Spain to eat French and Italian. We didn’t do much research beforehand to plan anything. Starting in Barcelona, our hotel was located just off the Ramblas – the main tourist throughway – but more importantly, just a couple of minutes away from the Gothic Quarter, the old district of town where there are numerous small but amazing joints without any of the tourist-gouging prices or bad food.

In our first night in town, we tried a tapas bar just off the Royal Plaza (Playa Real). It’s called Bodega Biarritz and is insanely small. My apartment living room is almost bigger than the seating space here. Their menu is one of pretty “classic” tapas dishes so a perfect way to start the trip.

We started with an order of Patatas Bravas, a stuffed puff pastry and Cod Fritters. Patatas Bravas are fried potatoes covered with a spicy tomato “Bravas” sauce. The sauce is really the thing here…. tangy at first but quite spicy in the finish. The puff pastry is good as well but nothing special. The cod fritters were wonderful – nice, fresh cod meat with a nice crispy exterior.

Next up, we ordered meatballs on top of a potato tortilla, grilled sausage and smaller meatballs covered in bravas sauce. Both meatballs were moist and tender. The sausage had a nice kick to it and the potato tortilla was great. Soft interior with a crisp exterior, the texture was much flakier than your usual corn or flour tortilla. Add to all of this some beer and a great Mojito and you have a wonderful introduction to true Spanish tapas.

The following day, we went to the famous La Boqueria Market to check out Pinotxo Bar. This tiny bar counter located inside the market doesn’t look like much but it has been showcased in a number of publications worldwide including Food & Wine and the New York Times. Once we actually were able to grab some seats (there are only about a dozen stools present so expect to wait a bit), I was ready to dig in. Upfront, it amazes me the quality of food that comes out of a space that small. The pictures probably don’t do it justice enough. Every tiny inch of space is used to its maximal capacity. Somehow 5 cooks and the owner, the very jovial fellow in the pink and blue vest, fit and crank out great stuff.

First up, a chick pea salad with some garlic, parsley and a few other spices that I didn’t catch as the owner who ended up serving really doesn’t speak English. Amazingly fresh and flavourful, I am really not a chick pea fan but this dish turned me around. The chick peas were cooked to the right consistency and the mix of spices and herbs really enhanced their natural flavour. Great starter.

Next up, a plate of snails cooked with a mixture of tomatoes and garlic amongst others. Once again, great combination of freshness, texture with simple but strong flavour. I have never eating so much snails at one time in my life and it was great to try them in a preparation other than one involving tons of garlic butter.

Following that, we got a plate of fresh grilled squid with some chick peas, olive oil and a balsamic vinegar reduction. The squid was perfect, the chick peas provided a nice earthy balance to the squid and the balsamic added a nice touch to the whole time. Great plate of food.

Lastly, we went with fresh langoustines boiled, slightly grilled and with garlic butter. Simple but perfect overall. As was true throughout my time in Spain, the seafood was amazingly fresh and of high quality, so the natural flavour of the langoustine shone here beautifully. All in all, a great experience that I highly recommend anyone who goes to the market check out. I don’t think you will be disappointed.

The next day, we got to check out some more tapas places. First up, big props to the corner cafe that serves the following plate of Manchego cheese.

Honey, pecans, fig sauce and huge pieces of Manchego…. there is a reason why we went back again a few days later. The quality of each component was wonderful and really made me wish I could get a similar plate at my corner cafe! For now, I will do so at home.

That evening, we did a mini tapas crawl. The first location was Euskal Etxea which specialize in pintos which are snacks like items usually skewed on a piece of bread. All the items were laid out on the bar where you make your selections. Once eaten, you keep the toothpicks from each and that is how they add up your bill. Totally a different set-up then I am used to. The items here were mostly meats, pates or cheese. All good but nothing really exciting.

After that quick stop, we went literally across the street to a more typical tapas bar, El Xampanyet. This tiny bar was cramped, loud and had tons of paper napkins on the floor a.k.a a good tapas bar from all appearances. Once we wiggled our way up to the bar, we dove in. Ham on breadsticks, mini spicy sausages, roasted potatoes topped with cheese and tomatoes, marinated fresh anchovies and goat cheese stuffed mini peppers. All fresh and delicious. Add to that a couple of pints of beers and we’ve had ourselves a great night.

I have a few more places to showcase but as mentioned initially, that will be done on a few separate posts that will appear shortly (I hope…). Having now had the true tapas experience in Spain, I found a nice appreciation for that style of dining. Every Tapas place we went to, I left feeling satisfied but never completely stuffed to the point of inactivity. Hopefully this mini tour has given you a sense of the kind of food one can experience in Spain. Now… I just want to go back!

Cheers!

Bodega Biarritz. Ciutat Vella, 1881, Barcelona, Spain. 08002
Bar Pinotxo. Mercat de la Boqueria, 466-470, Barcelona, Spain. +34 933 171 731
Euskal Etxea. Placeta Montcada, 1, 08003 Barcelona, Spain. +34 933 10 21 85
El Xampanyet. Carrer de Montcada, 22, 08003 Barcelona, Spain. +34 933 197 003

Tags: Bar Pinotxo, Barcelona, Bodega Biarritz, El Xampanyet, Euskal Etxea, Madrid, tapas

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories Barcelona, Food, Madrid, Spanish, Tapas

Florida 2013 – Albert and Victoria’s

15 Jun

Okay….time for a long overdue post. Over this past Easter weekend, we went down to Orlando, Florida as a family for some nice weather, a little golf and a quick trip to Disney World. While we were there, we decided to pay ourselves a little treat. Inside of the Grand Floridian Resort Hotel at Disney is the restaurant Albert and Victoria’s. This restaurant is a 13-year recipient of the AAA Five Diamond award and is renowned for their 6-course prix fixe menu with associated wine pairings for each dish. They label the evening as a “2-2.5 hour dining experience” where no kids under 10 are allowed and the dress code is dinner jackets and dresses. You show up in shorts or jeans and you are refused entrance.

When you walk in, in that typical Disney immersion, you feel like you are entering a traditional Victorian dinner room. Fine crystal and china, ornate wallpaper, long drapes and tablecloths, a harp player in the corner – full credit for creating such a unique restaurant space. The other thing you notice is the attention to detail in the service. Each table has a duo of servers that takes care of you. In our case, we had a lovely elderly couple of New York and Maine that for the life of me I can’t remember their names anymore. Having reserved in advance and requested your name and any dietary restriction, they know your name and throughout the evening, they will address you as such. They also practice absolutely spotless serving etiquette. I was quite amazing to see them work in that manner with such timing and precision. Everything they did was for a reason. A very unique thing to see in today’s restaurant world.

The menu is presented to you as there are different options for each course. Once you have made your selections, a personalized menu will be printed for you to take home as a memento of the evening. I went with the wine pairing option as well to really get the full experience. Once each course arrived, the gentlemen of our serving team recounted the entire description and story of each plate along the associated wine pairing as well as the bread to match. Yes, each course had its own bread pairing. Even for my father with his gluten intolerance. The ability of our waiter to describe everything in great detail and without any pause or mistake was mind boggling and truly a sign of a professional, someone dedicated to his craft. Truly a great thing to experience.

Now then, on with the food. First off, an Amuse-Bouche with a Piper Heidsteck Cuvee 1785 NV Burt. The Amuse-Bouche consisted of a mini roll of crab meat, a piece of fresh salmon with some olive oil and a lavender-mint crudo. All nice and fresh options. Perfect set-ups for a meal such as this.

Second course, I selected the Octopus “a la Plancha” with Black Garlic Aioli. Delicious octopus grilled nicely with some micro-greens, that wonderful aioli as well as some reduced balsamic vinegar for the option of some extra acidity. Great flavour combinations to experience.

Third course, I took the Diver Scallop with Zellwood Corn Ragout. The scallop was perfectly cooked with a nice sear on the outside. The ragout had a wonderful sweetness from the corn. Once again, a perfect combination of ingredients.

Fourth course, I had the Braised Oxtail and Cherry Ravioli with Roasted Red Peppers. The Oxtail was fall apart good and the roasted red peppers provided that right level of sweetness along with the Cherry. Quite good all around.

I also got to try the other option for this course: Long Island Duck Breast and Sausage with Roasted Cauliflower. The duck was just perfect – great flavours and at just the right temperature.

My main was Niman Ranch Lamb with Caramelized Turnips and Swiss Chard. Now, I just love lamb so it wasn’t hard for me to get on-board here. The lamb was rich and tender. The jus was perfect for it and the caramelized vegetables paired nicely here. Amazing dish.

As a palate cleanser before dessert, I got the White Chocolate Gelato with Tableside Shavings and the paired glass of Muscato. Just a wonderfully sweet but light gelato. The shavings added a nice extra-chocolate element as well. The Muscato was a perfect pair to this. And this wasn’t even the actual dessert!

The other option here was a plate of cheese with some port. The cheese provided was Gouda, Stilton, Parmigiano Reggiano and a Sottocenere Al Tartufo. All with very deep and complex flavours. Nice variety of textures as well. The Port created a nice combination from what I could try.

Finally, dessert! The table ended up with 3 different selections: Caramelized Banana Gateau, Tanzanian Chocolate Timbale with Orange scented Milk Chocolate Gelato and a Meyer Lemon and Blood Orange Purse with Blackberry-violet Sherbet. The caramelized gateau was the big favourite – very nice flavour across the board. The chocolate timbale was quite chocolate intensive which I loved but that may not be satisfactory for everyone. The lemon and orange purse really depends on how you like the taste of blood Orange as it pretty much the biggest note that comes out of that dessert.

The overall dining experience was almost certainly the finest I have ever enjoyed. The food was all amazing. Lots of variety throughout the meal, amazing use of great international products in different ways. I will not comment too much on the wine pairings as that is not a particularly strong area for me but from my vantage point, every glass I was served matched perfectly with each plate and added something to the meal. The Muscato with the gelato was a particularly high point for me but I love Muscato so that may cloud my feelings there. The service from top to bottom was superb. The setting was unique and quite enjoyable for a relaxed 2.5 hour service. Now obviously this meal wasn’t cheap – the website clearly states the prices upfront – but you don’t mind spending for a unique refined dining experience, this is absolutely it. There is an option for the chef’s table in the actual kitchen which we visited afterwards but sadly it wasn’t available during our visit. Based on what we saw, it is definitely worth trying to get if you can. That Disney magic continues to work….even when we are talking about Restaurants.

Cheers!

Victoria and Albert’s
4401 Grand Floridian Way
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

Tags: Disney Fine Dining, Disney World, Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, Victoria and Albert's

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories American, Disney World, Food, Orlando

← Older Entries

Newer Entries →

Search

Ramblings from the Complex Mind of a 30 Something

La Fabrique

Pastaga

L’ Atelier d’Argentine

Moishes

Le Vin Papillon

Liverpool House

Cafe Griffintown (Brunch Edition)

Food Trucks – Le Cheese, Pas d’Cochon dans mon Salon, Meatball MTL, Dim Sum MTL, Boite à Fromages

Barcelona 2013 – General Travel Log

Florida 2013 – Albert and Victoria’s

Categories

Instagram

Blogroll

TheBesty

Tags

Previous Posts

Search

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Categories

Instagram

Blogroll

TheBesty

Tags

Previous Posts