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Le Bureau

22 Jan

Happy new year everyone! Yeah I’m know I’m 3 weeks behind but hey… this writing is a side project for me so how about you cut me a little slack, hum? Anyway, thank you everyone who reads these posts on a regular basis and who spread the word. I never imagined that less than 2 years into this little writing endeavour that people would actually be writing this thing! It is greatly appreciated. Here’s to an amazing 2014 of food and more culinary exploration within our fair city and elsewhere!

Now then, on with my last restaurant visit of 2013 – Hey, I did say I was a little behind didn’t I? – which brought me to the rapidly changing region of Griffintown. It is a part of town that I visit quite frequently. A friend of mine who lives nearby invited down to check out Le Bureau Tapas Bar for a little midweek drink and food. Now, Le Bureau has been on my to-visit list since the summer so I gladly accepted and away we went.

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Walking in on a quiet snowy evening, Le Bureau has a very nice relaxed lounge feel – slow lighting, beautiful wood bars and bar tables with leather banquettes in the end. Add some more industriel touches with the exposed brick walls and steel ventilation tubes and you’re left with a nice setting that perfectly suits a great happy hour or after work visit.

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The cocktail menu was pretty extensive – the right kind of options for a bar like this. Over the course of the evening, we had their Manhattan, Negroni, Old Fashioned and Tom Collins. All were executed well and enjoyable.

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As for the food, Le Bureau offers a menu of tapas style dishes of various cultural influences. We went for a wide variety of dishes for this particular visit – Patatas Bravas, Cod croquettes, pancetta-wrapped figs, beef skewers with chimichurri and grilled chorizo with onions. The Patatas bravas were served with a chipotle lime sauce instead of the standard spicy tomato sauce. The cod croquettes were nice and crispy, served with a amarillo sauce. My big favourite on this night was the pancetta figs – a wonderful combination of sweetness and saltiness. The beef skewers themselves were fine but the real star here was that chimichurri. The grilled chorizo was good but I felt the sausage itself lacked the usual punch of most chorizo.

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The food overall was solid however I personally found the portion sizes to be a little too small given their cost. Le Bureau strikes me as the perfect happy hour 5 à 7 location – it has a great look, a very relaxed feel, a great selection of drinks from their bar and tapas if you need a snack. I will definitely return here for a drink every now and then. However, if you are looking to have a complete meal, I don’t think the portions lend themselves well to that experience. Le Bureau is a great lounge bar experience and that’s perfectly acceptable if that’s what you are looking for.

Cheers!

Le Bureau Bar Tapas
1642 Notre-Dame West
514 903 1642

Le Bureau Bar Tapas on Urbanspoon

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

Griffintown Café on Urbanspoon

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Rustique

24 Apr

St-Henri is quickly turning into one of my favorite areas for food and more specifically desserts. Looking for something different to try for family Sunday dinner, I drove down to Notre-Dame and de Courcelles to a place I have had my eye since it opened a few months ago: Rustique Pie Kitchen.

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Any place that uses a pie as its logo is alright by me however, once you enter the bakery, you realize very quickly that Rustique is definitely not just a pie place.

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All manners of large pies, mini pies, caramel popcorn, peanut brittle, cookies, brownies…. A sweet tooth’s delight. We came away with a box of 6 mini pies, caramel popcorn and two marshmallow cookies sandwiches. The marshmallow sandwiches were quite good. Delicious homemade marshmallow of a perfect consistency stuck between the two cookies – either chocolate chip or peanut butter. The cookies themselves were quite good although I wished the peanut butter ones were softer. They were a little too dry compared to what I really love as a peanut butter cookie.

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For the mini pies, we came away with 6 different flavours: apple pie, peach pie, berry crumble, pecan pie, blackberry ginger and wild blueberry. Off the bat, the pie crust for all of these was spot-on. Great golden flakiness without being dried out. A great buttery taste but not so much that it distracts from the filling inside each one. The individual fillings were all quite good. Tons of flavour with a clear use of fresh ingredients for each one. You can tell this is a place where everything is done from stratch. Of particular note, the blackberry ginger pie was a great combination that I have had before but now I definitely need to get a large scale version of said pie.

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The caramel popcorn was a nice gluten free alternative for one certain family member and on top of that, was quite delicious. Nice crunch to the popcorn with a nice caramel coating. Very satisfying for the little amount I tried of that bag.

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I loved my first experience at Rustique so much that I went two days later for a quick tea and mini key lime pie while sitting outside for a nice 30 minutes or so. Was a great way to spend a beautifully sunny and warm mid-afternoon and something I will definitely do again. If you love pies and all manners of other desserts, Rustique definitely needs to be on your list of places to check out.

Cheers!

Rustique Pie Kitchen
4615 Notre Dame Ouest
514 439 5970

Rustique on Urbanspoon

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Nora Gray

24 Mar

I had first heard of Nora Gray from Lesley Chesterman’s review in The Montreal Gazette last February. Having never been to either Liverpool house (where the principal proprietors had been prior) or its brother Joe Beef at that point, I made note of it and put it on the quite lengthy “places to go” list. Fast forward one year later and Nora Gray had become one of my most anticipated restaurants to check out. Luckily, I was finally able to enjoy a Friday night dinner there a few weeks ago with my family.

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Walked into the approximately 50 seat space and right away loved the look of the room. Chic and modern with wood paneled walls, dark banquettes, black and white frames, dimmed lighting and a beautiful looking bar that I would love to spend hours at. Add to that the great alternative music that I became aware of over the course of the dinner and you have a space that certainly appeals to my sensibilities. This is a restaurant that screams timeless classics but with a young and hip touch.

As for the menu, it changes regularly and if I had to characterize it, I would say it is one of Italian influences but certainly not one shackled by what one expects from a typical Italian joint. To start off with, given co-owner Ryan Gray’s reputation as a sommelier and knower of things cocktail and spirits, I started with their “My Buddy Frankie” – Maker’s Mark, Campari and Vergano Mauro Vermouth. Very nice and balanced cocktail although if you don’t like Campari, I probably wouldn’t recommend it as that is the spirit that comes out the most. The wine list is mostly French and Italian which is not our family’s forte however our waitress was quite helpful in recommending some options for us and both selections she brought forth were enjoyed by all of us. Ryan also came by to see if we had any other questions about the wine list which was appreciated.

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As appetizers, we started with the rabbit liver pâté with caramelized onions on top of housemade cornbread. This was a great dish – a perfect combination of everything you would like to have – the richness of the rabbit liver with the sweetness of the onions and the warm cornbread. Definitely something I would eat again…and again… and again. This was a one of those dishes where, after eating it, I went “I now want to try making this at home so others can try the combination”.

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The next entree was grilled octopus with spicy red pepper sauce. Very nice again. The octopus was grilled perfectly and the sauce added a little kick to the whole dish.

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The final entree was crispy sweetbreads with honey and horseradish served on a bed of crispy spinach. Now, sweetbreads is something that often automatically turns people off and as someone who only had some for the first time at Cabane PDC a week prior because it hadn’t been presented to me in a desirable way, I get it. However, when cooked and prepared properly, sweetbreads are a wonderful treat to enjoy. Nora Gray’s version is along those lines. By frying them, it creates a nice crispy texture to pair with the softer interior. The touch of honey brings a great sweetness that mixed nicely with the naturally fatty and earthy tones of sweetbreads. The crispy spinach was perfectly done as well.

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Two mains were ordered amongst our party since a few redundancies took place between the 4 of us. The first one was the chick pea hot pot. I personally didn’t try it but my sister rather enjoyed it. The chick peas were of the right consistency and the whole thing had a nice basil taste to it.

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I ordered as a main the porchetta with potato and broccoli cake. In Nora Gray’s version, the roast was stuffed with pork and veal. The roast was just perfectly cooked. The interior was soft and moist whereas the exterior skin was golden crispy. Rich and delicious in every way. Under the roast, the potato and broccoli cake was a nice contrast to the fattiness of the pork and veal. Very good plate across the board.

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Next up were the desserts. First up, the ricotta tort with blood orange. Exactly as rich as you expect with something based primarily out of ricotta. The blood orange added a very distinguished citrus note to it. Very well done.

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The flourless chocolate cake was quite good as well. No complaints here.

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The one miss of the evening was the Concorde grape jelly. The execution was spot-on. The jelly had exactly the right texture however the flavour really didn’t step up like we would have hoped. The only negative in an otherwise amazing meal.

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Nora Gray was a great experience that lived up to everything I had hoped it would be since I placed it on my to-go list over a year ago. The service was friendly and very timely. They were also quite understanding when I called ahead to say we would be late by 20 mins or so. They simply thanked us for the notice and mentioned to us that there was a reservation after us so we would not have as much time to eat by arriving a little late. Despite that, they never rush us and we left quite satisfied and of our own accord well before the next party arriving. I would have no reservations whatsoever recommending this place to anyone… As long as you can get a reservation of course! Now I just need to go back to spend an evening at that bar…

Cheers!

Nora Gray
1391 Rue Saint-Jacques
514 419 6672

Nora Gray on Urbanspoon

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Satay Brothers

10 Mar

A couple of years ago, while visiting Atwater Market with some friends, I tried a food stand called Satay Brothers. Don’t exactly remember why I chose that particular food stand for food instead of the other ones present but I was quite happy with my choice that day. Fast forward to today and the Satay Brothers have opened up their prep kitchen on St-Jacques a few blocks over from the market to customers looking for their amazing asian fare during the winter time as well.

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The restaurant has a small sitting area of probably about 20 or so people. I arrived solo on a surprisingly busy mid afternoon Saturday. It was busy enough that I was set up at the bar counter since no tables were opening up anytime soon for a solo customer.

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To start with, I ordered the green papaya salad with grilled pork. This was a wonderfully fresh and light salad – a combination of what tasted like lemon, lime, mint and basil with the added crunch of peanuts to play with textures. Great start to the meal.

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Next up, there was the classic steamed pork buns. A nice piece of fatty pork with some coriander, cucumber and a hoisin-like sauce. I loved these the first time I had them at the market and I still loved them now.

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With the buns, I also added one chicken satay. Perfectly grilled and tender, when you added the amazing peanut sauce, the dish had a great kick to it. Believe me, I hate cucumber but you certainly needed them afterwards to help cleanse the palette.

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Finally, for dessert, I decide to try the Kueh Salat. A combination of coconut, stick rice and pandan, this was a perfectly light and sweet dessert that played very well after the rest of the meal.

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For all fans of the Satay Brothers from the Market, this is a must-visit to enjoy your usual summer favorites. For the rest of you, this is an extremely worthwhile visit – great food at a very reasonable cost. The Winnicki brothers and their mother have created a wonderfully homie restaurant experience. Alex, who was tending to the floor, was quite active – always interacting with his customers, starting up conversation while keeping service very snappy. The love shown to him and his family from all the patrons is a testament to the attention they put on everyone who comes through that door. I must also praise Alex from being quite understanding towards a situation with me that involved leaving money at a ATM prior to my arrival (unbeknownst to me when I came to pay) which is a problem at a cash only place. Quite the embarrassment for me but Alex was very trusting and was not concerned that I wouldn’t come back later on to pay (which I did 20 minutes later). For the way he handle my situation, I thank him very much and, irregardless of the amazing food, he has certainly ensured that I return on a much more frequent basis in the future.

Cheers!

Satay Brothers
3911 Saint-Jacques (in the winter)
514 587 8106
Atwater Market (in the summer)

Satay Brothers on Urbanspoon

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EVOO Cuisine Soignée (Brunch Edition)

17 Feb

On a recent Sunday, I headed down by the Atwater Market to finally check out a brunch spot I had on my list for a few months now – EVOO Cuisine Soignée. This contemporary and stylish looking restaurant does a brunch service on weekends. The menu is relatively small but provides much variety outside of the usual fare you can get from many brunch locations.

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As a starter, my friend and I ordered a side of housemade Nutella or NutellOO with some toasts. This was quite a treat and an excellent way to start the meal. Perfectly smooth texture with a wonderfully strong chocolate taste that just screams out “we melted down actually chocolate for this”. The hazelnut note was less than normal Nutella but still very present. Very well done.

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Next up, we ordered a side of the Ricotta fritters. They came in 3 varieties – fennel, coriander and a third one which I forgot actually. All three were quite good although I really didn’t pick up any hint of coriander in that one. A dense yet fluffy interior with a crisp exterior, the ricotta comes through with the richness of each fritter. The sugar and the pastry cream added the appropriate sweetness.

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As a main, my friend ordered the baked potato with spicy salsa verde. Right off the bat, this thing was a monster. A ridiculously huge plate that my friend couldn’t finish and even with my help, there were remnants. When even the waitress notes picking up the plates that most people don’t finish it, you know you are dealing with a big dish. The dish works pretty well – the combination of the poached egg, the creme fraiche and cheese with the actual potato creates a nice richness and creaminess. The smoked bacon adds a little crunch and the salsa verde, while not as spicy as it was implied by our waitress, added a very nice kick to the dish. Definitely something I never would have expected for brunch.

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On my end, I ordered the sausage roll with spicy red cabbage and mint compote. The roll was a large whole sausage with caramelized onions wrapped in puff pastry. Very good although I must admit that I had expected the interior to be a sausage and onion filling. Because the sausage was whole, as soon as you cut it, the pastry just fell off the sausage. A pretty minor issue in reality. The red cabbage added some texture and bite to the dish all while giving that little hint of spice. The mint compote was nice and light – the perfect way to cleanse the palette as you went about your meal.

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This was a very nice experience from beginning to end. The service was friendly and attentive all while being timely. The variety of the menu is a nice plus for them – very creative options for people who want something else out of their brunch. I truly looked forward to coming back at some point for their dinner service.

Cheers!

EVOO Cuisine Soignée
3426 Notre-Dame Ouest
514 846 3886

Evoo on Urbanspoon

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Léché

10 Nov

I am a sucker when it comes to sweets. It doesn’t really matter – be it cupcakes, brownies, cookies, doughnuts, etc – I pretty much love all of them. More and more in Montreal, we are lucky to have wonderful bakery and pastry shops making great things for us to enjoy outside of the usual Tim Hortons and Starbucks fare. Recently, through Twitter, I had heard of a new artisan doughnut shop in St-Henri that I needed to check out called Léché. Wonderful I thought, let’s check it out right away! Then I saw the opening hours…. Not very conducive to my work schedule. However, through some good circumstance, I had the chance this week to quickly head over before work to grab a box and see just how good their doughnuts were.

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Very much enjoyed the warm and homey feel the space had. The open kitchen is also a great element to the shop – really creates a unique feel. I would have loved to stay longer simply to see the team work in on their treats but sadly time was of the essence. I walked out with a box of 6 different doughnuts to sample from. In general, the doughnuts all have a very light and fluffy dough which doesn’t have much of a sweetness to it on its own. However, given the different toppings and fillings, that is perfect and truly allows those elements to shine above the dough itself. Also, these guys are stuffed to the gills. My experience with most doughnuts had conditioned me to expect half filled doughnuts. Boys was this a pleasant surprise.

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Working from the top left one and going clockwise, I had the white chocolate mousse, peanut butter and Jelly, chocolate, apple crumble, raspberry and milk chocolate mousse doughnuts. The white chocolate mousse was a perfect creamy delicious mess of a doughnut – sweet and delicious. The PB & J one was just amazing – a perfect manifestation of what makes the sandwich so good. The right balance between the salty and the sweet. The chocolate one was very good but probably. The star of the apple crumble is the wonderful apple filling you find inside. The raspberry one was a slight disappointment but that has mostly to do with the fact that I ate it after the PB & J one so it felt like the jam inside was missing its peanut butter companion. Finally, the milk chocolate mousse was very good although I preferred its white chocolate brother.

All in all, quite impressive and very satisfied with my 1st experience. Léché will definitely be in the back of my mind next time I am confronted with the prospect of more “mainstream” doughnut options. Next thing, I just hope that they open up their hours a bit more so that I can stop by a bit more easily in the future.

Cheers!

Léché
640 de Courcelle
514 303 2200

Léché Desserts Inc. on Urbanspoon

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