Camion Au Pied de Cochon

21 Jun

At long last, we have food trucks in Montreal! Well…. we actually had some last year but they couldn’t actually, you know, park somewhere and serve food outside of festivals, so this is closer to the real thing. Regardless, there is much rejoicing around these parts and for me, it means that I have some more trucks to track down this summer. I won’t spend anytime here discussing how this summer’s pilot project works so please just google MTL street food to find out the details in terms of locations, hours and the full list of trucks.

First up, on the opening day of the project, I had the chance to head to Victoria Square to try out Camion Au Pied de Cochon. Now I realize that this will be the 4th post I write about Au Pied de Cochon and its various off spring. The reason is quite simple… I love them that much!

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The concept they are going for is salty and sweet. You order in the front and from there, you pick up your items from either the salty window and the sweet window. The menu is an blend of dishes from the Duluth restaurant, the Sugar Shack and some unique truck items.

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I went for their big combo option with an added item. That item was a fried duck leg with maple syrup BBQ sauce. Anyone who went to the Sugar Shack this past spring got a taste of this particular item. Nice tangy BBQ on top of some great duck. Nice crispy exterior while still keeping some moistness inside. Great option for only 3$!

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The combo box itself contained four times – a maple soda, a foie gras poutine, a “beigne Cochon” and a “beigne sucré”. The maple soda was nice and refreshing with just the right amount of maple syrup flavor to make it sweet but not overbearingly so. This was one of the components of the Whiskey Soda I had up at the Sugar Shack…. Still the best one I have ever had.

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Next up, the foie gras poutine – their old restaurant classic and signature dish. If you’ve had it there then you know what to expect. They succeeded in translating perfectly to the food truck. Crisp golden fries, cheese curds, a piece of foie gras and their foie gras gravy – perfect in the restaurant and perfect here.

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Now for the new stuff. The “beigne Cochon” really stretches the definition of a doughnut. In reality, this is a smoked meat sandwich where a doughnut is the bun. Yeah…. You read that right… A doughnut bun. Picard and his team are just nuts man. Anyway, this sandwich was amazing. A very generous portion of pork smoked meat, white ham and pork tongue with some mustard sandwiched in between that doughnut. Great combination as the doughnut mimics a sort of brioche bread. Nice and golden with a good crust yet a soft interior. The perfect way to differentiate themselves in this food truck rush.

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For the “beigne sucré”, they take the exact same doughnut but then stuff it with a filling of your choice and then add powered sugar. In my case, I went for the rhubarb option. Stuffed to the gills with a cream and rhubarb filling, the doughnut, which had been perfect for a sandwich, became a wonderful sweet treat to cap off the meal.

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A very strong entry to the food truck world by the Au Pied de Cochon crew. Keeps in line with their “go big or go home” style of food all while adding some new twists for the truck. Very generous portions at a reasonable deal overall I think. If this is indicative of what we can expect from this generation of Montreal food trucks, we will all be very lucky people.

Cheers!

Camion Au Pied de Cochon
On Facebook or Twitter @camionpdc

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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

Victoria & Albert's on Urbanspoon

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Au Pied de Cochon – Le Gros Verrat

12 Jun

This is not a review. If you want a full run-down of Au Pied de Cochon, I recommend that you check out my post from a couple of months ago. No, this quick post is because I recently went back for a second meal for a very specific reason.

Around this time of year, Au Pied de Cochon offers a few different seafood platters on top of their usual fare. One of which is called Le Gros Verrat. It is a monster designed for 10 people. We decided as a group of 6 to pay ourselves a little treat. Here it is:

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The relatively poor quality of the picture probably doesn’t do this thing justice. I am 6’4” and I needed to stand up AND step back in order to fit the 4 level structure in the frame. Pretty much any variety of seafood you would want was present in this platter. The bottom level was all the warm options – Rockefeller Oysters, fried squid, scallops, halibut and deep fried lobster foie gras sushi. Yeah you read that right…. Deep fried lobster foie gras sushi.

The next levels were loaded with raw oysters, clams and razor clams, boiled lobster, crab legs, shrimp, escargots and other things I am probably forgetting in such absurd quantities that it truly seemed like the staff was daring us to try to finish it. And wouldn’t you know it….

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…. We did.

If you have a group of worthy eaters who enjoy seafood and the willingness to open up the wallet a bit, may I highly recommend you visit Au Pied de Cochon this summer. Don’t think you will leave disappointed.

Cheers!

Au Pied de Cochon
536 Duluth Est.
514 281 1114

Au Pied de Cochon on Urbanspoon

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Pizzeria Napoletana

9 Jun

If there is one blind spot in my Montreal food repertoire that I feel somewhat embarrassed about, it is Pizza. Despite my absolute love of all things Pizza related – I could honestly eat pizza everyday if such a thing were reasonable from a dietary point of view – I have not exploring many of Montreal’s fine establishments. If someone were to ask me where to get a great slice of pizza, I honestly wouldn’t have an answer that I could base on personal experience. Well… I want to change that. So last weekend, I took the opportunity after a visit to Jean Talon Market to try a Little Italy institution, Pizzeria Napoletana.

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Right off the bat, I am not a staunch advocate of either thin crust or deep dish pizza. I give equal time to both sides… as long as it is done right. In this instance, we would be treated to a classic Italian thin crust pizza. When coming to a place that has been doing it since 1948, one hopes you will be getting a great slice of pie. With thin crust, you are looking for a nice crisp base but one that still has a bit of chewiness to it. Too thin or crisp and you get something that tastes completely burnt. On the toppings front, you want a nice tomato sauce and good cheese. You want just enough of both to cover the dough but not so much that it overwhelms the flavor of the crust.

I decided to go with a Quattro Fromaggi pizza for my first try. Before I add extra ingredients, I want to see if the basic pizza is done well. Napoletana uses Mozzarella, Parmesan, Romano and bocconcini for their version. This was a very well done pizza. It pretty much had everything I was looking for. Crispy yet tender crust – check. Bonus points for the slightly burnt edge as well. Right amount of both sauce and cheese – check. Tangy tomato sauce – check. Nice mix of cheese – check. Very satisfying pizza overall.

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My sister went with a even simpler pizza on her end – the classic Margarita. Once again, a very nice pizza with the same characteristics of the previous one minus the added notes of the Romano and bocconcini cheese.

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As the 1st true entry in the Montreal Pizza search, Pizzeria Napoletana was exactly what I expected from a Montreal Institution – a place that serves solid pizza, tried and true. It was a good initial benchmark to set my expectations for a good Montreal Pizza. Walking into the restaurant, you absolutely get that old school pizzeria feel – the pictures of celebrities on the walls, all the staff in restaurant t-shirts and caps, paper placemats and the fact that this still only take cash. If you’re looking for a classic Napoli style pizza, this is a good place to start.

Cheers!

Pizzeria Napoletana
189 Dante
514 276 8226

Pizzeria Napoletana on Urbanspoon

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Petit Cake Shop

3 Jun

I continue to be amazed by the many wonderful options we have here in Montreal in matters of food. I have been on a bit of a dessert exploration kick recently and my most recent discovery is one that you won’t find in a restaurant, bakery or cafe. In fact, you need to place an order via email or Facebook message if you want to partake. This discovery is cake balls from Petit Cake Shop.

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Petit Cake Shop is a small business run by Stephanie Segal out of her home. When you place your order, you have a choice of some standard flavors but she does mention the possibility of some custom ones if you make a request and give enough time. In my case, I placed an order last minute for the next day so I simply went with a sampling of the dozen flavors I could get that day.

The first 6 were Maple Cookie, Skor, Party Cake, Key Lime Pie and as we were in hockey playoff mode here in Montreal at the time, Markoffee Crisp and Subbanana-Nutella-Peanut Butter. Loved the wordplay there by the way. Humor is always a plus. All of the balls are a cake base covered with a thin chocolate or candy coating. I loved how different each one is decorated and differentiated one from the other. You can pretty much look at one and know right away the flavour you are about to enjoy. In all cases, the cake centers were dense and moist – exactly the right combination one looks for in a good cake. Of this first 6, the real winners for me were Subbanana, Key Lime and Party Cake. Very nice rich flavors without being overbearing – which tends to be the cardinal sins of bad key lime pies. The others were good as well but I’m not a big Skor or Coffee Crisp fan so my enjoyment wasn’t as high.

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The next 6 were Red Velvet, Dark Chocolate Cherry, Peanut Butter Chocolate, Peanut Butter Vanilla, Cookie Cake and Salted Caramel Chocolate. The Salted Caramel drizzle really adds great depth to that particular ball. Both peanut butter ones are awesome but as a hardcore Reese’s fan, they were right up my alley. Both hit the right chocolate to peanut butter balance. The other three were unspectacular but solid nevertheless.

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If you are looking something a little different for dessert, I likely recommend you give Petit Cake Shop a shout. The box of 12 didn’t last very long in my apartment and I can pretty much guarantee it won’t last long in yours. Stephanie will most certainly make it worth your while. And I just need another reason to order a second box….

Cheers!

Petit Cake Shop
On Facebook and Twitter @petitcakeshop

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El Rey del Taco

1 Jun

Spring is finally upon us in Montreal which means my regular excursions to Jean Talon Market are occurring once more. Outside of the wonderful produce available to us at the market, there are some very interested options for anyone looking for a good meal. One of these is El Rey del Taco, a Mexican grocery store with a terrasse space overlooking the market and dishing out some south american food. With the recent rise of tacos in the city with Grumman 78, Icehouse and Mais amongst others, El Rey del Taco can get overlooked as a worthwhile option but I am here to tell you that would be a disservice.

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Over the last month, I went for a quick lunch twice. As soon as you sit down, you are greeted with complementary tortilla chips with 3 different salsas, one mild, one spicy and one salsa verde. All 3 are enjoyable – the salsa verde in particular packs a pretty good punch.

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To cool down from the heat, I ordered a glass of horchata. For the uninitiated, horchata is a rice based beverage which I absolutely love. Nice hints of vanilla and cinnamon within this cold drink. Great refreshing beverage to balance nicely the heat of the dishes. One of my favorite summer non-alcoholic drinks.

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First up, I ordered the cheese quesadilla with guacamole. The guacamole has a nice thick consistency with the right hints of coriander, lime and tomato with the avocado. The quesadilla was quite good as well. The tortillas had the right crispness to them on the outside without becoming too brittle in general. The cheese in the middle was perfectly melted and had the right tang to it.

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As a main, I chose to go with the chorizo tacos. The chorizo was broken down and cooked perfectly well with the natural spiciness of the sausage coming out very well. The little sauce added to the mix further enhanced that flavor. Topped with some coriander and onion to add some freshness and sweetness, these were very nice balanced tacos.

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On the second visit, I went for the lamb tacos. In contrast to the spicy chorizo, the lamb was mild in flavor but had a more tender consistency and a much fattier taste as well. Topped with the same onions and coriander as the previous tacos, these tacos were quite tasty as well. I could have easily eaten the lamb by itself as a meal. Juicy, tender and falls apart without any effort. Just a wonderful cooking job there.

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El Rey del Taco is a great option for anyone looking for a good taqueria in Montreal. Service is a little up and down but the price is reasonable and the quantity are plentiful. If you come to Jean Talon Market with any regularity, you need to stop by at least one and enjoy a good meal.

Cheers!

El Rey del Taco
232 Jean Talon Est.
514 814 3813

El Rey del Taco 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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Au Pied de Cochon

22 Apr

When one talks of Montreal culinary institutions, one quickly arrives at Au Pied de Cochon, chef Martin Picard’s ode to all things rich and decadent. From his roughly 80 seat space on Duluth Street East, he has built up a following which had allowed him to develop a culinary empire from his Cabane à Sucre and subsequent Tele-Quebec series to his now award-winning cookbook. His restaurant has, thanks to satisfied customers, food critics, fellow chefs and even some famous friends (Anthony Bourdain has sung his praises on many a TV show), become a don’t miss experience for food enthusiasts worldwide who visit Montreal. Despite all of this and even being a local resident, I had never the chance to eat there. Following my experience at the Cabane à Sucre a month ago, I knew that I needed to rectify that. And that happened this past Saturday.

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The first thing you realize when you walk in is just how compact the restaurant actually is. Typical of the Plateau neighborhood, the space is deeper than wide and they use all the space they have to its maximal capacity. Even the wine cellar is a cramped side room with bottles stacked on both sides. The space is clean with wood used as the only real accents in the dining room. The kitchen and bar take up one side and allow for diners to see the magic happen if they wish.

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Our 5 person party decided to take a “tapas” approach to the evening to allow us to enjoy as much of the food as possible. One of us had already been previously a couple of times so he helped guide our selections for the evening. For starters, we got the Cromesquis de Foie Gras. What a start to our meal. Bite-sized fried balls of foie gras which simply explode in your mouth when you bit into them. Little bundles of gluttony. These were so good that we ordered a second serving of these at the end of our meal as dessert.

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Next up, Accras de morue with a spicy mayonnaise dipping sauce. Pretty much the best morue croquettes I’ve ever had. Beautiful crispy crust and loads of delicious morue inside, these were perfect as a starter.

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Duck Carpaccio. After the 2 fried items, this was a wonderfully light and fresh dish. A little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, some onions and a egg plus some beautiful quality duck meat. Great simple dish that I would eat again and again.

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Chicken wings with a maple syrup BBQ sauce. The wings themselves were good but the clear star here is that sauce. Deep in flavor with the right balance of sweet and spicy, this sauce would perfectly coat the back of your spoon when you went in to scope up the leftover sauce once the wings were gone. That plate didn’t have a spot of sauce left on it when it was removed from the table.

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Homemade gnocchi with ricotta and pulled pork. Just a heck of a dish. Soft and rich gnocchi with the addition of some dynamite pulled pork. The ricotta added a nice creaminess as well to the dish.

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And after all of that, we were only done with the appetizers! Next up were the main courses. First up, the restaurant’s version of a Montecristo sandwich. Stacks of fatty pork shoulder with melted cheese between two pieces of bread that were fried in what I suspect was duck fat but I forgot to ask. Either way, this was a cardiologist’s worse nightmare. For the rest of us, it was shear heaven. Every ingredient on its own was amazing but put together….. Sweet sweet music.

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Plotté of pork shoulder, loin and hearts. Delicious rich broth to soak bread into. Great pieces of pork to enjoy. A very old school and hearty dish to enjoy. Likely the perfect course for a cold evening.

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Foie gras poutine. The classic dish of Au Pied de Cochon. Boy did it not disappoint. The plate lasted all of 5 minutes between the five of us. The first you notice is the color and thickness of the gravy. This is no ordinary gravy – anything with foie gras in it could never be characterized as ordinary. The foie gras sauce adds a whole other level of richness to an already rich and heavy dish in poutine. Officially now my favorite poutine ever. And that is saying a lot given my love for Chuck Hughes’ lobster poutine.

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A Parmentier. Think shepherd’s pie without the corn but of course, there is more to it than that with Au Pied de Cochon. Pulled pork base covered with their version of mashed potatoes – potatoes, cream, butter, cheddar and foie gras incorporated in. The whole thing baked off. The potatoes are to die for… And just may I have destroyed any further mashed potatoes I have at any other restaurant from here on out.

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And finally, the tarte de boudin avec foie gras au sel. Flaky pastry crust with potatoes, caramelized onions, boudin and foie gras. Perfect blend of textures and flavors. Flaky and soft. Salty and sweet. Very nice way to cap off the main courses.

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This meal was everything I had expected and more. You know you’ve had an epic meal when your server comes up partway through the meal, sees the lack of leftovers and goes “You guys are crazy”. It was that kind of night and given my experience at the Cabane à Sucre PDC, I wouldn’t have expected anything else. I officially have a new entry in my top 3 Montreal restaurants. And it was a long time coming.

Cheers!

Au Pied de Cochon
536 Duluth Est.
514 281 1114

Au Pied de Cochon on Urbanspoon

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SuWu

18 Apr

It is always nice to see a new spot pop up in my neck of the woods. The Milton-Parc district a.k.a McGill Ghetto and its adjacent strip of Saint-Laurent street presents some interesting options to check out and I certainly have my regular locales (I have mentioned how much I LOVE Icehouse?) Last week, SuWu neighborhood bar opened up replacing the now departed Cafeteria right by the corner of St-Laurent and Prince Arthur. I saw some pictures of the media event they hosted and decided that I definitely needed to try the interesting food and drinks that they were serving.

I sadly didn’t have the chance to take any nice interior shots of the bar but the first thing that sticks out about the space is the great decor and feel they have created. Outdoor-but-indoors look with copious amounts of wood panels, wood table and bar countertops, fake plants, a ceiling lattice with vines and lights hanging off from above. Add some great music and a few nice vintage touches and you have a setting relaxed enough to simply have a nice drink and watch the game but upscale enough to make it an evening out before heading elsewhere along the Main.

The bar has a variety of beers on tap, some speciality cocktails and a pretty interesting “Mickey” service with different varieties of tequila, gin and bourbon. To start, I ordered an bourbon Olde Fashioned. For me personally, this is my test of a bar’s (and a bartender’s) worth. An olde fashioned is a very classic and straightforward drink but one that can be royally messed up if you don’t take care to prepare properly. This one was okay. I’ve had better around the city but this is one I would order again to give it a second try.

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The food menu is an interesting mix of warm and cold dishes that certainly are not what we would call “traditional” bar food. To start, a order of rosemary fries. Exactly what you would expect. Very crispy fries with a strong but not overbearing hint of rosemary. A good starter.

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Next up, my big winner for the evening : mini biscuit and fried chicken sandwiches with kimchi. A very unique but well created dish. The biscuit buns were solid, the fried chicken was nicely seasoned and crispy and the kimchi added a nice little kick with the festivities. Absolutely a must order again.

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To change it out, we ordered the spicy Edamame. I love edamame and in the end, while it was quite good, let’s just say that edamame covered with a spice mix is not necessarily the right thing to eat while sitting at a bar. A little too messy for my taste at a bar like this.

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Still hungry, we ordered the Meat Ball Tacos. While very creative, this was a miss for me mostly on account of the hard shell tacos being used. I was originally under the impression that it would be soft tortillas and I think it would have made it better and more importantly, easier to eat. When the shells crack after a bit and fall apart, it makes eating meat balls and smoked mozzarella covered in tomato sauce a little bit harder. I get the texture addition of the hard shells but it didn’t do it for me.

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Finally, this bar even has dessert! we ordered the rice crispy Panini with chocolate, peanuts and homemade creme fraiche. Rich and sweet, this was a very nice way to finish a night of food with a few drinks.

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I did have some small issues with the service that evening – specifically the process of ordering food from the bar because the bartender who took our food order was also supposed to go pick up our order. At the same time, she got swamped with all the drink orders for all the tables so our food sat for pick up much longer than it should have. The staff seemed to fixed that issue by getting someone else to bring the food to the bar by the end of the night. It didn’t have a negative impact on the food thankfully and I will be curious to see on my soon-to-be subsequent visits – and believe me, there will be. I live 10 minutes away on foot for god’s sake! – if that was simply a opening week one-off.

I was quite satisfied with my first taste of SuWu and happy to see a new neighborhood bar opened up close by. I will definitely be heading back to try the rest of the menu that still has me intrigued. Hopefully, they make a good enough impression with the rest of the locals to stick around for a while.

Cheers!

SuWu
3581 St-Laurent
514 443 1455

SuWu 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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