Munching Through Montreal - July 2000
My wife and I just returned from a four-day excursion to Montreal. If you're planning to go north of the border this summer, and are looking for a few excellent eateries, allow me to recommend the following:
CHEZ LA MERE MICHEL, 1209 Guy Street, (514) 934-0473, Cuisine: Classic French -- Ensconced in a lovely old townhouse in a slightly tacky neighborhood, Chez La Mere Michel is truly one of the last (and noble) vestiges of a bygone era. Step inside& and time seems to stand still. The well appointed, diminutive dining rooms ooze style and grace from every piece of soft period furniture. And it is much to the credit of founder/owner Micheline Delbuguet that she has been able to maintain such high and uncompromising standards for the past three decades.
The atmosphere is hushed, the clientele sophisticated, the waiters tuxedoed, and the food reminiscent of a time when butterfat was king. Indeed, Chef Jean Pierre's sauces reign supreme here, and they are velvety rich and utterly delicious. So forget your cholesterol count for the evening and feel free to indulge your gastronomic whims.
You may well begin with a duck pâté, meaty and coarsely textured, garnished with black currants and sweet onions; or, better still, the sautéed scallops in puff pastry, kissed ever so gently with a basil beurre blanc. This is truly Coquille St. Jacques as the gods intended.
And entrées are no less impressive: an impeccable Dover sole meunière; a special Arctic char that is pan fried and dressed in a grainy mustard sauce with white wine; salmon and halibut filets with two sauces. A sauce of watercress adorns the former, a luscious lobster sauce the latter. Incomparably delicious.
For desserts, the signature strawberry Napoleon is not to be missed. Baked fresh and assembled each evening, it is nothing short of sublime.
Chez La Mere Michel is a wonderfully old-fashioned dining experience just made for that special romantic evening.
FERREIRA, 1445 Rue du Peel, (514) 848-0988, Cuisine: Portuguese -- Ferreira is a gem. High ceilings and lemon-yellow walls are accented with antique pottery, bottles of vintage Port, two lively open kitchens (one for desserts) and beautifully appointed tables that spill out onto the sidewalk in warmer weather. But the main attraction is surely the superlatively prepared Portuguese cuisine with an emphasis upon the freshest possible seafood.
Start things off with such delicacies as marinated seafood salad with fresh herbs or large grilled shrimp on a salad of pineapple and mango. On the other hand, an appetizer of grilled veggies mixed with fresh goat cheese and embellished with a tasty balsamic dressing also strikes just the right chord. For my money, however, nothing beats the incomparable tuna tartare with ginger and leeks. Tiny morsels of yellowfin tuna are encased in a cylinder of seaweed and garnished with cucumber slices. A truly delightful (and delicious) presentation.
Entrées are equally spectacular. Be sure to sample the Cataplana do Mar, a simply marvelous fish and seafood stew prepared in an iron pot. An impressive array of mussels, clams, lobster, salmon, swordfish, shrimp, potatoes and crawfish are simmered ever so gently in a lovely tomato-based broth. You will also find a wonderful variety of finny creatures to tempt your palate. My black pepper-encrusted halibut, for example, was grilled to perfection and set atop a bed of wild/long grain rice, roasted red peppers and braised fennel.
To conclude your meal, nothing tops the incredible dessert finale for two. Indulge in such decadent delicacies as crème brûlée, rich chocolate cake with liquid chocolate center, scrumptious lemon tart, raspberry & lemon sorbets and crème anglaise. Yum!
You will also find an excellent selection of Portuguese wines to enhance your dining pleasure. Particularly pleasant is the reasonably priced 1999 Planalto Reserva, a crisp, refreshing white that marries well with a variety of seafood dishes.
Ferreira is highly recommended.
MILOS, 5357 Avenue du Parc, (514) 272-3522, Cuisine: Greek/Seafood -- Yes, this is the original. Milos's younger sibling opened two years ago in The Big Apple and has also received excellent reviews. But the setting in Montreal is more comfortably rustic than its New York City counterpart. Here you find white plaster walls, bleached wooden floors, Greek vases, blue tiles, and the most stunning restrooms to be found north of the border. And only the freshest denizens of the deep -- red snapper, Florida pompano, Dover sole, Arctic char, Mediterranean loup-de-mer, sushi grade yellowfin tuna, lobsters and shrimp -- make their way to your table. All are priced by the pound and brought to the peak of perfection on the grill.
Your waiter snips some fresh oregano into a bowl and immerses it beneath a stream of ever-so-delicate olive oil. Perfect for dipping the delectable grilled bread that will begin your meal.
For starters, nothing beats the traditional Greek salad with meaty red tomatoes, slices of onion and green pepper & feta cheese; it is tossed with a homey dressing of oil, vinegar and fresh herbs & seasonings. On the other hand, the Canadian sea scallops grilled on a skewer with onions and bell peppers are also outstanding. Ditto the octopus and calamari.
When it comes to entrées, the most propitious course of action is to order your fish by the pound, have it grilled whole, then filleted and garnished with a touch of olive oil, lemon and capers. And unless you have a ravenous appetite, one finny creature should be sufficient for two. Everything here is top of the line, but I would particularly recommend the pompano or St. Pierre. And be sure to order a plate of steamed veggies to complement your main course.
Finish things off with an excellent baklava or fresh fruit plate.
You will also find a very nice wine list here, including many Greek vintages not readily available elsewhere.
TOQUE! 3842 Rue St.-Denis, (514) 499-2084, Cuisine: Contemporary French -- THE NORMAN LAPRISE REPRISE& How does one go about describing the indescribable -- the absolute ecstasy that is Toque! -- without using phrases that may sound trite or semantically shopworn? In the past seven years, Chef Norman Laprise and his partner, Christine Lamarche, have literally transformed the entire spectrum of Quebec's glorious regional cuisine. There is absolutely no question that Toque! is Montreal's finest and most exciting dining experience; it is the standard by which all other restaurants are judged.
This was our third visit to Mr. Laprise's lovely establishment and, on this particular occasion, we opted for the "Gourmet Menu" served with appropriate wines ($111.00 per person Canadian. A bargain, I might add).
We began with a peppery yellowfin tuna sashimi, two diminutive layers set atop a daikon salad accompanied by a touch of honey and sea parsley oil. The dish was given just the right amount of pizzazz with the addition of a slightly spicy pineapple ketchup. The wine was a marvelous off-dry Auxerrois Cuvée K, produced by A. Kientzler Vineyards in Alsace.
The second course consisted of a roasted Ile-de-la-Madeleine half lobster. This arrived at table escorted by sautéed green garlic & young salsify sprouts and garnished with a "broken bearnaise (ingredients are mixed but not emulsified) with lobster butter and red wine vinegar. The wine: 1998 Coteaux du Languedoc, La Clape, Chateau de la Negly.
I, on the other hand, elected to replace the lobster course with a pan-seared foie gras. Absolutely silken upon the palate, the duck liver luxuriated on a bed of spaghetti squash and was embellished with a lovely green pea sauce. Wine: 1998 Vin de Pays des Cotes de Gascogne, Premieres Grives, Domaine du Tariquet.
For the main course, my wife chose the roasted haunch of Boileau venison with young spruce tips, light Jerusalem artichoke purée, quinoa & milkweed buds, wilted mountain spinach, and pan juices with almonds. I found it difficult to resist the roasted Richview Farm half pigeon. This was presented with sautéed dates, roasted salsify & fiddleheads, pigeon juice with summer truffle & fairy ring mushrooms, and wilted wild live-forever. Both were utterly exquisite. Wine: 1998 Corbieres, Domaine Saint-Jean de Gineste.
There followed a superb cheese platter for two, a choice of six cheeses served with apple-walnut bread and hazelnuts.
Dessert was a provocative vanilla flavored panna cota. This is a lovely amalgam of milk and gelatin that resembles a white Hershey's kiss with a case of the bouncies. Just let your imagination run wild. Needless to say, the gyrating journey to table caused more than a few chuckles among the assembled diners. The presentations were artistically embellished with strawberries that had been marinated in wild syrup and fresh mint, and a delightful strawberry sorbet with a single slice of fried plantain.
Toque! is simply without peer: The meticulous attention to detail, an award-winning wine list, and the most accomplished and professional servers in the city. But despite all these extraordinary features, the cooking has remained the focal point. Instead of resting upon his laurels, or attempting to turn himself into a culinary conglomerate, Mr. Laprise continues to work in his kitchen and to cook from the heart& And his many devoted patrons could not be more grateful.
