403 replies to this topic

[Orik]

Currenly on the list:

Restaurants:


Au Pied De Cochon (been to before and had the best raw platter we've had in North America)

La Chronique (good reviews on other sites)

possibly Brunoise or Anise.


We've dined at Les Caprices de Nicolas before and found it to be mediocre.

Any interesting casual dining? (other than Schwartz and the bagels?)

[omnivorette]

ahhhhhh....Au Pied de Cochon.......

Check out: Chez L'Epicier and Les Chevres (we liked Chez L'Epicier, didn't make it to Les Chevres but wanted to).

We went to a great cheese shop (in the market, but also one not in the market) and also had some insanely good ice cream. I'll try to dig the info up.

Look on the Canada board on CH. That's an active community - they can answer lots of questions.

[Orik]

Thanks, some interesting sounding dishes on the Les Chevres menu (here), although it worries me that they're described as 'health oriented' in a couple of places.

[fantasty]

We were at Au Pied de Cochon in late March and loved it.

Anise was very good but by no means extraordinary. We did a nine course tasting menu with wine pairings (for the bargain basement price of ~~$110 Canadian - that was extraordinary, I guess) and found the food ambitious and creative but lacking finesse. Star anise featured in many of the courses which made for some intriguing and original flavor combinations. The staff was just lovely, and the place has heart - that counts for a lot with me. It was a memorable meal but I'd say it's only worth a visit if you're there for more than a few days - it probably shouldn't be a priority.

Enjoyed Beauty's for breakfast, and loved the cheese shop at the market (Hamel's, I think). They had a good selection of local chevres, many of which were fabulous. Across the street from Beauty's is a basic supermarket where we stocked up on butter and yogurt. Whyohwhyohwhy doesn't Liberte distribute their hazelnut yogurt in New York??

[Orik]

Star anise featured in many of the courses which made for some intriguing and original flavor combinations.

I guess this kills it as an option, Sivan can't be brought anywhere near star anise.

Thanks for the input.

[pixelchef]

Two other options you may wish to consider are Toque and Cube.

[Steve]

Two other options you may wish to consider are Toque and Cube.

Pixelchef, you suggest Cube?? I'm surprised. Didn't you have a very very bad meal there about 2 years ago or so? It should be noted that the Cube original head chef Claude Pelletier left Cube earlier this year.

[Steve]

Orik, if you haven't gone for your visit to Montreal yet, I would highly suggest Les Chevres(I'm playing catch-up as I've been inactive for several months). Although their focus is on vegetables, it's not a vegetarian restaurant(they always have several meat dishes on their current menu). Try their tasting menus(it changes each month). They even have a dessert tasting menu.

Au Pied de Cochon has been a favorite restaurant of mine for the past little while, but on my last visit there several months ago, I wasn't impressed. Recently APDC was heavily panned by a Montreal restaurant critic. During the summer time, there's more of a focus on seafood, while during the winter it's mostly meat dishes.

Definitely for casual, Schwartz's(known world-wide for their Montreal smoked meat) is a very good option.

[Orik]

Thanks Steve, current schedule places the visit around the end of the month...disappointing to hear anything bad about APDC, the seafood platter we've had there was excellent. I've noticed that Les Chevres is vegetarian in the sense that Arpege in Paris is vegetarian (that is, not at all), I hope we'll have time to dine there. I've tried Schwartz before and found it significantly better than Katz in nyc...

[Steve]

Brunoise is also a very good choice. A hot new Montreal restaurant that getting raves from critics & the public, is Le Bouchon de Liege. Both of these restaurants are less expensive to dine at than Les Chevres. Sorry, I misread your casual dining query("other than Schwartz's....").

[omnivorette]

I've tried Schwartz before and found it significantly better than Katz in nyc...

Apples and oranges.

[Orik]

apples and better apples (not that I like apples that much, in the sense of their being Pastrami sandwiches )

[SFJoe]

Toque is a good bit more expensive in the new digs, and the wine list wasn't what it had been the last time I went.

But I had a great meal at Laloux. Food was fine, but the wine guys are my kind of maniacs.

[Steve]

Thanks Steve, current schedule places the visit around the end of the month...disappointing to hear anything bad about APDC, the seafood platter we've had there was excellent. I've noticed that Les Chevres is vegetarian in the sense that Arpege in Paris is vegetarian (that is, not at all), I hope we'll have time to dine there. I've tried Schwartz before and found it significantly better than Katz in nyc...

I think the full seafood platter selection at APDC is only available during the summer(up to about the beginning of September). If you do there, make note they're open daily from 5pm & closed Mondays. And it's a very casual restaurant.

[Steve]

Brunoise is also a very good choice. A hot new Montreal restaurant that getting raves from critics & the public, is Le Bouchon de Liege. Both of these restaurants are less expensive to dine at than Les Chevres. Sorry, I misread your casual dining query("other than Schwartz's....").

Maybe I should reconsider my suggestion of Bouchon de Liege to Orik. There's a heated discussion currently on eG in their Montreal section, about a bad experience(or two) with them.

Edited by Steve, 16 September 2004 - 07:07 PM.