Bits and Bites May 2007
Bits and Bites
May 29, 2007
Latest on the Montreal restaurant scene : a quick overview of what I’ve seen, heard and tasted recently..
New Restaurant ‘Dual’ to open in old Area location with an original concept: Chefs Laurent Godbout (of l’Épicier) and Chef David Biron (formerly of Yuzu in Quebec ) will face off Iron Chef style with customers dining on the results.. http://www.hrimag.com/spip.php?article2058
'BazAar’ open, Anise reincarnated : By now, most of you have certainly heard that Racha Bassoul has reopened the Anise location on Laurier O. as BazAar, a bistro-grill concept offering more casual, but equally interesting contemporary food with Middle Eastern influences.. http://www.anise.ca/
Cuisine Dependence : Sophisticated but simple French fare with flare, the talented chef Jean Paul Giroux of Le Saint Augustin opened this place last fall with Danielle of Le Club des Pins in the front. The décor is minimilast French bistro, the cooking is spot on, with clean flavours and good ingredients, definitely good value here. My favourite dish the night I dined was a mini pot au feu that stood out, utterly delicious and refined.
Bistro du Sommelier : Tasty, inventive bistro fare by a young Quebec chef with lovable (and knowledgable) Sommelier Guy Lelièvre running the room. They have changed their initial tasting menu format to a simpler table d’hôte with two courses for 25$ or 3 for 30$, offering a short but inspired list of entrées and mains, and some good wines by the glass. I enjoyed an asparagus, quail egg and goat cheese salad (decomposed) and an open ravioli of beef cheek and mushroom; the Caesar salad was also good. Right across from the Rideau Vert theatre, this unassuming little place is worth a visit, primo terrasse space on St-Denis too. http://www.lebistrodusommelier.com/
Limone: A welcome addition to the Atwater market hood on Notre Dame (in front of Joe Beef). This unpretentious neighbourhood restaurant is Mexican bistro style, casual and abuzz with 30+ professionals that live in the condos nearby. Go for the guacamole (best I’ve tasted in a restaurant in a while) and the quality margaritas if anything. The cactus salad was good and bright. I haven’t sampled many of the mains; I’m kind of scared of being disappointed, like in other pseudo Mexican places where everything is heavy and tastes like that same burrito taste. Nonetheless, I will be back to venture forward but even before, just for a 5 à 7 and some of that great guac.
Lucca : My first time dining at a Montreal favourite. This charming, modern Italian bistro in Little Italy (on Dante just off St-Laurent) serves up simple yet elegant Italian classics with great service; overall a breath of fresh air in the sea of tired, over-priced, standard menu Italian restaurants in Montreal. A short menu but everything sounds good and out of the 8 dishes sampled, 7 were winners, not bad at all. The risotto was perfect, the calamari super crisp, and the tomato sauce is dynamite.
Watch François on La Semaine Verte On Radio Canada Channel 4 Sundays at 12:30pm or Saturdays at 18:00pm or on the internet.. where every Sunday, he introduces a new wild edible plant or two.
27 Mai, Hémérocalles, monarde, chou gras: http://www1.radio-canada.ca/actualite/semaine_verte/reportage.aspx?idDocument=37966&idItemMenu=31
20 Mai, ortie: http://www1.radio-canada.ca/actualite/v2/semaineverte/archive63_200609.shtml
Flaveurs newsletter highlights new products of interest on the Quebec market, notably Green&Blacks fair trade organic chocolate, the new Quebec spring water Eska, and a new line of sauces from La Maison LeGrand, who make great pesto and tapenade, handy home staples. http://www.flaveurs.com/INFO%20lettre/InfoLettre_mai_2007/InfoLettre_mai2007#ActualiteGastronomique
Ecoholic, by Adria Vasil , my new favourite book, and a must-have reference book for any Canadian household. This is a guide to the most environmentally friendly information, products and services in Canada : useful tips to help you green your home, your body, your pet, or when it comes to renovations, clothes, electronics, food, even your sex life.. This book is chalk full of surprising information about the products around us, what about them is bad for us and for the environment, what companies offer what solutions, etc. I had no idea how many things I could potentially change or phase out with very little effort or sacrifice. I encourage you to take a look. With educational tools like this, we have the power as consumers to make more sensible choices and actually make a difference.
Corn ethanol, a growing debate. Read 'Family Feud': Why agribusiness giants are facing off over corn ethanol in the U.S. This is a no win situation: cheap food or cheap fuel with industrial corn at the center, ruling our lives, and this is just as much an issue here for us as Canadians, btw. http://www.grist.org/comments/food/2007/05/24/ethanol/index.html
Being egg-savvy: a little help when shopping for eggs http://www.culinate.com/cook/food_features/The+eggsentials
Harold McGee explores the 5 second rule.
A terrific quote by Marian Burros on Over-salting "In the current culinary mode salt is making too much of a statement. A couple of weeks ago I had dinner at a new restaurant and I have no idea how the food tasted because each dish was sprinkled with coarse salt like so much white confetti. If under-salting is the sign of a timid chef, over-salting is the sign of an arrogant one."
Chefs are getting skinnier This struck me as funny since everyone else seems to be getting fatter..
http://www.waitrose.com/food_drink/wfi/foodpeople/chefs/0705064.asp
New culinary website and blogs that I’ve recently discovered:
www.grassrootsstore.com A Toronto store and leader in offering a wide range of eco-friendly products.
www.culinate.com A content rich site for foodies with columns, interviews, articles, and a good blog feed..
www.obsessionwithfood.com A very thoughtful blog by Derrick Schneider, a computer programmer, food writer and wine teacher. (He writes for the Art of Eating.)
www.gastroville.com A pair of passionate food and wine enthusiasts rate restaurants around the world.
www.forkandbottle.com About artisanal food, wine and cheese by Jack and Joanne in San Fran.
Nancy Hinton
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