Restaurant Barroco

312 Saint-Paul Ouest
Montréal, QC H2Y 2A3
http://www.barroco.ca/

Hello food lovers!

I've been going out more than I've been cooking lately :)

I recently tried this interesting new restaurant that my friend Silia told me about called Barroco. 
The cuisine is French and Spanish. Yay - Different!


I have been obsessed with Spanish anything lately...especially the wine + Serrano ham. lol I even bought the Mario Batali book called "Spain, a Culinary Road Trip", which he wrote with Gwyneth Paltro. They went on a culinary road trip together through Spain. They met lots of people and ate a lot of great Spanish food along the way (my dream). The pictures, the recipes and the funny little anecdotes were very entertaining. So, needless to say this restaurant was right up my alley!

Barroco's website was very nice, the pictures were great and the menu was different and exiting to me. I also checked out some popular sites like Urbanspoon to see how real people liked their experience there. 


88% of diners liked this restaurant. I am always a little skeptical and hate the idea of wasting a Saturday night with a mediocre food experience so I always gage these opinions based on how it compares to Da Emma's rating (I consider DaEmma to be one of the best fine dining establishments in Montreal). Barroco actually rated a little higher than DaEmma so of course, I hopped over to my phone and made a reservation for the following Saturday.

Boy! Was I excited... 


When we got there, my husband and I  both agreed that the decor is really interesting, cozy,inviting, romantic, rustic, and of course very barroc! (Hence the name :) I usually dont't start with decor but it really was cool.

The restaurant is a lot smaller than it looks on line & its a little on the loud side but I'm not complaining. There were lots of people talking and having a good time. I didn't mind that atmosphere. It was after all, a Saturday night and we wanted to have fun more than a romantic 'tete a tete' dinner. The music selection was great! They played some mellow classic rock like Jimmy Hendrix, Eric Clapton and so many more that I can't remember right now.

You can eat at the bar which I don't normally do however at this place, I would. Its spacious and attractive as bars go. Couples were sitting comfortably next to each other - it looked more intimate and romantic than sitting face a face and for friends, its great for conversation in that type of environment. So if you're having a dinner for 2 and they don't have a table, only the bar...take it. 

On to the food...We were starting off really well...The butter that came with the bread was so tasty, it was combined with a mixture of smoked paprika, a little garlic. So many restaurants these days flavour their butter and I'm usually annoyed by it because I like plain butter on my bread. However, this one still tasted like butter but with a little kick.

We both ordered the 'amuse-bouche' of the evening which was a single oyster with a piece of fois gras on it. Delectable! My bouche was amused & we were psyched for the rest. 6 bucks each though..

Appetizers.  My husband had the Fois Gras Terrine (Cognac & Porto) lemon confit and harvest bread. He deemed it as just 'Good'.  Mine was the Grilled Octopus with corn mash and corn soufflé , pimiento de padron , arugula & Parmesan. I enjoyed this but can't say I was impressed..the texture of the octopus was a little chewy but the flavors were well balanced.

Main.  I chose the Braised Beef Cheeks with Mashed Potato Mousse. It was the special of the day so you may not find it on their menu all the time.  IT...WAS....HEAVENLY! It was a stew, so the meat just fell apart, the sauce was thick and smooth.  The mushrooms were of a meaty texture and took on the beefy flavour of the dish. The mashed potato mousse was light, creamy and contrasted nicely against the darker stew colour.


My husband had the Paella de Barroco. It was tomato based, made with lobster, shrimps, scallops, morcilla, tomatoes, red peppers and green peas. This was also very tasty. In fact , he wished  his portion was bigger. The seafood wasn't chewy, it was perfectly cooked.


Our waiter was very nice and pleasant but I got a little annoyed when my husband told him that I thought that there was something wrong with the wine. It seemed "off" to me. He didn't verify it (usually they try it or smell it to see if its ok- and they'll change it if necessary) 
He said , "Oh well not everybody likes the same wine" and walked off with a little laugh..That made me feel that he wasn't trained properly. I didn't have anymore wine - disappointing.


Dessert. We tried the chocolate molten cake and the so called "Apple Pie". The molten chocolate cake was what you'd expect and it was good. The "so called apple pie" was a few sliced apples on a kind of shortbread rectangle...The description sounded  so good...but it was on the bitter side and didn't look like pie at all..


Barroco, I would have gone traditional on that one..Its what you'd expect when reading the description. It was such a departure from the rest of the menu which is comprised of many comforting foods.
The description shoulda' read, "sliced bitter apple on a hard rectangle" It was so small and I didn't even finish it. Have a cocktail instead...they have a great cocktail menu. They should try serving Churros (taditional Spanish fried dough covered in cinnamon and sugar) 

So, I think I understand why it got an 88% approval rating. It must have been based on atmosphere primarily and then because the food is really decent. Meaning, one must choose carefully. Not everything on their menu is a hit.

I've said this before...Its harder to find the right balance of a fun atmosphere and great food in Montreal. They seem to be few and far between.  In New York, and Miami, its so easy to just fall upon a place with that balance, especially Miami - they've really got it down! If you find one in Montreal, please let me know!

I would go back, definitely! I want to sit at the bar with my better half and have a few cocktails or go back with friends to have a good time....Great place for a 5 a 7. I don't know if I'll have dessert though.

I want this place to get a better rating - it has so much going for it.

Thanks for reading!

Restaurant L'Un des Sens

L'Un Des Sens
108 Laurier Ouest
Montreal (QC) H2T 2N7
(514) 439 4330
http://www.lundessens.com/


Hello guys!

Recently I went out for a relaxed and well needed dinner with my Mom and Sister. Just the girls!
It was well needed because my Grandmother passed away and all of us have been dealing with this great loss.  I have to say, she was so great! She always had a positive outlook on life, always had a smile on her face and was passionate about food, love, friends - everything!  She always said, "Bisogna avere la passione" (You need to have passion!) or "non vi dovete mai abbandonare" (Never abandon yourself! - not sure about the spelling in Italian..but anyways) We used to giggle and kinda' poke fun at her for saying that but they are words to live by and she definitely did. She is my inspiration.

So, we needed to decompress… our Family Doctor and friend, who also happens to be a fellow foodie  recommended this restaurant a while ago. Its local, market cuisine. Meaning they serve traditional Quebecois inspired dishes, local produce (as much as possible), lots of comfort foods such as a personal sized meat pie, pea soup with quail egg as well as daintier local fare like fois gras. So, anyway, he absolutely loves this place! So much so, that after he discovered it he went back the during the same week. Of course,  we had to try.

An interesting concept...It reminds me of Tapas. For 33$ you can order any 3 items on the menu, 4 items for 44$ and 5 for 55$. For example, if you take the 5 item choice, you can order 3 mains, 1 appetizer and 1 dessert. Now, don't be alarmed. The mains are quite small.

Its great if you're a small group, you can order a bunch of different things and share.  Its perfect for me because I can never decide what to order...With this place, I can have it all and YES, I was full afterwards.

To start:
The traditional green pea soup was served with a poached quail egg on top. It was flavourful and delicious! Then we had a breaded and fried "galette" or patty of chick pea puree - It was served hot and was so tasty! Next, we tried the eggplant caviar (which I learned, just means cooked an kinda' pureed and seasoned eggplant, which was great on bread - very tasty.

The main:
I wanted to try a fish and a meat dish so I ordered the trout, served on a sea urchin mousse and bisque. I was nervous about sea urchin mousse but it ended up being my favourite thing on the dish. Next I tried the stuffed rabbit. This one was just OK. The meat was dry and the stuffing of horse chestnut, lentil and mushrooms was lacking something...

My mother had the cod and she loved it! It was served with ratatouille of autumn vegetables. My sister had the Meat pie which was personal sized, served in a ramekin with a crispy pie crust over top. This was one of my favorite things! So warm and comforting.

Dessert came and we were already stuffed. I ordered the grilled cheese, served with breaded and fried squeaky cheese. Its the kind of cheese you'd find in a poutine. It was breaded with what I believe to be brown sugar.   It was served piping hot and the cheese was beautifully , gooey and stretchy. Loved it!

In the end, I decided I would definitely return because the food was very good, they use high quality produce, its local cuisine (which I love and want to encourage) and finally just because it was fun to discuss what each of us would choose. However, even though I understood the concept, when I got my mains, I suppose I had an illogical feeling of disappointment. The portions were small and I guess I'm used to a full sized main...on the other hand, had they been full sized, I wouldn't have been able to try more than one!

The service was great in the sense that the waitress was friendly and charming but they were a little "relaxed" when we first got there. We stood at the door a little too long before someone came to greet us and the wait was also a tad too long before someone came to see us at our table.

The decor is modern and kind of zen but the size of the restaurant makes it feel cozy. Its small but feels airy. (there's a nice space between tables) The reddish colouring of the restaurant and candlelight makes it feel warm and inviting. The black chalk board that lines the length of one wall gives it a little dressed down feel. On this chalk board they feature their mission statement about how they are environmentally concious and use local ingredients. It also features their late night menu.

I would dress neatly and "put together" for an outing here but I feel like even if you don't, nobody will care..lol. Its unpretentious.

The music was great, it was subtle and jazzy earlier in the evening and then around 11PM , they upped the volume just a bit with some slightly upbeat dance tunes. It wasn't too loud so you could still talk but you got the feeling that you were somewhere cool and mellow. I could have stayed there all night.

Needless to say this restaurant was just what the doctor ordered!

I definitely recommend this pleasant restaurant & I give it a 4 out of 5. You must be opened to the concept or you may be disappointed with the portions!

Let me know if you try it!

Le Garde-Manger Restaurant

Le Garde-Manger Restaurant

408, St-Francois-Xavier (Corner St-Paul)
Old Montreal
514-678-5044

I was fascinated by this restaurant and admittedly by the restaurant's celebrity chef, Chuck Huges.

The restaurant looks cool, sounds cool and the chef has tattoos of his favorite foods!! Yeah! He's got lemon meringue pie on his arm!! That's my favorite dessert too!

Anyway, I was introduced to this restaurant because I was watching the food network (no kidding) and I stumbled upon this show called "Chuck's Day Off", which is filmed at the restaurant.  He makes great looking food seem so effortless to make. Doesn't hurt that he's kinda' cute too.  -That was it, after one show, I had to go to Le Garde-Manger.

It wasn't easy..for a party of 2 on a Saturday evening, we were looking at about a month long wait. That's crazy...I told the girl on the phone that I was flexible with the time..so she said brightly, "OK! We have space in two Saturdays from now, at 10pm, at the bar"    Urrhhhhh!

I finally ended up going with my sister at some point, after collecting dust and cobwebs.

We were so excited, we loved the ambiance. We were seated right away and it didn't take us long to notice the great music playing. The restaurant's play list is awesome..We were singing along the whole evening - lots of older songs including Led Zep  - loved  it!

It seems to be a hot spot for the 5 a7 crowd. Very nice-looking patrons too, business people and some "city people" as I call them..it was a healthy mix. The feel was vibrant and a little bohemian. I wanna say "shabby-chic" but don't know if its the appropriate term.

To start we, of course, tried the Lobster Poutine - so Quebecois and so good. The fries are similar to McDonald's in size, the gravy- a veal reduction sauce. They were very generous with the cheese and the lobster.  The lobster was so tender - no chewiness whatsoever. I cannot even describe how good this was- it rocked. We were fighting over the last bits. We also tried the tomato salad with avocado. When my sister proposed this..I thought it would be ordinary but these were the best, freshest tasting tomatoes ever :) They tasted as if they were straight from the garden. Besides that, there was such a great combo of flavors in this dish. We couldn't pin-point what it was that made this salad so special and the waiter suggested that its the dill  - "it makes all the difference".

For my main I chose the short rib, which was very tender, falling off the bone, saucy and so tasty
However, this is where the celebration and cart wheels ended. I found what I thought was a piece of clear plastic in my plate..I picked it up, examined it..I tried pulling it apart to see if it was a piece of onion. It wouldn't break.  In a braised meat dish, if it had been an onion , it would have fallen apart right away.
I told the waiter and he brought it back to the kitchen straight away..I could see right into the kitchen. (they have an open concept kitchen , which I like, where you can watch the crew of young and hip looking chefs do their thing. They wear a modern black "uniform", with caps rather than traditional chef headgear) Anyways....
I saw a group of them peering over my plate at the plastic/onion.  Minutes later the waiter returned without my plate and told me that it was an onion - for sure!  He asked if I wanted my plate back..at this point I was a little turned off and said "no"  I was positive that it wasn't an onion. (for the record, my sister didn't think it was an onion either)..I was further turned off when they didn't even offer anything, not even a drink or at least ask me if I'd like to have something else. Maybe I shouldn't have expected anything, I don't know.
My sister had ordered the Bavette with fries. She found that the meat was tough and said it was mediocre at best. Too bad.

I did not try the fried Mars Bar but I hear its the best thing there..That, and the seafood platter.

I decided to give this place another chance, thinking that over all, I really had a good experience , except for that one little, itty-bitty incident. I'm a forgiving person. :) So, I went back with my fiance, Andre.

I told him we had to have the Lobster Poutine. Sadly it was a disappointment..the portion was smaller than the last time..not much of anything..lobster or cheese. He loved the tomato salad though, couldn't stop talking about how fresh the tomatoes tasted..lol..Those freakin' tomatoes...the most consistant thing on the menu.

For Andre's main, I struck out once again. I told him to try the short-rib dish..sans plastic
It tasted boiled..no flavor. I know that its common practice to boil ribs to tenderize them and then bake them, basting them with sauce. My guess here is that they boiled it but did not baste long enough..

For my main I had...hmmmm...I can't remember. That can't be good.

Unfortunately, the only way I'll go back at this point would be for a 5 a7 to enjoy the music and ambiance and I would share a bunch of the appetizers with friends. Hey, I still haven't tasted their famous seafood platter.

Hey Chuck! I hear you're never at the restaurant anymore - maybe you should be.

Sadly, I give this restaurant 2.5 stars, until Chef Chuck comes back to us.

Love,
Steph

Seriously, I see Chuck here, I see customers...when the heck was this taken??

The Gazette - Westin Hotel - Old Montreal

This is my first negative review - I do not enjoy this.

I know what you're thinking, why when there's so many wonderful restaurants in Montreal would you choose to go to a Hotel Restaurant? Well, I'm getting married soon and was looking into having the reception in one of their beautiful banquet halls. I had to sample the food. I had read some reviews on the restaurant, as a matter of fact the Gazette (newspaper) food critic gave it one star...Uhhh, I was discouraged but I wanted to taste for myself.

I went with Bianca, her boyfriend Alex and of course my fiance Andre.

We shared the cold cut plate to start. The selection of local cheeses was great. I think we've got to have some of the best cheese here in Quebec.  Now that I'm exploring new restaurants I'm excited when I see local foods on the menu or when chefs put a new twist on classic Quebec dishes.
Ok now..back to the Westin. I wish I would have noted the names of the cheeses - but hey! I'm new at this.The cold cuts consisted of a few slices of salami and sopresatta. There was a small pile of olive tapenade and a smear of an unidentifed white sauce :D. It tasted cheesy with a lemony note.

The bread was good..lol

I had the calamari to start. They were small fried rings with a remulade sauce. The breading was cornmeal based. Very crispy and tender.
My sister had the lobster bisque, she really liked it. It was creamy and a beautiful orange color. At the bottom of the bowl, she found a few pieces of Lobster hiding there and a toasted piece of country bread that soaked up the sauce beautifully and was surprisingly still crunchy. Satifying.
Alex had the Tuna sashimi which was a little bland, served with dry crab cakes.
Andre ordered the sausage - too sweet! Alex liked it though, but it was really nothing special.

Mains - I had, I believe, the best thing on that menu. I had the pasta with mushroom sauce and tender braised cubes of meat..It was a thick beefy, mushroom stew with angnoletti pasta.Comforting. I enjoyed this very much. Bianca had the duck. She thought duck leg was good but the breast was tough..It was served with a sweet sauce and fresh figs. The figs were a nice touch and a great match.
Alex and Andre both had the pork because the description on the menu made it sound fabulous. It was pork loin , with chick pea and cider something or other...Anyway, they were both so disappointed. The meat was tough and it wasn't nearly as tasty as it sounded.

Not even the dessert saved the experience..we all had the molten chocolate cake...it was plain Jane.

The wine selection was great! We had a white - Cake Bread from Cali. Must try!
The decor was drab - so corporate lookin and it was too bright. The bar was nice but nobody was sitting at it.

Sorry Westin, I love your Hotels but overall, I didn't like this restaurant enough to go back or to have my reception there. Gotta be honest, eh?

Da Emma

www.daemmarestaurant.com
777, rue de la Commune O corner King
Montreal, Québec, H3C 1Y1

Old Montreal.

514-392-1598

 
How can I possibly start a new blog and not review my all time favorite restaurant, Da Emma

Named after its talented chef, this restaurant was once a woman's prison. Don't worry there isn't any visual indication of it's history. None the less, its an interesting fact...and a little creepy :)

When you walk into this restaurant, the first thing you'll notice next to the entrance are all the celebrity photos on the wall. I found out that this is also Johnny's Depp's favorite restaurant and does not miss an opportunity to drop in when he's in town. I actually saw Brendan Fraser there last year.

The restaurant has a romantic feel but is also hip and lively - never over the top. There are patrons of all ages at Da Emma.  The decor is a mix of modern and rustic, with its sleek stainless steel bar, stone walls and big wooden beams on the ceiling.

You won't get a traditional menu. What you get is a small black board, which is brought to your table with the menu items listed. Even though I'm Italian, I wasn't familiar with some names of the dishes. Ex: I didn't know that Abbacchio was baby lamb. (Maybe that's just me, I don't know). Have the waiter explain the items to you.

There is however a conventional looking wine list. - It is extensive. The waiters are all very knowledgeable about wine and can surely recommend one that you'll enjoy.   No disappointments so far in the past 8-ish years.

Now for the food! My favorite appetizer is , by far, the thinly sliced prosciutto with buffalo mozzarella. Its so simple..its literally a ball of buffalo mozzarella cut in two with the prosciutto draped over it...That's it! No oil , no salt..You can add oil, freshly ground pepper and salt if you wish but you really don't need to. Andre loves that one too but he often orders the Rugetta salad with shavings of parmigiano reggiano. Its on the vinagery side - not a negative thing. The tomato with buffalo mozzarella is great - presentation is nice too.
OOOOH! I forgot to mention the complimentary bruschetta you get! The bread looks like traditional Tuscan bread but with more flavor. The bread is grilled , topped with tasty chopped tomato, salt, pepper and is drenched in olive oil! Lipstick gone!

The last time I went, I saw that one of their appetizers came with figs. I'm crazy about figs but I wanted them with my mozzarella and prosciutto. When I made my request the waiter gave me a smile and a look that said.."oooh , I don't know"...But he said he'd do it ...like it was going to be a tough one..lol
He came back with my figs in one dish and my appetizer in another. He said , "Emma said , Whatever you do, no mixa da figs witha da cheese, OK?" Don't do it"!! (yes, my waiter had a thick Italian accent) I was surprised and laughed. He was so adamant about it!
Honestly, I didn't care, I was in heaven!!!! (by the way, I ate a piece of cheese with some fig and I did not spontaneously combust )

Meatballs are great- you must try.

For our main, I like to change things up whenever I go but my favs include the gnocci with meat sauce, pasta with porcini mushrooms, and the stacetti (sliced steak) on a bed of arugula salad. the heat from the meat wilts the arugula, its so great.
Andre has one of the most poupular items on the menu, the Maialino (slow roasted baby pork), I know, sounds sad but its sooooooooo good, you'll get over it. All mains, except for the pasta, are served with either pasta or veggies. Veggies again are simple, olive oil, salt and pepper. That's the key at this restaurant, you can actually taste the food!

Bianca had ordered sausage with lentils once and was not impressed although its not something I've seen on the menu often.

Dessert, the best Tiramisu EVER - sorry ma'.

Milos

www.milos.ca

5357, Avenue du Parc
Montréal, Québec
H2V 4G9  Canada

Went to Milos on Parc Ave. in Montreal with Andre, my fiancé. We didn't feel like hitting the trendy St-Laurent scene, we were feeling low-key. Anyways, are we ever glad we went! It had been so long.

BTW booked our reservation using my Open Table application on my Iphone. Its the best. You choose your restaurant, the date, number of people and the time. It gives you the options for times available etc.. In some cases you can view the restaurant's menu..Fantastic. You get a confirmation of your reservation by e-mail and all.

The service was great, as usual - very attentive. We ordered the Milos special which can be shared with 2 or 4 people. Its comprised of fried, paper thin, crispy zucchini and eggplant slices served in the form of a tower, with tzaziki in the middle...the tower was surrounded by small pieces of saganaki cheese. I found that they were skimpy on the saganaki and didn't have that great ouzo flavor that the saganaki has at Vegera...Oh well, it was still good :D

We ordered vodka martinis with Olives- a little dirty...They were absolutley perfect! We've had them at lots of places where they have royally messed it up. I gave my compliments to the Bartender...You should always praise good service/quality etc...

For our main , André had the 8oz filet mignon. It was tasty and cooked perfectly. He likes his filet mignon medium rare. (I tasted it and it was really good. You could tell the meat was of superior quality) I ordered the warm lobster salad and it was great. They may have been skimpy on the saganaki but they were not skimpy on the Lobster.I couldn't finish it. It was served with arugula, radiccio and endive. The endive gives the salad a slight bitter taste. I enjoyed it but beware of this if you don't enjoy endive. It affects the taste of the whole salad.

We ended our wonderful meal off with Greek style doughnut holes covered in warm honey! They were magnificent. They were like puffy balls of dough, so light and crispy! I was about to order the half portion to share with Andre because we were trying to be reasonable. YEAH RIGHT!! That didnt' happen but we didn't care..

More to come...I'll be reviewing some of my favorite restaurants in Montreal and NYC!