Verses Restaurant

Verses Restaurant

http://www.versesrestaurant.com/

Brasserie Mechant Boeuf

124 St. Paul Ouest

Montreal, QC

514-788-4000

Menu: Mixed bag, some steak, some bbq, excellent French onion soup

Kid Friendly: More for adults, large bar area

Atmosphere: Old Rock and Pop, contemporary decor in an old building

Prices: A little pricey, but also in Old Montreal touristy section

This is my last Montreal restaurant entry, at least for the time being. We had a great time in Montreal, and met our new good friend Guy Brisson. I hope we get to return soon and enjoy more of Montreal's eateries.

Lou found Verses restaurant the last night we were there. It was in Old Montreal. Since it has been a while since we were there, I thought I would visit the Verses website to refresh my memory about the atmosphere etc... I either have a very bad memory, or the website paints a very different picture than how I remember the real experience. I actually had to go back and check the address on my receipt to ensure it was the same restaurant.

Verses describes it's own menu as Contemporary French cuisine. I am not very schooled in French Cuisine, but I thought their menu was a little more typical of a steak house or pub food. The silouhette on the back wall of the restaurant was of a steer. (see the pic) It isn't that there were no French dishes on the menu, but when Lou researched the restaurant the burger was mentioned as a restaurant specialty. There were also things on the menu like beer can chicken. That is when you BBQ a chicken with a beer can inside it. I am not writing these things to say our experience wasn't good. It is just to say the website paints a picture of a different type of restaurant. As I wrote this, Lou walked in the room, so I asked him to look at the website. He said he noticed the difference between the actual place and the website as well. Our guess? Verses revamped it's image and never changed their website, so here's our story...

When we first walked into Verses I thought it was beautiful. The walls were exposed stone and brick. In the dining room there was a huge skylight overhead and a water feature on the back wall. The tables and chairs were contemporary and comfortable. The staff was extremely friendly. What is interesting about the restaurant is the music they play. It is all older rock and pop. I felt musically I was tranported back in time to about a 5 year span 1989 to 1994. It made for a fun atmosphere, and more casual than I initially thought when I first walked in the door.

I was definitely on the no drink with dinner kick when I was in Montreal, and just had water with dinner once again. I guess I can never be a sommelier, I even just had to ask Lou how to spell sommelier! Sorry wine lovers! Although I forewent the drink, I did order an appetizer at Verses. When I looked at the menu I noticed French Onion soup, and I thought I HAVE to order it. My reasoning was this. New England Clam Chowder is on menu's all around the US, but it is NEVER as good as in New England. I figured the same would be true with French Onion Soup, since I was in a primarily French cultured city, Ifigured the soup would be amazing. It did not disappoint. The soup came and it was the best French Onion Soup I have ever had. I have no idea what kind of cheese was melted on top, but the blend was outstanding. I can't remember if I even let Lou have a bite. I imagine I probably went Joey from Friends on him and didn't share my soup. No Soup for LOU! I guess that makes me the Montreal soup nazi.

For dinner Lou and I both opted for fish dishes. If you read my review of El Oriental de Cuba, you may come to the conclusion that it took us a while to learn our lesson. Lou had a Tuna steak and I had Tilapia. Neither dish was horrible but they weren't extremely memorable either, just average. I did take note of a lot of the dishes coming out around us, however, which looked outstanding. The burger we had been told about was a healthy portion. The beer can chicken was presented standing up on it's can, perfectly browned. I think between Verses and El Oriental de Cuba, I have learned my lesson to order what is probably the restaurant's specialty.

May the Schwartz be with you

Schwartz's
Montreal Hebrew Delicatessen

http://www.schwartzsdeli.com/

3895 Saint-Laurent Boulevard

Montreal, QuebecH2W 1X9Canada

Tel.: (514) 842-4813

Menu: Self described Hebrew Delicatessen

Kid Friendly: Didn't see a kid the whole time I was there, long line=hungry irritable kids

Prices: Very reasonable, for large portions

Atmosphere: Meat, Meat and more meat, festive, loud.

I am finding that a couple days in Montreal has resulted in a lot of eating out and many entries into my blog..

This story is about the World Famous Schwartz's! When Lou and I first got to Montreal, our friend Guy drove us around town showing us all the sites. Schwartz's is one of the places he pointed out. He said it was one of the most popular places to get smoked meat, and there was always a line outside. What is smoked meat, is the first question that came to my mind.

Wikipedia describes smoked meat as follows: Smoked meat is a method of preparing red meat (and fish) which originates in prehistory. Its purpose is to preserve these protein-rich foods, which would otherwise spoil quickly, for long periods. There are two mechanisms for this preservation: dehydration and the antibacterial properties of absorbed smoke.

My definition after seeing and tasting it, smokey cornbeef. Now I have to admit, I am not a big fan of the big meat sandwhich. Deli's that pile on the roast beef, or cornbeef, or pastrami... It just isn't my thing. Give me a sandwhich with equal parts meat and cheese and I will be much happier. I say this because, if you like this sort of thing, you may LOVE Schwartz, so keep that in mind as you read my experience.

When I wrote about the Restaurant Jano Grillades, I mentioned we biked to Schwartz's with the intention of eating there, but when we arrived, we were starving and the line at Scwartz was long, so we ate next door at Jano. Although the line was long at Schwartz's, we did notice they had a take out door. We couldn't come all this way, hear about how great it was, and not try it. We decided after our lunch, we would get a smoked meat sandwich to go.

I did not get to see the Schwartz's restaurant, but I have heard it is part of the experience. Tables supposedly sit multiple parties, and like I said there is always a line out front. In the window of the restaurant there are huge briskets of the smoked meat. Honestly, it looks a little like a food borne illness waiting to happen, but if that was the case, I guess they would have had a lot of law suits by now, and not such a huge line out front. The to go side of the restaurant was basically a long deli case, with a 10-15 person line in front of it consistently. Anything you can order in the restaurant, you can order from the Deli Counter to go. They also sell their special spice rub if you want to try your luck at smoking your own meat. (Interesting)

I walked in the to go side with Lou and was immediately nauseous from the smell. I had to leave. I don't know what it was. It was definitely a smokey smell, a meat smell, but there was something else. It just hit me horribly, and no I am not pregnant. I also worked in a butcher shop for many years, so being around all that meat wasn't the issue. I don't know what it was. Lou ended up in the line by himself at first. I waited outside, but felt terrible that I would miss this experience based on what we had heard, so I decided I could try it again and breath only through my mouth. This time I made it several minutes enough to observe what was being sold, but then decided I had to get out of there again.

Lou opted for the original smoked meat sandwich to go, a bargain at $5.50 Canadian. When he came outside, we found a nearby bench to sit on so he could enjoy his sandwich. (see the pic). Here is Lou's take: If you love pastrami, corned beef, the meat lovers meat sandwich, you will love this sandwich. There wasn't much on the sandwich but bread and meat and for it to have been packed with so much flavor was a true feat. The spices they use will make anyone who likes this type of fare thinking this is the best sandwich they have ever had. He also pointed out, those who don't like this type of sandwich, like me, probably won't be won over no matter what the taste. I have to agree. Even after being overwhelmed by the smell twice, I still felt obligated as a foodie to taste some of the meat. I took a very small piece off of Lou's sandwich and ate it. Sorry smoked meat lovers not my thing.

My final take on Schwartz? It is a meat lovers paradise, but much like many tourist hot spots, it didn't live up to the hype for me. Maybe my expectations were too high. Oh and if you are already very hungry before you get in the Schwartz line, you might want to eat at Jano! Happy eating, and smoked meat people, may the Schwartz be with you.

Narcisse Bistro + Bar a Vin

Narcisse Montreal
http://www.narcissebistro.com/

7 De la Commune st. East

Old Montreal, QC H2y1J1

Menu: Medium to upscale French

Kid Friendly: Get a babysitter

Prices: On the expensive side $75 with no alcohol or dessert! (That's Canadian you figure it out)

Atmosphere: Intimate, Live Jazz, quiet, friendly staff, efficient service

Another restaurant Lou and I visited in Montreal was Narcisse. It is located in the Old Montreal section near the waterfront. It was a little hard to find only because there was scaffolding covering the outside of the building. The entrance was strange as well. To enter Narcisse we had to walk through the connecting hotel. There was an entrance in front which looked like it should be where you enter the restaurant, including a menu board beside the door, but it was blocked by a table. This led me to believe they may open this entrance during warmer months.

The host was very friendly and greeted us immediately. There was Live Jazz the night we were there which created a nice atmosphere to eat in. Lighting was low and intimate.

Narcisse is a French Restaurant, which as I am typing this, makes me think we probably should have ordered some wine, but we went with a bottle of Aqua Panna. We had, had a late night the day before, and wine probably would have knocked me out at the table.

For appetizers we ordered the Millefeuille de tomate et feta. I asked the host what this meant and he said it meant millions of sheets of dough, in this case puff pastry with tomatoes and feta. He said don't take it literally. This was an understatement, see the picture. It probably should have been called Une de tomatoes et feta! Despite the misinterpretation, this was a very good dish. Light and flavorful, it was a good start.

We ordered a second appetizer as well. This is when my friend Kristin will probably gag, but being in a French restaurant, we thought it only appropriate to order the escargot a la provencale. I really had no idea what to expect, I guess I should have from the word "provencale" but I didn't. The escargot came in a dish with a garlic butter sauce they also had a thin layer of cheese on top. I thought the escargot tasted like mushrooms with cheese on top. They had a similar consistency and taste. As my husband has pointed out several times in the past, you can put cheese on anything and make it taste good! This dish proved his theory.

Moving onto dinner Lou opted for the Ravioles farcies aux champignons, or Mushroom stuffed raviolis and I went for the Poisson de Marche, A.K.A. Catch of the day. I think the fish was sea bass, but it was not very memorable, especially not enough to write about. It was a very average dish. The Ravioli's on the other hand were unbelievable. There were about 7 large, round ravioli's which came in a creamy brown mushrooms sauce. The sauce was definitely worthy of being sopped up with bread. The true sign of a great sauce.

We decided to skip dessert at Narcisse that night. Besides being full, there wasn't much of a selection to tempt us. Our experience all together was good, but not outstanding. The tomato appetizer and the ravioli were the show stoppers. Prices were slightly expensive for a slightly above average meal, the jazz was a nice touch.

As we were leaving the restaurant that night, we stopped in the hotel where I scanned a guest book sitting on a lobby table. The first entry I noticed was from Martha's Vineyard, a little touch of home:)

Working Up an Appetite for Glaces & Cupcakes, Les Glaceurs

Les Glaceurs
453, Rue Saint-Sulpice
Montreal, QC
http://www.lesglaceurs.ca/

Menu: Cupcakes, and coffee drinks! Also other drinks in a cooler

Kid Friendly: What kid doesn't love a cupcake?

Atmosphere: Colorful, creative, menus and pictures are drawn on chalkboard painted walls

Price: $13 for 2 cupcakes and 2 cappuccinos


While Lou and I were in Montreal this weekend, as I mentioned in my previous post, we were checking out all the restaurants, but we were also checking out a lot of the sites. Our new friend Guy Brisson was nice enough to take us on a whirlwind tour of the city Saturday so we could decide where we wanted to check out more closely on Sunday. What we noticed all around the city were Bixi stands. http://www.bixi.ca/. These are bike terminals located every several blocks. The bikes are like beach cruisers, they've got only 3 gears and they have a small grate upfront with a bungee which allows you to carry small packages, a purse, backpack etc...We decided to be adventurous and try a couple. With$5 you can get a code to unlock a bike, after that, the amount you are charged is by the half hour until you return your bike to another terminal anywhere in the city. We took our bikes for a ride down Rue St. Laurent on our way to Schwartz's smoked meat. Once there, we parked our bikes, had lunch at Jano, and then decided to walk. Our walk took us through a park, we saw a man sleeping by his lunch time wine carafe. We walked through the Latin Quarter of the city, and we even happened upon Henri, Henri, a famous seller of chapeaux's! In the end we had biked about 3 miles and walked about 4, and we had worked up an afternoon appetite. We made it back to our hotel the Place d'Armes, and decided a cappuccino would be a nice treat for the afternoon, that is when we happened upon Les Glaceurs. Montreal's answer to the cupcake craze. Lou and I got caught up in the craze when we happened upon Sweet this summer in Boston. Since then, we have been hitting up cupcake places whenever we happen upon them. Some notables are Kick A$$ cupcakes in Somerville, Ma, and Sprinkles in Beverly Hills. (they claim to have started the craze) At Les Glaceurs, we opted for two red velvet cupcakes with traditional cream cheese frosting, and a cappuccino each. The picture above is right before I dug in. The cappuccino milk was steamed perfectly. It had a bit of sweetness without adding sugar that a properly steamed cup has. The red velvet cupcake the most moist out of all the ones we have tried. I would say it even rivaled Sprinkles.

Jano Montreal, It's all about the sauce!

Restaurant Jano Grillades

http://www.restaurantjano.com/

3883 Boulevard Saint-LaurentMontreal, QC H2W 1X9, Canada

Menu: Portuguese cooking chicken, chorizo, soups salads

Kid Friendly: Does not cater to kids, but has foods the will like, and casual atmosphere.

Atmosphere: Portuguese flavor in a simple atmosphere. Two top tables can easily be reconfigured for large groups. Relaxing environment.

Service: There was one server working the whole restaurant, he was friendly and quick.

Prices: Reasonable prices for delicious food!

Lou and I went to Montreal this weekend, and we took full advantage of checking out the local restaurants. We found Jano on our way to Schwartz's, a famous smoked meat restaurant. We were expecting a line at Schwartz, but is was unusually long, and we were hungry! Next door we saw Jano. Two people were eating in the window. The food on their plates looked amazing, there was no line, it was a no brainer. When we entered Jano, there was a sign that said to seat ourselves. It was written in French, however, so we stood waiting for a little direction. Our server directed us to sit wherever we liked, so we headed into the back. The restaurant had about 50 seats in it, several two tops by the window in front, and then a larger dining area towards the back. The sections were divided by a small sevice bar where our server worked from, behind that was the kitchen, which was in the front of the restaurant with a window to the street. After sitting down we were quickly served a large basket of bread and dish of spanish olives. I dug right in. Jano offers a full wine list, but it was lunch and we opted for water. The menu at Jano is written in Portuguese, French, and English. Since we were drawn in by the food we saw in the window, Lou and I promptly ordered what we saw. I got the 1/2 chicken breast grilled, with Portuguese potatoes. Lou got the potatoes as well with a Chorizo sandwich. I noticed as we were waiting for our food, most tables had 3 condiments on their table. A big plastic bottle of mayo, a big plastic bottle of ketchup, and a mug which I was completely confused about. My meal started off with a garden salad. The ingredients were typical, lettuce, tomatoe, a few onions, but the dressing was unique. It was a vinagrette, but had a flavor to it that was similar to sweet gherkins. Almost like a relish vinagrette. It was a good way to start the meal. When our food came, we were asked if we would like ketchup and mayo for our Portuguese potatoes, to which we replied no. The Potatoes were basically fresh potato chips. There was nothing unique about them but they were very delicious. The best part about the meal though was that mug I mentioned earlier. We too were given a mug which contained Jano's "secret" sauce. The mug was filled and contained a pastry brush to rub the sauce on whatever you desired. When I first tasted it, I thought might be too spicey, but then I couldn't get enough of it. If you look in the picture you can see there were definitely red pepper flakes in it, and the clear liquid is some kind of fat, but the other ingredients were a mystery. I asked the waiter what was in it, and he said it was an 80 year old recipe and he couldn't tell me. He also said it is what makes the food tast so good. I have to agree. My chicken was grilled perfectly, the sauce made it amazing. I found myself even putting some sauce on my potatoes! Lou loved his chorizo. We will definitely be back at Jano when we head to Montreal again.