A trip to Montreal - Part 9: Houston Steaks Côtes Levées Trudeau Airport

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After a fantastic time in Montreal, it was time to go back. We showed up early at the airport to make sure we had enough time for customs and...lunch! Of course, we were not expecting the same level of food like the one we got used to in the past few days in Canada, but wanted to avoid fast food for sure! That is how we ended up at Houston Steaks Côtes Levées. 

Yes, this is a steakhouse and Côtes Levées means spare ribs (in Canada - in France it is travers de porc). I was not really motivated to have a steak there though and decided to order a burger:

It was the Houston burger, composed of a beef patty, BBQ sauce, herbed cream cheese, caramelised onions, capicollo and arugula. The bread that was a brioche bread was a bit dry and the arugula was so overpowering that I removed it. It was then just ok: not the best patty for sure! The onion rings however were real good, but there were only a few on the plate!

Jodi ordered the House salad:

It was composed of mixed leaves, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, endives, onions and croutons, drizzled with raspberry vinaigrette. Let say that it was just a salad! Nothing extraordinary...

Well, what can I say: we were not expecting fantastic food at the airport and it was an ok alternative to the fast food. If you are in a hurry, this is not for you: the service was slow and not that friendly!

Enjoy (...)!

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A trip to Montreal - Part 8: French Bistro L'Express

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On Sunday night, we went rue Saint-Denis to eat in a popular Parisian style bistro called L'Express. It was definitely a trendy place with an elegant decor and a typically French menu, from the appetizers to the desserts. The menu, elaborated by Chef Joel Chapouile, offers classic French dishes such as the rillette, oeufs mayonnaise (deviled eggs), foie gras or steak frites. 

When we arrived, there were not that many people. Normal I thought as it was Sunday night. But, as the evening went, more and more people arrived. When we left, the place was packed!

After we ordered, they brought us some bread and butter:

As well as some crunchy cornichons in a jar that gave a relaxed and rustic feel to the experience:

Jodi decided to order only a salad as she really wanted a dessert. She picked the goat cheese salad:

Goat cheese salad is pretty standard on a French menu. Sometimes the cheese is toasted, sometimes it is not. At L'express, it was not. The goat cheese can also vary, from buche to crotin de Chavignoles. It was a good salad: simple, refreshing and not overdressed.

I decided to order the salmon tartare:

It was served on a bed of micro greens. I liked it but would have liked more texture to it, maybe by cutting the salmon thicker. 

Then, for the main dish, I ordered the veal kidneys in mustard sauce:

This is a very classic French dish and I was looking forward to it! I was not disappointed! The kidneys were cooked as ordered, medium, and were tender with a delicate but particular flavor that I am not sure how to describe! They were mixed with delicious mushrooms and the sauce was phenomenal. I do not know how they make it but it was so good! And then there were sauteed potatoes that were awesome! Cooked all the way through, they were a bit crunchy. This was the best dish we had on that trip!!!

They it was time for dessert! Jodi got her long awaited Ile Flottante!

Ile flottante is made egg whites topped with caramel (sauce or harden) served on a vanilla custard sauce. It was delicious: light, not too sweet, the egg whites were perfectly firm and melted in my mouth immediately. The vanilla custard was creamy and tasty, a perfect complement to the eggs. 

I could not resist and ordered the Baba au Rhum!

The portion was big too. It was just ok: the cake was not as light and airy as it should and the rum was watered down a little. Between the two desserts, I clearly preferred the Ile flottante!

The walk back to the hotel was really necessary after this excellent feast we had at L'Express! It was a great dinner and if you go, I recommend the veal kidneys! 

Enjoy (I did)!

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A trip to Montreal - Part 7: Schwartz's delicatessen!

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On Sunday, after visiting the Fine Arts Museum, we decided to got eat Rue Saint-Laurent. We noticed some delicatessens the last time we walked there and decided to go there to have some good deli sandwiches. We ended up at Schwartz's, located boulevard Saint Laurent.

The place has been opened since 1928 and reminded me of Katz's in many ways, although Schwartz's is much smaller and the staff is courteous...

The place was packed and we had two choices: try to get a table at the restaurant or go to the takeout section. We tried the restaurant and got lucky to be seated right away! We had to share a table with other patrons. Over there, the menu is on the wall only. Interestingly, the menu is small and if you are vegetarian, your choices are limited to fries, slaw and pickles...

Contrary to most of the delis in New York, they do not bring you pickles or slaw: you pay for it! So did we...

We decided to order two sandwiches:

The salami sandwich:

The smoked meat sandwich:

Smoked meat is what we call pastrami in the US. You can order it lean, medium (our choice) or fatty. It was very good, tender, with just enough fat in it.

The salami sandwich was also delicious with a nice quantity of meat for sure! As people come and sometimes share, they impose a small fee:

With her meal, Jodi ordered a black cherry soda.

At the end, they gave us our bill and we had to pay at the cashier, cash. So no fear of losing a ticket like at Katz's!

It was good and comforting. The atmosphere definitely reminded us of Katz's, but I thought it was much better. 

Enjoy (I did)!

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A trip to Montreal - Part 6: French Patisserie Boulangerie O Gateries in Longueuil

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Before reading this post, please note that, in accordance with the FTC guidelines, I must disclose that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!

When my friend Malika came to New York, we told her that we were going to Montreal for a week end and she suggested to visit her friends Jean-Francois and Lise who own a Pastry shop in Longueuil, a suburb that is a few minutes from Montreal. 

Jean-Francois is a French pastry Chef who was trained by Les Compagnons du Devoir, a companionship that originated in the Middle Ages, during the construction of Cathedrals. The goal was to  teach and train very skilled workers during many years of apprenticeship. They then expanded to more traditional jobs. Being part of Les Compagnons du Devoir is not a small thing and not everybody can be part of it: you have to be dedicated, motivated and skilled. It is during his apprenticeship that Jean-Francois ended up in Canada, where he met Lise, and together, they opened O Gateries, that will celebrate 20 years this year, in July.

Besides talking about personal stuff with Jean-Francois and Lise, we spoke about being a boulanger - patissier and I could really sense a passion that I always like to find in people. One thing that I still remember that Jean-Francois said, was about technique: when making something, what matters is not the ingredients, but the technique. It makes sense, otherwise, each time I follow a recipe, I should have the same result as anybody, no? No.

To give you an idea of O Gateries, now: I was expecting a smaller place, but it was of a good size, with a terrace and a dining room. In fact, O Gateries is not only a bakery and pastry shop: it also does some catering (apparently their duck confit pie is a big hit) and serves meals. 

But, because of all the work, Jean-Francois decided to hand over part of the products he sells to local artisans: for the bread and the chocolates (at the exception of the truffles that he makes). This way, he can focus on making viennoiseries (croissants, chocolate croissants called in Canada "Chocolatines" and in France, "Pains au chocolat",...) and pastries. He tries to stay traditional and looking at the pastries, we saw the classic ones: eclairs au chocolat, mille feuilles, religieuses...

As we were there for breakfast, they proposed us to try few things. Jodi ordered the chocolatine or Chocolate croissant.

It was very good: flaky and buttery!

Lise suggested to me to get the Eggs Benedict: I could not refuse, especially as I love that dish! But the way they prepare it is with a French twist!

It was composed of a slice of French bread, sauteed mushrooms that were fantastic, brie and a perfectly poached egg topped by Hollandaise sauce. They added some moutarde de Dijon / Dijon mustard that gave a nice kick. 

We also got the opportunity to try the palmier or elephant ears that were delicious: fresh, flaky, crunchy and buttery.

As well as the religieuse that is one of my favorite pastries!

I really appreciated the fact that it was not too sweet and we could really taste the chocolate in the custard that is inside the puff pastry. 

We definitely had a good time there whether it was for the food or the company! O Gateries is definitely an address to know!

Enjoy (Id did)!

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A trip to Montreal - Part 5: Kitchenette

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On Saturday night, we went to Kitchenette, a restaurant located in the Gay Village, close to Radio Canada. We found this place after watching Unique Eats that is one of our favorite shows! 

This place is located in a residential area and if you do not have the address, you can easily miss it! 

The interior is modern but has an old feel to it thanks to its leather banquettes. The dining room overlooks the kitchen that is right behind the bar, where you can see the Chef, Nick Hodge, who is from Texas, prepare some comforting dishes upgraded for fine dining. 

They started by bringing us bread and butter.

It was funny to see that the bowl in which the bread was looked as if it has been bought in a garage sale. In fact it gave the impression we were at a friend for a casual dinner.

For starters, Jodi ordered the albacore (tuna) tartare "beach style" nachos:

It was very good, light and refreshing. The nachos gave a nice crunch to the dish.

I ordered the crab cakes, served with Ranch dressing:

They were good: not the best I ever had but good. The crust was a bit too thick though and the crab was probably from the claw, as I noticed some sweetness so particular to it.

For the main dish, Jodi ordered the Brussels sprouts, parmesan grits and soft egg:

It was a great dish, proposed as an appetizer rather than a main dish, but with a nice portion. The egg was perfectly cooked and having the yolk oozing from it and getting mixed with the grits was divine. The Brussels sprouts were very good, proving once again that this little known vegetable is not as bad as its reputation.

On my side, I ordered the dish I saw on TV: blackened halibut with sweet potato mash, toasted marshmallows, Hoppin' John and fried brussels sprouts.

When the dish came, I was a bit disappointed because there was not as many toasted marshmallows as on TV! But this dish not only looked beautiful, but was phenomenal! The fish was perfect: a bit flaky and moist with a nice blackened skin. The Brussels sprouts gave a bit of crunchiness and the sweetness of the mash and marshmallows was a bit addictive! As if I was eating the main course and dessert at the same time, but with a combination that works!

I admit that I did not know what Hoppin'John were: rice and black eyed peas, this is a recipe from Texas, the origin of the Chef! It was good, but I would not have minded if it was not present on the plate that was already busy.

We skipped dessert as we were too full after our first day in Montreal. I regret it because this dinner was  memorable.

Enjoy (I did)!

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A trip to Montreal - Part 4 - Ice Cream at Chez Catherine!

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Walking around near the Vieux Port, we saw this place called Chez Catherine that was packed! It is a cafe with a terrace that serves a menu as well as crepes and ice cream. Most of the people who lined up inside were there for the ice cream though!!!

They had plenty of flavors like cookie dough, bubble gum, black cherry, but there was no coconut for Jodi. So she ended up with vanilla ice cream in a sugar cone:

I ordered praline and cream in a waffle cone:

The ice cream was rich for sure! The vanilla was flavorful and the praline and cream delicious, although a bit sweet. We paid $12 for both of us (one scoop each), but there was a lot of ice cream, down to the tip of the cone!

It was fantastic and surely a destination to know in Montreal!

Enjoy (I did)!

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A trip to Montreal - Part 3 - Fish and Chips at Brit & Chips!

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Fervent fans of the show "Unique Eats", we could not miss the occasion to be in Montreal and not eat at Brit & Chips! As you may guess, it is for the fish and chips that you would go there. Yes, I know: having fish and chips in Montreal might not seem the first choice for a visitor, but the show made it sound so exceptional that we had to try it!

We really though that it would be packed so we decided to show up early on Saturday...Well, we were the only customers, but it was probably because it was too early. I mean 11am...

The restaurant was interesting with two rows resembling a casual bar seating. 

The menu offers seven different types of fish with some recipes that are traditional with a touch of Quebec. For instance, the fish and chips made with haddock that Jodi chose, was prepared in a maple syrup batter. 

It was delicious with a bit of sweetness to it. The fish was perfectly cooked and flaky, and the batter that had a nice golden color was soft. 

I decided to order the traditional one, made with cod and a Burgundy batter:

The batter was crispier and darker, a bit greasier than the haddock one. But it was fine and I liked it a lot. The fish was also perfectly cooked, flaky and seemed fresh. My favorite was the one Jodi ordered though...

The chips or fries were just ok for me. They were soft on the outside and good with some vinegar !

If you are a fan of fish and chips, Brit & Chips is definitely the place to go to! 

Enjoy (I did)!

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