If Leméac was a dude, I'd totally bone him. He would probably be extremely obese and an alcoholic, but I would definitely bone him.
Throughout my adventures in this city, I have come across many fascinating people. One of them has become a very kind, interesting and generous friend of mine. Thanks to him a new gust of discovery has opened its way for me in Montreal.
One of these places is Leméac. Being partly French and having lived in the Old World for quite some time, I am not ashamed to say that I know good food, wine and service (waiting jobs will teach you some of that too) from the rest.
Now this place, you know it's a gem as soon as you enter it. The polished wood and the white table-cloths, paired with the impeccably dressed waiters, already inspire confidence. I was also reassured to see that many other French compatriots were pleasantly dining, scattered around the place, mingling with the Quebécois students who were preparing to go out.
Immediately after entering, we're sat down and taken care of, even though it's far past ten. They have this special deal where they continue serving certain entrées and dishes at a fixed $24 rate until the wee hours of the morning.
I start by ordering a Dubonnet rouge, one of my faourite apéritifs - it's kind of like a Cinzano red - the same sweet red wine and fruit combination - but smoother. I look over the menu, amazed especially at their extensive wine list, and eventually decide to go with the escargots à la mousse de basilic, followed with blood sausage, brussel sprouts and the creamiest mashed potatoes known to mankind.
The escargot was accompanied by a white wine from northern Italy, Dalmatia. It was crisp and clear, had a sort of light flirtiness to it. It accompanied wonderfully the escargot which was tender and so flavourful. I was also highly impressed by their basil emulsion that would just slightly uplift the meatiness of the whole dish.
Our neighbors behind us were also familiar, as we had previously met one of them working at the spa we were at beforehand (Bains Scandinaves, but that'll be another post), and we obviously struck up a conversation which added to the overall charm of the experience. It was one of their birthdays and they were looking for place to party. I would have joined, but I was actually more excited for the next course than anything else.
Coming back inside, the plates came along at a perfect pace. That's when you know it's good service... they won't shove food in your face, but they won't let you starve either. Overall our waiter had a discretion and an attentiveness that I think lacks in the tip-seeking Montreal restaurant scene. Sometimes you just don't want to deal with over-enthusiastic, big breasted biddies.
The next course was a tender, smooth textured blood sausage that I hadn't had in years. It had just the right touch of red wine and it would just melt in my mouth. The mashed potatoes were a dream on their own... Though they probably clogged my arteries right then and there, they were as light and fluffy as a cloud. I had a very pleasant Merlot from Pays D'Oc, my favourite region for wine, and just basked in a haze of pleasure.
I didn't take a dessert, I think that would have tipped the scale from pleasure to pure gluttony. Instead I opted for another drink that I hadn't seen in a while - a Poire Williams from Alsace. It was a little disappointing, the girly glass kind of ruined the manliness of the drink for me, and I think they had left the bottle open a little too long since it didn't taste like the pears from back home at all. But all in all, the coffee that came with it was a wonderful espresso restretto, and the bill was wonderful too (probably because I didn't pay it...).
To sum it up
1045 Laurier O. (Outremont)
Price : $24 for the basic menu
Wine : No clue....
Food :10/10
Service: 10/10
Drunkenness : 4/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Overall: 9/10
One of the best experiences I've had, definitely a fancy, not too expensive date deal for me.
No comments:
Post a Comment