La belle province’s love affair with French cuisine is legendary. It has been rooted in tradition and technique for years. As early as three decades ago, mostly all restaurants in the city had French chefs at the helm serving classic French food. The arrival of Québécois chef Normand Laprise changed the game entirely. Laprise was instrumental in defining a cuisine that, although still rooted in French tradition, is very proper to Quebec. His insistence on working with Quebec producers and using their products to create a unique cuisine has been a role model for a whole generation of chefs.

Chefs in Montreal are not as anchored in the city’s culinary heritage as their colleagues are in the “old country”, perhaps for the simple fact that Montreal is a relatively young city with a relatively short culinary history. We happily embrace new ideas and count among our most-loved restaurants a few classic French ones that have been around for years, like Chez la mère Michel or L’Express, as well as more recent and inventive ones.

Today, many of Montreal’s most famous chefs are taking that classic French training and using it to create a new kind of cuisine, one that can only be defined as the new Montreal cuisine. Some of the most ubiquitous French dishes are being reinvented in ways that could never be conceived of in their place of birth. Boudin (blood sausage), for example, can be consumed in its most classic form in a few of the more conventional French establishments around town. But give boudin to brilliantly inventive award-winning Montreal chefs like Martin Juneau of Pastaga or the team at Les 400 Coups and they will transform it into an explosive croquette or a silky smooth, perfectly spiced tart, dishes that are as far removed from the original sausage-form as possible but that are rooted in it nonetheless.

Whether you’re craving a traditional coq au vin or something more contemporary, today’s Montreal French food scene caters to everyone’s individual idea of what French cuisine is, or must be.

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There is no talking about steakhouses in Montreal without mentioning downtown’s La Queue de Cheval. One of, if not the, most prestigious fine dining spots in Montreal, “The Q” is on par with the caliber of any of New York’s swankiest steakhouses.

Featuring signature cuts of in-house dried aged USDA PRIME steaks, La Queue de Cheval also proudly serves Australian Wagyu beef famous for its marbling and luscious fat content. Nothing this amazing comes chea, but in the end you absolutely get what you pay for and for the experience you’ll get at The Q (dining room, whiskey bar or cigar lounge) is worth every penny. La Queue de Cheval, 1234 De La Montagne (514) 390-0091

A Montreal institution known for their reputation of menu quality is Moishe’s Steakhouse. Located on Saint-Laurent, this local hot spot recently celebrated its 75^thanniversary. Voted by Forbes Magazine as one of the top 10 steakhouses in the world, Moishe’s old world charm and rich heritage shines through their dishes and service. From their Kobe beef burger or signature bone-in filet mignon, Moishe’s steakhouse offers not only classic cuts of meat charcoal broiled to perfection, but also offer some of them on a late night menu (after 9pm) which sees these mains paired with an appetizer and coffee or tea for a preferred price of $25. Moishe’s Steakhouse, 3961 St-Laurent, (514) 845-3509

The newest player in the Montreal steak scene is L’Atelier d’Argentine, headed by executive chef Natalia Machado and located in the Old Port. Her masterful touch oversees the authentic Argentinian asado and traditional presentations of beef whose signature highlight cuts are the rib eye, short ribs and skirt steak. Chef Machado’s culinary philosophy and deft hand of experience is evident in the preparation of each cut of meat appropriating different techniques down to seasoning to showcase the subtle intricacies of the meat. L’Atelier d’Argentine prides themselves on using the freshest products, having meat that is butchered daily is a necessity in order to have it speak for itself to be prepared and served on a plate with nothing more than chimichurri, criolla and lots of love. L’Atelier d’Argentine, 355 Rue Marguerite D’Youville, (514) 287-3362

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Honourable mentions:

Gibby’s, 298 Place D’youville, (514) 282-1837

Méchant Bœuf, 124 Saint-Paul West, (514) 788-4020

Rib ‘N Reef Steakhouse & Cigar Lounge, 8105 Décarie, (514) 735-1601

Magnan Restaurant et Taverne, 2602 Saint-Patrick, (514) 935-9647

Vieux-Port Steakhouse, 39 Saint-Paul East, (514) 866-3175

The Keg, Various Locations

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Raza: Raza is easily one of my favourite restaurants in town, and probably one of the few fine dining Latino restaurants in North America. Chef Mario Navarrete serves up stunning, contemporary dishes inspired by his Peruvian roots at this chic Laurier street establishment. Raza, 114 Laurier Street West, (514) 227-8712

Van Horne: Van Horne restaurant is tiny, award-winning spot that’s been rightly hailed as one of the best in Montreal. It serves up sophisticated contemporary cuisine, unpretentious yet flawless service and a unique decor. Van Horne Restaurant, 1268 Van Horne Avenue, (514) 508-0828

Cheskie Hamishe Bakery: If you’re looking for the best chocolate babka or rugelach in Montreal, look no further because Cheskie’s has them. And if you are not sure what a babka or rugelach is, then head to this famous Jewish bakery right away and sink your teeth into a warm gooey chocolate-filled pastry that will have you instantly hooked. Cheskie Hamishe Bakery, 359 Bernard West, (514) 271-2253 ©roadfood.com 

Mamie Clafoutis / Le Patoquet: Some of the best croissants in the city belong to these two bakeries that are located on Van Horne Street not far from each other. You will also find classic French desserts and great lunch options at the two spots, along with a few tables to linger at. Don’t miss out on some amazing bread options at Mamie Clafoutis and great French imported candies and cookies at Le Paltoquet. Mamie Clafoutis, 1291 Van Horne Avenue, (514) 750-7245 & Le Paltoquet, 1464 Van Horne Avenue, (514) 271-4229  

La Maison du cheddar: Say cheese! This specialized cheese store carries a large choice of Quebec cheeses as well as some other regional products. La maison du cheddar is the perfect place to pick up a snack of fresh, squeaky cheese curds served in a cute paper cone, a gooey aged-cheddar grilled cheese sandwich for lunch or a few cheeses for a night in. La Maison du cheddar, 1311 Van Horne Avenue, (514) 904-0011

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Dishcrawl is a genius plan hatched in California, and has recently expanded to Montreal courtesy of Dishcrawl Ambassador Jenny King. For a set price (usually around $60 per person) you get to experience four carefully curated Montreal restaurants each with a specially prepared tasting menu. Once your spot is reserved, you get an email with the first location where you will meet up with your taste-bud tour guide.

The other locations are kept secret until you’re at their door ready for another mini-meal. The Saint-Paul Dishcrawl I went on was an enormous success…

We started our evening at Chez L’Epicier, a restaurant from chef Laurent Godbout, which has carved itself a rightful place in the top tier of the Old Montreal food chain. They served a trio of tasting dishes: beef tartare on a homemade brioche bun, grilled cheese lollipop, and a Jerusalem artichoke soup shooter.

After we had our fill, we had to stay on schedule and crawl to our second secret location. Although we did less crawling and more of the patented “Montreal Penguin Shuffle” as it was 30 degrees below freezing.

Our second location turned out to be Brasero Hardi. Where upon arriving they already had a delectable cocktail awaiting our frozen fingers called “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” which was a dizzying mix of Chartreuse, Midori, lime, green tea syrup, egg white, and garnished with dried seaweed. Brasero Hardi, a relatively new player on the Saint-Paul food circuit, served us two dishes with our cocktail: Marinated spare beef ribs on top of lardon pork mashed potatoes and house smoked salmon on horseradish panna cotta.

Everyone still had space for the three slices of pizza we were served at our third location: Dolcetto & Co, which has a welcoming decor of nautical whimsy. We were left to salivate while waiting for our pizzas: one with foie gras and fig, a margharita with barrata, and one with sharp pear, gorgonzola and pine nuts.

Our forth and final restaurant was Old-Port hotspot Santos, where we got some Spanish tapas action of paella, salmon tartar and churros with chocolate for dessert! Our group of thirty strong left with our bellies full of new friendships, an expanded yet exhausted palate, and a love for the great foodie adventure now known as Dishcrawl.

The next Montreal Dishcrawl is again taking place in Old Montreal (with a new roster of restaurants) on February 26. You can follow Dishcrawl on Facebook or check their website for upcoming Dishcrawl dates.

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THE DETAILS

Chez L’Epicier, 311 Rue Saint Paul East, (514) 878-2232

Santos, 191 Rue Saint Paul West, (514) 849-8881

Brasero Hardi, 139 rue Saint-Paul West, (514) 507-4558

Dolcetto & Co, ‪151 Rue Saint Paul West, (514) 419-8522

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