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larkhess

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    Dinner at Raza

    in Eastern Canada: Dining

    Posted

    Can someone help me out here?  We're from Pennsylvania; our French is very weak, and Spanish non-existent.  We love different restaurants, and Raza certainly seems to fit the bill, but we have some dietary limitations.  I don't eat pork products, and I can't handle spicey food (although my wife can eat it as hot as they can make it). 

    Can Raza accommodate our limitations?  Could we order the degustación, pass on our limitations to the waiter, and expect that the kitchen could comply, or do our limitations rule out this interesting restaurant?

    The food that they serve isn't really that spicy. from that front you should be fine. You will want to avoid the fois-gras empanada and the quail since the chef incorporates pork into those dishes (pork in the empanada, prosciutto around the quail). Outside of that I think everything should be fine. However, let the waiter know your restrictions. They will be able to accomodate your restrictions in the degustacion accordingly.

    Best of luck!

    larkhess

    La Forchetta

    in Eastern Canada: Dining

    Posted

    Thanks for the recco, larkhess. And welcome to eGullet.

    To be frank, I'd been avoiding Il Piatto Pieno because of mixed reviews, though none of them come from people whose palates I trust unconditionally. Googling doesn't turn up much either. There's an Italian wine geek who gives it one out of four stars and complains about the klunky stemware. And Françoise Kayler in an August 2004 La Presse review is more positive, though she complains about the veal. (She also didn't give it a star rating; don't know why.)

    Still, it's great to have another data point, and excellent gnocchi are probably all the inducement I need to give it a try.

    Thanks for the welcome! I myself only found out about this place because my Italian co-workers (who are sterotypical "St. Leonard" Italians) assured me that this place is the closest I'll get to a home cooked meal in a restaurant. I've never had home-cooked Italian but the food was good.

    La Forchetta

    in Eastern Canada: Dining

    Posted

    For a home cooked Italian BYO may I suggest Il Piatto Pieno at 177 St. Zotique E.? It's in the heart of Little Italy. Yes it gets very full very fast but the portions are generous and the food is excellent.

    The last time I was there I had a veal&prosciutto with an excellent gnocchi (one of the best gnocchi I've ever had).

    Caveat: if your looking for a quiet place this might not be for you. I went on a Friday at 9:00 and it was packed and there was Italian karaoke going on. I love this place.

    Dinner at Raza

    in Eastern Canada: Dining

    Posted · Edited by larkhess (log)

    My first post!

    I also have had the opportunity to eat dinner at Raza and I can say with honesty that this is a really good eatery. Mario and David have really put together something that is tasty and I think worth the effort to try.

    About the restaurant, while at first glance it may seem somewhat understated, Mario and David have laid out a space that is simple, spartan and cozy. You will find latino music playing in the background and a couple of images that really add to the ambience. By their own admission they plan to add a little more decor and I am interested to see what they intend to do with their terasse in the spring/summer as they couldn't do anything in the cold of winter.

    about the wines:

    I'm not much of a wine drinker so I can't comment on it like Wattacetti did. That being said everything about the wines being from South America is true. They did mention that they might try for a Spanish or Californian addition in the future but overall they will stick with a Latin American influence.

    food:

    I was also able to sample the tasting menu (with the extra 10 dollar option) and I was very impressed. The menu was almost identical to Wattacetti's first experience so I won't really comment on every item. I will say that I loved everything but most especially:

    Tiradito and tiger milk shooter: The lime flavour with the fish was really outstanding and added with the very cool tiger milk shooter, it was a winner.

    Fish arepas: smelled wonderful, tasted wonderful and mixed with the flavour of the mousseline was simply outstanding.

    Foie gras empanada: when I saw this on the menu my eyes bugged out. Empanada with foie gras? I've got to try it. Probably my favourite dish there although it is almost unto a meal in itself with the foie gras richness.

    Chocolate raviolis (stuffed with banana chutney) and praline ice cream: Not everyone is a fan of dessert. Thankfully I am. A really nice dessert. Plus the ice cream is just awesome (especially with the pralines in them).

    All in all, I really enjoyed myself here. The tasting menu as said is a really good way to sample what they are aiming for at this restaurant and from what I understand Mario will sometimes try new things with it that are not on the menu so you may be surprised. Mario and David are also both splendid people to talk to if you get the chance and it's not too busy.

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