Lesley C

What! Oh Jesus, another good one bites the dust!

I would pick a theme: Bu and Pullman -- Montreal-style wine bars or Tapeo, Blue Raisin, and Area -- appetizer-size portions (tapas) or Bouchon de Liege and Tapeo -- obscure neighborhood or Bouchon de Liege and Brunoise -- gourmet on the cheap Or you could cover the whole decadent dining club scene, Time etc...

No, not in the case of a city paper. Your local paper should be reviewing as many -- if not more -- old restos as new. In fact, even in a city like Montreal, there aren't enough new restaurants opening for a critic to cover only new places. But the Post is supposed to be a national paper, so they should be covering the newer restaurants. The NY Times got to them before Richler did. That's just my little opinion, but I'm sure Mr. Richler can cover whatever the heck he pleases.

Another thing I found surprising about the write-up is that these three restaurants, as fabulous as they are, are last year's news. This story should have been written a year ago.

I think halibut has all but taken over the "fish of the day" category in upscale restaurants. Before waiters even say what the day's fish is, I say, "Let me guess, halibut?" I've had it a million ways in the past year (including topped with melted migneron cheese this week at Cube) but the halibut I had at La Bastide prepared by Jean-Francois Vachon was by far the best. So, now that halibut has been done to perfection, may I recommend chefs move on to something new. Please, please, please...ENOUGH HALIBUT!!!

In today's National Post (Oct. 16th) there's a review of three Montreal restos: Les Chevres, Au Pied de Cochon and Brunoise. The title is "3 Reasons I Love Montreal," but read through the text and you'll see Richler doesn't seem to like the food in these places all that much -- going so far as to say of the elegant and original final course at at Les Chevres, "Desserts will not move you." Hmm...they move me -- big time. What doesn't move me is Mr. Richler's half-hearted write-up of these three restaurants. Anyone else see the review?

I'm a stickler for authenticity. If "anything goes", one day you'll end up with a creme caramel when you ordered a creme brulee. And that just leads to all out chaos. An Opera has a sleek chocolate glaze, coffee-soaked jocondes, ganache in the middle, and a nice gold leaf decor on the top. That's an Opera. The other thingy is just another chocolate/coffee cake. Back when I was a pastry chef, I developed a more and more severe attitude towards the classic cakes. Anyone can make something like an Opera, but wow, when you see it perfectly done, you understand what all the fuss is about.

Best topping for Opera cake: 500g Couverture mi-amer chocolate 200 unsalted butter (this amount covers one large sheet pan-sized cake) Stir butter into warm couverture and glaze while still warm. This coating has the right consistency and allows a realistic amount of time for spreading. It also slices very well. You never ever put pure chocolate on an opera and a mirroir glaze looks cheap. The topping of an opera should be on the matte side, not glossy or -- God Forbid -- sticky! I've tried a dozen recipes (with masse a glacer and the like) and this is the one that I like best. Try it, you'll like it. Topped, of course, with a nice sheet of gold leaf. PS: Do not, I repeat, do not look to the September issue of Gourmet Magazine for guidance. The Opera picture on the cover is ALL WRONG. It's too high, and the topping is swirly as opposed to smooth. Bad, very bad.

I'm reviewing Christophe this week. I thought the food, for the most part, was pretty good BUT he hasn't changed the menu much over the years. And I had some other problems with the place. Such as THE WAITER!!!

I dined at La Coupole about 5 years ago and they were already owned by Flo. Read the article carefully, I believe they are buying it back (racheter, not acheter). I guess they sold it along the way and are now buying it back.

The staff at APdC is also nice. But they kept me waiting an hour between courses, mis-timed the wine service (I like a bit of food with my $80 Chateauneuf du Pape) and didn't take the time to expain the condiments. That didn't happen at the Bouchon. The head waiter and co-owner there is a real pro (though he might want to work on his phone skills).

Just think how cool those guys would look wearing chef jackets. Try to picture it. I don't really care what people wear in the kitchen, but the chef jacket makes people look like pros. Those guys look like busboys. But I like the fact that Picard dresses down. I say keep Martin in the black shirt, but put the guys with the head scarves and pierced eyebrows in whites. As for the finger dipping/tasting, if I don't see it, it can't bother me. But sucking up the sauce right in front of the customers is -- again -- unprofessional. I wouldn't want to get the Asian flu from some line cook at APdC! Talk to a microbiologist. He would freak!

I know small restaurants, especially BYOBs hate groups. Some like La Colombe won't take them. It is a pisser that you heard the conversation, but the Bouchon people are nice so try not to hold it against them. I say, pretend it didn't happen.

gms, I hate to rain on your parade, but I don't consider any of those restaurants a winner for a food lover (this is EGullet after all). I would call some of the better BYOW restos -- La Colombe, Le Petit Plateau, Les Infideles, A L'Os, Christophe -- and ask if they would be willing to book their entire restaurants for the night. Then I would call BICE because they have a nice private dining room on their second floor, and the food there is excellent. You know, I would even call a restaurant like Les Caprices de Nicolas and talk to the owner Dan Medalsy. Call all your favourite restaurants and try to cut a deal. BUT I would definitely go for a high end place over a bistro. The food will always be better. As long as you don't need a dance floor, a small restaurant is a good choice.

Anyone try LEVEL yet? It's the new super premium vodka by Absolut. I have a sample bottle chilling away in my freezer right now.

The only source for fresh wasabi in North America is the Pacific Northwest, where climatic conditions can mimic those of northern Japan. Nicholas Robinson of montrealfood.com tracked down a company in Vancouver called Pacific Coast Wasabi Ltd. (www.wasabia.ca.), which courier fresh roots packed on ice overnight. The price is about $10 a rhizome, and a Japanese ceramic grater costs $20.

I might have been the one responsible for that "bad" review, and I stick by what I wrote. Nice people at this restaurant but the food was nothing more than OK on the night I dined there. Also, Alain Labrie is the chef at Auberge Hatley and still is. Are you making a difference here between executive chef and chef de cuisine, or are you saying Labrie now works at Le Convivial?

Hi Mario, Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions. I’ve been watching you cook for years up here in Montreal, and remember the first time I saw a rather reserved Mario Batali on TV with Martha Stewart. I kept asking myself: “Is he really wearing shorts?” Anyway, here’s the big question: Am I imagining things or are you set on drawing viewers away form the parmesan habit in order to discover different Italian cheeses? In books like The River Café series, recipes are often topped off with a whopping amount of parmesan, whereas you seem to favour other cheeses, specifically Pecorino Romano. Do you think different pasta dishes call for specific “finishing” cheeses, and if so what should we be stocking in our refrigerators aside from the usual Parmigiano and Pecorino? In the Babbo cookbook there are several pasta recipes that don’t call for any cheese, such as the Spaghetti with Sweet 100 tomatoes. Are we drowning our pastas in too much cheese? And lastly, are you dead set on Parmigiano-Reggiano or would you be just as happy using Grana padano? Perhaps more so for cooking than eating staight up?

No, I meant the Cotes-du-Whone, a very little-known region just south of Lyon (sorry, I must be tired with this heat). As for the second wave of roses, I'll call the SAQ PR lady on Monday and find out.

Yes, the SAQ rose selection is pathetic. I was in Provence on a wine trip last fall and tasted some fabulous roses, many of them barrel-aged and comperable to a topnotch C-d-W white. Where are these products? Nowhere near Quebec. I just tasted the Vielle Ferme last night and was less than thrilled. The Pic St-Loup is good, and I quite liked a Corbieres they had last year. Dietrich joos makes a nice rose. It's worth checking out. I had a Tavel and a Joos rose on the dinner table a while ago and no one went for the Tavel. Also, I always prefer buying a local product when possible (though you couldn't pay me to drink a local red!). But concerning roses, doesn't a second wave come in to stores sometime mid July?

I spoke to an SAQ employee last week who told me there's talk of a strike. So, just in case, stock up because she said things MIGHT get ugly. Then again, I can't imagine an SAQ strike lasting any length of time in the heat of summer vacation.

OK, the big question: was Rocco in the house???

I think the whole heart disease premise is a bit off considering the increase in business steak houses are boasting since the invasion of Atkins. I know plenty of people who have lost weight eating the kind of meal Bruni writes about. OK, maybe without the cheesecake... I also thought it was a shame that he didn't get into the side dishes a bit more. The review seemed awfully short.

Hey! Well, I'm sure I do, so please let me know when it happens. As for the restaurant report, if this woman is American, I can't believe she would find these prices expensive. Unless, of course, her U.S. dining options are restricted to places like the Olive Garden. I'm with carswell on this. I think it's irresponsible to post a restaurant review that negative unless all your facts are rock solid.

Actually, you're wrong to say Christophe is the priciest BYOW in town. A L'Os is more expensive.