gruyere

The original post in this thread says that enRoute has established the 10 best restaurants in Canada. I have not seen this latest version of the enRoute mag but I suspect that it is the 10 best NEW restaurants, correct?

I was at JB last night. We sampled oysters, foie gras, salads, duck, steak, cod and lobster spaghetti. All dishes met with highly positive reviews. It was nice to see the kitchen not skimping on the foie as it was a quite generous portion, especially with a very reasonable price tag of $18. The atmosphere is great unless you are into estimating how many million the owners spent on the place. Dave and the gang have done a nice job of creating a comfy space that has a casual, comfortably boisterous atmosphere that permeates an environment where the food is the star of the show. It was crowded but not uncomfortably so, as I feared it might. As a matter of fact everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and laughter was abundant. The wine list is good and provides a nice choice of new and old world selections and DM, as many are aware, has a sommeliers nose for pairings. If there is a complaint it would be that some found the portions too large and were embarrassed to leave such delectable food on the plate. I’ll be heading back before long, but next time I think I’ll skip lunch in preparation.

I would second Les Douceurs du Marche in Atwater Market, 1st floor, North end. They are knowledgeable, very accomodating and have a good selection, although I don't know if they have those on your list. If there are great oils that are not available in the city, the guys at LDduM would likely appreciate knowing this and would probably be inclined to put some on their shelves.

If your sole criterion is to find the FRENCH restaurant of your choice wouldn't les Caprices de Nicolas be a worthy consideration? On another note, although Toque has received some recent criticism and may have lost its 'king of the heap' reputation, it is still an outstanding restaurant and should be close to the top of anyone's list of Montreal recommendations, IMHO.

If les Caprices de Nicolas, Club Chasse et Peche or Milos are open on Monday, I believe these would be good choices. Club C et P is probably the best representative of the 'relaxed atmosphere with great service, wine and food' approach that, by accident or otherwise, seems so front and centre in Montreal these days.

I believe this debate has brushed over a fundamentally important point. The focus has been on financial resources and population, when in fact culture and lifestyle have much more to do with what city has the best restaurants and food society. Lyon, France with a population of about 400,000 has brought the food world much more than 99% of North American cities many of which are 10 times its size. Barcelona, Spain, with a population of about 1.5 million has a much more vibrant restaurant scene than virtually any city in the U.S. and Canada. I recently returned from Sarasota and Orlando, Florida. With respective populations of about 400,000 and 1 million + they are not even on the same planet when it comes to restaurants and food culture when compared to the two European cities, although their populations likely have significantly more disposable income. Why? Because like Toronto, it is simply not a priority. Montreal has its own ‘scene’; Toronto has a New York City wannabe restaurant culture. I travel a lot and find that the restaurant environment in Toronto is like many other North American cities. There are many good restaurants, a few great ones and an occasional exceptional one but there is a sameness that penetrates to the point of detracting from the overall experience. There are exceptions of course, New Orleans has it’s Cajun scene, NYC’s Chinatown offers an authenticity that is hard to duplicate and Thomas Keller is almost a ‘scene’ onto his own. When I’m in Montreal I feel like there is a more unique environment, in a creative way not in a restrictive sense. It is almost certainly because the culture is different; it is more European than other parts of N.A. A two hour lunch on a terrace in Montreal is ‘eat and run’. A two hour lunch in Toronto is an indication that you don’t understand the concept of career advancement. It just is not the same approach and that’s not a bad thing. Take this discussion for example. It is posted on the Montreal and Toronto boards. At last look there were 1293 Views and 35 Replies (Montreal) and 385 Views and 5 replies (Toronto); 3.4 times and 7 times respectively. The list of topics on the Montreal board is twice as long as that of Toronto. If the GTA is about twice as large as the GMA then this highly unscientific study is even more significant. In Montreal there is simply more interest and a willingness to dedicate a greater percentage of resources to food and restaurant experiences. This results in a more discerning and sophisticated standard than is the case in Toronto. There are so many great and exceptional restaurants in Paris because the populace demands and supports such. Although Montreal is not Paris by a long shot, the analogy is accurate. Although I have eaten many meals in TO I have yet to have a dining experience that is as good as I have had at Les Caprices de Nicolas, Anise, la Chronique or the new and quite exceptional le Club Chasse et Peche. Let’s admit it Canada is the parent and Montreal is the offspring who stays out too late and parties too much. Toronto is the one who is concerned about the mortgage, the next payment on the station wagon and the next promotion. Hey TO we need you guys. If you weren’t working your butts off and paying all kinds of tax who the hell would support us when we decide to turn the two hour lunch into a warm up for a night on blvd. St. Laurent (can’t remember who made reference to Bu wine bar in this thread, but its likely he was in his ‘jammies’ before Montrealers got to the place. I’ve too often been a part of the depressingly ‘role up the sidewalks at midnight’ scene in TO). However if you are in Toronto and you think the scene is great then what the hell. If you are happy with your lot, that’s what is important.

I would strongly recommend le Club Chasse et Peche. IMHO it is the most interesting new project in Montreal. It has very quickly become one of the city's very best restaurants. Go to this link for more info: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=56886

See - I did try to start with recipes that don't have a full page of ingredients. And only one of those ingredients (quick duck sauce) refers me to another recipe. ←

In his French Laundry Cookbook Thomas Keller makes it clear that he prefers Carnaroli to Arborio. Although not in the same universe skill wise, I also prefer Carnaroli.

RN, I share your passion for this book. I’m not sure how it stayed out of my possession for so long, but it was not until Christmas last year (2004) when my daughter gave it to me, that I realized what a wonderful piece of work it is. I agree that it is wise to prepare the recipes at least once before doing so under ‘game’ conditions. In my short experience with the FLC I have found that each preparation makes me more equipped for the next even if the two recipes are not in any way related. There is a certain pace and organization that seems to be present in many of the recipes. Now on to some specifics (I am not at home as I write, so do not have access to the cookbook; I am therefore going from memory so some of the details may not be exact but I think the gist is valid) : For the Parmesan Crisps: If I leave the cheese in my oven to form the crisps at the recommended 350F (I think) for 7 or 8 mins as suggested they become far too crisp and are not pliable as required. Four or five mins works better for me. (Note: I have my oven calibrated on a regular basis and it is very accurate.) In addition, if I add the stipulated amount of heavy cream to the goat cheese the mixture becomes too liquefied to properly pipe into the parmesan tulips. Is my goat cheese possible to soft to start with? I am using 35% Cooking Cream. Is it possible that Keller uses the Devon or English cream? All this said, the theory that one should try the recipe first, certainly holds, because my current methodology produces a canapé that my family and guests thoroughly enjoy. For the Caesar Salad (in true Keller fashion this a significant twist on an old classic and is really more of a cheese custard over a large crouton and Caesar dressing with a chiffonade of Romaine on top) On the two occasions that I have made this dish my Caesar dressing is a relatively dark brown and a little heavier than I think is called for. The illustration’s dressing is a more translucent golden brown. The texture of mine is also somewhat oilier than I think it should be. I was thinking that I would cut back on the quantity of Canola oil the next time. Comments? For the record however, on both occasions the recipients thoroughly enjoyed the dish. Nevertheless my effort can, I believe, be improved upon.

I have, with great interest, been following the thread related to Keller’s Bouchon cookbook. For obvious reasons this book is more ‘au courant’ than his French Laundry cookbook. If it does not find its way into my collection following a birthday in less than a week (my hinting has been a tad over the top) I will be purchasing a copy and hopefully joining the discussion from a more informed point of view. However the interest in this discussion caused me to search diligently for a similar thread related to the FL Cookbook. In response to my request for such a thread, others, like me, were unsuccessful in finding one. I am therefore beginning the discussion with a few general points and more specific ones will follow. Do you find the level of complexity and the obsession with thoroughness and everything from scratch, to be worth the effort for the home cook? My response would be yes in about 75% of the cases. Does the cookbook which I believe is six years old still reflect the dishes which are served at the FL Restaurant? In general that is; anyone as creative as TK is bound to have made at least some changes. I am really more interested in questions related to specific recipes but will wait to see if there is sufficient interest before spilling my blood. BTW, if someone can point me to an existing thread I'll pick up the discussion there.

My wife and I and another couple ate there on Friday. This is a wonderful addition to the Montreal scene. We had duck/beet salad, mushroom tarte, scallops, braised suckling pig risotto with foie gras and chasse et peche/surf and turf. There was not a weak dish amongst them IMHO. However the risotto was particularly outstanding and a rabbit and lobster duo was an interesting approach to the often boring and overworked ‘surf and turf’ alternative. The lobster was cooked (poached I believe) just to the delicate stage and not into the common range of firmness that accompanies overcooking. Combine an interesting wine list, knowledgeable, efficient staff and extremely reasonable prices (how long will this last) and you have a worthy representative of what is great about the Montreal landscape at its best. In addition they have given considerable attention to the comfort of the diner. When you are potentially spending 3+ hours in a chair it should be comfortable. Le Club’s leather armchairs fit the bill to a T. One other observation: remember the street address (423 St-Claude). There is no sign. It’s kind of a ‘clubby’ thing; a play on the ‘if you’re a member you know the address’ routine. The old Fadeau sign still hangs but the former name has been removed. I was told by a member of the staff that they are considering placing a discrete brass name plate on or to the side of the door (again the clubby thing). This is an interesting, if novel, approach to a business where public awareness is important. However if it is as well thought out as the rest of the project they may be on to something special.

With ref to concern about spontaneity in creme fraiche preparation, this from Jacques Pepin: Ingredients: 1 cup sour cream 1/3 cup heavy cream, whipped for about 30 secs with a whisk Gently stir the sour cream and whipped cream together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 hr before serving. Pepin says "This recipe duplicates the flavour but is much leaner." I have never tried it; sounds far too good to be true.....comments??

There is no doubt that there are short comings in the Montreal scene. But it makes more sense to analyze your situation, adjust and maximise developing and intensifying your interest in what is available and of high quality. If you move to Montreal and carry a ‘where do I find the best hamburger, hot dog or buffalo wings’ mentality, you will surely be setting yourself up for a major disappointment. In many ways shouldn’t foodies follow the leads of every city’s best chefs? That is seek out what is best in a city, find out about the best local ingredients, find out what makes the population tick and then optimise the way one makes use of this knowledge. If a Montrealer moved to Boston (or just about any major U.S. city) for example he could potentially say: “Here I am in a city about the population of Montreal in a state about the population of Quebec and I cannot find any raw milk cheeses (unenlightened, unsophisticated regulators I know). I can go to dozens of places in Montreal/Quebec and find such products and I’ll go beyond that and say I don’t really see a very wide variety of locally produced cheeses at all.” Or: “You know I am a great lover of Middle Eastern food and I am also a huge fan of French food. I so crave the combination of the two that I find at Anise. There just isn’t an alternative here.” Or: “Foie gras is so available in Montreal, virtually all of it locally produced; they’re just so damn back water when it comes to things like that here.” I could go on, but my point is that you can find something in every city that is not available in others. With all due respect it comes naturally for Americans to want to put a MacDonald’s and a KFC on the corner of every street in every wonderful European city but it does not suite many of us to attempt to homogenize populations. Rather than look at what we don’t have from other areas, why not celebrate what we have and build on it. This position is by no means about letting second class efforts become acceptable, rather it is about using the unique position that we find ourselves in North America to foster something special. If you can’t get what you want BITCH, but let’s not bitch because we don’t have a California Pizza Kitchen or a Cheesecake Factory.

Chewie, How thick a piece do you usually sear and is it over very high, high or medium high heat or ??

Don't know if online version of The Gazette is back up but LC's headline does not refer to a local establishment where CF can be procured, rather it provides a recipe to make your own as it is unavailable locally.

RR, I am editing my reply to provide a link to my original post. This procedure was my preferred method but being a somewhat incompetent amateur in these matters I am unaware of how to go about doing this. Where does one go to access info on the proper method of doing so? http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=26074&hl=caino

There may be more to this than meets the eye. I prefer my foie cold as a rule but most of my friends prefer the seared version. When I prepare the hot at home I have a great deal of difficulty getting a nice crusty outter layer with that molten inner texture encapsulated by the seared outside. Is it possible that our high quality Quebec product is not conducive to the searing technique but more in tune with the European 'torchon' approach? BTW, have had the seared version at several Montreal restos with wonderful results. Les Caprices and Anise are numbers 1 and 2 by my standards. Do they buy the same product that we routinely find at MJT and AM?

I have not looked thoroughly at the packaging of our local product. Is it clearly marked or does one have to enquire as to the grade or do we assume that in Quebec it is A unless otherwise indicated? This statement comes from a recent site that I visited: “I find that "B" is excellent for most uses, and contains less fat than the "A", giving it more structure for sautéing or grilling.” Given that the A and B are used by the obsessively thorough Keller, I wonder if there is not some merit in the B for certain other uses.

In his FL Cookbook, Thomas Keller makes reference to foie gras being rated A,B or C and suggests buying either A or B. Although I cannot recall where, I have heard others refer to the same system. I assume this is a U.S. designation and would like to know if there is a grading hierarchy in Quebec, one of the world's really great producers of foie.

I am planning a trip to Tuscany for four couples in early October 2005. We would like to make arrangements for an upscale villa for one week. We will have a relaxed agenda including day trips to vinyards, markets, evening restaurant outtings and other points of interest. We are all seasoned travellers who have been to Italy on several previous occassions. My initial reaction is to look at something in the countryside outside of Florence or Siena but I am open to suggestions pretty much anywhere in Tuscany. If there are previous threads on this subject I would appreciate a link.

With regard to the restaurant, are the Ducasse, Spoon rumours still circulating?

If you go to current page 3 on the Montreal,Quebec and Eastern Canada forum you will find a topic called "Quebec City Restaurants, recommendations please." The last post was May 20, 2004. I think you will find some helpful recommendations. (There is a way to link you to this but I'm afraid it is outside of my repetoire or skill set.) On a recent trip there we ate at Le St-Amour and had a very pleasant experience.

If you are going to be in St. John's try Magnum and Stein's for somewhat inventive food and Bianca's. I would second the recommendation to take in the Gros Morne National Park. It is truly one of the world's beautiful places. If you go there check out the restos in Rocky Harbour. You won't find fois gras but you will find traditional food prepared with an interesting flare. While there enquire about the boat trip to Western Brook Pond (you can probably Google on this subject and pre-book). There you will see one of the most beautiful inland fiords on this planet. You should be aware that the island of Newfoundland is large and if you are driving for the entire trip and want to see the whole island you will spend a lot of time in your car. Bon voyage!

Freddy, I'm surprised you didn't mention Peppermint Knobs, a Purity standard for decades.