Limon - Upscale Mexican

[fedelst]

Having passed Limon on an earlier outing to another local restaurant, I could not help noticing that this unassuming restaurant was rather packed for a week day night... Curious, I ventured out Saturday night sans reservation, and snagged a couple spots at the bar, which turned out to be probably one of the best seats in the place for many reasons.

Upon entering Limon, your first impression is the comfortable decor and relaxed environment. However, I got a sinking feeling when the hostess (manager) arrives to greet us wearing the black body hugging turtleneck which screams 'trendy' a la 'Soto' etc.... Seriously, not having any interest in Trendy I almost turned on my heels and left. ... Thank god, I stayed.

Expecting the usual bar mix Margarita, we were blown away by the fresh and surprisingly not heavily sweetened version that the bar puts out. The bar man explains that he starts his day by squeezing a full box of limes...add to this syrup made from panela (mexican / latin american lump brown sugar) and they have their margarita base... damn, these are better than my own....

The menu is not overly complicated, and is devoid of gringo tex-mex staples found in most of the places calling themselves Mexican. [side note: why doesn't C&P and these others just brand themselves TexMex, so that the differentiation is clear? It is confusing to most who do not know the difference. If one were to eat the slop dished out at 3 Amigo's and get the impression this crap is Mexican, I could understand why no one would never eat Mexican again.] From the starters to the mains, this menu has all bases covered.

Wanting to eat everything, I chose to go with a few starters, my wife took a main. We shared the Sopes, we each had the Tortilla Soup, I had the Cerviche and the Nopales Salad, the main course was the Enchilladas de polllo con salsa verde . The sopes were tasty and surprisingly were served with shredded chicken. The masa had not been prepared to order but were made earlier in the evening and had been heated to order. Hence the reason they were at the table so soon, and why despite their being almost perfect, they had a tough base. They were tasty none the less, and were a close runner up to the Sopes at Amante on Monkland or those served at Coin Mexique on Jean Talon and Iberville. If the base had not been so tough, they would have been the best.

The Tortilla soup arrived as we were finishing the last bites of the Sopes. Served in an interesting leaf shaped bowl, the tortilla soup was made with an honest rich home made chicken stock with the perfect balance of Tomato. Lightly seasoned, and redolent with shredded chicken, this soup was excellent, although the addition of more tortilla strips would have been appreciated. Significantly different from the Tortilla soup at le Coin Mexique (which had added up to 2 years ago a piece of Chicharon in the soup.mmmm...) or from what you would get in most good Mexican restaurants in the US, this lighter version really hit the spot.

The Enchiladas de pollo con salsa verde were as close to perfect as they can get. Thin fresh tortillas wrapped around moist shredded chicken with a spot on Green Salsa with just the perfect balance of tomatillo and coriander. The accompanying frijoles were served in their own ramekin and were not slopped on the plate as they are in so many places.

The Cerviche is not the big winner of the evening. Before ordering I had asked what type of fish was used, I was told Dore... i should have avoided it just on this alone.. The portion was small, and was on a large chiffonade of iceberg lettuce, and topped with far too many diced tomatoes. The couple tablespoons of cerviche were lost in the garnish. When the search party finally found the cerviche, the flavor was close, but the fish was mushy from being too light to stand up to the lime juice, and had lost its texture. Also missing from the party was any spice what so ever, This poor cerviche had never met a jalapeno.

Surrounding the Cerviche was a mass of thin crispy tortilla wedges. Unlike anything commercially available, I do not recognize tortilla as any of those made locally. I enquire and am told that they are home made... Golden brown, these tortillas are crispy and a bit greasy with a slight bitter after taste. Had the oil been a bit hotter, and fresher, these would have been perfect. Tortillas have a mild flavor, and easily pick up flavors from the oil when fried. Tired oil will make a tortilla far less appealing than when fried in very hot fresh oil.

The nopales salad I was told were made from fresh nopales. Intrigued, as I have a hard time finding a regular supply of Fresh nopales, I ordered the salad expecting to get the usual soulless canned nopales. To my surprise, the nopales salad was made from fresh, charred nopales, mixed with red peppers, and topped with crumbled queso. This nopales salad was the best I have ever had, and I would keep coming back for just this and the margaritas alone.

Having no room for dessert, my wife opts to pass, I could not, and was told that the key lime pie was legendary... yet sadly, they started the night with only 2 slices and none were left... The barman was wrong, the waiter in fact found the 2 slices and brought one for me and the other for another patron at the bar. Yes, key lime pie has been around since dirt was a rock, and perhaps many are as tired of it, as I am, but the bar man could not praise it higher, and I had to try it.

The pie was simple, graham cracker crust, with key lime on top. The pie was good, but, the crust was a bit too thick, and a bit too buttery. Yes, this is possible. The topping was good, but would have been better the day it was made, as the lime had lost its bite. Made from fresh ingredients, the filling was home made and a good contender for the best key lime pie served in a restaurant in the city.

What really was the most impressive part of the experience at Limon was not as much the food and ambiance, but the fact that the bar man also used to work in the kitchen, and was very interested in our thought about the food. Unlike the typical waiter who takes orders and brings food, this guy really cared... not only that, the manager was also receptive to the comments he passed back to her. Sadly, I am informed by the barman that this is his last night, as he could no longer balance studies and work.

One thing that really stands out here is that the food is NOT spicy, and surprisingly, it is so well prepared and tasty, that you honestly do not miss it.. in most cases. Balanced for the Quebec palate, anyone missing the bite, are offered home made salsas to add heat... but don't expect anything incendiary, this is just not the place to find it. likewise, you will not find crispy gringo tacos, the 'Mexican flag' or fried ice cream on the menu.... Leave these to the folks serving gringo style Tex-Mex.

Certainly a lot pricier than Le Coin du Mexique or Amante, Limon scores big points for decor, food styling, ambiance and tastiness. Clearly, Ricky D and Pillar have successfully established an upscale Mexican restaurant in Montreal, and deserve the prices being asked.

We will be going back.

Footnote: if you do go to the Limon web site, please don't let the video dissuade you from going. I found the host of this piece to be annoying and uninformed. Clearly an attempt at being more promotional than editorial, and failing on both.

Edited November 18, 2007 by fedelst (log)

[Snackhappy]

Footnote: if you do go to the Limon web site, please don't let the video dissuade you from going. I found the host of this piece to be annoying and uninformed. Clearly an attempt at being more promotional than editorial, and failing on both.

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God bless Mose Persico. He's such a tool.

[fedelst]

Thanks for saying what I was thinking...Amen

I could swear that the kitchen staff were cringing through his non-stop banter...

Footnote: if you do go to the Limon web site, please don't let the video dissuade you from going. I found the host of this piece to be annoying and uninformed. Clearly an attempt at being more promotional than editorial, and failing on both.

←

God bless Mose Persico. He's such a tool.

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[riboflavinjoe]

Thanks for saying what I was thinking...Amen

I could swear that the kitchen staff were cringing through his non-stop banter...

Footnote: if you do go to the Limon web site, please don't let the video dissuade you from going. I found the host of this piece to be annoying and uninformed. Clearly an attempt at being more promotional than editorial, and failing on both.

←

God bless Mose Persico. He's such a tool.

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I feel embarrassed for them. Mose Persico: tool extraordinaire indeed. How can they even have this on TV? "I forget her name already."

[Chrisser]

... and he's still pronouncing Limon incorrectly after hearing it properly 100 times. Unreal.