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Au Pied de Cochon --Website problems

VivreManger

By VivreManger
in Eastern Canada: Dining

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eat2much

eat2much

Posted
Posted

I hope that they learned from the first website that instead of having a website that is hard to change they shuld have a site where the online menu can be updated inhouse. Instead of spending a fortune on a fancy and static website, it would be smarter to aim for a website that actually reflects what the restaurant is serving this week (or season).

Note to restaurant owners: some web savvy people might be willing to work for food!

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carswell

carswell

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Had dinner there a week or two before Christmas. The place was packed at 9:30 on a Saturday. The menu seemed pared down, stuck in a rut, the only unexpected item being some pricey local caviar. My friend and I both began with salads: outstanding, as always. My cassoulet was good though not world class. Her duck confit was excellent though, as others have pointed out, slightly and a bit disconcertinly sweet. As usual, Philippe, the sommelier, was on target with his reccos: for aperitifs, he poured a fine dry Vouvray, my first ever from Chidaine, and a 2003 Loire sauvignon blanc, whose name I didn't catch but that disproved the conventional wisdom that the vintage is a write-off; both were private imports. In deference to my friend's taste for New World wines, we moved on to a shiraz from Scotchmans Hill, which I actually didn't dislike and may acquire a bottle of to serve with barbecued lamb this summer, assuming the SAQ strike's over by then...

I spoke briefly to Martin Picard about the English on the (former) website. His line was in line with Lesley's: the site's being redone and should be back on line Real Soon Now. We'll see. It's not like they need it to attract business these days...

Les deux madames de Dante will start cracking their whips.

Meaning? And anyway isn't one of the two ladies out of the picture or on her way out? My impression is that Elena and son Stefano are running the show. In any case, it's they who are throwing an Italian "dim sum" at the resto as part of the High Lights festival:

ITALIAN DIM SUM BY ELENA AND STEFANO

No introduction necessary for Elena and Stefano Faita from Dante's who will offer, dim sum style, typical freshly made dishes. Fresh pastas, pizzas, risottos, etc. All prepared before your eyes. More than 20 dishes will be served all day on guéridons [pedestal tables; did they actually pay someone money to "translate" these blurbs?]. You will also find a counter where you will be able to taste and purchase wine.

$5 to $15 by dishes ± $100/person depending on your over indulgence, including wine (tax and service not included)

Sunday, February 20, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Although I'm not big on brunches, especially ones with alcohol, the lure of Elena's pasta may prove irresistable. A few years ago, her Christmas lasagna with tiny veal meatballs was orgasmically good. I ate three servings and would have felt like a pig had not another diner chowed down five. And that night I had dreams about it, the only time in my life that's happened.

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carswell

carswell

Posted
Posted
I hope that they learned from the first website that instead of having a website that is hard to change they shuld have a site where the online menu can be updated inhouse. Instead of spending a fortune on a fancy and static website, it would be smarter to aim for a website that actually reflects what the restaurant is serving this week (or season).

Hear, hear!

A great first step would be to ban Flash from all resto websites. Strike that. From all websites period. And in the holiday spirit, I offer free to any takers my idea for a browser add-on that would nip Flash applets in the bud: Flash in the Can.

Once Flash is buried, we can start work on banning website muzak...

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pss999

pss999

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A great first step would be to ban Flash from all resto websites. Strike that. From all websites period. And in the holiday spirit, I offer free to any takers my idea for a browser add-on that would nip Flash applets in the bud: Flash in the Can.

Once Flash is buried, we can start work on banning website muzak...

I agree -- the folks doing the web sites for most Montreal restaurants should be ashamed of themselves. They're almost all full of annoying looped music and flash animations. Uh, give me your address and other contact info, a map and public transport details, your hours, some background info, and then maybe an up-to-date menu if you can manage to keep it up to date. Once those are under control, then maybe splurge on a few photos...

Paul

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pss999

pss999

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I spoke briefly to Martin Picard about the English on the (former) website. His line was in line with Lesley's: the site's being redone and should be back on line Real Soon Now.

Somehow I doubt it since it looks like they actually failed to renew their domain in December and so lost it to a domain broker out west. Good luck in getting it back without spending an arm and a leg... probably have to come up with a new domain name which is a shame since the old one is linked and quoted in print.

Paul

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sf&m

sf&m

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Since it is part of what I do for a living, I guess I'll chime in re: resto websites.

Carswell, you must be thinking of Globe, Godin, Buonanotte, Rosalie etc website. Lounge music, flash and pop ups galore. Basically too much money spent on design and too little on practical testing that it actually works. A shame on some really good art work.

Flash is not really the problem. Design and testing is the problem (specially the latter). Typical seems to be that these sites are tested/approved on high speed networks with one browser and the real life experience in customer land suffers. And a lot are still using pop up windows which doesn't work anymore because people have pop-up blockers enabled. It's not easy - you need to test on multiple browsers and platforms. (Time & $$)

List of some Montreal resto websites others ought to learn from (or not)....

Lobby Bar

model of simplicity and attractive graphics (but frame based)

Brunoise

Clean, professional - Worthy of a Gastronomical temple (do these guys do everything right?)

Les Chevres

PDF download of tasting menus!

BU

weekly updates of Vins au verre (although funky hiding of site entry from home page)

And for what it *could be* - IF it all worked...

Globe

And for what Globe wanted but did not get

Les Remparts

Great graphics and Flash that works!

And for a homage to excess and setting Carswells hair on fire (in a Flash)

Queue de cheval

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rcianci

rcianci

Posted
Posted (edited)
I agree -- the folks doing the web sites for most Montreal restaurants should be ashamed of themselves. They're almost all full of annoying looped music and flash animations. Uh, give me your address and other contact info, a map and public transport details, your hours, some background info, and then maybe an up-to-date menu if you can manage to keep it up to date. Once those are under control, then maybe splurge on a few photos...

Paul

Paul, that's dead on. A lot of web designers forget that their first job is to provide an information service. They get side-tracked playing with techie toys like Flash.

There are some decent Montreal restaurant websites. Anise and Brunoise, for example, both seem to do a good job in updating their online menus with seasonal changes.

Edited by rcianci (log)
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identifiler

identifiler

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Posted

Carswell, I meant to say that whichever lady, sheèll get the job done but I feel sorry for the poor lad. Have you ever heard her deal with her distributors on the phone on Dante, yowzer... a walking curse ! (not a major issue but quite shocking at first).

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rcianci

rcianci

Posted
Posted (edited)

Bad news, folks. The domain broker Point of Impact Technologies has renewed its registration of the aupieddecochon.ca domain for another year. If the folks at APDC want to reopen their website, they are going to have to come up with a new URL or pay Point of Impact an extortionate fee for their old one.

I got this information by performing a domain name search at www.whois.ca. Below is the result of that search.

"AUPIEDDECOCHON.CA" is registered.

Domain Name: aupieddecochon.ca (1108025)

Registered: 2004/12/21

Last Modified: 2005/12/06

Expires: 2006/12/21

Registrant: Point of Impact Technologies Inc. (1080298)

Demetri Karavas

domains@pointofimpact.com (1077693)

+1.2049892005

Edited by rcianci (log)
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Adrian3891

Adrian3891

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Posted

Stopped by PDC for dinner the other night to celebrate my last exam. I tried the PDC beer for fun. It was awful. Foie Gras poutine was better than usual (somehow the fries stayed crispy). The venison stew was a miss but the pig's trotter was delicious. Maple pie was also good as per the norm. Martin Picard was there socializing. And putting white sauces on things. To the point, they have a new website now: www.restaurantaupieddecochon.ca

Now, if only Club Chasse et Peche could get their website up. They claim it's going to be up soon but I'll believe it when I see it.

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rcianci

rcianci

Posted
Posted (edited)
To the point, they have a new website now: www.restaurantaupieddecochon.ca

Great news... and great site!

The horizontal scrolling is very daring. It flies in the face of conventional wisdom about web design. It's a fitting site for a chef who is a bit of a rebel and an iconoclast.

Edited by rcianci (log)
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rcianci

rcianci

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Posted
great site? there is no menu wine list. or am i missed somethings?

The old site had no wine list and a menu that they never, ever updated. My guess is that they favor a low maintenance site that still gives people a good idea of the ambiance and the food served.

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Campofiorin

Campofiorin

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Posted (edited)

I've been in the web business for over six years now and sometimes no site is better than a site that doesn't give you anything to chew on which is exactly what this one is. Besides, however daring it is, I just can't get used to that horizontal scrolling and I'm always on the Web, I mean always (more than 40/h a week). If a restaurant is to have a site, the least they can do is post the menu. The same problem can be stated about Le Jolifou's site unless they fixed that problem recently.

Note: Edited for spelling

Edited by Campofiorin (log)
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