going to brunoise

[batman]

i am visiting brunoise for the first time. is there anything i should know before i go? does anyone who has been before recomend anything in particular to eat? what's their specialty? thanks.

[munchcake]

Batman-

The menu's changed since I was there for the last time in June, but the panna cotta is excellent. I remember the mussels beings very good as well as the skate. All of the appetizers have been good, but some of the old mains were less than stellar. I don't see them on the current menu though.

Enjoy. It's a great place and an excellent value.

Lauren

[cheekycook]

Seems the menu has finally changed! Hallelujah!

Too bad it's taken them this long to do so... I wouldhave been back sooner if that had been the case!

As for the panna cotta, I found it less than stellar. The "milk flan" if I can go as far as to call it that, was too sweet and there was too much of it versus the other appealing components of it ie: basil syrup and passion fruit, though texture-wise it was flawless. Plus I really didn't like that cookie swizzle stick it was served with, it was too dry and tasteless. The other desserts were awesome though!

Take care Batman, enjoy your dinner and say "Hi" to the Green Lantern for me!

Cheers!

[wizpers]

just go and have a good time, it is one of the best restaurant in town!

[cheekycook]

It's the best restaurant in town when you can get a table and they're not dicking you around when you're trying to make your reservation...

Plus, the last time I went, the lag between courses was interminably long.

Which is hard to understand giving how we were the last table in/to order.

Not to mention that their menu is so streamlined and hadn't changed in almost a year, they should've had their stuff down pat. Service should have been smooth with no "interminable" lags.

I went with some really close friends of mine and when you start experiencing really uncomfortable silences because you ran out of stuff to talk about & everyone is wondering where their food is - it's not good.

The saving grace was: the food was really good. However, I was so starved by the time I got my main - that I wished there was more on it that just 1 quail. 1 1/2 maybe or 1 stuffed. I felt a little cheated - and I'm not a big eater. Thank god I wasn't a 300lb guy and for the chocolate cake I had at home in the fridge.

Their new menu looks promising... I would very much like to go and try it; Assuming making the reservation will not prove to be another fastidious ordeal and that I won't have time to fully digest my appetizer before my main arrives.

Regardless, I still think what they're doing is great, plus I like what they've done with the place.

[eat2much]

In my experience at Brunoise (and I have been there many times) I have never had anything less than excellent food and service. Zach, Michel & cie. try to offer an excellent experience in fine dining at more than reasonable prices.

[cook-em-all]

Cheekycook, I am not going to defend, dispute or disspell any of your comments. However I take great offence in the notion that I dick people around with their reservations. I try very hard to accomadate everyone, unfortunately that is not always possible. I say no to people everyday, including customers who have frequented my restaurant more often than I can count, eat2much can attest to that.

Zach Suhl

Co-Owner of Brunoise

[cheekycook]

Maybe "dick" was too harsh a word. Besides, if that offended you I must say you are way too sensitive. Get over it. You can't please everyone all of the time. Don't be such a baby.

If you want specifics, when we called for the reservation, you, Zach, made us feel like it was a big "Pain in the ass" to accomodate us, it was almost as if we were disturbing you. As if taking a reservation was such a ploddingly pedantic chore. So, yes, I refer to "all of the above" as "dick". It wasn't meant maliciously, just simply, matter of fact.

Maybe we just got you on a bad day when we called (which is no excuse when dealing with the public) or were just not on "chummy" enough terms with you like I guess "eat2much" is.

Whatever the reason, no one's perfect, how are you supposed to improve if no one says anything?

Consider it constructive criticism.

[carswell]

Maybe "dick" was too harsh a word. Besides, if that offended you I must say you are way too sensitive. Get over it. You can't please everyone all of the time. Don't be such a baby.

[...]

Maybe we just got you on a bad day when we called (which is no excuse when dealing with the public) or were just not on "chummy" enough terms with you like I guess "eat2much" is.

←

Or maybe you've got a chip on your shoulder?

Zach and the rest of the Brunoise team have shown nothing but the utmost professionalism in their dealings with me and, if the glowing reports on boards like eGullet and Chowhound are anything to go by, others. Brunoise is a class act all the way.

edit: My mistake. eat2much is not chef Michel but merely one of countless happy Brunoise customers. Mea kulpa.

Edited October 3, 2004 by carswell (log)

[cheekycook]

It's nice of you to come to Zach's defense Carswell, I'm sure it will be appreciated.

But in all sincerity, everything I wrote was true. People have bad days but it's no reason to take it out on customers. I've worked with the public for the past 15 years, during which I had to bend over ass-backwards to give clients exceptionnal service; so needless to say, when I'm the customer and something's amiss, I bitch, which I have every right to do.

I didn't realize that speaking one's mind now consists of having a so-called "chip" on "one's shoulder". But if that's the case, so be it! I'll carry it with pride!

And in case you didn't notice, I did say "You can't please everyone all of the time."

[jade]

i think you should all go eat at cavalli,im not knocking your restaurant zach,i have heard great things about it,and would love to try it.i am spending all my money on immigration at the moment,but as soon as i have cash ill be there.

cheekycook what do you do for work,i am new to montreal and have never heard any thing bad about brunoise.

jade

[unreserved]

The goodwill that Brunoise has fostered over its short existence is not only remarkable, but also very well deserved. While I do not believe that Zach needs anyone (least of all me) to vouch for his professionalism, your indiscriminate word-selection would offend any self-respecting individual especially when written on a public forum and by a stranger. Surely, you can understand that cheekycook? Let’s be honest, your admission that the word may have been “harsh” was hardly sincere considering the four sentences that followed your admission.

Montrealers who have had the pleasure to dine at Brunoise will likely not be affected by this thread, but in consideration of out-of-towners, I feel compelled to add my own experience of Zach’s friendly and professional character – actually the compliment is from my mother. I took my mother to Brunoise and after our meal Zach came by our table (as is his habit), spoke with us for a few minutes and when he left my mother said, “What a pleasant young man. His mother should be very proud.”

For the record, I had no trouble making reservations. In fact, we arrived early and Zach did not flinch and even asked us which of the remaining three tables we would prefer. Very welcoming.

Anthony

[Pots]

Well said,since Brunoise has come on the Montreal scene for the short while it has impressed -,NY Times,Globe & Mail,Enroute Magazine-etc,etc. They do a great job,all the staff at Brunoise,too bad all restaurants could not be of the same caliber.In fact when was the last time you had to book a table 2 weeks in advance?Zach and Michel are indeed pleasing people-much to the demise of people in the industry.

[ABG]

Maybe "dick" was too harsh a word. Besides, if that offended you I must say you are way too sensitive. Get over it. You can't please everyone all of the time. Don't be such a baby.

If you want specifics, when we called for the reservation, you, Zach, made us feel like it was a big "Pain in the ass" to accomodate us, it was almost as if we were disturbing you. As if taking a reservation was such a ploddingly pedantic chore. So, yes, I refer to "all of the above" as "dick". It wasn't meant maliciously, just simply, matter of fact.

←

Just a hunch, but maybe your "cheeky" attitude had something to do with the way your were handled on the phone. Also, since he did "accomdate you" as I suppose you weren't a table for two, Zach probably was just trying to ensure that you didn't arrive at lets say 7:30 with 2 other large groups thus creativing a backlog in the kitchen thus causing your above long wait between courses complaints.

ABG

PS: Zach has always done a super job with the resos. I still owe him one from Valentine's Day 2004.

[wizpers]

When you are managing a 40 seats restaurant in a high class food standard, you have to be really wise at the phone, it is not criminal to try to create a nice pace to the night. Sometimes you better please 42 costumers than scrap 50 of them just because you tried to pack the book...

And rude callers does exist, and cheekycook could of been one, who knows!

In this business, owners always have to justified, the costumers love to say they are always right,,, dont you?

[batman]

so i finally visited brunoise for the first time ever since its opened and i must say that my experience was a positive one. both service and food were really good.

yes, it was a little long between services, but i was in good company that evening so i did not mind. plus i know what its like to have to contend with a full house while having to prepare little extras for certain clients. thanks mike and gaby.

spite all the wonderful dishes, i must criticize the baised veal cheeks. although well cooked and their texture was perfect, i thought them to be overpowered by the the sauce. (perhaps too reduced?)

by the way munchcake, i did have the pannacotta and yes it was fantastic! thanks.

keep up the good work guys.