2005 High Lights Festival

[moose1111]

Just wanted to see where you guys were planning on going and getting any suggestions. I am going to the Susur diner @ Beaver Club and planning to attend 2 more events.

I am also considering Paul Kahan, Claudio Aprile, Moreno Miotto, the Illy-7-service @ Chronique, and the foe-gras-5-service @ Verses..

Besides Marchesi, do you know any of these Italian chefs? I typically do not enjoy traditionnal Italian cuisine, unless if it's modern, avant-garde or fusioned with asian or french cuisine..

Where are you guys going?

Any suggestions?

Edited February 14, 2005 by moose1111 (log)

[Thesorus]

(offtopic) Are you the same moose1111 that is on the RM forum ? funny !

I'll try to go to Leméac, or take the occasion to go to Verses or the Cube.

[moose1111]

Yup... I am..

If you wish to go to Cube, I would suggest Le Club Chasse & Peche instead. IMO, le Cube has not been cuisine-wise what it used to be since Claude Pelletier left and got replaced by Eric Gonzales. Claude works/owns le Club... much better food and value

[onionbreath]

Went to Lemeac lastnight as part of the festival en lumiere. W

[onionbreath]

Whoops! Pressed the wrong key, must be fatigue setting in from all the latenight gorging. The guest chef was Marco Fadiga. There was much anticipation in the air, and overall an enjoyable evening. I would like to say more about the food but wonder if it would be better etiquette to wait a few more days?

On another note, I understand there is a guest chef, Spigaroli, at cafe melies that is connected with culatello production. Does anyone know if culatello will be available to purchase in Montreal finally?

[onionbreath]

Dinner at Lemeac with guest chef Marco Fadiga started with an atypical cocktail. Unlike the liquid version, this was a red campari flavored square of gelatin presented in a spoon . I found it to be a playful, imaginative beginning. It was followed by an amuse of Caprese a la cuillere, a soft fresh cheese (probably mozarella) with an underlying hint of pesto, pleasant but not really memorable.

The next course was scallop tartare with pink peppercorn on a bed of broccoli cream and garlic foam. This was paired with a crisp Greco di Tufo, 2003 Mastroberardino. The smooth texture of the scallop against the crunch of the mild peppercorn was very satisfying, but the broccoli cream seemed lifeless and bland.

Next was the pasta course, a potato gnocchi with black trompette mushroom, pancetta and basil sauce. This was complemented by a generous glass of pinot grigio Alto-Adige 2002. While the gnocchi were quite tasty and soft, the dish was just not hot enough and its pesto sauce competed with the delicate mushroom flavors. It seemed as if the addition of pesto was a safe, mainstream way to please.

The main course was a good balance of flavors and very appealing. A hefty serving of roasted pork tenderloin rolled in dried fruits on a bed of braised green cabbage. A true winter dish. It was tender but for most, slightly overcooked. This was served up with a really nice Chianti Colli Senesi 2001.

The salad Parmigiano that followed was very disappointing and overly complicated. It consisted of a few sprigs of frisee stuffed into a glass with a foamy white dressing (too thick to coat the frisee) and a skewered parmesan chew of sorts. An unfortunate bomb. Why not serve really good greens with the real thing, reggiano.

The dessert was a light rum cream with an unusual cohiba cigar sauce served up with a Breganze 2001, Torcolato. Pretty nice touch to end the meal.

Somehow it felt like in the planning of this event , the chef was not really up for a challenge. He chose to play it safe, choosing easy to construct dishes which in the end looked obviously assembled. With all its faults the night out at Lemeac during the highlights festival, mid -February, still felt pretty special, the restaurant was packed with a real buzz, the service terrific. I knew in my heart I could not count on this meal replicating the meals I’d experienced in Bologna, but, hey, it was worth a shot.