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Montreal tops En Route once again


cookatlarge

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Not in the same universe cook at large

personally i have had some exchanges with the lady that owns it and her partner and she seems like a dedicated perfectionist with big goals and ideas and plans. i can see that maybe she might explode at something small but i have seen no basis for the sniper comments above

sad but true a lot of people do not like to see a beautiful woman that is also successful. i will say she trained her staff very well but maybe she does not know food like she really should. her partner for sure is not a food nor wine expert or lover i think he have a business background

the food however is the work of a sad chef in a dark place. lesley said there is a new chef since the award which i can understand but i cannot understand the award under the old chef since all the many times i ate there the food was not inspiring. no charme no distinct flavors. i must admit all the times i eat there it was lunch never dinner but so many dinners when i walk by the place was dead

bronte is one of the best in the city. i have problems with the wine list and the prices but they are really an excellent place with the makings of long term success. the energy in the food reminds me of a buzzing resto that hits each note with perfection like La Gouloue in nyc at its peak in the late 1990s. the sommelier should learn to pay more attention to other tables instead of focus all his time on the table of his friends where he spends most of his time each night

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Not in the same universe cook at large

personally i have had some exchanges with the lady that owns it and her partner and she seems like a dedicated perfectionist with big goals and ideas and plans. i can see that maybe she might explode at something small but i have seen no basis for the sniper comments above

sad but true a lot of people do not like to see a beautiful woman that is also successful. i will say she trained her staff very well but maybe she does not know food like she really should. her partner for sure is not a food nor wine expert or lover i think he have a business background

the food however is the work of a sad chef in a dark place. lesley said there is a new chef since the award which i can understand but i cannot understand the award under the old chef since all the many times i ate there the food was not inspiring. no charme no distinct flavors. i must admit all the times i eat there it was lunch never dinner but so many dinners when i walk by the place was dead

bronte is one of the best in the city. i have problems with the wine list and the prices but they are really an excellent place with the makings of long term success. the energy in the food reminds me of a buzzing resto that hits each note with perfection like La Gouloue in nyc at its peak in the late 1990s. the sommelier should learn to pay more attention to other tables instead of focus all his time on the table of his friends where he spends most of his time each night

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Vinfedel,

Thanks i am in the industry and just needed to know about Garcon maybe for a future job, and i know personally how great bronte is, Joe is an awesome chef a true innovator..

i just really dont understand if Garcon is such a terrible place why is it #1 im not understanding something. i know Club chasse and peche and know their cuisine but why would garcon be better, whats up with this review and many not agreeing with it, i know i dont agree with alot of Lesleys reviews but thats me, and whoever would disagree. i've never eaten their just wondering...

Edited by cookatlarge (log)
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wizpers, thank you for the kind comment. perhaps you will start my fan club and i will give a case of borsao to anyone that convinces carswell to join :raz:

i now have the peculiar award of having two people do a reply to my comment with a quote but no comment from them! :huh: i take it that this is code for being speechless

cookatlarge maybe it will be good for your career to work there since they are for sure going to skyrocket now due to the award. who know maybe the food will be great as well if you can lend a help!

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wizpers, thank you for the kind comment. perhaps you will start my fan club and i will give a case of borsao to anyone that convinces carswell to join  :raz:

Crap. At one time I would have been eager to lobby carswell to make you part with your $137.40, but now I've moved on to wines with 3-digit price tags.

($9.95)

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bronte is one of the best in the city. i have problems with the wine list and the prices but they are really an excellent place with the makings of long term success. the energy in the food reminds me of a buzzing resto that hits each note with perfection like La Gouloue in nyc at its peak in the late 1990s. the sommelier should learn to pay more attention to other tables instead of focus all his time on the table of his friends where he spends most of his time each night.

Thanks for the constructive criticism Vinfidel. However, I can't say that I'm 100% sure you're talking about me, as I took up the position as wine steward 3 months ago, after working as a waiter since the opening. I can say that I am somewhat averse to blanket generalizations on public forums; especially anonymous ones. I'm not sure that you've been there every night in the last two years, but I come close. I can assure you, my close friends hardly ever dine at my work. So it puzzles me, who am I talking to?

We have tasting menus, 5 or so courses during which wine is paired with Joe's plates, and I present and pour each wine when the plate is served. We have regulars, who like to chat and trust my choices on new products as the wine list is in constant flux. We have customers who drop a fair chunk of change on a special bottle, during which I'll prime the glasses and carafe. Sorry if you feel that I'm not spending enough time at other tables, but my plate is pretty full. I try to be at every table during the moment the client is making her choice, but unfortunately sometimes that is the only interaction I have.

sad but true a lot of people do not like to see a beautiful woman that is also successful. i will say she trained her staff very well but maybe she does not know food like she really should. her partner for sure is not a food nor wine expert or lover i think he have a business background

Hmmm, another blanket generalization, this one happens to be a jab at a friend. Actually, I would consider her partner to have a discerning palate and a good nose. Not sure what constitutes an expert in your books, so i'll hold back. But he has helped co-found a good restaurant, hell, a restaurant for that matter so I think that's coming close. Furthermore, who are you to say someone is not a food lover? :wub:

this kind of reckless journalism it makes me crazy!

Edited by tocino (log)
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hello tocino good to see someone from the resto itself posting a response, it is rare around here

the sommelier i am talking about is now gone i guess. i think i know who you are - you in fact acted as a sommerlier for my table when i first came last february. i came several times just that season to order the black truffle raviolis. i was very curious to find good pairings for the dish but the somelier was usually busy. you however were very helpful and we spoke a bit about wines, specifically the wines of grant burge. i eveentualy did speak to the sommelier, and if i recall he had a bad attitude about him and questioned my own questions, which i think is a terrible way to treat someone that loves wine and knows something about it. he had won some award at the time which i think maybe contributed to his ego

since you know that your friend hardly dine at your work then you know it is not you i am speaking about. congratualations on your new position i hope you make the most of it and bring joy to peoples dinners.

if you are going to start taking it personal what people say on this board this is perhaps a bad idea. he may be your 'friend' but that is my opinion - the man's role in the resto is a business role, if i am wrong and since he is your friend maybe you can correct it.

on to the food - friendship aside what is your opinion? the food at Garcon is on the same level as Club Chasse and Bronte?

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To get back to the topic>...

Garcon was just voted top new restaurant in CANADA,and in this mornings Gazette,there appears several advertisements for a full overhaul such as

an Executive Chef with a minimum 2 Michelin Macarons,(I didn't know there were some available) Sous Chef,Garde Manger,bartenders,dishwashers and valets.

Does it make sence how an award could be given just 2 weeks ago and now the place is in total disarray.If you went to eat there this evening what would you get?Somebody must be able to comment on this place?

Usually these awards bring massive results to restaurants,out of curiosity or exposure.Has anyone eaten there since "THE AWARD"? It makes you wonder if enroute gave the award because of ...... the carpet?

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I've worked In a restaurant after the same award (AREA) with I.Perreault and the positive effect is really concentrated during the high touristic events or vacations...Black and blue, Jazz fest, summer vacations or long weekends, montrealers dont give a (*??*%%$(&*?* about En Route Magazine...apparently, since it's no longer a new restaurant for us!

The disfferent job adds in La presse and The Gazette seems to me that something is going wrong, or she (the owner) tries to reach the expectations of the award, a chance for a new start.... :wink:

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I thought she had a new chef. And now she's posting for another new one? What did that last, a week?

This award is a travesty. It's as if the chef doesn't even count. It's all concept. And come to think of it, their concept isn't that strong either. The restaurant that was described in the En Route press relase is hardly the place I visited when it opened.

Of course, En Route can do as they please. But I don't think it's fair to the restaurants that came second to an establishment with no chef at the time the prize was handed out.

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Yes i met a friend the other night who had just quit Garcon, they are in the midst of building a new kitchen team and sounds like they are having problems with a chef, the chef who had been their for the award left the day the magazine was published and ya it sounds a bit wierd, knowing they did 8 covers on a busy night before and now the dining room is jamming, funny how that works anyways theirs a few other parts i've heard and doesent really sound very promising..

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I thought she had a new chef. And now she's posting for another new one? What did that last, a week?

This award is a travesty. It's as if the chef doesn't even count. It's all concept. And come to think of it, their concept isn't that strong either. The restaurant that was described in the En Route press relase is hardly the place I visited when it opened.

Of course, En Route can do as they please. But I don't think it's fair to the restaurants that came second to an establishment with no chef at the time the prize was handed out.

I have a friend the works at Garson... and what I hear from him is a Caos in the restaurant....I hope Garson get better i went to eat...the 30 of october..food was good..some things a little salty and cool...and the services super slow...and short of staff......i thought she had a new chef too.....???????????

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I completely agree with Lesley on the concept thing... The En Route listing is just another addy reference and should not be by all means a scale of best to less best.

I just came back from the Rosemead Inn in Victoria this week end. The place is absolutely gorgeous and the prices are very good, but the resto is by no means number 2 best new resto in Canada. My lobster was quite hard and the white beans had been prepped way ahead and dried up in the plate... The food prep was just not 100% correct and the deserts were a disaster.

The next morning I went to Re Bar for an omelette and I had died and gone to heaven (even without the abusive amounts of truffle oil).

Cafe Brio next evening aced in all aspects vs Rosemead, but of course, the restau did not look like a cold Maple Leaf Lounge.

It's definitely not an easy concept to deal with but they could have done better job at ranking and following up.

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This award is a travesty. It's as if the chef doesn't even count. It's all concept. And come to think of it, their concept isn't that strong either. The restaurant that was described in the En Route press relase is hardly the place I visited when it opened

If this award is a travesty, then what exactly was Club Chasse et Peche robbed of?

I can assure you that Chef Claude Pelletier does not give 2 squirts about this award. If you have any doubt ask him.

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This award is a travesty BECAUSE CCeP was robbed.

As for Claude not caring, I wouldn't bet the farm on that.

If they didn't care, why boycott the award ceremony? To show how much they don't care perhaps. But that's what they did, and I applaud them for that.

And, you know, it's a shame they don't care. This award could be meaningful. Perhaps Chris Johns had no idea what was going on behind the scenes at Garcon, and one could even argue that he shouldn't know what's going on behind the scenes. But considering all the press hype En Route gets going about this award, the big plaques they give out, and the parties they throw, it's a shame they don't do SOME research on the place.

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I am not saying they do not care, I am saying Claude doesn't care.

As far as Claude boycotting an awards ceremony, I really think he doesn't care.

I have known Claude a while, and he has never been big on awards, ceremonies etc. I might be wrong, but I doubt it. Claude is more worried about the people who visit his restaurant everyday, than his ego. Besides, number 2 is not that bad.

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