Friends and family likely know that Leah and I have attempted to take a yearly trip to Montreal since 2019 to indulge in their incredible restaurant and bar scene, always capped off by a pilgrimage to the hallowed temple of gastronomic indulgence that is Cabane à Sucre Au Pied de Cochon. We had a February visit planned for earlier this year, but at the last minute our new baby decided we were not allowed to go, so we cancelled and rescheduled for the fall. My in-laws were gracious enough to watch the baby while we enjoyed our first real days off since becoming parents.
Atwater Cocktail Club
512 Atwater Ave, Montreal, QC
Pre-amble aside, below is our first destination, where we had our favorite cocktails of the trip:
One of several speakeasy-style cocktail bars we visited on this trip, Atwater Cocktail Club is tucked in an alleyway behind a graffiti-painted door. Inside the bar, which has appeared on the North America's 50 Best Bars and Canada's 100 Best lists, the decoration is modern and cool.
We took our seats and got to chatting with the bartender, telling him it was our first time visiting. He explained that each drink order comes with a complimentary small plate of food. As food can also be ordered a la carte, there was a bit of confusion on this from some other customers, but we were certainly happy to accept the offerings. I think it's a happy hour thing? Though they didn't explicitly say that.
Mortadella; Ricotta Toasts w/ Pistachio
Fall Effect - Hornitos Plata Tequila, Convite Esencial Mezcal, Belle-Isle Aquavit, Lime, Celery, Coriander
Mortadella is one of my favorite treats, though I typically only eat it at holidays with family. I was thrilled to see this as our first complimentary snack. The drinks were a great start too - my Fall Effect was wonderfully refreshing, though unfortunately I can't remember what Leah's on the right was.
Rillette on Bread w/ Mustard & Gherkins; Hummus w/ Crackers
La Chichera - Rhum Plantation Original Dark, Guava, Lime, Chicha Morada, Coffee-Infused Coconut Oil
Pokemango - Torres 10 Imperial Reserva Brandy, Montenegro Amaro, Mango, Tamarind, Lime, Masala Spices, Milk Punch
The rillette here was tasty, but the hummus was, well, hummus. Here, the drinks were absolutely outstanding, with my La Chichera being the most original and memorably delicious cocktail I've had this year.
Roasted Red Peppers, Marinated Olives, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Roast Almonds
More treats straight my family's Italian holiday table - literally! This looked just like my grandmother's plates.
Sazerac Vintage - Croizet Vintage 1975 Fins Bois XO Cognac, Barrel-Aged Bitters, Absinthe
Fresa Sin Fresa - Convite Esencial Mezcal, Pimm's, Purple Corn, Cucumber, Lemon, Jalapeño, Spices, House Pineapple Soda
Leah and I really can't remember the details of this one - we know it was a multi-layered ball of cream and other fillings, which basically ate like an ice cream sundae!
A spectacular start to a spectacular trip! We loved everything we ate at Joe Beef and it will absolutely have a place in our go-to list on our next visit back.
For our last round, I did something stupid and ordered from the "De Luxe" section of the menu. Specifically, I got a Sazerac (my favorite cocktail) made from vintage 1975 cognac. A special treat for sure, and it was delicious, but was it worth the $130 CAD price tag? Absolutely not. I told Leah to never let me order a drink like that again.
Overall, Atwater Cocktail Club was our favorite drinking destination from this particular trip. The cocktails were fun, varied, innovative, and delectable; it was also tough to beat the free snacks. We had a great time chatting with our bartender, which, to us, is always an important part of a top-tier bar experience. Though it was our first time here, Atwater will be our top bar to revisit on our next trip, whenever that may be.
After drinks and snacks, it was time to walk just down the block to Joe Beef, the other hugely famous flagbearer of Quebecois cuisine, alongside Au Pied de Cochon. This was our first time dining at Joe Beef, and despite reports that it has lost a step, we found it to be a delight!
Note - unfortunately, real life caught up with me and it has been many months since my original post for Atwater. So despite the cocktail bar and restaurant visits taking place on the same evening, I have a much less recent memory of our trip from this point forward.
The restaurant was lively, but not packed, during our 7:30pm Thursday seating. The place is shaped a bit like a horseshoe, and we were in the back room toward the street side, which was very nice.
They bottle their own hot sauce!
My lovely wife, smiling in anticipation of our feast
Another outrageous dish that I wish I could remember properly. I believe the sweetbreads were setting atop a puff pastry, and I remember the sauce being especially rich.
For our main we shared this outrageous duck breast dish, which included chanterelle mushrooms, duck hearts, and plums. One of the best duck preparations we've ever had!
I'm nuts about layered cakes and frosting, so this perfectly executed classic went down very well with me.
Overall, Atwater Cocktail Club was our favorite drinking destination from this particular trip. The cocktails were fun, varied, innovative, and delectable; it was also tough to beat the free snacks. We had a great time chatting with our bartender, which, to us, is always an important part of a top-tier bar experience. Though it was our first time here, Atwater will be our top bar to revisit on our next trip, whenever that may be.
Joe Beef
2491 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal, QC
2491 Notre-Dame St W, Montreal, QC
After drinks and snacks, it was time to walk just down the block to Joe Beef, the other hugely famous flagbearer of Quebecois cuisine, alongside Au Pied de Cochon. This was our first time dining at Joe Beef, and despite reports that it has lost a step, we found it to be a delight!
Note - unfortunately, real life caught up with me and it has been many months since my original post for Atwater. So despite the cocktail bar and restaurant visits taking place on the same evening, I have a much less recent memory of our trip from this point forward.
The restaurant was lively, but not packed, during our 7:30pm Thursday seating. The place is shaped a bit like a horseshoe, and we were in the back room toward the street side, which was very nice.
They bottle their own hot sauce!
My lovely wife, smiling in anticipation of our feast
Seafood Platter
Oysters
Clams
Shrimp Cocktail
Oysters
Clams
Shrimp Cocktail
Chilled Lobster
Scallops
Scallops
As I've written before, there are few things Leah and I love more than a good seafood platter, and this one was off the charts. I always appreciate when a few of the items have some sort of preparation, as opposed to just being served raw.
Egg in a Jar
I'm afraid I don't remember much about this dish other than it being a jarred egg in some sort of custard, served with what I believe were brioche breadsticks and butter.
Bone Marrow Custard
We weren't quite sure what this dish was going to be like based on the limited menu description, but it turned out to be basically the best matzah ball soup I've ever had, just subbing a creamy marrow custard for the matzah.
Sweetbreads
Another outrageous dish that I wish I could remember properly. I believe the sweetbreads were setting atop a puff pastry, and I remember the sauce being especially rich.
Duck
For our main we shared this outrageous duck breast dish, which included chanterelle mushrooms, duck hearts, and plums. One of the best duck preparations we've ever had!
Marjolaine
I'm nuts about layered cakes and frosting, so this perfectly executed classic went down very well with me.
Cream Dessert
Leah and I really can't remember the details of this one - we know it was a multi-layered ball of cream and other fillings, which basically ate like an ice cream sundae!
A spectacular start to a spectacular trip! We loved everything we ate at Joe Beef and it will absolutely have a place in our go-to list on our next visit back.
