I don't normally touch on non-food topics here, but at this point in time my thoughts weigh heavily for the people affected by the virus - not only those who have sick or deceased loved ones, but for those whose jobs are greatly impacted by the situation, particularly the food service business, which has of course been the near-exclusive subject of this blog.
In late April of 2019 Leah and I flew to Montreal on a food pilgrimage of sorts. Our main destination was the legendary Cabane à Sucre Au Pied de Cochon (PDC Sugar Shack), though we visited several other amazing establishments as well over the course of the long weekend. We had such a good time that we had planned to make it a yearly tradition, though our 2020 trip, set for this May, has been cancelled due to the pandemic.
But as they, the show must go on. Please enjoy this multi-part post on our magical (and gluttonous) experience in Montreal, starting here with our first day of indulgence.
Arthurs Nosh Bar
4621 Rue Notre Dame Ouest, Montreal, QC
arthursmtl.com
Bar le Lab
279 St. Catherine St Est, Montreal, QC
barlelab.com
Au Pied de Cochon
536 Duluth Est, Montreal, QC
aupieddecochon.ca
Montreal Part 2: Au Pied de Cochon Sugar Shack
Montreal Part 3: Chez Tousignant / The Coldroom / Snowdon Deli
Arthurs Nosh Bar
We departed the airport on a cold, rainy Montreal morning and headed - luggage-in-tow - to our first destination, Arthurs Nosh Bar.
This cute little diner in St. Henri, run by husband-wife duo Alex Cohen and Raegan Steinberg, serves up modern but informal versions of classic Jewish fare. We had a wonderful breakfast, which hit the spot like nothing else after a cramped flight and gloomy morning.
The happy/hungry wife examining the menu.
Latkes
House Apple Sauce, Horseradish, Sour Cream
I'm a sucker for any crispy/fried potato thing - these plump latkes did not disappoint.
House Smoked Salmon
Russian Potato Salad, Ginger-Pickled Fennel, Egg, Spicy Roasted Pepper, Parsley Salad, Sumac Dressing, Sesame Toasted Bagel
This wasn't quite what we expected based off the menu description (we imagined it more as a platter), but it was very tasty nonetheless. My first and only Montreal-style bagel, toasted with (if I recall correctly) a bit of schmaltz, was enough to make me an immediate convert.
Syrniki
Cottage Cheese Pancakes, Maple Syrup, Maldon Salt
I forget what article or food video I may have learned about Arthurs from, but I do remember that it raved about the Syrniki, these incredible east Slavic fried pancakes. They were crispy, rich, and moist - perfect with maple syrup and a touch of salt. Amazing.
Bar le Lab
After our day's activities we still had some time to kill before we could check into our rental apartment. Bar le Lab was on our list of cocktail bars to check out, so we headed over for a few late afternoon drinks.
A sprawling collection of liquor and various fun categorical options up on the chalkboard in addition to their printed menu.
The bar was empty except for us, though it started coming to life by the time we left.
Cocktails!
I don't recall much about the specific drinks we had. The bar's menu is completely different now, so I can't look them up retroactively either. We had a great experience though and enjoyed everything we drank.
Jerky Lab Jack
Jack Daniels, Pierre Ferrand, Sugar, Bitter BBQ du Lab
The only cocktail I can actually remember by name! This fun presentation came with a piece of homemade jerky hanging from a drying line above the cocktail. The whole thing came together really nicely.
Flaming Shots!
I noticed this enticing offer on the shots subsection of the menu and felt we had to get it. As you can see, the garnish for the delicious little drink included mini marshmallows, which we toasted over the flaming shot. A great pick-me-up on a long, cold day!
Au Pied de Cochon
Au Pied de Cochon (foot of the pig) is the celebrated restaurant owned and operated by chef Martin Picard, who many non-Canadians were introduced to back on a 2006 episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations. Picard and his team pay tribute to hearty Quebecois classics with plenty of pork, fowl, foie gras, maple syrup, and a touch of global influence.
I visited this absolutely legendary temple to gastronomic excess once years ago during a business trip to Montreal. Ever since, I had dreamed of the day when I could come back for another visit. Though the main focus of our trip was Picard's annual Sugar Shack event (which we were scheduled for the next evening), we also made a point of eating at the restaurant itself, only a short walk from our rental apartment, on our first night in town.
Bread & Butter
It's sometimes hard to describe how something as simple as bread and butter can be so good, but this humble offering was already a standout among all other versions we'd ever had.
Foie Gras Cromescquis
If ever there was a dish that earned the title "amuse bouche", this would be it. I blind-ordered these on my first visit to PDC years earlier and insisted to Leah that we get them again. Each cromesquis is essentially a little fried nugget of breading containing a molten foie gras center. Pop them in one bite, try not to scald your tongue, and savor the indulgent richness.
Venison Tartare Temaki
This seemed to be one of the more popular dishes that a lot of people were ordering, and for good reason. They serve a delectable tartare (in our case venison, though they also rotate bison, elk, and even horse!) in a toasty nori cone topped with some greens, crispy shoestring fries, and a raw quail egg which you pour over the whole thing. Creamy, crunchy, meaty, unbelievably good!
Foie Gras Nigiri
Another very popular dish - five pieces of gently poached foie gras sitting atop sushi rice with a smear of peanut butter (!). We were instructed to pour a little bit of the soy sauce mixture down the back of each spoon, where it would absorb into the rice, before downing each spoonful in one bite. The peanut butter paired shockingly well with foie - another massive hit!
Tanjia
Looking for a large, satisfying main dish to share, our server (who we became fast friends with) suggested their version of the traditional Moroccan dish, tanjia. It consisted of three different meats (beef tongue, oxtail, and one other I can't remember) slow-cooked in a large clay pot with spices and preserved lemons. They presented the pot tableside and poured the contents out before us, serving it with a spicy red pepper sauce, a bright green herb sauce, and a whole loaf of the previously fawned-over bread.
I described this while eating as "maybe the best meat experience of my entire life". It was absolutely phenomenal.
Maple Pudding Chômeur
Even having packed up half of our tanjia to take home, we were still really full by this point, and decided to share one relatively simple dessert. We settled on the classic Quebecois pudding chômeur made by cooking a cake in hot syrup. As the cake rises, it absorbs the syrup and becomes a bubbly, gooey, delight. We didn't have it in us to add a scoop of ice cream (or as our server suggested, a slice of foie gras), but it was delicious nonetheless!
Martin Picard's Maple Condensed Milk
We had a ton of fun with the service staff, who seemed to treat the evening as a party that both the staff and patrons were all part of. When we told our server that we would be attending the Sugar Shack meal the next day, his eyes almost blew out of his sockets. He said:
"So...you guys came here tonight. And you're going to the Sugar Shack tomorrow??? My god, you're either really brave or really stupid."
We laughed and laughed. Later the restaurant manager came out and chatted with us as well for a good 15 minutes. In the end he wished us luck the next day and gave us two can's of PDC's newest product creation, Martin Picard's Maple Condensed Milk, as a gift, along with instructions on how to use it for a few dishes at home.
What a night! It was clear that PDC is a labor of true love, one that shows in both the kitchen and service staff. And I have to mention that things were priced exceedingly reasonably considering the quality and quantity of food offered (and the favorable USD > CAD exchange rate!)
