Not to sound cliché, but one thing, among many, that I love about Montreal is the abundance of BYOW/B restaurants. While I often take this aspect of Montreal dining for granted, a recent trip to New York reminded me of why this city rocks. While dining at a relatively expensive restaurant which encouraged you to “bring your own wine,” I was shocked by the corkage fee which was at least twice the cost of our bottle. All of that to uncork and pour a couple of glasses of wine? Needless to say we put the bottle back in our bag to enjoy at a later, more Canadian, date. Which brings me to the point of this post – while there are many BYOB restos in Montreal, I recently revisited an old favorite: Le P’tit Plateau.
Le P’tit Plateau is a small-ish restaurant tucked away on a residential corner. Before I continue, let me warn you that this restaurant can get very noisy, so if you are looking for a romantic evening, best to visit on a week-night. The last two times I dined there (both within the same week), I went with a group of six (we may have been the cause of some of the din) and then again with my dining companion and a cousin with whom I had not spoken in some time (again, we may have contributed to much of the noise). Let it also be known that this restaurant gets very, very warm in the summertime. All of this being said, you should not be deterred from trying this restaurant – everything about this restaurant exudes Montreal (hence why I took my out-of-town cousin).
The restaurant itself is light and airy with a hammered tin ceiling. The kitchen is relatively open and the menu is written on chalkboards above the opening to the kitchen. Diners may choose from the “a la carte” menu, or from a number of prix fixe dishes which include soup or salad, main course and tea or coffee. On both of my recent visits, I began my meal with the salad (given the early summer heat this seemed like a good choice). A fair size, filled with cherry tomatoes and tossed in a light vinaigrette, the salad was the perfect way to start the meal. My main consisted of the filet de cerf (red deer) which was topped with a mixture of mushrooms and a light reduction. The meat was perfectly cooked, flavourful and tender. The venison was accompanied by the ubiquitous, but no less tasty, scalloped potatoes and a phyllo cup filled with carrots and cream (surprisingly good). The dish was so good that I ordered it again the second time I visited. On both occasions, other dining companions sampled the lobster wonton ravioli (rave reviews), the magret de canard stuffed with foie gras (not for the faint of heart, but melting in its richness) and the souris d’agneau, which also garnered a positive report.
With our coffee and tea, we tried a number of the desserts, which included the profiteroles and the praline mousse/cake. While both were delicious, the winner had to be the profiteroles.
A note about the service: it is personable and efficient, but I was a little put out by the stern-faced proprietesse who kept hovering near our table. I wasn’t sure if she was perturbed by the noise we were generating or merely just keeping a watchful eye on her culinary domain. Either way, it didn’t hamper what was, both times, a terribly enjoyable dining experience. While this might not be the BEST meal you will ever eat, it will no doubt leave you full, content and just wakeful enough to stumble to the nearest watering hole for a nightcap.
8/10
Menu prix fixe: $27-37
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