Montreal Resto à Go-Go: 200 Cheap and Fun Places to Eat and Drink in Montreal—2007 Edition
Sarah Musgrave
[Restaurant Guide]
"It's a book that opens your eyes to Montreal's ethnic diversity... This book is a must for the diner-out."--Julian Armstrong, Montreal Gazette
The 2007 edition of Montreal Resto à Go-Go is a comprehensive guide to Montreal’s most exciting and affordable food and drink.
Opinionated and passionate, Montreal Gazette Casual Dining critic Sarah Musgrave, recommends well-known and undiscovered treasures: from classic diners, brew pubs, and vegetarian cafés to late night eats, French bistros, and Montreal’s intriguing variety of ethnic restaurants. Over 150 restaurants under $20; more than 40 great Montreal bars which serve good food; and an Urge to Splurge section, when you want to spend more.
The 2007 edition includes three new sections:
- Wine & Dine--where you can bring your own wine
- Sips and Snacks--reflects the diversity of Montreal's tapas-style restaurants
- The Urge to Splurge--when you want to spend more for that special meal
Highlights:
- Over 140 restaurants under $20
- More than 40 great Montreal bars
- Indexes: alphabetical, area, and cuisine
Sarah Musgrave is the casual dining critic for the Montreal Gazette. She has contributed travel and lifestyle articles to numerous magazines and has co-authored travel books including the Moon Metro series and the Formac Colourguide. She was previously the Managing Editor of the Montreal Mirror.
A Sampling of Montreal Restaurant Reviews from the Guide:
Halal 786
768 Jean-Talon W. (near Champagneur)
514-270-0786
Metro: Parc
Hours: Daily 11:30am–11:30pm
Alcohol: No
Credit cards: All major cards
Wheelchair access: No
Vegetarian friendly: Yes
Lahore on the second floor.
On the walls, sailing ships struggling through a choppy sea. Around the room, masts, rigging and fishing nets strung with shells, promising the catch of the day from the Aegean Sea. But this isn’t Greece anymore. Like a missing chapter in the Odyssey, our hero awakens to find he’s at Halal 786, a second-floor Pakistani restaurant that now occupies this Park Ex address.
Order a drink of mango lassi and sip it slowly while taking a look at the BBQ section of the menu, named more for the marinades than the method of cooking. Lahori chargha is a whole roasted chicken ($13) rubbed with yogurt, chilies, salt and lemon and dusted with spices for a dry, nutty taste. A whole brick-red tilapia, aka Lahori fry fish, releases earthy flavours strangely suited to a marine creature. Dark and dense, it’s not for fans of flaky, light fish.
Veggie selections ($4–$6) are fresh and well proportioned. Moist, bright teenda masala is made with baby pumpkins while sarsoon ka saag sees mustard greens cooked down with long red chilies, imparting an astringent, coppery taste. More trad offerings like butter chicken and biryani are listed as well, but the preparations named for Lahore, Pakistan’s capital city, are the most alluring.
Holder
407 McGill (near St-Paul)
514-849-0333
Metro: Square-Victoria
Hours: Mon–Wed 11:30am–11pm; Thurs & Fri 11:30am–midnight; Sat–Sun 5:30pm–midnight
Alcohol: Yes
Credit cards: All major cards
Wheelchair access: Several steps
Vegetarian friendly: Limited
Hustling, bustling brasserie.
Holder is easy to recommend to out-of-towners and locals looking for a night out that’s “très Montréal.” The determinedly masculine bistro, set against high ceilings and a massive dark wood bar, is run by the eponymous Holder brothers, previously the force behind some of the city’s hottest nightspots. During the day, it hosts businesses lunches, movie stars on shoots in the area and a few well-heeled tourists. At sunset, it’s a buzz of chatter and clatter as the firms with offices in the area let out.
Against this corporate yet casual vibe, Holder’s menu of French food is suited to the upscale tavern setting, although a good chunk of the wine list is reasonably priced. Diners can expect the expected to be prepared and presented with poise by two-toned waiters. Divinely spiced beef tartare and salmon tartare ($9.50 or $17.50) can be had as apps or mains. Most dishes are around $20. The well-handled hanger steak or mussels in pastis sauce both come with excellent frites. If other regular menu items like rich bourguignon-style beef cheek or fish and chips don’t capture your fancy, turn to the daily specials, as they veer from classic into more creative territory. For dessert, crèmes brûlée is expanded from a single bestseller into a trilogy of vanilla, orange and coffee.
US RELEASE DATE: APRIL 2007
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