tip for beba btw - they have off-menu specials they post on their instagram stories so make sure to ask about those when u get there. limited supply and sometimes some really awesome produce.
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I was discouraged from the half chicken because of portion size, but it looked incredible. Alternate for the salad was a chicken and ravioli soup, which ghe person next to me got.
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Damn that hot chicken is really pulling the nostalgia heartstrings…
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Back yesterday from our weekend in MTL, the toppest-class city in North America. Glad to have escaped the fireworks hoo-hah (though we did hear some the day before; less than 10) for a long weekend of cool summer weather, spates of rain, and excellent to most-excellent eating.
Day 2: Jean-Talon & Vin Mon Lapin
In the AM, I set out to the Plateau for a coffee and a pastry, landing at Hof Kelsten, pastries purveyors extraordinaire. So under-caffeinated and hungry I was that I neglected to take photos beyond the excellent lid game – but of all the coffees consumed on this trip, this probably was in top 3. (NB: The coffee game here was not as strong as I remembered, but my data set is limited. I did not hit Dispatch nor Cafe St. Henri; Myriade has moved away from 49th Parallel to their own house-roasted beans, which were underwhelming at best. At least their baristas still know how to aerate milk properly.)
My girlfriend rolled into Gare d’Autocars de Montreal at around 10am. We got her settled and set out to Ave Mont Royal, which has been turned into a walking street. I think this is likely from lockdown-era measures, as there were a few avenues-turned-promenades around, such as in Verdun.
This is my girlfriend’s first time in MTL, so, of course, we set out to Marche Jean-Talon. Early enough that it wasn’t tourist-mobbed, and we could appreciate the vibrant produce and high-quality meats. It gave us a lot of ideas to splurge on accommodations next time so we could prepare some meals of our own.
Regard our obligatory crepe:
Spinach, swiss cheese, ham, egg, buckwheat
Our reservation at Lapin (which is, in my closest approximation of Quebecois pronunciation, La-PANE, with a characteristic twang at the final consonant) was for 5:30pm, so we set back home to prepare ourselves.
Here we go:
The dining room is spacious and homey, with touches of the luxurious throughout. I.e., an all-copper bar. But the restaurant’s warm friendliness was priority, and seemed to know it was having fun: Not pictured, and only spotted upon our exit, a portrait of a bottle of gatorade.
We hit the 2nd, 5th, 6th, 10th, 11th, 13th, and 15th items on this menu. A healthy amount for two people; our server Guiaullme approved.
#1: Sea urchin with celery salsa verde
C’mon! The salinity in the celery and the bright but bodied salsa verde was a fun and refined complement to the fresh-as-hell urchin.
#2: Razor clams, white asparagus, elderflower
Peas and asparagus were big motifs throughout the dining weekend. Lapin’s application was the best – the floral and round sweetness of the elderflower lifting and supporting the asparagus and clams, which both had the perfect feedback on the tooth.
At this point in our meal, my girlfriend alerts me to the regression of my commentary into Paris Hilton: “that’s really hot.”
#3: Lobster, heirloom tomato, choron sauce
Absolutely loved the balance here with the creamy sauce, substantive but light lobster, and the juicy tomato that had the right balance between melt and al dente.
#4: Scallop sandwich with rouille
One of those numbers where you could instantly intuit the amount of labor expended. The scallop filling was smooth and soft yet bouncy and airy, like steamed custard. Instantly reminded me of HK-style shrimp toast.
The runner explained that we were absolutely forbidden from using utensils, and that we were encouraged to double dip. Heard! The people next to us weren’t so keen on this advisement.
#5 Strozzapreti pasta, salted cod ragu
“Now it’s getting serious, guys,” the runner says, as he presents this incredible pasta dish. Bite-sized morsels of salted cod emerged through the slightly twisted pasta strands – house-made, of course, and perfectly cooked – in an unctious sauce that kept me thinking about it for the rest of the trip. Top 3 dish of the weekend.
#s 6 & 7: Beaurivage pork, morels, green asparagus, lobster sausage Veal sweetbreads, peas, smoked eel
“Now it’s getting serious, guys…”
No doubt. Undoubtedly rich and intense, the confident, mature intensity of these two dishes floored us.
Rendering of the pork fat rivaled the best hong shao rou, and the lobster sausage was hearty but didn’t bear over any other component. Pan-sauced.
The absolute star of the dinner were these sweetbreads. I think I’ve had them only once before, and they weren’t like this: Ideally-seared exteriors gave way to creamy and soft interiors that were the synthesis of the kind of fatty proteins one often yearns for in secondary cuts. But the dark horse here was the smoked eel, which formed the saucy accompaniment with the peas. Damn…
#8: Birthday mille feulle
I let slip at La Lune that it was my birthday, and when the server Emil said he’d tell the others at Lapin that we were coming, he did indeed! Staff made mention of it without fanfare, but for the sparkler in this very competent dessert. The tops were just a little overdone.
I also want to spotlight this incredible cider I had about halfway, which is, according to Guillaume, made by “a very nice French guy.”
Thank you to all FTCers who chimed in about Lapin. I’m so very happy I hurried there on my first night in to secure a reservation. Thank you to Lapin for an incredible meal! Hope to come back soon. Service and the food were exceptional, if not at least a little quick-heeled in its pacing. I could have used a short breather after the shrimp toast to recover, but the second half of the menu was adequately paced. Can’t wait to come back to see the rabbit!
Next posts: Nora Gray, Larry’s, Beba!
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Lapin really is a special place. Wish the razor clams I had had elderflower (good nonetheless)… Really miss the scallop toast n love how their sauces change with the seasons - I think mine was scallion or chive based(?) Super thoughtful service at La Lune to let Lapin know abt ur birthday!
Waiting on the edge of my seat for the next reports!
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Nice meal.
You were at Jean-Talon and got nothing from Fromagerie qui lait cru? That’s letting the terrorists win again.
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Day 3: St. Viateur, Larry’s, Nora Gray
We woke up not exactly refreshed, but early enough to take in the whole day. Last night’s forecast of a sunny 26-degree day changed to a cool and overcast 23. We were even a bit chilled on our walk back to the Plateau to have our St. Viateur Bagel.
Womp, womp. The board was right that this wasn’t too much to write home about. Over-done bagel, as evinced by the charred bits you can see here. The best part of the breakfast was the out-of-frame melon.
This has definitely regressed into a tourist-first attraction. They wouldn’t accept international mastercard or visa, but happily took our USD (as well as Canadian debit).
My girlfriend had a work meeting, and I expended a great amount of time in the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA). Top-class museum in downtown MTL. I have a thing about taking pictures of art in museums, so in place of that, here’s evidence of (I think) a seismograph:
Entrance is much more expensive than what I’m used to ($31CAD), but the four-building campus is expansive and the collection comprehensive. Our reservation at Lapin overtook Garde Manger’s, but next trip, it would be a great pre-dinner visit, as GM is nearby.
Lunch: Larry’s
We debated heading to Snowdon or Greenspot, but since Nora Gray was already down there, we didn’t want to spend the latter half in one area. This was our day to hit some retail I’d marked (books, records, clothing), so we returned to Ave Mont Royal, where Larry’s waved at us enthusiastically.
By name and menu, certainly inspired by luncheonettes of old. Tables line the interior with a U-bar occupying a good 1/3 of the the whole dining room, which we happily assumed.
Chicken liver toast
From this angle, you might be able to tell how thick the spreads of pate are, which were of complementary thickness to their bread vehicle. All of what you’d want from a pate – rich and thick! I likely could have gone with about 15% less pate & toast. But more power to Larry’s for serving it up as such.
Asparagus, sauce unknown
Larry’s online menu is not the same as their current dine-in menu, so I can’t remember what this sauce is. But yes, more asparagus, and it was good!
Mackerel spaghetti
This sounded excellent in concept, and I’m sure it often is in other executions, but this wasn’t necessarily a letdown, but definitely was underwhelming. Tasty overall, but perhaps we ordered a bit too richly for lunch, which clouded the dish in context.
Rare beef with chimichurri
The 2nd highlight of the lunch. Though there was a bit of a chew on the beef, I didn’t mind it, and the chimichurri was light and herbaceous.
Honey flan with rhubarb
The 1st highlight of the lunch. That flan wiggled like panna cotta. Rhubard also in season, and lifted this moderately sweet flan. Hell yeah!
We walked around some more before we headed back to accommodation to prepare for Nora Gray, a neighborhood pasta spot that is, truly, at the corner of a residential street in Griffintown that is closer to downtown.
Dinner: Nora Gray
We headed down a bit too early, but definitely got some steps in taking in the environs. We kept noting how quiet and a little sleepy Montreal was in each of the neighborhoods we visited, except for downtown, but that bustle isn’t anything close to ours in LA or other large cities.
Past lives of Nora Gray’s venue certainly had to have been another neighborhood wine bar: A low ceiling with dark wood-paneled walls. Interior dining could probably hold only 20 or so guests; the outside patio came right up to the large front window, and accommodated only three 2-tops.
#1: Asparagus with salsa verde & egg
Yes, more asparagus. You’d think we’d have tired of it, but every time we saw it, we wanted it. The salsa verde here was run through with hard-boiled egg which made me slap my forehead for its clever responsibility for deepening the light sauce.
#2 (special): Charred sardines on foccacia
The freshest sardines I’ve ever had, charred to perfection. While I love sardines and have no qualms with bony fish, I wish staff had advised how to filet it at the table or offered to filet it before serving. The table next to us had similar issues getting the spine out, or that just means I’m out of practice. Very tasty otherwise.
Service took a beat here as the dining room filled up and larger parties were receiving their primi and secondi. We could have used at least one check-in to refill, but we were also fine on picking up our seat partners’ conversations. To our left, Americans who had also escaped the 4th. Our right, a couple, both game designers, who evaluated the questionable design choices in an upcoming production. (Yes, I’m always listening.)
#3 (sub): Spaghetti with squash
The online menu lists this pasta as a current offering, but it wasn’t on our paper example. However, this spaghetti alla Nerano substituted. House-made spaghetti, more square and thicker than what I’m used to, close to the thickness of a stir-fried cu chao mian (i.e., you get the “thick udon” by Twin Marquis–which is, in my estimation, the only brand–at the Asian market), set in a tomatoey broth with seasonal squashes. Lovely preparation.
#4: Strozzapreti with white pork ragu
Oh yes, oh yes. A ragu that focused all of its body and depth on the pork, alongside a pasta that distributed the sauce in measured portions. I wish we’d had a larger portion of both of the pastas.
#5 (special): Basque cheesecake
A table behind us was just sitting to this as we came in, and we soon overheard them say that this was the best cheesecake they’d ever had. We nabbed the last serving, and it was as thick and creamy as you’d want. I believe the fruit underneath is cherry, and it certainly did deliver. Probably the 2nd highlight of the dinner, and the pork ragu the first.
I really liked Nora Gray, but a hard second act after Lapin. I wouldn’t ignore this place on my next trip, and might even suggest for someone else if they were visiting, but I would want to try another pasta place before I rec’d Nora Gray. Still exceedingly pleased with our dinner here.
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I consumed so many lactase enzymes on this trip that cheese wasn’t a part of my radar. But you’re right, to fend them off next time, I’ll have to add fromagerie research to the itinery!
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Sauce gribiche (hard-cooked eggs and capers)? That’s classic for asparagus.
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Thank you! Very creamy but I can’t remember if there was any salinity from caper. Delicious all around
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shame about the bagel. i found going to one of the two bakeries in the morning and grabbing one hot out of the oven and just eating tearing it apart and dipping it into cream cheese to be quite nice. but the bagel dies really quickly.
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Yes, we thought about hitting Fairmount later, but the bagel at Snowdon made up for the let down. more to come!
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Agree, getting whatever’s hot out of the oven is really the only way to go. I’m not generally a bagel person, but a hot Montreal bagel is a top tier bread experience for me. Outside of parker house rolls in a restaurant, it’s pretty unusual to get really freshly baked bread out of the oven at pretty much any time of the day.
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Day 4: Guillaume, Caffe Olimpico, Vieux Montreal, Marche Atwater, Restaurant Beba
Our final full day in Montreal continued the splendid weather as we looked forward to our final dinner at Restaurant Beba in Verdun. Besides this reservation, we had an unstructured day that was wonderfully peripatetic.
An excellent croissant at Guillaume boulangerie in the Plateau, across and down (or up) from Larry’s. I have no photographic evidence, but can confirm the lamination on my crossaint was robust.
We took the breads to Caffe Olimpico, which was a short walk from Guillaume. Loved that they preserved the interior and have committed to their Italian-style cafe roots. A lightning-fast barista delivered drinks at the register, and greeted the long-time residents that sat along the front window.
We continued our tourist rounds by heading to the Notre Dame Basilica, and some meandering through Old Montreal. While it’s the tourist center of the city, that it’s so European in North America is worth at least an hour or so of time. No pictures at Marche Atwater, but we liked the food options here more than at Jean Talon. I apologize again that I failed to eat cheese.
We decided to leg it back all the way to our Airbnb, where we chanced upon this incredible modernist park.
Just a note here about civic architecture and MTL. The so-called Quiet Revolution in the 1960s inaugurated a significant socialization effort in the city that saw the establishment of social service ministries for health and the like, which was hitherto handled by the Catholic church. It also began the construction of the metro system; each station we entered and departed was run through with modernist design, which is the first I’ve seen in North America. This kind of aesthetic imagination aspires to a universalist program I don’t think is matched anywhere south of the border. Though significantly underground, and constructed entirely from brick and concrete, the spacious, well-lit platforms still feel airy and connected to the city above.
A couple of mementos from our walk: A statue of Sun Yat-sen (not pictured, Falun Dafa doing their qi gong, with an elderly westerner conversing in Chinese with a representative at the table), and the sign for Restaurant Hunan in MTL’s Chinatown.
Restaurant Beba
Thanks for coming this far, and I hope it’s rewarding to witness the event that was Restaurant Beba in Verdun, the restaurant I was most excited for after Lapin. They offer, according to their website, cuisine “inspired by Spanish and Italian cultures that settled in Argentina” – that alone should be exciting enough! I take the neighborhood to be one of the up-and-coming areas in the city with other exciting ventures such as Beba establishing themselves here. We took a short walk up and down their promenade before making our way to the venue’s unassuming location at the corner of yet another residental street.
We took the board’s advice by sitting at the bar. The weather had warmed by now, and the full-length windows were opened onto the street. The bar seats eight comfortably, and benched 2-tops line the rear wall. There’s a booth near the rear that’s compact for four, but the family there didn’t seem to mind. The patio was also small, but the full dining room was having an excellent time.
All staff are doing a lot at Beba here: Melanie was making drinks, taking orders, running, and resetting. She was supported by a coterie of attentive, friendly, and quick-footed servers and runners, too. She advised about 4-5 plates for a group of 2; the menu is divided in three parts for starters, seconds, and thirds.
#1: Montadito of mackerel with sesame, salted butter and horseradish
Everyone at the bar ordered this. Cured mackerel on a house-made mini sesame bagel, one of the restaurant’s signature offerings. The treatment on the fish was subtle and highlighted the fish’s inherent rich, smooth, and buttery qualities. We could have ordered 2.
#2: Radicchio & escarole with cucumbers, bean-aigrette and pecorino breadcrumbs
A huge portion of this crunchy and bitter-savory salad that we kept at the table throughout the meal. Forgot to ask what went into this “bean-aigrette” but it slapped.
Shortly thereafter, one of the evening’s specials came.
#3: Tagliatelle with guinea fowl ragu
Huge, enthusiastic, boisterious, and resounding yes. Richness of the ragu lent the gamey bird plenty of body and depth to wonderful house-made tagliatelle. Definitely could have eaten two of these, too, but we looked forward to our final entree:
#4: Rabbit with pancetta and pole beans in brodo
The last memorable dish of rabbit I had was in a ragu on the paitio at Five Leaves in Greenpoint, Brooklyn in 2011, after several sazeracs on a balmy August evening. Beba’s rabbit overtakes that by several bounds. The perfect sear on a just-under medium protein that was unapologetically straightforward, an argument for expert cookery. We were offered bread to sop up that meaty and unctious broth, which we absolutely did.
#5 (special): strawberries, sabayon, honeycomb crumbs
Details are hazy on this one since I was a couple of beers deep and full of delicious food, but the strawberries and sabayon here were at the upmost limit of my tolerance for sweetness, and we loved every bite of it. (Will update with more accurate information once I receive it)
Drinks: Fin Soda, by-glass Sicilian wines, and Tcheque pilsner
As you do, we got to chatting with the couple to our right. Like us, they were in Montreal to eat, mostly, and were at Lapin much later in the evening than we on the same night. The woman of the couple asked for a recommendation for a non-alcoholic option, the above-pictured Fin Soda. The woman was surprised by it; Melanie, our server, shyly explained that it was her company’s. Dropping it here because we ordered it, too, and were surprised by its complexity. Pear-forward with a lift of oolong tea in the background that made you feel like you were having a proper drink, and not a substitute. Unfortunately, not shipping to the US (yet), but we’ll look forward it to its arrival.
A dry and mineral-forward Sicilian white that we enjoyed.
Great czech pilsner by Quebecois brewer Menaud.
And a really fun rose!
We loved every second of our time at Beba – thanks again to the staff there, and to the FTCers on this thread that championed it! We’ll be back again.
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woohoo! thanks for all the lovely reports. immensely enjoyed eating vicariously and wish i had that rabbit in front of me now. also to note: i’ve heard stem bar (on the fin soda label) does really great food. common industry rec when i asked around.
edit: feel like i have to add that I absolutely love the montreal subway stations. something about the soaring heights and brick… and the trains on tires that accelerate a little too quickly for comfort.
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Montreal, and its metro system especially, is overflowing with Brutalist architecture. It’s not to everyone’s taste, but just like Old Montreal it is an iconic illustration of the era that it was built. If you get the chance I recommend the paid tour of Moshe Safdie’s Habitat 67, you’ll actually get to see inside a residence in addition to walking through the structure (which is not open to the public, people still live there). I wish it was better connected to the city, it would be so tempting to try to live there.
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DUDE! (I also exclaimed this). Will have to put this on the agenda for the next trip (alongside Garde Manger, L’Express, Mastard…) and certainly pay for the tour. How far out of the city are we talking about?
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Thanks for reading! And for the conversation! I have an epilogue left to do…
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took a train to parc de drapeau then a bus to the site. about an hour give or take 10 min from the plateau that way. probably a good deal faster by car. it’s not really physically far but access is weird. its on this little manmade peninsula jutting out into the river and there are no bells and whistles civilization wise.
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Yeah, I would characterize it as not a far distance, but time-intensive to reach by transit or walking. Even though you can literally see it across the water from Old Montreal. When we went we ended up taking a short Uber because it was so much faster than taking transit and it was raining. The cost ended up not being very high either. You’ll probably wait longer for the bus than it takes to get there in a car 
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