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Deville Dinerbar

10 Dec

Have you tried Deville Dinebar yet? If you haven’t, I’m betting you will. Soon. This kitschy-glam 50s-style diner has been getting a lot of attention from both bloggers and critics. And for good reason. If at first, the decor has you thinking this place is more about looks than taste, hold tight. Their updated old school classics from malt shakes to bacon-weaved meatloaf seem to hit just the right balance of nostalgia and novelty.

The Deville Dinerbar facade - a preview of the glamed up 50s decor inside.

I had the opportunity to visit Deville Dinerbar earlier this week with two fellow bloggerettes for a quick lunch. I tried the fried pickles and the lobster BLTA. Fried pickles are something I had seen a recipe for on one of my favourite blogs and was very curious to taste. They were definitely addictive even though I would have preferred the tangy variety to the sweet gherkins used in Deville’s concoction.

Lobster BLTA: Lobster salad, avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, bacon and grainy purple mustard on brioche bun.

As for the lobster BLTA, it was all I hoped for and more. The lobster salad had all the right stuff: tons of lobster meat, a little mayo and a hit of citrus. The brioche bun was buttery, light and crispy. The sandwich was topped off with avocado, tomatoes, lettuce and purple old-style mustard. Oh, and did I mention BACON? Was it necessary? Nah, not really. But isn’t everything better with bacon? I think so.

For more on Deville Dinerbar, check out this review and these two posts by fellow bloggers:

The verdict…

On the + side: Great decor and food to match, both in terms of concept and quality.
On the – side: It IS kinda pricey…
Cost: Expect about $30 per person, without drinks. Fried pickles: $9, Lobster BLTA: $23.
Good for: Lunch downtown or dinner before a movie at Scotia theatre.
Will I go back? Definitely worth another weekday lunch.

Deville Dinerbar on Urbanspoon

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Nora Gray brings Italian flare to Griffintown

16 Oct

I love when new restaurants pop up in my neighbourhood and I was particularly excited when I read about Nora Gray, a sleek new Italian restaurant on St-Jacques run by the former chef of Liverpool House. And judging by the full house on the Tuesday night when I visited, I’m not the only one. It’s clearly creating quite a buzz!

Although the food was good, the ambiance was the highlight for me that night. The space is cozy – relatively small and dimly lit with large banquettes and wood panelling - but also sexy in that brass and leather kind of way. In addition, there is a long bar where you can savour your meal while scoping out the hipsters. Oups! I meant clientele :-) If I’m not mistaken, I may have even caught a glimpse of one of the Satay Brothers – the guys who took the Atwater Market by storm this summer.

In terms of food, don’t expect a pasta joint. Nora Gray’s menu is more meat oriented and features suckling pig, rabbit as well as a few fish dishes and one vegetarian option. They only had three pasta dishes on the menu that night and I still regret not taking the mushroom cavatelli… I read it was amazing. Instead, I ordered two starters: the goat cheese and seasonal vegetables and the calamari and meatballs. Both were ok, but not dishes I would crave. The vegetarian dish that night – which is what my friend ordered – was a sort of chickpea stew in tomato sauce with kale. Again, good but didn’t knock our socks off. Nonetheless, I would definitely consider going back to try other dishes and enjoy the buzz in my hood.

You may also want check out the post (in French) about Nora Gray on the blog Clarah… Tout simplement!.

Nora Gray on Urbanspoon

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Dominion Square Tavern

29 May

Friday was the second time I visited Dominion Square Tavern and before I even got there, I was craving their fish n’ chips. From my first visit, I remembered the delicious lightly battered and crispy fish. This time, the fish did not disappoint AND I was surprised by how good their french fries were. I cleaned my plate! There literally wasn’t a single morsel left on it by the time I was done. So much for eating “light”… Oh well! I’ll just slip in one more hot yoga class this week I guess.

Light and crispy batter and tasty dark french fries. With a side of tartar sauce, what more could you ask for?

Mat had a pork sandwich. When he asked the waiter if it was pulled pork, he said yes but that was B.S. It was good, but no pulled pork, buddy! It was more like a pork roast sandwich with old style mustard. After he readjusted his expectations of his meal, Mat said he enjoyed it. Plus he had a huge mountain of the same tasty fries as me :-)

We were headed to the movies on Sainte-Catherine (we saw Hangover II – It’s pretty good!) and looking for a place to grab a quick bite. Our first thought was Kazu, but as usual, the one-hour lineup threw us off and we decided to try our plan B, Dominion Tavern. It was perfect! Walking distance from the theatre, quick service and good ambiance, especially for a downtown restaurant. The decor is “trendy old tavern” all the way and, as much as the concept is overdone, they do it so well that it works nicely.

If you are looking for restaurant options in the downtown core with a good vibe where you can eat and have a drink afterwards with friends or à deux, the Dominion Tavern is worth considering. I wouldn’t go out of my way to hit this place up and it is on the pricey side, but given its location in an area that lacks good mid-range restaurants, I thought I would share. It’s also a great lunch or 5 à 7 spot for people working downtown.

My next fish n’ chips will definitely be at Brit & Chips! I’ve heard they make the best in town.

Dominion Square Tavern
1243 Metcalfe (next to, you guessed it, Dominion Square)

Cost: about $70 for two mains and 2 beers. The fish n’ chips itself was $24. Apparently, they know it’s good…
Service: OK. We were happy it sped up when we told the waiter we had to be out in 45 minutes. But I did have to remind him about our beers after waiting for 15 minutes… To be fair, we were in a rush and they were slammed.

Would I go back?: Yes, but only if I was in the area or if I was looking for a place to go with colleagues given it’s walking distance from work.

Taverne Square Dominion on Urbanspoon

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Imadake or no name Japanese pub

14 May

Last night, I decided to try something new: an izakaya or Japanese pub. I’ve been wanting to go to the extremely popular Kazu for a while, but the legendary lineups keep me away. I had heard Imadake was similar, but offered a nice sit-down atmosphere. Since it’s close to home, I decided to give it a try.

The ambiance and decor were great! It has a laid-back, relaxed yet trendy vibe. Exactly what I wanted to kick off the weekend. Being a neophyte, I asked the waiter to recommend a few dishes we could share among the two of us. He suggested miso and pork belly ramen, deep-fried tuna stuffed with lemon and “special leaves” (I have no idea what  these were and didn’t dare ask) and a dish resembling beef carpaccio. We skipped the beef and opted for the vegetable tempura.

Deep fried tuna with lemon and "special leaves"

My overall impression of the food was “it’s good” but maybe a tad bland for my taste. After all the hype about how delicious the food is at Kazu, I was left wondering if I had chosen the wrong dishes at this similar Japanese pub, if my taste buds weren’t well enough acquainted with Japanese cuisine or if Imadake simply wasn’t delivering. I consulted other blog posts and I think the answer is a mix of all of the above.

The tuna was ok, but not great. It’s the texture of tuna I enjoy so much and I always find it a pity when it’s cooked all the way through. That was the case for this dish although it was still very moist. I would have liked to taste more lemon as well.

Next came the ramen. It was good, but again, lacking a kick. I would have liked the broth a little saltier, but maybe that’s just my Québecois taste buds talking…

Ramen of miso broth and pork belly

As for the vegetable tempura, the batter was nice and crispy and the mix of vegetables, which included lotus root, was interesting. But again I was left wanting more “umph”. A little salt in the batter, spice in the sauce, wedge of lemon to brighten things up… Just a little something extra to make it stand out.

Vegetable tempura

The service was very friendly, but the timing was off. For instance, we received our three dishes very quickly. Even a little too quickly… We hadn’t even finished our tuna by the time the ramen and tempura were being served. Afterwards, when our initial choices left me wanting more, the waiter took forever to come back and check on us. I would have liked to taste the beef dish at this point, but lost my patience. The noise level was getting dangerously close to “get-me-the-heck-out-of-here-NOW”, so we decided to get the bill and head out for a drink elsewhere.

Overall, I had a good experience at Imadake. It allowed me to discover a new type of cuisine new that I now want to learn more about. Would I go back? Maybe… but only after trying other similar places to compare.

Would I recommend it? Yes, but I think it’s a better place to go with a group than as a couple. In fact, I would have a blast there with a gang looking for a good time and interested in trying something different.

Imadake
4006, Sainte-Catherine Street West (corner Atwater, right next door to Miso)
Imadake on Urbanspoon

Cost for two including 2 beers, tax and tip: a very reasonable $52. However, if you have a big appetite, the bill can go up pretty fast. Keep in mind we only had three dishes.

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