As much as things like a poutine and bagel were on my list of must-eats for Montréal, there were also two restaurants that I was hoping to hit up, Au Pied de Cochon and Joe Beef. Unfortunately, the former wasn't open on Mondays and Tuesdays, and the latter wasn't able to seat me as a walk-in despite my arrival at its opening hour of 6PM. Fortunately, they had a sister restaurant just two doors down (2501 Rue Notre-Dame O, 514-313-6049). I understood that the chef and kitchen were different, but nonetheless it was the next best thing.
Yeah, I liked the place. It was unpretentious with friendly staff who were very engaging (critical given that the menu was scribbled on a chalkboard in French, and hence indecipherable to me). I started with that deliciously roasted quail above, followed by a total cholesterol bomb of a foie gras, bacon, and fried egg sandwich covered in hollandaise sauce and maple syrup. Completely sinful.
Actually, this place reminded me a lot of M. Wells Dinette in Queens, not just in terms of the decor and plating, but also its approach to food, which, in the case of my vegetables with mozzarella, skewed a bit towards the sour side (is that just a hallmark of Québécois cuisine?). Either way, I was happy to take this place as a consolation prize to Joe Beef, and wouldn't hesitate to come here again.
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