Critic Basks in Food Coma at Rosemont's Labarake Caserne à Manger

Labarake Caserne à Manger, the restaurant that opened in a former fire house in Rosemont's CPR Angus Shops a year and a half ago, gets a look this week from Le Devoir. It's a good look, too. Critic Jean-Philippe Tastet's write-up of the French-Québécois brasserie is probably the most complimentary review that principals Andy Aboushaybeh, Emmanuel Besnier, and Denis Sobolj have received thus far. Labarake knows what it is, and delivers precisely what customers want: well-made, unfussy comfort food. Writes Tastet: "La carte ressemble à ce qu’on trouve dans une brasserie à la française : des plats assez simples facilement assimilables et un éventail de choix suffisant. Les propriétaires semblent avoir voulu garder le tout aussi simple que possible, tout en proposant des plats bien faits."

With that, Tastet dives into the comfort-food-laced menu with gusto, and samples calamari, crab cakes, braised short ribs, Portuguese-style Cornish hen, and a burger. Remarkably, there are no criticisms. The squid is "parfaitement croustillante"; the beef ribs, served with celeriac purée, are gobbled up; the hen is generous; and the burger made "avec de la viande de qualité cuite parfaitement." Tastet is exultant: "Tout est exactement comme on avait imaginé que ce serait."

It all ends on a sweet note, with a chocolate-orange mousse that constitutes "un bel épilogue à un repas savoureux." Toss in the approachable, affordable wine list, and attractive lunch specials, and Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie has another restaurant winner in Labarake.