Don't Get it Twisted, Chez Bouffe Is a Classic Montreal Bistro

The name Chez Bouffe is liable to turn some people off (another fancy casse-croûte?), but rest assured: the restaurant across from Théâtre Denise-Pelletier is terrific. Close to flawless, in fact. So writes the critic for Le Devoir today. If you want a classic neighbourhood bistro, in HoMa no less, this is the place, hints Jean-Philippe Tastet. The replacement for the bygone La Bécane Rouge exhibits "un tel air de bonhomie que, dès le seuil de la porte, on se sent presque chez soi ou chez des proches qui nous auraient invités pour une soirée de dégustation de petits plats maison."

Tastet proceeds to report that "tout y est agréable", and that customers can expect "de petits plats soignés et pleins de générosité." Oysters (priced, generously, at a $1 per), perfectly correct beef and salmon tartares, and "succulent" frites start it all off. It gets better from there, thanks to braised octopus with chorizo and endives, Îles de la Madeleine scallops with wild mushrooms and market veg, and duck magret and gizzards with beets, corn, potatoes, and Madeira sauce. The sauce is so delicious that Tastet demands more bread "afin de nettoyer la chose méticuleusement, tout y étant parfait, individuellement autant qu’en groupe."

Two autumnal desserts, a wedge of pumpkin pie, and a deconstructed apple pie, both hit the mark. Moreover, Chez Bouffe's tidy, biodynamic wine list gets wine writer Jean Aubry's stamp of approval. "Nous quittâmes repus," concludes Tastet.