Critic Thierry Daraize Loses it Over Lawrence

The critic for Le Journal de Montréal visits Lawrence this week, and deems the popular Mile End restaurant as good as ever. As usual, Thierry Daraize doesn't name names, but, clearly, the critic is an unabashed fan of what Lawrence principals Sefi Amir, Marc Cohen, and Ethan Wills are up to on the corner of Fairmount and Saint-Laurent: "Petit restaurant de quartier, toujours occupé, reconnu pour ses magnifiques brunchs. J’ai ­encore en souvenir des scones à mourir de bonheur. Tout est frais, fait du jour, voire cuisiné juste avant le service. Ça aussi, ça se goûte!"

Cohen and co. send out winners like squid salad with kohlrabi, and saffron aïoli; boudin terrine, with potato purée, egg, and sage; Arctic char, blood sausage, lentils, and Brussels sprouts; and, finally, a marvelous pig's head. “Cuit longuement, puis émietté, ensuite pressé, refroidi, découpé en belle part, rôti et bien colorée en ­surface, servi avec des échalotes grises longuement confites, elles aussi. Il n’y a que la passion et l’amour du travail bien fait qui peuvent donner un tel résultat. Bravo!” A mention of Lawrence's sister butcher shop, a few doors away, would have been nice here.

Two tarts, chocolate-caramel, and pumpkin, send Daraize home on a high. Strong service, a solid wine list, and Lawrence's relaxed vibes all help the restaurant earn a very respectable three and a half stars on five.