Critic Thierry Daraize Gives the New Lili Co. Four Fat Stars

The new Lili Co. in Mile End earns one of the best reviews of 2015 from Thierry Daraize this week. Principals Catherine Draws and David Pellizzari have built and improved on their original restaurant in the Plateau, asserts the critic. As a result, Lili Co. is one of Daraize's coups de cœur of the year so far.

Pellizzari and his kitchen brigade start strong with a smoked sweetbread bao with coleslaw and aïoli. Juliette potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and mussels with Aleppo pepper and leek vinaigrette exhibits "perfect technical mastery" and is "one of the best dishes tasted this year." Lamb cheeks with grits have "impeccable texture" but the dish is a little salty for Daraize's taste. Still, there are few missteps from Lili Co.'s kitchen. Even desserts, often a bone of contention with Montreal's critics, soar. Couple that all with attentive service and you get this final assessment from the Journal de Montréal critic: "Un gros coup de cœur gourmand pour une cuisine bien faite, créative et différente." Four fat stars on five.