First Rave Review a Breeze for Kitchen Galerie's Brïz

The inaugural review for Brïz, the new Kitchen Galerie vehicle for chef Fabrizia Rollo, comes this week from Le Journal de Montréal. Critic Thierry Daraize has the honour: "La cuisine du Brïz est faite avec beaucoup d’amour. Ça se sent, ça se devine et, surtout, ça se goûte! C’est une cuisine de cœur et le cœur de la chef de ce petit restaurant de quartier est à la bonne place." Conspicuously absent from Daraize's review is the restaurant's link to Kitchen Galerie or the names of Mathieu Bourdages, Mathieu Cloutier, and Axel Mevel, who were instrumental, with Rollo, in Brïz's conception. The trio may nonetheless overlook the snub and focus on Daraize's words of praise. In short, the critic is a big fan.

The restaurant exudes a "véritable ambiance de quartier" and the kitchen promptly delivers. Plates to hit the mark include stuffed zucchini flowers with caper mayo; olives stuffed with spicy honey and ricotta ("Franchement, ces olives sont parfaites."); a tomato confit tart; and porchetta with gnocchi, kale, oyster mushrooms, demi-glace, and salsa verde. "C’est parfait!," exclaims the excitable Daraize.

Desserts help propel Brïz onward. Order the ricotta beignet with cherry compote and pistachio nougatine, counsels the critic. The intimate service style is appreciated too: "Un peu comme si vous étiez dans la cuisine d’amis qui vous donneraient leurs secrets culinaires." Food made with love and a convivial room earn Brïz a healthy three and a half stars on five from the Journal critic.