Critic: No Bad Choices at Brunch Powerhouse La Récolte

Occasional La Presse food critic Ariane Krol ambles over to La Petite-Patrie to sample a cult Montreal brunch this week. "Mais quel brunch!" La Récolte gamely delivers the goods, and then some, writes Krol. The only predicament—what to order? "'Steak & egg' de bavette marinée avec rattes, topinambours et têtes de violon? Oeuf bénédictine aux crevettes de Matane accompagné de céleri-rave et de croquettes de pommes de terre? Les ravioli soyeux garnis de ricotta aérienne, servis avec un oeuf mollet et des asperges effilées, l'ont finalement emporté. Toutefois, à en juger par l'omelette de l'amie qui m'accompagnait, et par les assiettes aperçues aux autres tables, il n'y avait pas de mauvais choix."

If the restaurant has a fault, it is that aside from weekend brunch, it only opens for dinner Thursday and Friday (with Saturday service to start this fall; La Récolte hosts private groups the rest of the week). The abundance of excellent plates endures beyond brunch, thankfully, with starters like fiddlehead greens with wild mushrooms, a Gaspésie algae wrap with cucumber, coriander, and ingredient du moment, Matane shrimp, and a smart take on spanakopita.

Mains star too; a beef tataki most notably, served with gnocchi and trumpet mushrooms. "Impeccable," declares Krol. A loose but creative version of a pavlova studded with last fall's raspberries provides a smooth landing to the critic's dinner at La Récolte. The final verdict: "Un menu succinct, mais plein de tentations, mettant en vedette les produits locaux et de saison." The La Presse columnist will most definitely return.