Eight months after chef, cookbook author, and television host Danny St-Pierre broke ground on his first Montreal restaurant (and kept its location a tightly guarded secret), Petite Maison is officially here. The Mile End restaurant on du Parc, below POP Montreal's office, is now open Thursday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., for a $20 table d'hôte brunch and lunch. The menu from St-Pierre and chef Samuel Josquin spans the likes of a simple herb omelette; boudin with potatoes, kale, and apple ketchup; ham with beer and apricots; risotto with mushrooms, chives, and cheese curds; and a sandwich with caramelized onions, aged cheddar, and watercress. There are ten $6 sides too, from St-Pierre's signature poutine inversée, to homemade creton, to a bacon brioche au sucre. Four desserts — a chocolate cake, mille feuille, crème brûlée, and apple compote with maple and coconut — are priced at $7.
As for the physical layout of the below-ground restaurant, Petite Maison unfurls different dining spaces, separated by its kitchen. There's manifold bar seating, and a back room for catering, and private events. An outdoor area behind the restaurant may serve some useful purpose come summertime, St-Pierre, who owns the building, recently confided. With that, enjoy your first look at Petite Maison.