Montreal Restaurant Openings

Gigantic La P’tite Grosse Comes To Life In Old Rosalie

And a new bar in place of Inspecteur Épingle

by Tim Forster@timothyjforster Nov 10, 2016, 6:47am EST

Two more openings of note are happening right now, on this very Thursday. In the de la Montagne building that formerly housed Rosalie as well as semi-separate bar Galt comes a huge project that is returning the three-storey complex to existing as just one venue. It’ll also be holding onto a roughly similar supper club vibe.

La P’tite Grosse is the name and it comes from a trio of principals familiar with big, flashy productions — Rudy Bazin (Mimi La Nuit), Fabio Broccoli (founder of the Lobster Clam Jam food festival) and Black Mohawk production pro Jack Kalachian. They’re joined by hotel chef Shawn Street (XO and the now-dead Brontë) in the kitchen. One holdover from Rosalie is still around, Jon Sacar, who owns the space.

The space has a whopping capacity of over 500 — even more when terrasse season rolls around — although that’s spread over three rooms, and three floors, and the large third floor will be mostly event-oriented. The menu fits with comfort food trends du jour — mac and cheese, bourbon ribs, and for the overeater, La Petite Grosse, a platter of everything on the menu. The bar is the domain of Alyssa Shahin, who cut her teeth away from Montreal at spots such as New York’s bourbon-oriented Fools Gold.

P’tite Grosse seems squarely aimed at a mid-range crowd — not a cheap eat, but not in $1,000 champagne club territory like Rosalie. The design is a stunner: shown below, Broccoli tells Eater it has a well-defined aesthetic. “There’s a lot of wood, it’s very warm with straight lines, and there’s a little touch of what Miami is known for: South Beach, art deco.” Mix that with some touches that hark back to Montreal’s decades as an international nightlife hub and that makes things a little more local, explains Broccoli.

There’s one nice extra touch here — in announcing their opening, P’tite Grosse declared themselves as part of a new generation of entrepreneurs who want to swear off any sort of sexist atmosphere and marketing at their venue. Take note, others.

STATUS — La P’tite Grosse is at 1232 de la Montagne and opens today (10 November). It’s open seven days from noon, or 5 p.m. on weekends.

Over on the Plateau, the space where bar and salle de spectacle Inspecteur Épingle lived for three decades (until it was forced out by whiny AirBNB guests and gentrifiers making noise complaints) has re-opened as a part-drinking hole, part-restaurant. Le MTL on St-Hubert Street seems a polar opposite to Inspecteur Épingle — its opening party promises sparkling wine and cocktails, and Eater contributor Heather Vandenengel, who encountered Le MTL during its soft open, describes it as having a “higher-end minimalist vibe”.

There’s a Volkswagon van in the back, housing food prep for bar snacks, and some chic geometric lighting from the team, apparently a crew of boisterous and bike-loving youths, pictured below.

STATUS — Le MTL’s official opening is tonight (10 November) at 4051 St-Hubert, and it is open seven days until 3 a.m.