Montreal Food Writers Predict the Headlines for 2017

As is tradition at Eater, we close the year with a survey of food critics, writers, and bloggers. This year we posed eight questions, from meal of the year, to top restaurant newcomers. All will be revealed by the time we turn off the lights at the end of 2016. Responses are unedited, for the most part. Readers, please do add your survey answers in the comments.

Q: What are your headline predictions for 2017?

Lesley Chesterman, The Gazette fine dining critic:

I think the level of restaurants is very high right now so I’m hoping it’s something like, “Montreal, still Canada’s top dining destination!” That said, the rest of the country is pretty great too so, hmmm…

Marie-Claude Lortie, La Presse restaurant critic:

Critic tired of overpriced sub-professional cooking. Or yes, we want to know who grew your food.

Ian Harrison, Ricardo magazine; Eater Montreal founding editor:

The #375MTL committee herds people to all the wrong restaurants and the yearlong self-congratulatory echo chamber diverts attention from Montreal’s corruption, cronyism and sad economic decline. (I can’t quit you Montreal, but you’re hard to love right now.) ALSO: Everyone finally agrees that “hipster” was never a meaningful descriptor for food or restaurants.

Iris Paradis-Gagnon, La Presse restaurant reporter:

More casual, small but delicious and inventive places with a lot of local/seasonal/vegan focus. Probably more speakeasy style spaces even if I'm already getting tired of it!

Joanna Fox, Ricardo magazine associate editor:

I am going to put this one on my mood board: We need elevated, fresh, thoughtful, creative Indian restaurants in this city.

Élise Tastet, Tastet blog:

Less ego. More hard work. And restaurant people being nicer to each other.

Mélanie Boudreau, La Pique-Assiette blog:

More healthy options and refined junk food.