Nora Gray Co-Owners Plot Casual Pizzeria For St-Henri

Saint-Henri is set to get a promising new pizza place, Elena, from a trio of experienced restaurateurs.

And it’s big news for Montreal’s Italian food world: two of the principals are co-owners of Italian restaurant Nora Gray — Ryan Gray, alongside the Griffintown restaurant’s chef, Emma Cardarelli. They’re joined by Marley Sniatowsky, who helped open St-Henri bar Loic in 2015, and has since moved on. (The third Nora Gray principal, Lisa McConnell, is not part of this project.)

Speaking of Loic, Elena is right nearby: it takes over now-closed bar Au Vieux Pub, across the street at 5090 Notre-Dame West — perhaps a sign that St-Henri’s restaurant scene is gradually pushing west.

Details are scarce at this stage, but Gray says to expect something more casual than Nora Gray. The restaurant’s website URL spells out the basics of what’ll be on offer pretty clearly: Coffee, Pizza, Wine. The trio have acquired a wood-fired brick oven, and natural wines will be prioritized.

It’s been about six years since Cardarelli and Gray opened Nora Gray, turning the St-Jacques Street spot into a fixture on the city’s fine dining scene, and it’s their first major project since.

There are more details to come on Elena, and the wait shouldn’t be too long: Cardarelli, Gray, and Sniatowsky are planning to open up in early 2018.

• Elena [Official]
• Meet Loïc, Montreal's Most Interesting New Bar [EMTL]