Cozy Mile End Pizza Counter Shuts Down Its Ovens — and Other Closures

MILE END — St-Viateur Street pizza, pasta, and baked goods purveyor Farine has closed down. An Instagram post and note from the owners explains that part owners Lindsay Brennan and Juan Lopez Luna shut the casual counter restaurant down in order to focus on their wine bar Alma, right nearby in Outremont, as well as their wine importation company Vin i Vida. They also note that other partners in Farine (who are not involved at Alma) “have turned their energies to other interests”. Farine opened up back in 2015 as a daytime-only spot, with Alma arriving in mid-2018 — Brennan and Lopez Luna are apparently using the extra bandwidth to expand Alma’s offerings, opening for lunch on weekends starting immediately. Lopez Luna is also bringing across some specialties from Farine, including pasta dishes like his carbonara.

WESTMOUNT — In a similar vein, Sherbrooke West lunch, brunch, and dinner haunt Brasserie Melrose has shuttered, with its owners explaining that they’re re-focusing their attention on Pizzeria Melrose, their mid-range NDG pizza place that is preparing to expand with a location in the Plateau opening soon. Perhaps a wise idea — it seems that the pizza operation typically drew more attention than the Mediterranean-leaning bistro.

Laloux/Facebook

PLATEAU — Despite being closed for almost 13 months now, Pine Avenue French staple Laloux is still apparently planning to reopen. It suffered a burst pipe in January 2018, before deciding to undertake a more extensive rebuild. Those seem to be some mighty slow renovations, but for what it’s worth, the restaurant’s Facebook page and website are still active, and the restaurant tells Eater that a reopening is still planned, although the date isn’t yet known.

PLATEAU — In what should be a shorter closure, Rachel Street Portuguese rotisserie Ma Poule Mouillée is reportedly working on reopening, although work to reopen has only just got the green light, about a month after a fire forced the perennial favourite to close. Owner Michael Alves gave a local vlogger a tour of the premises, and it’s notable that much of the restaurant escaped the flames — but much of the kitchen was wrecked by the chimney fire, meaning substantial work on the restaurant’s exhaust is presumably in order.

Seen any bankruptcy notices or papered-over windows in your neighbourhood? Tell us about it.

• Opening Alert: Italian Bakery and Pizzeria Farine Breaks Bread in Mile End [EMTL]
• Outremont’s Promising New Catalan Wine Bar Is Open Right Now [EMTL]
• Hit NDG Pizzeria Plans Plateau Location [EMTL]
• Fire Knocks Out Plateau Favourite Ma Poule Mouillée [EMTL]