Griffintown Go-To Le Fantôme Is Planning a Hiatus and a Big Move

GRIFFINTOWN — Big changes are afoot for Griffintown gastronomic destination Le Fantôme. After four years on William Street, the restaurant from chef Jason Morris and co-owner Kabir Kapoor will depart the neighbourhood, and set up shop not too far away on McGill Street in Old Montreal. That will place it closer to the duo’s other restaurant, Pastel, which opened on that stretch a year ago.

“We loved Griffintown but we wanted a fresh energy...we still want to do interesting food — we want to do a something a little bit like a restaurant du quartier, something accessible,” Kapoor tells Eater.

Le Fantôme will check out of the restaurant scene for a fairly long closure to make the switch: it won’t reopen until spring 2020 (so — a minimum of nine months away). Its final night before the big break will be July 1 — a closing party (open to the public) should be announced soon.

ST-HENRI — A local icon, Claude Chalifoux, has died — Chalifoux lived in St-Henri for 59 years and was recently featured in a CBC documentary about dishwashers in Montreal restaurants. Despite being past retirement age, he worked at Grumman’78, saying that he was unable to sit still — Chalifoux died early Monday morning (June 10) after being recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

MILE END — St-Laurent restaurant Cantine Teré (formerly Fieldstone, until a recent reboot) has shuffled chefs. Chanthy Yen, on-site since the beginning, bringing experience from Mugaritz in Spain, has departed. He’s replaced by Maine chef McHale Whitehouse; Yen has stepped over to upcoming Old Montreal pub Parliament, from the owner of extraordinarily popular cocktail bar the Coldroom.

LOV/Supplied

BROSSARD — Stylish vegan restaurant LOV has expanded again — after locations in Old Montreal, downtown, and Laval, it added a Dix30 restaurant this week. It might be out in suburban mall territory, but it’s still taking a plant-laden, Instagram friendly approach to décor.

• All Le Fantôme coverage [EMTL]
• Refreshing New Documentary Spotlights Dishwashers in Montreal Restaurants [EMTL]