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Cocktail go-to La Distillerie has expanded for the first time in nearly a decade, adding a new location in Old Longueuil.
It’s La Distillerie’s first move off the Island of Montreal — the cocktail bar’s three existing locations all occupy rather central locations in the Latin Quarter, Plateau, and Rosemont.
But Distillerie owner Phil Haman is taking somewhat of a different approach on the South Shore, branching out into food. The new location has a restaurant permit, and with a full kitchen in the basement, has introduced a full menu of bar food (cocktail offerings are similar to the existing Distilleries, with a menu split into strong, herbal, classics, and fruity options).
Haman has tapped chef Marie-Pier Morin, known for work in kitchens ranging from Leméac and Laurea to Le Richmond, as well as from the first season of Radio-Canada’s Les Chefs.
“She was ready to start a project of her own, bringing what the distillery does with cocktails but with food,” says Haman.
That means approachable food that steps a little outside the box of ultra-standard bar fare — the menu seems to skew a little bright and tropical, with a spicy calamari salad, crispy shrimp tacos with pineapple chutney, jambalaya, and a Cubano sandwich; a few bar staples like nachos appear, but some, like mac and cheese, get a little twist with additions like a za’atar panko topping.
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The fairly large space (with room for nearly 100) matches the sometimes fruity, tropical touches on the food — Haman says he wanted somewhat of a “surf shack” vibe, and has included plenty of untreated wood, greenery and some roof panelling that creates a faux-skylight effect to round it out.
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Morin won’t just be doing food for the Longueuil location — smaller menus with calzones, dips, and more have been introduced at the Plateau and Rosemont Distilleries. A few food options will become available at the original Ontario Street Distillerie in future, too.
STATUS — La Distillerie No. 4 is open at 105 St-Charles W from 4 p.m. to midnight Sunday to Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. to midnight Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday, and 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday.
- La Distillerie [Official]