Eater Montreal - These Montreal Restaurants Blew the Critics Away in 2014The Montreal Restaurant, Bar, and Nightlife Bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52682/favicon-32x32.png2015-01-09T13:01:52-05:00http://montreal.eater.com/rss/stream/72109702015-01-09T13:01:52-05:002015-01-09T13:01:52-05:00Critic Thierry Daraize Just Wrote Another Bizarre Best of 2014 List
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<img alt="Daraize's 30 best of 2014 includes Old Montreal's Rosewood" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/qDOHO5ASU3Y-hzKpjKQFNm80E5M=/43x0:753x533/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45186648/rosewooddaraize.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Daraize's 30 best of 2014 includes Old Montreal's Rosewood | <a href='https://www.facebook.com/rosewoodmontreal/photos/pb.465782510190809.-2207520000.1420826357./542005505901842/?type=3&theater'>Rosewood</a></figcaption>
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<p>Not all bad. Just so utterly random.</p> <p>A week into 2015 and <i>Le Journal de Montréal</i> has published another 'best of' list from the critic who ended 2014 with a <a href="http://montreal.eater.com/2014/12/11/7376251/critic-massacres-mom-and-pop-restaurant">vicious blow to a mom and pop Indian restaurant</a>.</p>
<p>As a sequel to <a href="http://montreal.eater.com/2014/12/18/7417617/critic-thierry-daraize-lists-his-top-10-for-2014">this list here</a>, Daraize's <a href="http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2015/01/08/les-30-meilleurs-restos-de-2014">Les 30 meilleurs restos de 2014</a> is just as strange.</p>
<p>It starts with this summary of the year that was.</p>
<blockquote>Qu’on parle de coups de foudre ou de déceptions gastronomiques, au tournant de 2015, l’heure est aux bilans. Et somme toute, l’année 2014 a été fort savoureuse. Tandis que les portes de plusieurs restaurants se sont définitivement fermées dans la dernière année, le retour à l’essentiel en cuisine s’est fait particulièrement sentir sur la scène culinaire montréalaise.</blockquote>
<p>Then on to the 30 best (but not before some random love for <strong>Chez L'Épicier</strong> chef Laurent Godbout's Bocuse d’Or run). Daraize's three <em>coups de coeur</em> restaurants for 2014, sans explanations, includes the <a href="http://www.cacao-barry.com/en-CA/chocolate-academy%E2%84%A2-center-now-montreal">Barry Callebaut chocolate facility</a>, Le Champlain-Fairmont in Quebec City's Château Frontenac and La table du chef-Alain Labrie in Sherbrooke.</p>
<p>This all comes two weeks after Daraize named <strong>Shinji</strong> his coup de coeur of 2014 and cited <strong>Europea</strong> as the best meal of the year.</p>
<p>Daraize also conflates Manitoba, Lea and H4C as the best <em>bistros branchés</em> in the city. Le Richmond, Le Sinclair and Labarake get the nod for the best terrasses and, finally, Pandore, Flyjin and Rosewood are the best <em>resto-clubs</em>, apparently.</p>
<p>Oddly, there is no mention of <strong>Thursday's</strong>, a restaurant that elicited uncommon hyperbole from Daraize <a href="http://montreal.eater.com/2014/9/15/6155817/thursdays-seduces-thierry-daraize">back in September</a>.</p>
https://montreal.eater.com/2015/1/9/7520729/critic-thierry-daraize-just-wrote-another-bizarre-best-of-2014Ian Harrison2014-12-29T10:50:22-05:002014-12-29T10:50:22-05:005 Montreal Restaurants Get Mad Love From Marie-Claude Lortie
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<img alt="More accolades for Manitoba" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UgoNJlFADcPK4x4DW9Sk460uomw=/110x0:1888x1334/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44417900/lortiemanitoba.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>More accolades for Manitoba | <a href='http://montreal.eater.com'>Randall Brodeur</a></figcaption>
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<p>The La Presse critic offers her best of 2014.</p> <p><strong>Marie-Claude Lortie</strong> of <em>La Presse</em> is the last Montreal restaurant critic to submit <a href="http://plus.lapresse.ca/screens/a8edeaea-91a3-4ed8-ba4d-2a839c789e4a%7C_0.html">her best of 2014</a>.</p>
<p>The columnist sums up the year as one of transitions, where vegetable-centric cuisine assumed centre stage and certain neighbourhoods shuffled into the culinary spotlight. Gone is the hegemony of the Plateau, Mile End and Old Montreal, writes Lortie, who cites the emergence of Saint-Henri, Little Burgundy, Mile-Ex and, to a lesser extent, Westmount and N.D.G.</p>
<p>Here are Lortie's <em>coups de coeur</em> of 2014.</p>
<p><strong>Ma'tine</strong><br><em>On y va pour les viennoiseries spectaculaires, pour les potages, pour les salades et autres plats toujours surprenants, toujours remplis de légumes, à prix abordables.</em></p>
<p><strong>Manitoba</strong><br><em>J’aime tout de cette nouvelle adresse du quartier Mile-Ex, zone excentrée entre le Mile End, la Petite Italie et Parc-Extension.</em></p>
<p><strong>Patrice Pâtissier</strong><br><em>C’est raffiné, original, toujours techniquement impeccable.</em></p>
<p><strong>Le Serpent</strong><br><em>Au Serpent, c’est l’ensemble des ingrédients qui détermine la qualité de toute l’expérience : la bonne cuisine d’inspiration italienne du chef Michele Mercuri, la carte des vins fort originale, le service attentionné, l’ambiance allumée et l’espace, immense, ponctué de quelques grandes œuvres d’art.</em></p>
<p><strong>Sumac</strong><br><em>Installé dans Saint-Henri, à deux pas du marché Atwater, Sumac propose une très savoureuse cuisine moyen-orientale, à prix abordables.</em></p>
https://montreal.eater.com/2014/12/29/7460737/5-montreal-restaurants-get-mad-love-from-marie-claude-lortieIan Harrison2014-12-22T10:22:25-05:002014-12-22T10:22:25-05:00Watch Critic Lesley Chesterman Explain Her Best Restaurants of 2014
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<img alt="The Gazette critic on camera" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/a8owKYdcizqSqf0Sg8GzSklS3ME=/175x0:1240x799/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44385716/chestermanvideo.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>The Gazette critic on camera | <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2pn50y32ms'>The Gazette</a></figcaption>
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<p>In a new video from The Gazette.</p> <p>A side benefit to a food critic's eschewal of anonymity? Videos like this, in which <em>The Gazette</em> critic <strong>Lesley Chesterman</strong> expounds on <a href="http://montreal.eater.com/2014/12/19/7421199/the-gazette-lesley-chesterman-sarah-musgrave-best-restaurants-montreal-2014">her top restaurant picks of 2014</a> in some detail.</p>
<p>In the clip, Chesterman talks about how this past year was big for comebacks, why the word "caring" is crucial and why she appreciates so-called hipster chefs.</p>
<p>Chefs and restaurants that get a little extra praise in the five minute video include <strong>Salmigondis</strong>, <strong>Les 400 Coups</strong> chef <strong>Guillaume Cantin</strong>, chef <strong>Shinji Nagai</strong> and <strong>Bouillon Bilk</strong>, which Chesterman considers world class and the best of the year.</p>
https://montreal.eater.com/2014/12/22/7433905/watch-critic-lesley-chesterman-explain-her-best-restaurants-of-2014Ian Harrison2014-12-19T12:49:35-05:002014-12-19T12:49:35-05:00In His Best of 2014, Jean-Philippe Tastet Mocks Fellow Critic Over Infamous Review
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<figcaption>Les Coudes sur la Table, still a hot topic | <a href='https://www.facebook.com/lescoudessurlatable'>Les Coudes sur la Table</a></figcaption>
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<p>A not-so-subtle swipe at the competition in his best of 2014 roundup.</p> <p><a href="http://montreal.eater.com/2014/12/18/7417617/critic-thierry-daraize-lists-his-top-10-for-2014">First</a> <strong>Thierry Daraize</strong> in <em>Le Journal de Montréal</em>. Then <em>The Gazette</em> duo of <strong>Lesley Chesterman</strong> and <strong>Sarah Musgrave</strong>.</p>
<p>Now, today, time for <strong>Jean-Philippe Tastet's</strong> top restaurants of 2014. In which the <em>Le Devoir</em> critic <a href="http://www.ledevoir.com/art-de-vivre/restaurants/427100/guirlande-gastronomique-de-2014">narrows the field down to 13</a>.</p>
<p>Tastet purposefully starts it off with a major bang: a brazen, overt swipe at <em>La Presse</em> critic <strong>Marie-Claude Lortie</strong>, who recently wrote a harsh review of a restaurant in the Village <a href="http://montreal.eater.com/2014/11/20/7253841/martin-juneau-calls-out-critic-marie-claude-lortie-for-harsh-review">that led to this</a>.</p>
<p>That same restaurant, <strong>Les Coudes sur la Table</strong>, <a href="http://montreal.eater.com/2014/12/19/7421199/the-gazette-lesley-chesterman-sarah-musgrave-best-restaurants-montreal-2014">made Chesterman's best of list</a> and, now, Tastet's as well. The critic takes pains, in particular, to single out his fellow critic Lortie's <a href="http://www.lapresse.ca/vivre/gourmand/cuisine/201103/04/01-4376053-rene-redzepi-extraits-dune-longue-conversation.php">love of Nordic Michelin star restaurants</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Les Coudes sur la Table</strong><br><em>(...) j’ai ajouté une treizième adresse très discrète qui ne brille que si l’on prend la peine de regarder et de goûter. Le travail y est bien fait, avec beaucoup de coeur, les gens qui y travaillent sont sans prétention, et si le décor manque un peu de ce chic danois que nous aimons tant, on y mange quand même très bien.</em></p>
<p>Translate the text and you get a cogent sense of Tastet's sarcastic takedown: "I discreetly added a thirteenth address that only shines if you make the effort to look and taste. The work is well done, with a lot of heart, the people are unpretentious, and even if the décor lacks that Danish style that we love so much, we still eat very well here."</p>
<p>Boom. Will the layman get the references here? No. Will industry insiders and keen observers of the food scene? Hell yes. This is major shade, make no mistake.</p>
<p>As for the rest of Tastet's picks, here they are:</p>
<p><strong>Barcola</strong><br><em>Un jeune chef italien comme on les préfère, sans prétention, talentueux, gourmand, gourmet.</em></p>
<p><strong>Bouillon Bilk</strong><br><em>François Nadon se trouve dans mon peloton de la dizaine de jeunes chefs québécois qui font la beauté de notre ville.</em></p>
<p><strong>Cafeden</strong><br><em>Aux portes de la Petite Italie, cet établissement étonne.</em></p>
<p><strong>L'Express</strong><br><em>Rien ne change, et c’est parfait.</em></p>
<p><strong>La Table des Gourmets</strong><br><em>La meilleure excuse pour monter à Val-David.</em></p>
<p><strong>SAT FoodLab</strong><br><em>Un duo du tonnerre aux fourneaux de ce lieu branchouille d’où l’on ressort en se sentant plus intelligent.</em></p>
<p><strong>Laloux</strong><br><em>L’une de mes tables préférées, pas seulement en 2014, mais tous calendriers confondus.</em></p>
<p><strong>Le Filet</strong><br><em>L’équipe du Club Chasse et Pêche semble réussir tout ce qu’elle touche.</em></p>
<p><strong>Le St-Urbain</strong><br><em>Le quartier Ahuntsic change, pour le mieux, et cette maison aura lancé le bal des améliorations.</em></p>
<p><strong>Les 400 Coups</strong><br><em>Guillaume Cantin est grand. Il est jeune et il brille comme chef.</em></p>
<p><strong>Les Trois Petits Bouchons</strong><br><em>La cuisine d’Audrey Dufresne continue de ravir par sa générosité et sa créativité.</em></p>
<p><strong>Renoir</strong><br><em>Le chef Olivier Perret est ce qui se fait de mieux en matière de toques françaises.</em></p>
https://montreal.eater.com/2014/12/19/7422527/jean-philippe-tastet-mocks-fellow-critic-marie-claude-lortie-over-reviewIan Harrison2014-12-19T11:00:30-05:002014-12-19T11:00:30-05:00Chesterman and Musgrave Take the Pulse of the 2014 Restaurant Scene
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<img alt="The kitchen crew at Salmigondis" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/78FAy8gmpzNkABSUq669r7hyTcE=/137x0:2359x1667/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44370406/salmiye.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>The kitchen crew at Salmigondis | <a href='http://montreal.eater.com'>Randall Brodeur</a></figcaption>
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<p>The best of both beats.</p> <p>'Tis the season for 'best of' restaurant lists. Mere hours after <em>Le Journal de Montréal</em> published <a href="http://montreal.eater.com/2014/12/18/7417617/critic-thierry-daraize-lists-his-top-10-for-2014">Thierry Daraize's non-fact-checked top 10</a> yesterday, <em>The Gazette</em> put out lists from both <strong>Lesley Chesterman</strong> and <strong>Sarah Musgrave</strong>.</p>
<p>The combined collection of restaurants, with one or two exceptions, underscores places that opened over the past year or went through some kind of significant change or chef shuffle. In this regard, the two lists feel timely and relevant.</p>
<p>Here are Chesterman's <a href="http://montrealgazette.com/life/food/local-food-reviews/critic-picks-her-top-11-favourite-montreal-restaurants-in-2014">fine-dining faves of 2014</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Bouillon Bilk</strong><br><em>Without a doubt, Bouillon Bilk was my top restaurant of 2014.</em></p>
<p><strong>Les 400 Coups</strong><br><em>I was worried that Les 400 Coups might falter when its original kitchen crew departed last year (...) but within six months [chef Guillaume Cantin and pastry chef Brian Verstraten] had not only maintained the high level, but may even have surpassed it.</em></p>
<p><strong>Salmigondis</strong><br><em>The cooking is sharp. Prices are quite high, making this an occasion restaurant.</em></p>
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<p><strong>Shinji</strong><br><em>Montreal isn’t considered much of a sushi town, but now with the likes of Shinji, Antonio Park at Park and Junichi Ikematsu at Jun-i, sushi hounds are well served.</em></p>
<p><strong>Les Coudes sur la Table</strong><br><em>In a scene filled with noisy dining rooms and pork-belly-filled plates, this sophisticated bistro provides an oasis of civility.</em></p>
<p><strong>La Table des Gourmets</strong><br><em>Sometimes you just want a change and if so, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better restaurant "en région" than the six-month-old La Table des Gourmets.</em></p>
<p><strong>Lawrence</strong><br><em>Lawrence has quickly become one of Mile End’s signature restaurants, popular at brunch and lunch, and exceptional at dinner time.</em></p>
<p><strong>Manitoba</strong><br><em>Gosh, I never wanted to leave that restaurant.</em></p>
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<p><strong>Ikanos</strong><br><em>There is a dearth of ethnic restaurants on the fine-dining beat, which is why Ikanos was such a favourite this year.</em></p>
<p><strong>Thursday's</strong><br><em>The surprise of 2014.</em></p>
<p>Sarah Musgrave's <a href="http://montrealgazette.com/life/food/local-food-reviews/critic-picks-casual-dining-favourites-for-2014">best casual restaurants of 2014 include</a>:</p>
<p><strong>Le Ballpark</strong><br><em>The windows of [meatball restaurant] Le Ballpark look out over the southern boundary of Little Italy, and it’s particularly cozy on a snowy night as buses and cars go by silently.</em></p>
<p><strong>Café Parvis</strong><br><em>Tucked away on a side street behind St. James United Church, in an enclave that was once the city’s fur district, this hip hideaway in the commercial core is owned by the same team as the popular-to-overflowing Furco wine bar next door.</em></p>
<p><strong>Grumman '78</strong><br><em>Best for: The pleasures of al fresco dining at the rancho, under a warm roof.</em></p>
<p><strong>Gia Ba</strong><br><em>Best for: Szechuan spices that kill winter. Dead.</em></p>
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<p><strong>Sumac</strong><br><em>Raquel Zagury and David Bloom have transformed a former St-Henri reptile store into an airy backdrop for colourful Middle Eastern meals.</em></p>
<p><strong>Sammi & Soupe Dumplings</strong><br><em>The third eatery from the Qing Hua dumpling emporium is a utilitarian space dedicated to one purpose: delivering bamboo steamers of China’s famous satisfyingly soupy xiao long bao to the table.</em></p>
<p><strong>La Récolte</strong><br><em>Best for: Making brunch your main meal of the day.</em></p>
<p><strong>Hà</strong><br><em>Replacing long-standing Souvenirs d’Indochine, Hà is a hopping new spot for easy-to-like Asian bites, beer and cocktails.</em></p>
<p><strong>Ma'tine</strong><br><em>Great wines, great pastries and thoughtful dishes, and did I mention dessert for breakfast?</em></p>
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https://montreal.eater.com/2014/12/19/7421199/the-gazette-lesley-chesterman-sarah-musgrave-best-restaurants-montreal-2014Ian Harrison2014-12-18T16:56:15-05:002014-12-18T16:56:15-05:00Critic Thierry Daraize Lists His Top 10 for 2014
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<img alt="Mercuri" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WqezpcSi_pZlsUrtzx08Qhbo92Q=/112x0:1932x1365/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44366110/mercuridaraize.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mercuri | <a href='https://www.facebook.com/pages/Restaurant-Mercuri-Montreal/556951261059961?fref=photo'>Mercuri</a></figcaption>
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<p>This is a strange one.</p> <p>The critic for <i>Le Journal de Montréal</i> is the first out the gate <a href="http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2014/12/17/restos-2014-coups-de-coeur">with his best of 2014</a>.</p>
<p><b>Thierry Daraize</b> vastly underestimates the number of new restaurants to hit the scene over the last 12 months (he counts about 50, when the number is much closer to 100) but makes sure to finger a few of the most notable for his top ten.</p>
<p>Here's how Daraize breaks it down.</p>
<p><strong>Best meal of 2014: Europea</strong><br><em>Repas après repas, Jérôme Ferrer et son équipe épatent toujours avec des réalisations culinaires formidables.</em></p>
<p>Ferrer's flagship may well be "un restaurant référence pour les grandes occasions" but in a year that saw the likes of Manitoba and Salmigondis make waves it is peculiar to see the formal, far from new, Relais & Châteaux restaurant get the nod here.</p>
<p><strong>Biggest <em>coup de coeur</em> of 2014: Shinji</strong><br><em>Une vedette est née à Montréal et le monde de la cuisine japonaise a un nouvel ambassadeur.</em></p>
<p>Grand hyperbole aside, Daraize is in accord with the city's other critics on this one.</p>
<p><strong>Best Italian restaurant of 2014: Mercuri</strong><br><em>Plusieurs repas très réussis cette année au Mercuri me permettent de dire que ce chef est en pleine possession de ses moyens.</em></p>
<p>Joe Mercuri is a major talent but his restaurant is not Italian. Odd.</p>
<p><strong>Best overall experience: Le Serpent</strong><br><em>Service formidable, vins toujours appropriés, cuisine allumée, salée comme sucrée, décor attrayant. Un restaurant parfait pour une belle soirée en couple.</em></p>
<p>Clearly, the team behind Le Club Chasse et Pêche and Le Filet has another hit.</p>
<p><strong>Best Mediterranean bistro: Ikanos</strong><br><em>Je recherchais depuis longtemps à Montréal un restaurant pour déguster une belle cuisine de la Méditerranée, j’ai enfin trouvé.</em></p>
<p>This is a hyper-specific category but Ikanos did do well with all the big critics, save Jean-Philippe Tastet in <em>Le Devoir</em>. But when you consider how many restaurants in Montreal evince Mediterranean influences, it begs the question: why did it take this long for a critic to discover good Mediterranean cuisine in the city?</p>
<p><strong>Best bistro-brasserie: Thursday's</strong><br><em>Une institution de 40 ans et une renaissance en même temps en 2014.</em></p>
<p>With a few solid reviews in the bag, Thursday's redux has to be the surprise of 2014.</p>
<p><strong>Best world cuisine: BarBounya</strong><br><em>Fisum [sic] Ercan est une femme-chef de grand talent. Aller à son restaurant BarBounya est un voyage culinaire ancré entre deux rives, celle de la mer Méditerranée et celle de la mer Noire.</em></p>
<p>Wait. Did Daraize just write that in Ikanos he had finally scored good Mediterranean food in Montreal? BarBounya is older than Ikanos and serves Turkish food. Turkey is in the Mediterranean Region. Maybe this needs a rethink.</p>
<p><strong>Best brunch: Ma'tine</strong><br><em>Un nouveau restaurant ouvert cette année qui marque déjà les esprits des gourmands-gourmets.<em></em></em></p>
<p><i>Nailed</i> it.</p>
<p><strong>Best wine bar: Le Vin Papillon</strong><br><em>Les produits sont de grande qualité et le vin aussi est en vedette.</em></p>
<p>True in 2013. True in 2014.</p>
<p><strong>Best resto-boutique: Cantinho de Lisboa</strong><br><em>À chacune de mes visites, je découvre toujours quelque chose de nouveau, en plus, c’est tellement bon. Une ode à la gourmandise signée Helena Loureiro.<em></em></em></p>
<p>Resto-boutique. Is that a thing?</p>
<p>With Daraize done, expect more 'best of 2014' lists to drop soon from the likes of Tastet, <b>Lesley Chesterman</b> and <b>Marie-Claude Lortie</b>.</p>
https://montreal.eater.com/2014/12/18/7417617/critic-thierry-daraize-lists-his-top-10-for-2014Ian Harrison