It has now been two years since restaurateur Ted Dranias opened Petros Westmount at the corner of St. Catherine Street West and Grosvenor. My family and I recently went to dine there for the very first time and judging by the fact there was still a lineup for tables at 8:30 pm it is clear this place has caught on.
La Queue de Cheval Steakhouse and Raw Bar, located at 1181 Avenue de la Montagne, represents a special place when it comes to writing restaurant reviews. It is the only dining establishment I update my readers on at least once a year without fail. That has been the case now going back more than a decade.
Deville Dinerbar is unlike any diner you’ve been in: a lovechild of whimsical nostalgia and 21st-century spirit.
I have been to Deville a number of times since it opened in the past decade, but more recently I was invited back by my friend Louie Mercuri. He is a veteran in the restaurant business and our paths have happily passed on a number of occasions. When he landed at the RD3 Restaurant Group as part of the management team he invited me to visit for an exclusive tasting.
Madisons Restaurant & Bar has always been one of those dining establishments I have truly appreciated for its well-balanced menu: terrific appetizers, salads, tartares, soups, burgers and sandwiches, steak, seafood, pasta, chicken, ribs, sides and decadent desserts. There is also a neat bar setup.
Let me begin by saying what a huge fan I have been of P.F.Chang’s going back well before the iconic global chain first landed in Montreal. From Miami to Chicago and closer by in Albany, if there was a P.F. Chang’s in a city I visited they could count on me as a customer.
The Vieux-Port Steakhouse on St. Paul Street West in Old Montreal has been a year-round favorite of mine for many years. That is particularly the case during the summer.
Karina Awadalla and Bruno Dodaro are a very nice young couple who recently decided to go into business together, opening Forketta Épicerie Gourmet at 3589 Beaubien Street East in Rosemount.
Mike Yuval and Jack Sofer are the visionaries behind the Tidan Hospitality and Real Estate Group (www.tidan.com), a company they launched and built from the ground up some 50 years ago. They have much to be proud of, but when I met with them recently it was Le Mount Stephen they wanted to present to me.
There is a new player on the Old Montreal restaurant scene. Joiea Sociale (645 Wellington Street) opened for business in June 2018 – an authentic urban Italian eatery with a young and vibrant sense of local community spirit.
I recently experienced the Laval Centropolis location of Souvlaki Bar (http://souvlakibar.ca) upon the suggestion of friends who joined us for dinner on a beautiful Saturday evening. There were six of us. The place, which debuted in September 2014, can accommodate 150 people over two floors (plus a terrace). It was filled to capacity. Manager Matthew Perez had us seated and assigned wonderful server Maro to our table, an artist who specializes in sculptures.
Elounda was established in 2003 by Gary Makris and Haralambos (Bobby) Michailidis. As Bobby told me, he and Gary`s first order of business was to lure their good friend Tasso Konidis over as a partner and head chef. Tasso was rather busy, having head the kitchen at Milos on Park Avenue for the previous 20 years. This included launching the Milos brand in New York City. “It took a year, but we did it,” said Bobby.
Growing up, The Bar-B Barn was always a favorite restaurant for my family. As such, we would frequently dine or take out from the downtown Guy or West Island Sources Boulevard locations.
For years I have driven by the three Montreal locations of Brit & Chips (www.britandchips.com), curious about the experience but never venturing inside. When I had to drop a family member off for a doctor’s appointment recently on Côte des Neiges Road, I did a google search for restaurants nearby. Brit & Chips was a mere two blocks away.
The Montreal Airport Marriott In-Terminal Hotel opened back in 2009. I have made many trips back and forth to Pierre Elliott Trudeau International in Dorval since that time, I always take a glance at this beautiful property with a great amount of curiosity.
I must confess that it had been a few years since I dined at a Mikes Restaurant. But after going to a few movies at the Cinemas Guzzo Spheretech 14 in St. Laurent in recent months and seeing one of the new locales, I was anxious to give this iconic franchise another try.
