Mike Cohen, born and raised in Côte Saint-Luc, has long been active in the community as a volunteer, journalist, and consultant. He profiles restaurants in Montreal and beyond.
mikecohen.ca and @mikecohencsl
It is hard to believe that Houston Steak & Fruits De Mer, previously known as Houston Avenue Bar and Grill, has been around since 1998. Yet I only made my first visit very recently and it certainly won’t be my last.
Credit goes to David DiRaddo, a brand leader for Dream Hospitality Group, who invited me to join him for dinner. David has vast experience in the restaurant business and our connection goes back more than a decade to previous culinary spots he has overseen. He is a master of his profession.
There are currently five Houston locations: Laval, Lachenaie, Brossard, Montreal Airport and Gatineau. Previously, they did have a presence downtown. DiRaddo said that the company has its eye on returning there, possibly sometime before 2026. We arrived at 6:30 p.m. on a Sunday, and within an hour, the place was filled with people of all ages. However, I did notice several tables filled with “girls’ night out” gatherings for young ladies in their 20s.
My sister Lisa and I joined David at the magnificent Laval location. This place is 10,000 square feet and seats over 300 people. Last year it underwent a $4 million renovation
Besides the main dining room, the redesign here involved the creation of a few private rooms that can accommodate smaller gatherings for business or pleasure. I was taken by “the library” which does have many books on a shelf, 20 seats, outlets on the table to plug in devices, capacity for 20 people and a door that closes. The Pink Room, which can handle 40 to 50 guests, was pretty impressive as well. There are two bars, one specifically for oysters, and a pair of luxurious couches where people can sit and enjoy a drink while waiting for a table. David showed me the private wine cellar and the meat locker as well. Thursdays through Saturday, a deejay is on duty playing music. It was also nice to see my old friend Adel Akkouche, one of the restaurant’s managers, who in the past has taken care of the dining needs of media at Montreal Alouettes home games.
Dylan DiRaddo, David’s son, is one of the chefs. He went to culinary school and he plays a leadership role in this kitchen, regularly posting menu updates on Instagram. We were fortunate to have him cook for us on this night. He joined our server, Louie, at the table to not only take our orders, but also make suggestions.
The menu here is quite impressive with a vast array of hot and cold appetizers, soups, salads, steaks, prime rib, seafood, sides and an extensive wine selection.
I started with some prosecco while Lisa ordered her favorite Moscow Mule.
The seafood platters were on my target list the moment I opened the menu. What a treat this was when the tower arrived at the table, featuring a dozen oysters, three lobster tails, shrimp and sashimi with cups of mignonette, tabasco, fresh horseradish, pickled ginger, cocktail sauce and garlic butter. David wanted us to also try the oysters Rockefeller and the seared scallops, both wise choices. The former is a classic dish consisting of oysters on the half-shell topped with a rich sauce of butter, parsley, and other green herbs, and then baked. The perfectly grilled scallops came garnished in brown butter barley, black garlic, jalapeño salsa and watercress with fresh black truffle.
Lisa and I decided to share a steak and some fish. We went for the 12-ounce New York Angus beef striploin, grilled to perfection at medium and the absolutely finest selection of Chilean seabass I ever tasted. For sides, we ordered the Monte Carlo potato and the baked sweet potato with goat cheese as well as sweet potato purée, seasonal vegetables, black garlic and jalapeño salsa that came with the fish.
David opted for his favorite, the Tagliatelle Ragu, braised beef with tomato, wine and veal demi-glace. Some beef cheeks and short ribs were mixed in.
Did we have room for dessert? Well, when David told us they served Baked Alaska, we could not refuse. Baked Alaska is one of those desserts that feels like a magic trick brought to the dinner table. At its core, it’s a contrast dessert: cold ice cream sealed inside a layer of cake, all covered with fluffy meringue that Dylan briefly torched. The meringue insulates the ice cream, so the outside browns beautifully while the inside stays frozen. We also sampled some chocolate velvet cake and a crème brulé, which was too good for words, all homemade and containing some Canadian maple syrup.
Houston Steak & Fruits De Mer is located at 1739 Ave. Pierre-Péladeau in Laval. Log on to https://www.houstonresto.com or call (450) 978-9077 for reservations. They are open every day but Monday, including lunch on Wednesday to Friday. There is plenty of free parking. Group menus are available.
Be First to Comment