It has been four years since Foodtastic, the Montreal-based franchisor of multiple restaurant concepts, purchased the Milestones group of dining establishments, and they are making good on a promise to establish the brand in Quebec.
The Fairview Pointe-Claire location was the first at the end of the 2023 summer. That was followed by Laval, across from Place Bell, last year and now comes the Royalmount shopping complex. It is right next door to two other Foodtastic favorites, La Belle et Le Boeuf and Tommy’s Café. Gerry Kakaroubas, who is responsible for the Milestones brand, told me that next on the radar screen will be possible locations downtown and on the South Shore.
My family grew to appreciate Milestones on visits to Vancouver and then Ottawa. So we were excited when it finally arrived here. The Royalmount location is a beauty. Foodtastic tapped Naomi Mongeau from its Monza brand to serve as the first general manager. This spacious locale has 180 seats inside and a patio that can accommodate 60. It is situated in a courtyard of restaurants. You can park in the outdoor lot, which leads to a pathway, or indoors and exit from the door near the Canada Goose store.
I have already had the chance to experience the Royalmount location twice. On a Saturday, we were a party of four. Two of us shared the steak tartare and a perfectly grilled 16-ounce rib steak with garlic mashed potatoes. Our friends ordered the Caesar Salad, the seven-ounce sirloin steak and the Mediterranean chicken with mashed potatoes. For dessert, we selected the classic chocolate cake and the chocolate cheesecake. For drinks, the house favorite is the Bellini.
Among the favorite menu items are the portobello mushroom chicken, the house-made beef meatballs, butternut squash ravioli, grilled salmon, the crispy shrimp noodle bowl, burgers and more.
There are some excellent lunch specials on the table d’hôte, which comes with the soup of the day (it was a piping hot and delicious mushroom that day), salad and dessert ( a splendid key lime pie). I opted for the tuna tartare while my dining partner chose the burrata salad.
This is the 46th Milestones location. Like Pointe-Claire and Laval, it is the model layout for others. Kakaroubas says that several spots are being closed for renovations to get that same modern design, which includes a winding bar.
Milestones offers a Date Night special on Wednesdays. A starter, two mains and a dessert are available for $75. You can also pair this with two glasses of prosecco for $20. Stop by for happy hour daily from 3 pm to 6 pm and 9 pm until closing. There is also brunch service on weekends from 10 am to 2 pm.
Milestones Royalmount is located at 5060 De la Côte-de-Liesse Rd #107 in the Town of Mount Royal. For more information, call 514-753-2300. They are open for dine-in, takeout and delivery. There is free interior and exterior parking for four hours, accessible through the entrance located on Royalmount Avenue. Hours of operation are Monday to Wednesday, from 11:30 am to 10 pm; Thursday and Friday, 11:30 am to 11 pm; and Saturday and Sunday, from 10 am to 11 pm. Log on to https://milestonesrestaurants.com