By Tony Medeiros
The West-Island is blessed with some exceptional restaurants to pick from. My family and I have dined in some of the finest establishments out here. With COVID-19 it has been a challenge to go back to some restaurants. Each has come up with new, ingenious ways, to bring their clients back. From elaborate signage to social media presence, it has become a matter of survival for them.
I had the opportunity to review Kitchen73 on 45 A Boulevard Brunswick, in Dollard-des-Ormeaux. (https://kitchen73.ca) They are located across from Cinémas Guzzo des Sources on Boulevard Brunswick. I elected to go in person for carryout.
The service was quick and professional. It did not take long to prepare my meal. The staff is well equipped to handle the current pandemic situation. Dino Semeraro, the co-owner of the Dollard-des-Ormeaux location, explained to me that they are keeping the two-meter distance rule by having a long table between the staff and the client when they are served their orders. The staff is taking every precaution and dressed to code with gloves and masks to help stop any transfer of COVID-19.
To say the restaurant business is in dire straits would be an understatement. Many restaurants are the backbone of many city economies. COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on this sector and many economic specialists predict that many will not be able to recuperate in a few months. Dwindling sales have come to a standstill.
Semeraro informed me that one of the biggest days in the restaurant sector is Mother’s Day and COVID-19 came at the worst time for restaurants. It really cut into their sales with a lack of customers.
Kitchen73 has by no means has escaped the predicament it is under, just as many other Montreal businesses find themselves in. Semeraro is very knowledgeable and talks to other restaurant owners. They have become a close-knit community and need to survive together. Many restaurants and bar owners think that social distancing could wipe out their industry. Only the strong will survive.
Kitchen73 has a full gamut of meals to pick from. I was pleasantly surprised by the vast choice. They carry a full breakfast menu that can easily surpass all other major breakfast/brunch chains in Quebec. They have a wealth of categories to pick from such as eggs, eggs benedict, omelets, pancakes and crepes, waffles & toast, smoothies, assaggini della casa, pasta, salads, poutine, submarines, hamburgers, sandwiches, pizza, signature meals, and a healthy menu. There is so much choice to pick from. Each category has at least eight different options to entice every hungry palate.
Kichen73 has four locations throughout the island that caters to the major arteries in the city.
- 45 Boulevard Brunswick, H9B 1P7 (Dollard-des-Ormeaux)
- 9192 Maurice Duplessis, H1C 1Z4 (RDP)
- 12300 rue de Chaumont, J7J 0T8 (Mirabel)
- 1661 Boulevard de l’Avenir, H7S 2N5 (Laval)
- 161 St-Catherine est corner Saint-Laurent (Downtown)
- Three food trucks ready to go anywhere on the island as permitted by city regulations.
Kitchen73 (DDO) seats about 130 clients and 40 on the exterior. With COVID-19 those numbers are out the window. Semeraro let me know that he had to let go of 30 of his employees due to falling demand brought forth from the virus, and it was a tough decision on his part. The Dollard-des-Ormeaux location has been in business for more than years six years. He now depends on Uber Eats, DoorDash, and carryout business. He had to re-open his doors due to the social media demand from his clients. He gradually opened with a small menu not knowing what to expect from his customers. It is now a full-course menu due to a positive response from his customers. You can order their full menu for carryout.
Kitchen73 pride themselves with their signature dishes because they buy local Quebec ingredients. We should do our part and at least order out once a week to support our local restaurants and in turn help our local produce farmers.
My family and I had a small sampling of their menu.
My wife had the grilled chicken submarine. It was loaded with grilled vegetables and mouth-watering marinated chicken breast wrapped in melted mozzarella cheese. The accompaniment of tantalizing shoestring fries really hit the spot.
My daughter wanted to try something a bit different. She is a connoisseur when it comes to poutine. It his her go-to meal when she tries a new place. She devoured the “Poutine OMG.” Every tender pulled beef and mozzarella cheese that encircled her fork was out of this world. She thought the portions with very generous. She remarked that the poutine sauce was exquisite in taste.
I had the “Le Boeuf Braisé” hamburger. I am a traditionalist when it comes to hamburgers. My taste is straightforward, I expect meat, buns, and cheese. I was quite surprised with the pulled Angus braised beef, caramelized onions topped with marsala sauce and cheddar cheese. I can best describe it as heavenly. My fries were fried to perfection.
We intend to try their breakfast menu next time.
I highly recommend Kitchen73 as your next carryout experience. The Dollard-des-Ormeaux location address is 45 Brunswick Blvd, Dollard-Des Ormeaux, Quebec H9B 1P7. Their business hours are from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM. You can call 514-685-5773 to order. You can also use DoorDash and Uber Eats.