Montreal 2007 - L'Epicier & Bistro Bienville

When one travels a great deal, particular by air, one must make peace with delays and cancellations, particularly in the volatile weather we have been experiencing globally during 2007. I see far too much of New York in the snow, sleet and hail; Chicago is dismal and bound to result in many a fine meal at the O'Hare McDonald's between October and March; and the lack of culinary prowess at Heathrow is a boon to no frequent flier. However, sometimes a Winter snowstorm can lead to a great adventure in eating, and while many cities are no fun in the snow, Montreal revels in it.

The largely French-speaking denizens of Quebec's cosmopolitan capital (Montreal holds a special place in my heart and stomach, even if the government chooses to sit further North) do not huddle up in their homes when ten or twenty inches of heavy, white crush pummels the city enough to cancel flights. Rather, they can be found dusting off their boots as they enter fine continental restaurants (many French-inspired) to warm themselves with favorite food and drink.

Upon such a snowy Thursday and Friday this ultimately lucky traveler found himself stuck with limited likely reprieve from Winter's wrath, and called up some old friends to show him what Montreal had to offer a hungry soul. The natives treated me to two very special meals in those two nights, one of which I probably, if appropriately plied with fine wine and food, could be convinced to add it to my Top Ten.

The experience of some of the world's finest haute cuisine at Chez L'Epicier (right) begins as one enters Chef Gobout's Old Montreal, well, Epicier (which, I am told by those who speak French, means grocery store, or, perhaps more appropriately, market). The space is a real market in front, dark wooden shelves lined with the gourmet, local foodstuffs. Passing by the delights of the restaurant's own Les Saveurs de L'Epicier, one enters a dining room that feels a bit like a modern country kitchen off the "side of the shop" with dark wooden chairs set into a hewn stone, steel and wood room. The food was excellent and made a great run at the experimental giants of the day, complete with kitsch (menu printed on paper bags) and unique cutlery and serving dishes. The Chef is also no prima donna; he was more than willing to accommodate some of the particular dietary requirements of our party. Expect to start with excellent (and local) foie gras paired with a trio of unique sauces (ranging from traditional french jellies to Indian-influenced tandoori jam) and saunter on to truly inventive takes on classic meats and fish. The cuisine focuses on local ingredients (similar to the market 's packaged goods line), so the menu changes frequently. Desserts were also a hit, and the wine list was substantial and reasonably priced for such an establishment.

After such a superb dining experience, I was not expecting much from my second night, where I trekked with another dining companion to Bistro Bienville in the somewhat more edgy Plateau Mont-Royal district. After our taxi clearly was lost (even though I was with a French speaker!), I used my keen sense of direction (and read a few street signs) to arrive just in time for what a friend who could not join us warned was a very "hot reservation" (and thanks to them for getting us the table). "Cuisine Conviviale" was proclaimed on the menus, and the intimate environment of this tiny space helped to reinforce that message, with a fully open kitchen crammed in with a handful of tables. I was disappointed to hear that this reservation was really "hot", and despite the weather we were only allocated 1.5 hours to enjoy our meal before we would need to leave. Despite my initial reservations upon having my time limit set for eating, which banished much of the excitement for the experience from me, I could not have been happier with this fine Bistro. The simple menu emphasizing traditional French dishes did not disappoint. Artfully executed versions of pot-a-feu and succulent beef stew couldn't have been more perfect for the state of mind and storm that I was in, and an extensive list of accessible wines by the glass helped soften my view of the place. When we had to depart (after a few nice desserts and a tasty local, organic cheese plate) I was very happy to have found such a unique spot. An excellent choice for very fine food done with elegant simplicity, and a place intimate enough to take a date so that you feel like a regular with the chef by your table, so long as you have a movie to see an hour and a half later.

Two nights stranded, two fantastic restaurants I would recommend many times over. I guess Winter travel ain't all bad.