On Montreal Restaurant Garde Manger Chef Deck says,

Ego overcame Chef Deck for his number one review (restaurant Garde Manger) was written by Dubbers (I love you but I Chef Deck am both fat in body and in head). So here we go….Garde and I have a long history. It started when they first opened and I would go every Thursday for dinner and debauchery. Chef Chuck Hughes had created a gem (see Hughes on his new show “Chucks Day Off”) and the Canadian actor/teen girl stocky Tim Rozon (co-owner) brought the draw. The prices were dirt cheap, the food was phenomenal, and the times were out of Hot Dog The Movie. It then in my opinion got over priced, over crowded, underage, and a little to cool for school. The other night I went back to Old Montreal to visit Garde Manger and was pleasantly surprised. The food was just amazing and the prices are back down (slightly). We started with a personal favorite of blood sausage with a soft boiled egg, unbelievable jerk snow crab (spicy like crazy), a so so tomato buffalo mozzarella salad, and succulent seared scallops with pancetta. For the mains I was blown away by the lobster risotto, and melt in your mouth short ribs on a bed of arugula. I’m so happy to tell the world that restaurant Garde Manger is back in Arnold Schwarzenegger Commando shape, and I Chef Deck be back in love!

Tastiness: 9.1223152361 / 10
Rekindled appreciation: about the same as the 30 year old woman who stopped eating red meat when she was 16 because it “didn’t agree with her stomach” tasting a piece of rib steak / 10
Price: apps $10-$20 mains $25-$35- $$$$ seafood troff / 10

Chef Deck signing out!

Garde-Manger Montreal Information

408 St-François-Xavier, Old Montreal
Phone: 514-678-5044
Hours: Tue – Sun 6 pm – 3 am
Payment: Cash, Credit Cards
Cuisine: Seafood, Mediterranean

Chef Deck is the founder and head reviewer of Eat Well Montreal

On La Louisiane restaurant Montreal Chef Deck says:

Austin Leslie would’ve been proud of restaurant La Louisiane last week because the food was in my opinion almost perfect. The problem with this Montreal cajun, creole restaurant is that eating here is about as consistent as Ray Charles’ dart game. On this particular occasion we started with the firecracker shrimp which were battered, deep fried, shrimpsensations. One main we ate was the prime rib and it was just amazing (seasoned, cooked a perfect medium rare, and as tender as a Roy Orbison ballad). For the other main we had a baked salmon filet in a dill crust with a roaster red pepper sauce that was truly out of this world. I hope with all my heart that La Louisiane keeps it up because last weeks meal was one to remember.

Tastiness: 8.92691273 /10 (sometimes 6.1213132442/10)
Drinks: Rampage Jackson / 10
Price: avg $20 mains /10

Chef Deck signing out!

La Louisiane, Montreal Information

5850 Sherbrooke Street West, NDG
Montreal, Quebec
Metro: Vendome
Telephone: 514-369-307
Website: lalouisiane.ca
Hours: Monday: Sun, Tues, Wed: 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm, Thurs: 5:30 pm – 10:30 pm, Fri + Sat: 5:30 pm – 11:00 pm, Closed Monday

On Montreal Restaurant Les Délices de l’ile Maurice Chef Deck Says:

WARNING: For all of you discriminating snobby eaters read no more.

You are about to experience a look into one of the most entertaining, deliciously different, Mauritius cuisine (mix of Creole, Asian, French, and Portuguese), type eateries in our grand city of Montreal. Sylvester is the definition of la joie de vie, he is a man who wakes up in the morning with a cold bottle and believes that there ain’t nothin better then a ridin the rail (or spending 5 weeks a year in Cuba with his “sisters”). Every meal starts with an amuse bouche of fried cabbage, with onions and peppers, accompanied by four sauces being spicy, coriander vinegar, I forget but good, and I forget but better. You then move on to a choice of appetizers, Creole chicken, shrimp salad, or smoked salmon salad all of which are phenomenally tasty. Next you get the soup of the day that’s great. For the main course you have a choice of shrimp, scallops, squid, sea base, salmon, some other seafood stuff, chicken, beef, lamb or ox tail, in your choice of curry, Creole, saffron, tomato, garlic butter, or honey sauce. All of the meals are amazing but not for the closed minded, health conscious, or pretty bird type eater. This is the perfect place to kick you in the balls, smack you across the face, and help you remember what’s really important in life (living free and peace of mind).

Atmosphere: Sylvesterish feng shwayish/10
Food: Sylvesterish amazingness/10
Price: absolutely absurd that you can eat so much and spend 10 buck a person/10
After 10pm: Just go on a Friday or Saturday G-D dang it and find out for yourself/10

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Les Délices de l’ile Maurice, Restaurant Information

Address: 272 Hickson, Verdun, Montreal
Metro: De l’Église
Phone: 514-768-6023
Hours: Closed Sun & Mon 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Payment: Cash Only
Bring Your Own Wine, Apportez votre vin (BYOB)

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On Symposium Restaurant Montreal Chef Deck says:

Milos Restaurant started the trend, Faros had a stint close to the top, Phillinos was good once upon a time, but now if you’re looking for one of the best Greek restaurants in Montreal, restaurant Symposium won’t disappoint. The platter with grilled octopus, grilled calamari, and fried calamari was perfection. All of the trio melted in your mouth, and were seamlessly spiced. The highlight of the meal though where their special scallops (you ask why special? I’ll never tell) . Eating them was like a party in my mouth which Richard Prior, Kevin Nealon, and Norm Macdonald all happened to be in attendance for. I thank you Mr. Symposium for being so magically delicious.

Atmosphere: Oppa/10
Tastiness: 9.193834722/10
Hospitality: And Jesse Katsopolis thought he was cool/10

Chef Deck signing out!

Psarotaverna Du Symposium Restaurant

3829, rue St-Denis corner Roy, Montreal
Tel: 514-842-0867
Hours: Monday – Friday, 11:30 am – 2:30 pm, Every day, 5 pm – 11 pm
Cuisine: Greek, Seafood

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On Gibby’s Steakhouse Restaurant Saint-Sauver Chef Deck says:

In writing this next review, I’ve been experiencing quite the moral dilemma considering the fact that whenever I go I have a great experience, and whenever others go they have a horrible one. Let’s delve a little deeper into this conundrum to discover if it is I Chef Deck who has the bad taste, if the people have reason, or if consistency is the problem. When I go to Gibby’s there are only a select few dishes which I order, and they never disappoint. As my appetizer, I will get the Karnatzel with mango chutney (or oysters in season) and it is always perfection (even better than the sausage sampler at the Q). My main will either be the St-Sauver rack of lamb, the Steak Diane, or fillet mignon with a Bernaise sauce which are all quite delicious 95% of the time. Now onto the many complaints; it seems that for every good meal there is a bad one and people hate the service, which I will not discount because it’s a common occurrence. People say that Gibby’s St-Sauver restaurant is horrible compared to the Old Montreal restaurant but I think the opposite. So since I’ve really gotten nowhere with this argument, let’s blame it on consistency and say that Chef Deck’s pallet isn’t that of a peasant.

Atmosphere: Good country livin/10
Food: Chef Deck; 8.78856/10 Other Folk; 6.12321/10
Gratuitous eatz: Best hot bread, bacon bits, pickles, and Gibby gate chocolates in the city/10
Birthday Polaroids which have gone digital: Dam you Bill Gates/10

Chef Deck signing out!

Gibbys Restaurant Information

414 Principle St, Saint-Sauveur, Quebec
Phone: 514-282-1837
Hours: Sunday – Friday: open from 5:00pm, Saturday: open from 4:30pm
Payment: MasterCard, Visa, Interac

Gibby’s Restaurant Old Montreal

298, Place d’Youville, cross street St Pierre, Old Montreal, QC
Phone: 514-282-1837
Payment: MasterCard, Visa, Interac
Hours: Fri – Sat 4:30 pm – 11:30 pm, Sun – Thurs 4:30 pm – 11 pm

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Oy Moishe, ya know my grandfather used to play poker with you and the boys in the good old days. He would walk 45 miles, trenching through 10 feet of snow to get a steak for only five cents (what a deal). Now things have changed a little, so good luck having a meal at Moishes for less that $60 a person. I would never want to trash you because I have too many fond memories but for the price, and my personal taste, you are not somewhere I frequent. What I do love is your filet mignon shish kabob, your sesame crusted tuna, and all the fixings to fill you up before your meal (and ya I guess you kind of invented in Montreal the coveted Monte Carlo potato). Everything else is just good , always of fine quality (though usually undercooked), and you can count on perfect service 100% of the time.

Food: Nostalgic/10

Running in to every single person who used to know your grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, 25th cousins thrice removed: a little unnerving when trying to eat your meal/10

Stuffing your pockets with Double Bubble: 37/10

Chef Deck signing out!

3961 St Laurent, Plateau, Montreal
Phone: 514-845-3509
Hours: Mon – Fri 11:30 am – 2:30 pm, 5:30 pm – 11:00 pm, Sat – Sun 5:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Price: 50+ per person

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Garde-Manger Montreal Review by Guest Reviewer Dubers

UPDATE: Read Chef Deck’s review of Restaurant Garde Manger (May 2009)

Garde-Manger….so many evenings, so many blurry memories. Whenever someone asks me for the hippest restaurant in Montreal, my answer is always inevitably Garde-Manger. Originally opened as an “anti-scene” joint in Old Montreal, this small resto / lounge has now been adopted by the Montreal foodies, bar flies and hipsters alike. No other place can you enjoy fine dining, a well selected wine list, beautiful cocktails and the opportunity to get naked.

If you are looking for runway waitresses that don’t know how to do wine service, overpriced martinis, Eurotrash and food that sucks, then St-Laurent Blvd. is slightly north/west. Garde-Manger boasts some beautiful staff but all are knowledgeable, quick and friendly (Julie and Jessica, you rock). Owner/Partner Kyle is always around either pouring libations or mixing the tunes, never missing an opportunity to mingle with his loyal clientèle.

With a menu that changes daily on the chalk board, past favorites and must haves are:

Large Seafood platter: Also lovingly referred to as the trough, this is SICK ACTION!!! This baby takes up your whole table and then some. For $125 bones, it’s the biggest and baddest in Montreal. A must for 4-6 people.

BBQ baby back ribs (I love you with your side of succulent potato salad) Is it wrong to suck on your neighbors saucy fingers?

Their fish and seafood is always fresh. Nothing like getting a “Loup de Mer” served on your plate while it’s still starring right at you. Delicious but creepy.

Atmosphere is very loud and not for the faint of heart. If you are looking for a quiet, uneventful evening, try Holder restaurant. It’s real tough to get a table at restaurant Garde-Manger and reservations are a must. Call in advance but drop in anytime for a martini.

Wearing the Troff’s decorative seaweed on your head to look like a Rastafarian 10/10

Tastiness: 9.99999999/10 (Deduction for that imperfect oval-shape olive in my martini, OK…10/10)

Getting a table on a Thursday night unless you call 16 weeks in advance/10

Garde-Manger Restaurant Information

408 St-François-Xavier, Old Montreal
Phone: 514-678-5044
Hours: Tue–Sun 6 pm – 3 am
Payment: Cash, Credit Cards

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Chef Deck says:

To Le Barcelos Grillades Restaurant, though you’re only Janos younger brother doesn’t mean that you’re not just as special… in fact you’re pretty much an identical twin. Finally a Montreal restaurant has arrived on Price Arthur Street that won’t give you dysentery. Everything on your menu is just superb. I love your charcoal grilled chicken, trout, sardines, calamari, lamb chops, sausage, rabbit, you know what you can’t go wrong with anything (ya great fries too, and boiled potatoes the good ol Portuguese way).

Food: 8.9/10
Portuguese pride: 11/10
Man singing and playing guitar in my in my ear: Make me nauseous and uncomfortable with his panhandling/10

Chef Deck signing out!

Le Barcelos Grillades Restaurant

107 Prince-Arthur Est, Montréal; 514-845-5266
Pay: VISA, MC, Interac

Excellent BYOB French restaurant. They specialize in seafood… would ya think. Can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. About $50-$80 a couple.

1201, Rachel East; 514-522-4876
Hours: 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm, closed on Monday
Pay: Amex, VISA, MC, Interac
BYOB