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 Montreal Restaurant M:brgr Chef Deck says:

Today my perfect teeth (no i swear…27 and no cavity’s, no teeth pulled even the wisdoms, and never even a needle in my mouth…i love you Dr. Felger) bit into a perfect burger. I have to be honest in the fact that over the past few months, i’ve been hating on Montreal restaurant M:brgr, for the pure and simple fact, that i did not believe a burger joint could be worth such high prices. Wow do i feel like a dildo now because M:brgr was fantastic. Of course i had to order the Kobe beef burger with truffle aioli ($20). Bitting into it felt like sinking my teeth into a virgin baby seal raised on the coast of Monaco. Oh yes, it was magical. I decided not to get any toppings for I wanted to see how perfect the meat was and recommend the same practice for any M:brgr goer (perfectly seasoned and juicy like a Gushers). The fries were also solid, double fried crisp with that sweetness you only get from a AAA casse-croûte. I still think that M:brgr is too expensive however that Kobe beef burger is probably the best in town (i plan on going to Le Paris tomorrow to confirm this statement). Looking to go to M:brgr on the cheap, try the lunch box special (11 am – 5 pm), it includes the AAA angus burger, fries and a coke for ($12.75). Lastly I got to mention my disappointment in the fact that I could not order it rare but don’t worry i got to the bottom of it. They buy ground kobe meat so the risk factor in cooking it rare would be against code. I suggest that they add a $60 burger of Kobe steak that they grind on the spot to the menu, so we carnivores can eat our meat bloody and waste even more money!

Ambiance: Bar chic yet a little cheesy /10
Food: 8.79324934/10
Price: Way too expensive so damn you for being so good/10

Chef Deck signing out!

Restaurant M:brgr Information:

2025 Drummond, corner de Maisonneuve Blvd. W., Downtown, Montreal
Phone: 514-90m.brgr (906-2747)
Hours: Mon – Wed 11:30 am – 11:00 pm, Thurs – Sat 11:30 am – Midnight
Pay: Cash, Visa, MC, AMEX
Website: mbrgr.com

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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