On Montreal Restaurant Bar et Boeuf (Sea Bass & Beef) Chef Deck says:

One of the perks of being a Chef Deck is being invited to try new restaurants in order to do biased reviews. Luckily I’m a man of great honour (like Frank Dux, like put up your dux) and would never review a comped meal. What I do have to say about this reinvented bistro (formerly Wilson) is that the ambiance, menu and prices are fresh, original and decent. They also have a great wine list which is reasonably priced. Another perk is that they got restaurant Le Local`s chef Alexandre Gosselin who is bound to keep things creative, and who introduced a 4 and 7 course taster menu ($49 – $59) with wine pairings ($79 – $109). So eatwellers, I’m gonna leave the reviewing up to you on this one, go with your most discriminating pallets and let me know if you think it’s worth the hoopla!

Food presentation: geometric/10
Price: $8-$22 apps and $17-$30 mains/10
Tastiness: Up to our loyal followers/10

Chef Deck signing out!

Restaurant Bar et Boeuf Montreal Information

500 McGill (corner Notre-Dame), Old-Montreal
Metro: Square-Victoria
Phone: 514-866-3555
Email: info@baretboeuf.com
Hours: Lunch Tues – Fri 11:30 am – 2:00 pm; Dinner Tues – Sat 5:30 pm – 11:00 pm
Payment: Visa, MC, Amex, Interac
Website: baretboeuf.com

On Old Montreal Restaurant Le Local Chef Deck says:

If I was homeless in the city of Montreal I would chose to sleep under the bridge on University corner of William Street. Why you ask? Well for one, there are lots of rich business people to beg from, two I could eat at Cluny’s Restaurant every day for lunch, three I can cleanse in the river, four I could pursue my dream of being an artist at the Darling Foundry, five I could steel the new biki government bikes on William street for transport, and six I could jack people’s meals on the terrace of Restaurant Le Local for dinner! So yes I am a fan of this fine Old Montreal restaurant designed by architects Lemay Michaud. On this particular night we started with escargot and homemade gnocchi which were great, and a beet salad with crispy bacon, breaded poached egg and truffle oil that I crave every night. For the mains we had decent ravioli with duck confit, and a baby calves liver that was thick like a fillet mignon and delicious. Also a fun little tidbit is that the former chef of Leméac Charles-Emmanuel Pariseau has been hired by chef/owner Louis-François Marcotte, and their old chef Alexandre Gosselin is now at the new Bar et Boeuf. So if your ever robbed while enjoying your meal on the terrasse by a fat man, don’t worry because it is just I Chef Deck trying to fill my belly!

Tastiness: 8.44234349/10
Stars you can stock: we ran into the great Mosé Persico, local G-d/10
Price: $5-$20 apps and $19-$31 mains/10

Le Local Montreal Information

40 William. Old Montréal
Payment: Major Credit Cards, Interac
Metro: Square Victoria
Phone: 514 397 7737
Hours: (kitchen open): Mon – Fri, 11:30 am – midnight, Sat 5:30 pm – midnight, Sun 5:30 pm – 11:30 pm
Cuisine Type: Tapas, French, Bistro
Meal Type: Lunch, Dinner
Website: resto-lelocal.com

Yoyo is definitely the appropriate name for this once great Montreal BYOB because it always has had its ups and downs. The problem these days is that the only person playing with the Yoyo is Corky. The menu and food have gone down in terms of quality, originality, and all around tastiness to such a degree that I’m embarrassed by the fact that I’ve recommended it to so many people over the years. On this particular night we started with escargot in an overpowering smoked bacon and beef jus I think, and a goat cheese filled tart (the tart was so store bought) covered in shitake and oyster mushrooms. Both dishes were sub par and overpowered by their sauces to the point that you really couldn’t even taste the ingredients. For the mains we ate a chicken breast (not even gonna describe it because it was overcooked and poopy), and a filet mignon with a béarnaise sauce (sauce was good) that was of the lowest quality meat (kinda like a flank steak that hadn’t been marinated). I was so appalled by the food that we didn’t even get dessert. Yoyo what happened to the ravioli, your great deer medallions, the venison? Are you that cheap now that you can’t buy good ingredients or just that greedy? There is an old folk song called Abby Yoyo and I wish with all my heart that he would show up and swallow your restaurant whole!

Tastiness: About as tasty as Enrique Iglesias’ mole on a platter/10
Service: Still top shelf/10
Price: Overpriced for the quality/10

Chef Deck signing out!

Yoyo Restaurant Information

4720, rue Marquette, (corner Gilford), Plateau, Montréal
Telephone: 514-524-4187
Website: http://www.restoyoyo.com/
Hours: 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm daily
Payment: Visa, MC, Diners Club, American Express, Interac, Cash
Features: Bring Your Own Wine (BYOB)

My sister choose the restaurant this time and she chose restaurant Le Valois, in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighbourhood. (If you want to look cool, just say HoMa.) I love to try restaurants that aren’t downtown, they know that they have to do their best for you to come back… they aren’t full of chicks in stilettos and businessmen who look very, very, busy talking on their Blackberries … the kind of place you feel bad if you’re not dressed up because Ken and Barbie are sitting next to you. Anyway, I went to Le Valois with my family and was pleasantly surprised by this Montreal restaurant. The space is very cozy, full of wood and coloured glass (reminded me of a church). Outside there is a beautiful large terrace in the summer just besides Place Valois, (where there is a William J. Walter Saucissier location…sorry, can’t help it, I love the William Suisse sausages …I even bought some after my meal). The list of wine is quite extensive (2 pages!), and the service is great (cute guy and my sister is single), discreet but always right.

Now, about the FOOD, the cold vichyssoise and the cream of green vegetable was just o.k, the tomatoes were not really “confites” in the puff pastry on confit tomatoes they were just broiled. The herring tartar with green apples was too salty for my taste, and tasted like a dill pickle ( my father loved it). The goat cheese with honey and thyme was good but oily. I also did not like the fact that it was in a phyllo pastry and they put a whole stem of thyme (I had to perform an operation to get it out). Overall, I was not extremely impressed by the appetizers, but my palate liked it, so it couldn’t have been too bad. For the mains, the beef “bavette” was good and the fries came with a homemade mayonnaise. The chicken with mango salsa was good but gave me a sense of déjà vu. The confit duck leg was succulent and I personally liked it the most; it was served on a bed of hot slices of green apples and an outstanding aragula salad. For dessert, I suggest you try the pound cake served with a shot of Bailey’s, the cake was very scrumptious, (I normally hate cake but I do like alcohol).

WHAT’S HOT:
The restaurant is an intimate and fun to place be in. They made an effort on the presentation (decor, food, everything), and it was worth it. A definite plus, parking meters are free on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays! The bathrooms are clean (although downstairs and a long walk).

WHAT’S NOT:
Everything is good, but not great. There is no sparkle, nothing special … they could do a little bit better. I think I am going to try it 2 or 3 times before I can really say if I like it or not. But, on the whole, it’s okay, and like I said, the waiter was cute … so I don’t mind going back!

HOW MUCH?
For two: 50$-60$, wine and tax included, tip not.

WHEN?
7 days a week, 8 am to 11 pm.

WHERE?
25 Place Simon-Valois (near 3809 Ontario)
Phone: 514.528.0202
Email: levalois@gmail.com