On Montreal Restaurant Le Cartet Chef Deck says,

If you’re hip, emo, wear vintage sunglasses, have a faux hawk, bleach our skin, or use a vice grip to enter your jeans, Montreal Restaurant Le Cartet is the place for you! This place is almost as hip as Cary Tobin, and serves mimosa with breakfast. I’ve been going here since day one, and have witnessed its great social climb. The food is very tasty (though the portions are small for a fat man), and the food market up front is quality. They now have sit down breakfast (very tasty), lunch, and dinner along with a great take out selection. For lunch on this day we ate a tasty duck confit salad, and a well presented fish of the day, all served with choice of soup (minestrone, gazpacho, or cream of corn). Personally I would rather go to Beniamino & Co.or Café Titanic for lunch when I’m in the area, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles. All and all Le Cartet is still a quality Montreal Restaurant, and I’ll never pass up a chance to go, because it is amongst the best people watching places in our great city!

Tastiness: 8.13434235/10
Ambiance: Fellini movie/10
Price: $15-$25 person/10

Chef Deck signing out!

Le Cartet Montreal Information

106, rue McGill, Montreal, QC
Metro: Square Victoria
Phone: 514-871-8887
Hours: Mon – Fri: 7:00 am – 8:00 pm, Sat- Sun: 9:00 am -5:00 pm
Payment: Interac, MasterCard, American Express, Visa

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

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 Mechant Boeuf Bar & Brasserie Chef Deck says:

Angry beefs are few and far between. As a child I used to go Vermont where my cousin and I would go cow tipping, four wheeling in the pastures, and have occasional b.b. assaults on the poor animals (I’m sorry PETA, I do feel regret to this day). Even with that constant harassment the beefs remained truly docile, and never became so called angry beefs. At Mechant Boeuf Montreal, this is not the case. This is because since the silver fox and his team took over they’ve been angrier then Howlin’ Wolf, for finally they’re being whipped into shape. The quality of this beef house restaurant has gone up by miles. I had the tartar app (tuna, salmon, and beef) which was excellent, an amazing burger (with Gorgonzola and bacon served medium unlike mbgr restaurant), a so so New York strip, and the pièce de résistance, one of the best filet mignons in Montreal with a pepper sauce. So silver fox, keep those beefs angry because restaurant Mechant Boeuf is back on my list!

Tastiness: 8.4124124114/10
Ambience: casse-croûte meet the Q/10
Price: $20-$30 a person/10

Chef Deck Signing out!

Méchant Boeuf Bar & Brasserie Restaurant Information

124, Saint-Paul West, corner St-Sulpice, (attached to the Nelligan hotel)
Old Montreal, Québec
Phone: 514-788-2040
Hours: Diner, Sun – Wed, 5:00 pm – 11:00 pm, Thurs – Sat, 5:00 pm to 1:00 am
Payment: Credit Card, Interac, Cash
Cuisine: Burger, Steak, Casual
Website mechantboeuf.com

Check out the photos below:

L’Original Restaurant Information

479 Saint-Alexis, Old Montreal
Phone: 514-303-0479
Payment: Visa, American Express, Mastercard

*UPDATE: See our coverage of the one year anniversay of restaurant L’Orignal

Monika Terlecki and Travis Champion two of the people behind Old-Montreal hot spot Garde-Manger, have opened a new restaurant, L’Orignal right around the corner. They have already created a buzz, hosting a party before the official opening for media, and friends, with champagne, oysters, apps, and fun. L’Orignal’s menu will feature traditional Quebecoise cuisine (fish, game meats and top local products) with a modern twist. The decor features features plenty of wood and original stone walls and is located in a heritage building. If you are looking for a new place to try in the increasingly popular western Old Montreal area check it out. Look for rue Saint-Alexis the small street (almost an alley) one block east of Saint-Pierre, L’Orignal restaurant is on the right with a little moose on the door.

click the read more link below for the full menu at restaurant L’Original.

479 Saint-Alexis, Old Montreal
Phone: 514 303 0479
Payment: Visa, American Express, Mastercard
Hours:
Mon – Tues: 12:00 pm – 12:00 am
Wed: 12:00 pm – 3:00 am
Thurs: 12:00 pm – 12:00 am
Fri: 12:00 pm - 3:00 am
Sat: 6:00 pm - 3:00 am
Sun: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Chef: Francis Cote
General Manager: Shannon McGarr

MENU

Entrées ~ Appetizers

Endive salad with red wine vinigrette and aged cheddar $7
Simple garden salad $6
Arugula salad with sesame dressing $7
Salmon gravlax with maple syrup and trio of salt $11
Marinated mackerel filet $10
Scallop ceviche with gingerale and orange water $15
Lamb mini burgers with Migneron cheese $9
French onion soup $6

Tartares
Concombre ~ Cucumber 7$
Thon épicé ~ Spicy tuna 16$
Saumon ~ Salmon 13$
Canard et foie gras fondant 32$
Duck and foie gras
Bœuf ~ Beef 15$
Cerf ~ Venison 16$

Principaux ~ Mains

Filet Mignon with Foie Gras and Maple Whiskey $52
Filet Mignon in chanterelle sauce $35
Ribeye Steak with green peppercorns and fries $25
Braised lamb shank $21
Seared duck breast in coca-cola and cinnamon $26
Surf’n turf 35$
Absinthe sauteed scallops $28
Chai poached salmon $20
Seared tuna steak with white truffle oil
cornflake cod fish and chips $18
Sauteed shrimp in cream back bacon and lime leaves 24$
Duck leg confit served on salad greens $18
Mushroom risotto $19

Desserts

Trio of sorbet $6
Chocolate lava cake with lavender cream $7
Fromage Quebecois 2 pour 10$ 5 pour 22$

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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