On Montreal Restaurant Greasy Spoon Chef Deck says,

Market fresh is the new word in Montreal and it’s catching on fire like Charlie Sheen’s underwear. Montreal is kickin it back to the basics and many Montreal restos (Kitchen Gallerie, Joe Beef) are seeing the value in an ever changing menu according to the day’s best ingredients. Greasy Spoon restaurant is a fine example of this trend and I Chef Deck welcome it with open arms. It’s hard for me to judge the food because we opted for a tuna melt to start which was delicious, and were then tantalized by the seafood platter. Let me rephrase, this was not a platter but a three tiered oceanic smorgasbord of greatness (though a bit pricey for the portion). It had a selection of oysters, crisp shrimp, snow crab, and the coveted stone crab (yes those free lovin creatures that are protected by only having one claw snapped off at a time so they can roam like Ash until it grows back and can be snapped again!). One another note the atmosphere, music, and bar is great, though I feel that they can go harder on the beverages (and I’m sure the terrace will be kick ass in the summer).

Food: I pray with all my heart that it is amazing though the well-cooked seafood is a good sign / 10
Atmosphere: Irish pub, meets Alberta steak house, meets Garde Manger, meets the Cat Room/ 10
Price: $10-$15 apps and $20-$30 mains/ 10

Chef Deck signing out!

Greasy Spoon Restaurant Information

160 Laurier O, corner St-Urbain, Mile-End, Plateau-Mont-Royal
Montreal, QC
Métro: Laurier
Telephone: 514-495-7666
Hours: Tues – Sat: 5:00 pm – 12:00 am (midnight), Sun 5:00 pm – 11:00 pm, Closed Monday

Payment: Cash, Interac, Visa, MC

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)

On Beautys Restaurant Montreal guest reviewer Andrea says:

Alright, Say what you will: Overpriced orange juice (delicious), deceitful waiting time estimates (irritating) and the extra six bucks for your tuna scoop on that oh-so addictive Greek salad (sorry, it’s worth it)– but there’s still a reason why our Beauty’s continues to rake in the business after 50 years. Although the retro Jewish-deli-meets-the-50’s-décor is charming enough, the food happens to be good. Damn good. Scarf down the “Mish-Mash”, an artery-choking omelette peppered with salami and hot-dog (be sure to position yourself next to a bathroom), the Beauty’s Special, a Montreal staple that includes lox (glorified smoked salmon), onions, tomatoes, cream cheese and those bagels we fight with New Yorkers about, or sip from the massive Cookies ‘n Cream smoothie. Don’t forget to stop and listen to what’s going on around you as entertainment abounds in that adjoining booth to the right of you.

While the funky-friendly servers bring breakfast all day, lunch offers a wide array of fresh salads, (enough to feed half the restaurant and no, they CANNOT be ordered in halves) including the grilled veggie, crab meat, chopped egg or tuna. You can also go for the gold and plunge into the club salad: the regular ingredients topped off with cooked chicken or turkey, cheddar cheese, bacon and mayo. Savour the chopped liver sandwich, share the tuna-egg club and finish yourself off with the killer chocolate cake and you’re all good. We can spend some time on the phenomenal burgers, the toasted banana bread, the home-made soup (check out the red lentil and green pea) or the Super Beautys 2 (complete with 2 pancakes, 2 waffles an overload of saturated fats like bacon, sausage and home-fries) or, you can just pick yourself up from that hangover, mix in with the Plateau hipsters, the hockey moms and the legendary owner Hymie “the-wait-is-only-5-minutes” Skulnick and get into line. It’s worth it just to hear the regulars complain about the wait.

Restaurant Beauty’s

93 Mont-Royal Ouest, Montreal, QC
Metro: Mont-Royal
Phone: 514-849-88837
Hours: Mon – Fri 7 am – 4 pm, Sat 7 am-5 pm, Sun 8 am – 5 pm
Payment: Cash & Credit
Food: Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch

On Montréal Restaurant Au Pied de Cochon Chef Deck says :

If I was goose in a box, being force fed yummy grains all day and night until my liver was about to explode, I would hope to one day end up in a Au Pied de Cochon Fois Gras poutine. Yes loyal readers, this means that I Chef Deck, am a huge fan of the one restaurant in the city that prides itself on promoting our old Canadian $100 bill mascot (the great Canada goose). Montreal Restaurant Au Pied de Cochon has a beautiful menu featuring upscale, quebecois dishes with a twist from the great mind of chef/owner Martin Picard (an array of game meats, pork, meat, fois gras every way, and constantly changing specials). This particular evening we ate a phenomenal moose carpaccio with artic char and quail eggs, seal, fois gras poutine, duck in a can, and the mother of all pork chops, all of which were originally presented and delicious. If you’re looking for a meal that will not disappoint in a fun atmosphere, and you’re not a hippy or a vegetarian, this Montreal pioneer will always satisfy your every desire!

Tastiness: 9.234232/10
Wine: perfect list and highly knowledgeable staff/10
Clientèle: not so halal/10

Chef Deck signing out!

Restaurant Au Pied de Cochon

536 Duluth Est, Montréal (Québec)
Metro: Mont-Royal
Tel: 514-281-1114
Email: aupieddecochon@qc.aira.com
Website: restaurantaupieddecochon.ca
Hours: Tues – Sun 5 pm-12 am
Payment: AMEX, MC, Visa, Interac
Cuisine: French, Terroir, Québécois

Crudessence, the newest vegan and raw food destination to hit Montreal opened May 4, 2008. The company which has been a vegan caterer has now opened a cafe on Rachel street, located close to the Sunday Tam Tam’s.

Lisa Shalom, a friendly staffer, was nice enough to tell me about what goes on at Crudessence. She explained that the motivation behind opening the cafe is to promote healthy lifestyles while proving that eating fast does not have to mean eating badly. The snacks and drinks served at Crudessence look and taste hearty and healthy. Here’s to feeling good. Cheers.

Crudessence Cafe Information:

105 Rachel West, Plateau Mont-Royal, Montreal
Metro: Mont Royal
Phone: 514-271-0333
Website: Crudessence.com
Hours: Monday 8 am – 6 pm, Tues – Sun: 8 am -9pm
Payment: Cash & Debit
Price: $5.00 – $15.00

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Aux Vivres Restaurant Review

On Montreal Restaurant Aux Vivres Chef Deck Says:

To be a Vegan or not to be a Vegan? That is the question. Well though Aux Vivres is quite delicious, I’ll have to pass on the full time veganism (if that’s a word). Now that I’ve officially made my decision I must express my surprise and joy on how amazing this place was. We started with chipata bread and veggie butter accompanied by an olive tapanade which was great. Next was the Thai bowl with lots of veggies (lots of bok choi), grilled tofu, and a peanut sauce which was hippie-rific. The highlight though was the BLT wrap, packed to the brim with grilled tofu, coconut bacon chips, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. Well Aux Vivres restaurant, you’ve given me a new found appreciation for rollin in the dirt and making out with trees.

Food: 8.1232234/10
Chefs: Daisy elbows/10
Apple Juice: Wow best fresh squeezed ever/10

Chef Deck signing out!

Restaurant Aux Vivres

4631 St Laurent, Cross street Mont-Royal, Montreal, QC
Phone Number: 514-842-3479
Metro: Mont-Royal
Payment: Cash Only
Hours: Tues – Sun 11 am – 11 pm, Weekend Brunch: Saturday and Sunday 11 am – 4 pm
Cuisine: Vegan

Did you know that the Portuguese saying “A mulher e a sardinha querem-se da mais pequenina” means “Women and sardines, you want them to be small”. Just a little food for thought. When your lookin for quick, reasonable, Portuguese restaurant grill on the Main, Janos (big brother to restaurant Le Barcelos Grillades nearby on Prince Arthur) won’t disappoint. I recommend getting the grilled mixed combo plate where you can choose a combo of four different dishes (chicken, lamb chops, octopus, sausage, rabbit, quail, and I forget what else). This particular night we opted for grilled trout and calamari which were both grilled to perfection (with great home cut fries). The only thing that is consistently poor at Janos is the starter salad (at least there’s bread and olives though). So old friend Mr. Jano I’ll always like you but I can’t say I love you.

Food:7.69343/10
Service: Very attentive with the ketchup, mayo, hot sauce situation/10
Price: $10-$15-$25 a person/10

Chef Deck signing out!

Jano Restaurant

3883 St Laurent, corner des Pins, Montreal
Phone: 514-849-0646
Hours: Mon – Wen 4:00 pm to 11:30 pm; Thur – Sun 12:00 pm to 11:30 pm
Pay: VISA, MC, Interac

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For all of you La Banquise lovers, I agree that it might be the best 3 am snack, and fine they serve beer till 3am, but if you think it’s the best poutine in the world you are not a true Québécois. You obviously haven’t traveled far enough in our vast province to be blessed with true lard deep fried satisfaction. Get in your car and drive a minimum of one hour north or east where they don’t need fancy ingredients to justify their prowess, and you might stumble upon the true experience. For those of you asking how can I possibly find these diamonds in the rough I will be your guide to a certain extent, but not to the full extent, because a magician can’t divulge all his secrets. All I have to say is 100% Boeuf! or Cals (best poutine gravy ever) if you’re into the fat fry Greco poutiner.

No squeaky curds 10/10
Sauce 6/10
Fries 6.75873/10

Chef Deck signing out!

La Banquise Restaurant Information
994 Rachel E, Montreal; 514-525-2415
Hours: Daily, 24 Hours
Pay: VISA, MC, Interac

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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