Restaurant Review - 'Cavalli' 2005‏

Sitting next to the floor-to-ceiling windows at 'Cavalli',
I turn to see thin beauties in micro-minis and slick guys
handing the valet attendants keys to their very expensive,
exotic sports cars. There are Ferraris, Porsches and
Maseratis. I turn the other way and martini glasses glimmer
on tables down the length of the room, each filled with
a different pastel-coloured elixir. Refreshing, vibrant,
intense and fun, much like the restaurant itself.
After the demise of 'Mondo Saks'. The trendy new design
conceived by Architect Miguel Cancio (the visionary behind
'Buddha Bar' and 'Man Ray' in Paris, and Montreal's 'Med
Grill') might seem to overwhelm the food. The space is huge.
This 160-seat dining room is packed on a smoldering summer
night, at the beginning of the Montreal International Jazz
Festival, with a very 'Sex in the City' style crowd. You
see old friends, acquaintances, make new friends and find
yourself swaying to cool background music. I was actually
having fun, watching all those beautiful people parade up
and down the aisles. The decor certainly contributes to my
enthusiasm. Cancio has created a sort of preppy fun house
with alternating candy pink and celery green velvet chairs,
'70s wood-paneling, and an illuminated black and pink bar.
However, a restaurant is only as good as its food. In that
respect, I have nothing but praise for 'Cavalli'. Though the
underlying style is Italian, ingredients like wasabi, spices,
chipotle peppers, and plenty of coriander scream fusion. Yet,
it's fusion at its most disciplined and restrained. Not once
did I come across an off note, nor sample a dish that wasn't
perfectly seasoned. If ever there was an Italian restaurant
where a tableside shot of pepper should be waved off, this
is it. Every appetizer I sampled gets a firm thumbs up. Not
to be missed is the Shrimp Tempura. What's inventive here is
the way the chef has managed to trap spicy garlic aioli inside
the tempura shell. Every bite is tender, moist and garlicky,
with a wonderful taste of fresh seafood. If fresh seafood is
your pleasure, try the plate of White Fish Carpaccio. The olive
oil and lemon-tamari vinaigrette transforms this dish from
a plate of raw pink snapper to melting mouthfuls of meat
enlivened with crisp, bitter greens.
Main courses continue to impress. Sushi-grade tuna is
lightly seared in a crust of sunflower seeds, and served with
room-temperature bok choy, Israeli couscous, and enoki mushrooms
dressed with a wasabi and tobiko vinaigrette. The Chilean Sea
Bass is moist and delicate, topped with a brunoise of mango with
mint, and served with an intense pepper sauce. Desserts live up
to the sophistication of the savory menu, with colorful
presentations. A moist carrot cake iced with goat's cheese,
and a cream-heavy trio consisting of fluffy coffee mousse, paired
with mascarpone. 'Cavalli's wine list comprises Californian and
Italian wines, with a good choice of bottles in the $50 range.
Under the watchful eye of my good friend, and co-owner, Gianni
Caruso, service is solid. Though there is some wait between the
dishes, with all the action, you'll barely notice.
The Cavalli experience is one glitzy restaurant, that favors
smokers, including cigars. Love that! Food this good in a room
this beautiful should be accessible to all dinners, including
smokers.


* Ristorante Cavalli ****
2040 Peel St.
Montreal (514) 843-5100
www.ristorantecavalli.com


* Reviewed July 5, 2005