Restaurant Review - 'Leméac' ****‏

Leméac is a restaurant that throws you a loop. I first dined
at this Laurier Ave. 'bistro de luxe' shortly after its opening
in November'01. I was a guest of the man who did the design and
renovation from its earlier incarnation, as a 'librairie'. The
brainchild of two of the city's seasoned restaurateurs, Émile
Saine and Richard Bastien, Leméac had a winning formula, stunning
decor, fabulous location, a talented kitchen crew, and a menu
chock full of nouveau-bistro fare.
Now two years later, it has become even better. I can think
of no other establishment where the majority of the appetizers
are priced under 10$ (and main courses under 20$) yet are served
on Swiss china with high quality flatware and stemware on starched
white linen. The luxury doesn't stop there, plate presentations
are fancy, and the bathrooms are some of the most chic in the
city. The dining room is supremely handsome with tall arched
windows facing Laurier and Durocher. The wine-colored, wood-panelled
room creates the illusion of a fashionable fishbowl, where you're
sure to spot swank patrons, the upper crust of Outremont society
and celebrities. Case in point, two tables down, was a group
consisting of Luc Plamondon (producer, songwriter for Celine Dion)
and André Gagnon (pianist). Wouldn't of noticed except for the
fact that he does the Jack Nicholson thing, wears sunglasses
indoors, at night. Bombshell, being a French-Canadian and who
is familiar with this man's work, got up to greet him, has he
walked by us, returning to his table. Nice fellow!
Leméac is in the family of bistros like 'L'Express', and is
a swank restaurant like 'La Chronique'. The chef de cuisine,
Jean-Philippe St.Denis, has kept the original menu intact. The
food is fulfilling and in most cases surpasses our expectations.
The 'torchon de foie gras' was at par with that 'Au Pied de Cochon'.
The 'steak tartare', velvety and accompanied by a generous mound
of thin, crisp and delicious fries. The scallops, were pan-seared
to perfection. One of the other dinner companions had a delightful
goat's cheese salad. Unlike your typical bistro 'chèvre chaud',
this elegant starter consists of a galette of golden, pan-fried
goat's cheese paired with a tangle of frisée lettuce and green
batonnets.
Though main-course selections consist primarily of bistro classics,
everything is given a fresh approach. Given this novel treatment
is the veal liver, which is served in a thick fillet coated with
a minty herbed crust and paired with mashed potatoes mixed with
caramelized onion. The 'cerf de Boileau' (deer meat) topped with
a disk of 'maitre d'hotel' butter and cooked juicy-rare. In most
cases when asked how I'd like my meat cooked, I reply, 'Let the
chef decide', but in a handful of higher-end establishments, they
don't ask, they do it the way it's meant to be, Leméac is one
of those.
Desserts, simple and creative concoctions whipped up by the
pastry chef Julien Guillegault, end the meal on a high note. In
a city starved for good desserts, Guillegault's offerings, though
far from elaborate, are among the best. The wine list includes
a fine selection of predominantly French wines, though there's
a good selection of Australian, Argentinan and Chilean, fairly
priced. I would highly recommend the 'Deigar Estate' shiraz.
Though Leméac continues to market itself as a bistro/café with
the requisite steak/frites and confit de canard, there's a lot
more to it than that.


* Leméac café bistro
1045 Laurier Ave. W. @ Durocher St.
Outremont
514.270.0999
www.restaurantlemeac.com