Mamie Grumman (Meryl Streep's daughter) a delightful ingénue, but a dear,
old friend from school. Several weeks ago, while comfortably viewing the
indie flick 'The Lifeguard' (2013), I saw my friend's 'doppelganger'... Mamie
Grumman and Isabelle could be twins. The smile, the blonde; the curve of
the jaw, the beautiful teeth...had to share my discovery. Lo and behold she
responded to the text that same day...and we decided it had been too long
for one of our confessional confers. She suggested 'Brasserie T!' on Jeanne
Mance in the 'Quartier des Spectacles' - an entertainment district located
in the eastern section of Downtown Montreal, designed as a centre for
Montreal's cultural events and festivals where many streets are now
converted into pedestrian walkways... a beautiful, vibrant neighborhood.
The term 'fine-dining' seems as dated as videos, actual cameras, and land
lines…but I like fine food, well-made food, food created by people who can
really cook. Frankly, I don't care how fancy it looks or how much it costs.
All that concerns me is whether it's delicious. Increasingly weary of those
dishes that try too hard, I remain a sucker for those times when great chefs
go casual, resulting in dishes like 'Au Pied de Cochon's' foie gras poutine
or 'Joe Beef's' lobster spaghetti.
In the summer of 2010, Montreal's top fine-dining chef, Normand Laprise
(Toqué!), decided to give casual a go, too. He opened this 55-seat
'Brasserie T!' literally, next door to Place des Arts with a menu that was two
parts brasserie and one part fun. There is even a hamburger, and boy was
it good. Main-course prices didn't rise above $20. The restaurant is a
resounding hit — so much so, in fact, that Laprise admitted that the profits
from the brasserie are used to help fund the maison mère, 'Toqué!'
After a slight feeling of restlessness, the drive downtown was horrendous,
due to the traffic because of the construction (it seems to get worse and
worse)... I thought there was this incredible migration to Toronto?!
They even have a terrific terrasse, that adds an extra 45 seats that spill
out on to the Place des festivals, but a little noisy for our purpose, so we
sojourned indoors, and settled in. Though the space may appear a little
cramped, we felt perfectly at ease. The crowd is pretty casual. The menu
is short and sweet…had many favorites, of course, that's common in the
brasserie/bistro genre…the perfect luncheon locale.
To begin, we shared, as is becoming the norm at these lunches, everything...
from the carafe of 'Côteaux d'Aix en Provence', a earthy, brilliant red wine
which was divine with the 'Foie gras poêlé'... pan seared to perfection.
Brasserie T!'s wine list is a serious draw, and affordable. Made up primarily
of well-chosen private imports, this list also scores because the majority of
bottles are priced under $60. And that juicy, charcoaled hamburger with
cheese, extra bacon was lusciously moist and was accompanied by a good
size portion of 'Pommes frites'...is one of the best upscale burgers in Montreal.
When the first plates hit the table, I thought, wow, this is pretty soigné
cuisine, so kudos to the chef de cuisine. 'Brasserie T!' may be modest in size
and appearance, but their food is brasserie de luxe. Service throughout the
luncheon was provided by a waiter, Vero, who was enthusiastic and efficient.
In choosing the wine I went through several tastings before I settled with the
'Côteaux d'Aix en Provence', and he never flinched. Impressive!
I am now a fan of Brasserie T! Fine dining indeed! Mamie and I loved
everything about our luncheon and made plans for many more… though
in a less congested area.
Life is short... Live your dream... Share your passion!
* From Where I Sit!
www.fromwhereisit.co
August 28, 2014
* Brasserie T!
1425 Jeanne Mance St. @ St.Catherine St. W.
Montréal, H2X 2J4
(514) 282-0808
www.brasserie-t.com/index.html
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