Jason, Author at Shut up and eat.

As good as your Nonna’s – Pasta Casareccia

by Jason November 16, 2009

written by Jason

What kind of meal leaves you warm and fuzzy inside and ready for a nap after you’re done eating it? Italian! Pastas, various cuts of meat breaded and deep fried, and stuffed things… But, me, I pronounce it “Eyetalian“, why? Cos I’m from Montreal, bro. However, not being Italian nor being an expert in Italian cuisine, I can still safely say that I know good Italian food when I have it, having been surrounded by it and some of the best Italian in Canada, if not, this side of the Tiber. This puts me in a peculiar position, how do I talk about an Italian place democratically without rendering me petrified to start my car after I post this entry? Ma, I gotta do what I gotta do.

I went to this local Italian place on Sherbrooke in NDG called Pasta Casareccia. Small place that’s half restaurant, half, Italian specialty store. I’ve been there numerous times, and figured it was about time I wrote about it.

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I started off with the caprese salad. Really crisp tomato (I like my tomatoes just a tad under ripe – as they should be eaten, ALWAYS) and incredibly fresh cheese, drizzled with a really good olive oil. The cheese was rich enough to make itself lactose-intolerant, warm, and chewy and full of gastro-track rearranging properties to the weak who refuse to tolerate lactose and it’s non-sense.

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My friend had the stuffed olives. We initially saw these on their custom printed place mats and were wondering what they were. We inquired and were told that they were stuffed with meat, battered and fried.

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I don’t know where they found these mutant olives, but they sure were deliciously gigantic.

The menu is typical of that of any Italian menu, sauces are listed in detail and you pick your choice of pasta.

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I had a fettuccine in a creamy white wine sauce with mushrooms, peas and BACON. Sinfully rich and filling, this dish should come with either a warning or a pillow, because it was lights out after this plate. Needless to say I went home and didn’t get any work done for the rest of the afternoon as I was too busy focused on not getting any pillow creases on my face. Bacon is good for you. Eat more of it.

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My friend had the spinach and ricotta stuffed ravioli in bolognese sauce. Extremely hearty and favorful, definitly not the same stuff that comes out of a can made by a fat man… although the chef here CAN be a fat man as well, but I doubt he’s some dude from Ohio. Small in size, but big in flavor, kind of like the token little guy on a basketball team… not to say that the little guy on a basketball team tastes good or anything… what the hell am I saying… it’s small in size and packs a big punch is what I mean! Geez!

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Don’t forget to check out their deli counter for pre-made Italian meal-item favorites – they seem to change daily, I assume that the pre-mades are a result of what’s on the market for that day.

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As mentioned before, Pasta Casareccia is half restaurant, half Italian specialty store. There are tons of little treasures and specialty food items to discover. If you’re looking for something they don’t have, I have a strong feeling they might “know a guy” who can hook you up with two of what ever it is, so never be afraid to ask.

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Great variety of coffee percolators and espresso machines for sale.

A meal here feels like a big hug from a short chubby Italian lady who may or may not have a whisker or two. So whether you’re looking for a mean meal or specialty items, this place is a must. Also, don’t get startled when your dish takes its time to arrive at your table, as their name states, they make their own fresh home-made pasta, so it’s definitly worth the wait.

Pasta Casareccia
5849 Sherbrooke W
514.483.1588

p.s. REMEMBER… pasta EXPANDS.

November 16, 2009 3 comments

Little Italy Reviews

Can’t put down at Depanneur Le Pick Up

by Jason September 16, 2009

written by Jason

Autumn in Montreal… it’s 17 degrees and you’re walking around with a jacket and the hot weather lady calls it “chilly”, five months ago, kids would be waiting by the door for these temperatures, itching to get out in tshirts and shorts. I was driving around the other night and couldn’t escape the smell of burning, and realized people are already using their fireplaces. I should have gotten the clue that cold is coming considering Halloween candy has already hit the shelves.

I met a buddy for lunch today who’s in town from B.C. for a week. It was stipulated that when he came back, we’d be going for lunch and trying some place we both haven’t been to before. I’ve read some reviews and decided that I had to check out “Le Pick Up” for myself.

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This place screams down low. Located right in the middle of a residential neighborhood, it’s totally non-descript; and you would probably miss it if it wasn’t for a recycled children’s chalk-board easel sitting in front with the day’s specialty items… and the picnic tables and chairs kind of give it away too. So maybe not THAT inconspicuous really, maybe it’s just that they just don’t have a sign.

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We took a look at the menu which was straight up and simple. We took a seat outside, and being in a residential neighborhood, there’s a certain charm to actually sit in a “backyard” and this one next to the neighbor’s black market satellite dish and balcony they use as storage… yes, they’re located next to THAT neighbor.
Pictured: house blend iced tisane.

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To maximize our gastronomic experience, we split everything. This is the side salad, which I was told was pretty much a Waldorf salad. Really crisp greens, sliced green apples, wild grapes, walnuts and a well cured blue cheese, it was definitely a great surprise.

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The red cabbage coleslaw with parsley and mint.

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We first split the chipotle club sandwich. I was really impressed that the chicken they used wasn’t the same old boiled white meat you’d find in a club sandwich anywhere else. Skillfully grilled, it remained juicy and was served with a spicy mayo. I’ve professed how much I love a good sandwich, and normally I really like thick and chewy and crusty bread. However, they pressed toasted the bread on the griddle, so the idea that my sandwich looked like it was served up on crackers was overlooked due to the fact that the bread soaked up the smell and essence of the flat top.

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This is Le Pick Up’s claim to fame. Slow roasted pulled pork sandwich in barbecue sauce, served with grilled peppers, coleslaw on a Portuguese style bun. REALLY tasty. Straight up. There was a certain zing to the barbecue sauce and it was complimented perfectly with the crunchy slaw directly in the sandwich. All it was missing was fries and they could have called it a “Po’Garçon”.

We thought we were done until something – compelled us to sit at the counter – drew us inside. We decided to split a sandwich. We asked the chef to recommend something and he decided that we were going to have the day’s special, which coincidently he was having as well.

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A capicola sangwich, on country bread, served with arugula, roasted peppers, tomatoes, cheese, mayo and marinated eggplant. If this is the type of sandwich they’re putting out as a “daily special”, then there’s no saying what other wonders of the sandwich world they’re coming up with.

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Not to discredit the name, but they’re really a fully functional depanneur, however I don’t see anyone coming in here for something other than gum, drinks and one kind of booze. Stock resembled inadament props as supporting characters to the main players which are the hearty sandwiches being churned out of the diner counter.

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So for a Tuesday afternoon, Depanneur Le Pick Up was a really great place to go. Great staff, totally friendly, we ended chatting up the chef and he was sharing his culinary experience with us. Service with a great smile, I left the place with a little crush on our waitress…. dawwwwwww shucks. The atmosphere was something to experience; rough around the edges, but this is exactly its charm. With Johnny cash playing in the background, the faux wood finish of the walls accented with Christmas lights complimented the out of place beach print mural. I find it admirable to go through the effort of braising and slow roasting their own pork, and with the ingenuity of unique sandwiches, this will yield Le Pick Up with an edge for many years to come.

Dépanneur Le Pick-Up
7032 Waverly
514.271.8011
http://depanneurlepickup.com/
Notable: All espresso drinks are fair trade and organic.

September 16, 2009 4 comments

Cote-des-Neiges Reviews

Hope it gives you Hellas – Brochetterie Parthenon

by Jason September 7, 2009

written by Jason

Labour day… what does it really mean? People have the day off, procrastinate on the chores they’ve been putting off for the “next long weekend” since Canada day and reschedule for Thanksgiving, catch up on sleep and if you happen to live in Canada, you spell it with a “U”. It always signified the start of school for me, and the depressing ultra sunny JC Penny commercials with kids in new school clothes and crisp backpacks jumping in the air looking way too happy to going back to school.

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I headed to Parthenon, a local mom and pop Greek joint in Cote Des Neiges this afternoon in search of the perfect Sunday lunch. When you know you’re going to be lounging around the house watching old episodes of whatever is showing on tv and consolidate past emails, there’s nothing better than to stank up your breath hardcore with some kick ass, garlic potent tzatziki on a sunny afternoon.

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We started with the calamari. We were on a mission for calamari. Many a times I’ve been standing at their counter waiting for my take out and watched them dredge their fresh calamari before frying them up. So being lightly floured leaves it extra crunchy and does not leave them onion ring like. There’s nothing worse than biting into fried calamari and having it separate, leaving the squid in your mouth and batter on your lap.

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I loves me some Greek salad. You have to be courageous to attempt a full platter Greek salad. I for one, am able to eat an onion whole and there’s nothing I love more than raw onions on everything. Also, Parthenon is not shy with the feta, so if you like cheese, you’ll score with their salad.

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Complimentary pita… lightly oiled and perfectly toasted.

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My friend’s chicken souvlaki in a pita ordered without tomatoes. That was due to preference, but I strongly believe in tomatoes in my souvlaki pita, otherwise it isn’t souvlaki. It’s like fries without ketchup, or ice cream without Bailey’s, one is synonymous with each other, like you’d never see Bert without Ernie or Kanye without Amber.

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I had the one stick chicken souvlaki plate. Let’s get serious for a second. Have you ever seen that show on The Food Network, “In Search for Perfection”? If Heston Blumenthal was ever looking for the perfect Chicken Souvlaki Plate, he would find himself on the corner of Cote des Neiges and Van Horn in Montreal.

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The chicken was perfectly grilled and remained juicy with the right amount of char on the outside. The rice was fragrant and fluffy, just the way I like it.

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The dressing on the green salad that came on my plate was a mix of a vinegarette and Big Mac sauce. GOOD. Needless to say, the lethal combination of the onion explosion from the Greek salad and spicy garlicy tzatziki, it was a stipulation that I was going to spend the rest of the afternoon alone and very far away from people.

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Might I add, this place is bring your own wine. I know right, a bring your own wine place in Cote des neiges? They exist, you just have to know where to look.

Parthenon’s dining room features an “indoor terasse” covered in vines and faux grapes and walls of murals of ancient Greek architecture, deities, and monuments. It’s a great place for an intimate table for two or a rowdy table for 10, but please, no breaking plates! This place has been around for a while and the fact that it’s family run, makes the food taste extra good. Parthenon is simple and honest, run by great people, the ultimate doctrine of delicious food!

Yiamas!

Bouchetterie Parthenon
3543 Van Horne
514.738.5758
http://www.brochetterieparthenon.com/

p.s. Put away your whites… <./summer>

September 7, 2009 4 comments