It’s that time of year again, where guilty heathens who went full yolo during the holidays crowd local cardio classes and fill their gym bags full of lies and self deceit. Working off holiday cheer is something I’m very used to, but logging distance on a treadmill isn’t my style. I burn my calories going through the past year’s *41* published Montreal restaurant reviews to find the ones that stood out the most, then compiling an extensive list of pros and cons to see which ones I found to be the best of 2014. So in no particular order, here are Shut Up and Eat’s Best of 2014.
Little Italy
If you happened to catch my post a couple of weeks ago, Pizzeria GEMA was handing out free pizzas at their shop on the corner of St-Dominique and Dante where hundreds of people showed up to cop a free pie. This event wasn’t to coincide with an opening per se, but it was a chance for the owners to give back to their friends and family and community in a show of gratitude for all the support they’ve been given. Recently, the modest pizzeria of the dynamic duo from Impasto (Stefano Faita and Michele Forgione) quietly opened their doors and realized Forgione’s childhood dream of owning a pizzeria.
There isn’t denying when a restaurant is good, but what happens when the restaurant is great? Do you do the moral thing and spread the word? Or are you greedy, keep it to yourself a little bit long before letting people know? There isn’t anything that the public doesn’t already know about Impasto. This modest Italian eatery in the heart of Little Italy is the product of years of friendship, a passion for food and a shared devotion to the cucina by two friends and business partners, Stefano Faita and Michele Forgione.
