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Par fois… foie gras – Au Pied de Cochon

by Jason March 17, 2011

written by Jason

On an early episode once upon a time on a show called Cribs – an over the top look into celebrity homes; Jermain Dupri said you’re not a big dog until you have one of these *unveils a Bentley Continental GT convertible*. This suggest that you haven’t made it into the industry until you had one of those. Not that it’s a bench mark, but it’s a given that if you’re a Montreal food blogger, having a review or at least a mention of a burly Chef Martin Picard’s foie gras poutine is accreditation of your place in the bloggosphere. I’m hesitant to say I subscribe to this agenda, but his genius deserves to be mentioned.

I went with a friend to celebrate a belated birthday for her and an early birthday for me. We had be discussing it for a while that we hadn’t been there for a long time and decided to revisit in the name of celebrating the day of our births. We looked over the menu and after a lengthy description of the specials of the day and cooking and preparation procedures, looked at the menu again and made our choices and nomed on some of the fresh in-house made sourdough bread.

We started off with pickled tarragon braised bison tongue. Extremely tender, it was served with dijon in the braising jus. The gaminess of the tongue was taken out by the pickling process, but it still had a lot a great beefy flavor to it. My friend and I were both really impressed and knew this dish was setting the tone for the rest of our mean.

We split the PDC melting pot, which is a cast iron pot of the Pied de Cochon party pack of pork and piggy goodness. Such wonders included braised pork belly, half a chop, their homemade boudin noir (blood sausage), knockwurst, roasted onions and creminis in the braising liquid and a heaping slop of their famous garlic and cheese whipped mashed potatoes. All the flavors were robust and distinct – what else can you expect from a place whose pan seasoning is exclusively rendered butter and duck fat?

And there it is… one of the things you order when dining at Au Pied de Cochon. The anticipation of this particular dish is what I can only imagine what it’s like for parents awaiting the birth of their first born. We knew this was going to be ordered and I walked in partially giddy. Fries – fried in duck fat – cheese curds, brown gravy and the piece de resistance; the middle finger and a big F-you in the face of health conscious vegan nuts… foie gras, doused in a foie gras-ie sauce. The liver cooked to masterfully, a perfect pairing and contrast to the crisp fries and chewy cheese.

For dessert – if the rich opulant meal wasn’t enough, we split the dark chocolate “pot de creme”. A dark chocolate custard, toped with cream and a graham cracker and brown sugar crumble; humble and simple. We also had a creme caramel (my favorite) – no picture however… because I kind of inhaled it before I remembered I write a food blog. Ha!

The sinister mind that has the evilness to encompass the creativity of such a menu has the capacity of making the sun itself burn with envy. Chef Martin Picard brings classic Quebecois country style cooking to the city; not reinventing but more reintroducing urbanites to the wonders of pudding chomeur and Jesus ears. I suggest eating salad for breakfast and lunch on the day of your reservation… caloric intake will be equal to at least two days.

Au Pied de Cochon
536 Avenue Duluth Est
(514) 281-1114
http://www.restaurantaupieddecochon.ca/
Reservations highly suggested.

March 17, 2011 9 comments

Prayers are answered, a real trattoria in the west-island – Deli La Trattoria

by Jason February 24, 2011

written by Jason

I once was helping my sister set up a lunch party she was having at her place. There was nothing that would have prepared me for what I was about to witness. As I was bringing in a bowl of salad to the dining room, I stopped frozen in bedazzlement – not in the sense that I was blinged out – but there they were… two huge deli containers piled high with sandwiches and casserole dishes of pasta. I was alone in the room and realized there would be no witnesses, but it was too good to be true. It had to have been a setup, I looked for the cameras thinking leaving me alone in a room with platefuls of deli sandwiches must have been some sort of prank or a social behavior experiment like when they dump a crate load of bananas in a primate cage at the zoo.

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I was told about this small Italian deli in an nondescript strip-mall facing the highway hugging the side of a Couche-tard on the outskirts of the suburbs a while ago. The idea of writing about it never crossed my mind, because every time I come here, I suffer from deli-hypnosis; something comes over me and I can only see and think about what’s in front of me. Don’t judge this book by it’s cover. Looks can be deceiving, Deli La Trattoria is like a sugared up three year old after you’ve spun him around 15 times… full of surprises.

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Behold. Wipe your slobber whilst admiring these works of beauty in all their glory. With an assortment of sandwiches and wraps, what stands out is their sausage sandwich and their fried chicken sandwich. If you can handle spicy, I recommend the spicy sauce. Also, you can also asked for it pressed.

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Along with the freshly made sandwiches, you also have the option of hot meals; pasta and soups that change daily. Get the meatballs when they have it, then grab a baguette and then CALL.ME.

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Those beautiful tiled pizza squares was what I was in the hunt for this particular day. Please note the loaves on the lover shelves, they are made fresh in-house daily.

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This is a piece of the quarter vegetarian I took home. Topped with grilled peppers, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, olives on top of a homemade focaccia and marinara sauce. The tartness of some of the pickled vegetables cut through the sweetness of the bread and sauce.

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Make sure you get an order of these “fries”. Herby and battered potato wedges, it’s never really an option NOT to ask for an order (which comes in both half and full bags). There have been times where I’ve got my sandwiches in hand, a pile of sliced coldcuts and walking past the service line and grabbed a bag… it would feel wrong otherwise… like the old men who wear short running shorts at the gym pulled up to their nipples.

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A deli case to rival most deli cases. If any of the prepared sandwiches don’t tickle your fancy (which I don’t see how it wouldn’t unless your fancy is really picky), sandwiches of choice are made to order, so don’t hesitate to ask.

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From fine Italian products to freshly-made ready to eat dishes, Deli La Trattoria in Kirkland is a small deli that packs a wallop with everything Italian imaginable – minus an old man out front hosing down the sidewalk.

With a warm and friendly atmosphere, La Trattoria’s ultimate goal is make sure you’re fed and full. Where else can you go pick up a container of home-made red sauce, half a pound and Genoa ham, a sausage sandwich and an espresso to spill all over yourself while driving home? One of the few places around town where when they ask you how you’re doing, you can tell and feel that they actually mean it.

Deli La Trattoria
19787 Ch Ste Marie, Kirkland
514-694-0595

February 24, 2011 1 comment

Cote-des-Neiges Reviews

This noodle is pho real – Restaurant Pho Lien

by Jason February 15, 2011

written by Jason

I had made an agreement with myself many moons ago that I wouldn’t review pho. I know… “WHY?!”, right? I’ll tell you why. Because, pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) is peculiar – there is no definite – it tastes different from north to south, east to west, family to family. It would be hard to compare or qualify one bowl of noodles to another, the essence of ‘pho’ is there, but like anything else it all depends on personal preference and taste. I’ll spare you the history lesson and recipe preparation, but it just boils down to what your taste buds find acceptable and I’ve decided to share this place with you that has been appeasing and filling my pho void for years. I assume everyone has some sort of experience with pho, if not, here’s the quick run down. Once you’ve ordered your noodle soup, a plate of bean sprouts, Thai basil, and lime wedges are placed on the table. Contrary to popular belief and practice, the bean sprouts are *NOT* a complimentary appetizer or amuse-bouche… it goes i your soup. If you like the taste of plain raw bean sprouts, by all means, go for it; I guess I’m just a stickler for formality, just like how I get irked when I see people putting ginger on their sushi.

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My friend started with the spring rolls. Vermicelli noodles, Thai basil, lettuce, pork and shrimps delicately rolled up in a rice paper wrap, it’s served with a side of peanut dipping sauce. Fresh and crisp, this is polar opposite of the imperial rolls – which are fried, so make sure you’ve got the right name down before you order. You’re more likely to be asked by the waiter if it’s the “fried” or “fresh” ones that you want, I’m sure this is a direct response to many a orders being returned when someone was expecting a nice fried roll with fish sauce and instead received a white log with a side of hoisin-peanut sauce.

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We also split an order of “Banh bot chien” – fried rice cake with egg. Made with rice flour, the “cake” is fried up on a flat top until crispy and then an egg is beaten and mixed in, served with a tangy vinegar dipping sauce. This is the kind of dish that if you didn’t know what it was, you’d look right past it on the menu. Most people don’t know to order it unless they know exactly what it is… That’s why I’m telling you to order it. I’m confidant when I say that Pho Lien is the only Vietnamese restaurant that not only makes their own rice cake, but serves this dish at all. Something that almost resembles a twisted and wonky Asian poutine, the rice cake is crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.

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Pho. A perfect mix of chewy rice noodles, beef brisket, raw flank, tripe, tendon and beef balls and swimming in a meaty broth. The soup is what really makes this bowl, beef bones are boiled with aromatics, prepared in a very specific manner to yield this magic liquid that although I’ve never had before, I can only assume tastes like unicorn tears. We both ordered the “special” which is basically the all-dressed noodle. The menu comprises of different variations and essentially a mix and match of all the ingredients.

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Bean spouts, Thai basil and lime are added to complete your bowl. Don’t be afraid of the raw flank, the soup is hot enough that with one flip of the noodles, the beef will cook itself. Don’t get me wrong, the place also serves other dishes, dry noodle dishes, rice plates and what not but serious eaters go here for the pho… Serious eaters are serious.

This steamy bowl of Vietnamese comfort food hits the spot and I’m convinced it tastes better in the winter when the temperature outside if a bone chilling minus ridiculous degrees and just a word of warning… Like with Korean BBQ, the smell of pho will permeate your clothes and people on the bus will know exactly what it was you had for lunch. Don’t get discouraged by the phoddicts lining up out the door, people move through the place like milking cattle, you won’t wait more than 10 mins at the most.

Pho Lien
5703 Côte-Sainte-Catherine
(514) 735-6949
Closed on Tuesdays

February 15, 2011 0 comments