Hotel restaurants run the gamut from über-posh to overrated, and we’ve tried and enjoyed (most of) them. But our latest night out was a culinary adventure that had us keeping an eye out for flappers and gangsters.
Osco! is the stylized new arrival in the Intercontinental Hotel. The self-proclaimed brasserie Provençale has been decorated to the nines in raw silk fabrics, dark wood finishings and glass light fixtures that all succeed in evoking the swinging 20s (the sleek absinthe bar Sarah B. connected to the dining area reinforces this vibe).
We reluctantly whittled down our choices to the French Onion Soup ($8) and the Tomato and Sun-Ripened Vegetable Gaspacho ($9) for starters. Hungry for more, we continued with the succulent Pork Medallions Marinated in Maple & Olive Oil ($18) and the tangy Seafood Tagliatelli in a Red Saffron Sauce ($25). The Quebec’s Lamb Smoked Meat Sandwich ($19) almost made the cut, but we (just barely) knew our limits.
Between the food, the look and the jazzy tunes, we were happy to spend all night in the 1920s. All that was missing were a few cloche hats and some high-waisted jackets.
Osco!
www.restaurantosco.com
360 St-Antoine W. (Intercontinental Hotel)
514-847-8729
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