Eat, Drink and Be Sated
restaurantMontreal, Toronto, Vancouver
(Nov.18.05)
You left your hip apartment on the Plateau to buy a condo at the Atwater Market. It’s charming and you’re thrilled to be a home-owner with equity. Yet, sometimes you crave the nightlife of St. Laurent Blvd. You can’t stay cooped up every night, right? Now there’s a new place to see-and-be-seen on Notre Dame West. It’s called Joe Beef and its founding chef is the same celebrity gourmand who made Globe and Buona Notte restaurants the preferred eateries for A-listers like George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Steven Spielberg, Bono, Kate Blanchett and Benjamin Bratt.
Of course, we’re talking about chef David McMillan. McMillan and cohort Frédérique Morin finally opened their dream restaurant—their “baby”.
First, get the rules straight: Joe Beef is only open five nights a week, there are 11 tables, or approximately 25 seats, so you’re lucky to get a reservation. Order from the blackboard menu (bring your reading glasses), where there is a small but unpretentious list of daily choices determined entirely by the whims of the chefs.
You will not find a tower of nouveau cuisine piled on an enormous plate. Instead, they offer hearty fare served in huge portions. (Even the biggest boyfriends will be sated!)
We loved the pan-fried haddock ($28), and the lobster spaghetti ($32). For appetizers, we recommend the watercress salad with cheese and apples ($11) or the foie gras parfait. Don’t forget the raw bar for East Coast oysters ($31/dozen) and chocolate cake with a Clementine on top ($8).
For the personal touch, main dishes are delivered to your table by the chefs, who field all questions. Like “how did you make this taste so good?”
Joe Beef Restaurant
2491 Notre-Dame West (north side, two blocks east of Atwater)
514-935-6504
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