If you’ve been wondering what’s been happening in the world of Montreal restaurants while a lot of the English-language media has reduced its food (and general freelance) coverage, the answer is “a lot.” First, Montreal Sophie Watts launched a Google spreadsheet of Black-owned and Black-chef-ed Montreal restaurants. It’s been spreading virally and is regularly being updated with new places, addresses, hours, delivery services and social media info. JP Karwacki wrote about it on TimeOut Montreal’s site.
Then there was The Globe & Mail story about Candide offering its Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants spot to Montreal Village restaurant Palme, owned by Chef Ralph Alerte and Lee-Anne Millaire Lafleur. That Instagram post by Candide chef John Winter Russell launched a whole sequence of laureate restaurants nominating Black-owned or -chef-ed restaurants in their stead, including Joebeef nominating West Island cajun spot Bistro Nolah and its chef Richard Taitt.
There was also some shaming of places that didn’t offer up their spots (though it should be noted that the restaurants can’t actually give up their places, so it’s more a show of support than anything else).
Now, Candide and Palme are doing a BBQ picnic basket popup together, making for some highly deserved and needed publicity for Palme, as I noted back in April, 2019.
New Restaurants
Despite Covid-19 and the economic disaster, which has already resulted in the loss of a large number of restaurants across the country, some new restaurants have still managed to open.
First, there’s the Cambodian popup from Chef Chanthy Yen out of Parliament Pub and Parlour. Called Touk, it’s already been covered in LaPresse, TimeOut and in a major Cambodian newspaper.
Just announced today is a new spot by Chef Paul Toussaint, who you might recognize as the chef of Haitian Agrikol and the TimeOut food hall. His new place called Kamúy. According to the press release, it’s a “pan-Caribbean restaurant celebrating all the goodness the Islands have to offer. It opens Aug. 8 in the former home of Taverne F. The menu isn’t available online yet, but there’ll be a Sunday brunch with music, which sounds in line with Agrikol. There’s outdoor and indoor dining. And you know there’ll be rum.
Also just announced are the new Café Holt in the Holt Renfrew Ogilvy and La Main Folle, a new Italian snackbar on St-Laurent.
Then there are the places that have come up with new concepts, which Tastet.ca covered.
To end, one more piece of news for you: Soif wine bar in Gatineau from Master Sommelier Véronique Rivest is fighting its landlord for the right to stay put. Here’s hoping that she’ll be celebrating a victorious petition with a bottle of bubbles soon.
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