When I got the invite for a press event – my first in-person press event since Covid started last year – at the SAT, the Société des arts technologiques in Montreal, with its exceptional Foodlab restaurant and bar, I of course said yes. So no, I didn’t pay for my meal (I did tip). And no, you might not have the same experience. But even a so-so meal couldn’t have deflated the post-lockdown giddiness that was rising in me on my way to the rooftop terrasse. And this wasn’t a so-so meal.
The setting alone makes it an inevitable happy hour success. Its patio is always mentioned on “Best Montreal Terrasses” lists and for good reason. Nestled above (usually) busy Blvd. St-Laurent, it’s a downtown oasis and post-work hangout with a great natural wine list and interesting cocktails from barman Étienne Cloutier-Mongeau that feature local spirits.
Like the two cocktails above.
This one, the “James,” was a boozy hit of Cirka Terroir vodka, local apple eau de vie (Rosemont La Pomme), Crème de menthe Isabelle, verjus and ginger beer. It needed a good stir with the mint leaf, but it stayed strong, anda. good sipper as the ice melted. It’s for lovers of old fashioneds and alcohol-forward drinks.
I went with the “Florence,” ($14) a Cirka gin-based bright pink creation, which I chose because of the egg white. I figured for my first cocktail out, I’d go with something I couldn’t (or don’t) make at home. And that’s drinks with egg white. It also had St-Germain, Suze, Haskap berry, lavender and tonic. It was definitely on the dessert-y side, and I had no way to dive through the egg white froth, so my +1 got to make fun of me as I un-politely vacuumed the froth out to get to the juice below.
It was all sunshine and a weird lack of shmoozing because we were all seated at plexiglass-divided shared benches and picnic tables. So it’s the perfect place for an intimate date. There’s lots of space around you and it’s easy to flag down a server when you want to order those mussels with daylillies, garden-fresh herbs and cider. And you should, because it was the best dish I tried.
The kitchen adapted to my dietary restrictions (gluten-free, dairy-free, pork-free, beef-free, caffeine-free) beautifully. But I knew Chef Timothée Vielajus could handle it. He was here a few years before the pandemic, I believe, so the restaurant deserves applause for keeping him on when other chefs of his calibre fled for greener pastures/auberges outside the city, or city hotels.
The sashimi with smoked mussel juices and pine was an experiment in subtlety. The fresh radishes were crunchy and juicy, but in true Montreal fashion, the fish had a lovely texture and no flavour. That could have been my fault for being gluten-intolerant, though. They might have had to remove something essential. In the case of the daylillies and mussels dish, I didn’t get the sourdough, but it didn’t need it.
I so wish I could have had that sourdough, though, as I saw other tables receiving breadbaskets with thickly cut slices and generous amounts of butter to spread on top. For $4, it’s a steal, and is a great way to not have to order anything else if all you want is a drink.
But that would be a shame to skip the 50˚C oysters in sea urchin cream and asparagus or the grilled oyster mushrooms. Yes, you could grill your own heap of oyster mushrooms, but the fresh herbs and edible flowers make this a gorgeous presentation and tasty creation. And aren’t we all sick of cooking by now?
Those edible flowers don’t just appear by truck either. The highlight of the meal was getting a guided tour from Rocco of the SAT’s rooftop garden. I’d heard about the garden when I’d interviewed the chef a few years ago and thought it might have been scrapped because of the pandemic, but I was happy to still look classy and I wobbled up the stairs in my heels after a glass of off-menu red wine that I’m sorry to say I don’t remember the name of but do remember that it was my favourite balance of juicy and tannic, with no excess sweetness, while my +1’s German Weiss & Grau 2018, Enderle & Moll, a pinot blanc and pinot gris blend ($13) was perfect patio sipping weather and easy drinking in the world of skin macerated wine.
The rooftop garden is Rocco’s baby. He and the team lugged all that soil up the steps (there’s no elevator) and threw it into hand-built planters. He’s working on getting some irrigation, but in the meantime, it’s his job to keep the fraises des bois – those tiny, sweet morsels of strawberries – from getting too thirsty.
The anise hyssop is happy, but the bee-attracting perennial always is – happy, that is, as was I.
Rocco has his work cut out for him if he wants to get his herbs and tomatoes through the heat of a Montreal summer, but I have a feeling he’s got this.
Even some wayward chamomile drifted in from who knows where? He never planted it. It must have been carried by the wind or a pollinator. Another perennial, it has the drive to survive, like a lot of Montreal restaurants.
Have I really become this pretentious sounding after a year out of restaurants? I was going through the old routine of snapping photos, like this gorgeous dessert of this nutty dacquoise with rhubarb swirls and perfectly sweet-and-sour compote with (vermouth?) granita from pastry chef Delphine Bordeleau, when I remembered that going out is about having fun.
And this was fun. It was delicious and special. True, it’s not the same when you’re not knocking elbows with strangers on the packed benches, but it felt luxurious to be on a patio at all, being served by pros, and looking out from on high.
It’s definitely patio season in Montreal now that bars have officially reopened today, and indoors on June 14. But don’t forget about the restaurants with awesome bars. And don’t flinch when you have to pay $14 for a cocktail (that you couldn’t make at home). And do tip way more than what you think is reasonable, if you can, because they made it.
P.S. The SAT is offering a dinner and a show $50 (+tax and tip) special that includes two savoury dishes and one dessert at the restaurant, plus a half-price ticket to a projection in the famous dome adjacent to the restaurant and patio. If you don’t feel like dining in, you can get a $50 picnic basket for two for takeout or delivery instead. I didn’t try those, but you certainly can and let me know how it is.
SAT – Société des arts technologiques website
Menu
Cocktail and wine list
Hours: Wednesday to Saturday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
1201 St-Laurent Blvd.
Montréal, QC
514-844-2033
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