Montreal institutions | The timeless delicacy of Leméac

Do established Montreal tables still live up to their reputation? We will be visiting a few throughout the year to reconnect with these restaurants that have stood the test of time. This week, the Leméac proves again and again that it has lost none of its elegance.

A little history

It was in 2001 that Richard Bastien and Émile Saine opened Leméac, named in honor of the publishing house which, at another time, was located in exactly this location on Avenue Laurier Ouest.

From the outset, there is a clear ambition for sustainability. French brasserie cuisine is one of the most timeless. The neighborhood is probably the one in Montreal that feels the least the vagaries of a fluctuating economy. The decor of the late Luc Laporte, who signed L’Express as well as two other addresses unfortunately closed in recent years (the beautiful Laloux restaurant and the Arthur Quentin boutique), has not aged a bit.

“The Leméac has this effect. You can’t see the years passing by. It just doesn’t change. Or if it changes, it is precisely so that the time which advances does not appear”, wrote Marie-Claude Lortie in 2016 in The Press. Before her, in 2002, the late François Kayler described the place as follows: “Simplicity can have style… that is perhaps what we call elegance. Baptized café-bistro, Leméac has these qualities. »

Several renowned chefs have passed through the kitchens of Leméac, including Stelio Perombelon (now a professor at ITHQ), Charles-Emmanuel Pariseau (O Chevreuil in Sherbrooke), Eric Dupuis (Bar Henrietta, Taverne Atlantic). Olivier Belzile, who experienced the good years of the Local, in Old Montreal, and worked at L’Épicier, has been loyal to the position since 2016.

Patrice Demers (Sabayon) was the restaurant’s first pastry chef. Several of his desserts still appear on the menu, even if the talented David Courteau, also a ceramist in his spare time, has surely put the recipes to his use over the years and created new decadent offerings.

Working conditions at Leméac are reputed to be excellent. This is, among other things, what explains why regulars have seen the same faces in the dining room for years, including that of the director Julie Barrette. Well-paid service and kitchen employees (and there are a hundred of them!), this can be reflected in the bill.

The experience

I hadn’t set foot in Leméac for years. Despite the always positive comments that emanated from it, whether from a wealthy sixty-year-old who prides herself on eating there once a week or from demanding restaurant workers, always excited to unearth a gem on the impressive wine list, I was a little nervous. Although negative criticism is sometimes inevitable, I take no pleasure in it.

But there was really nothing to worry about, especially since my guide, Leïla, knows the menu by heart and could guide us through the choices.

It was not a beautiful summer evening, but a chilly Tuesday. The fully covered terrace would nevertheless be our cozy refuge for a few hours.

While waiting for my guest, I immersed myself in studying the wine list, composed by Yan Faraire and his assistant Dominic Poulin. Few readings give me as much pleasure as this one. Even more so when the menu is several pages long and mixes legendary references and left field vintages with funny names. It is both a promise to drink well and a challenge to find THE wine for the occasion.

Initially determined to order a bottle (French) versatile enough to go from aperitif to calf’s liver, I derailed my plan by deciding to open the meal with pink Italian bubbles.

Ultimately, it’s difficult not to indulge in the pleasure of discovery, the menu having around thirty options by the glass.

With our somewhat sophisticated tastes, we challenge our server, making him return to the fridge a few times. Was there a sommelier in the room that evening? We will not know it. Still, the surprise of the evening is a very light Slovak red from Michal Basalik, probably a blend of field blend, served from a magnum. It’s juicy, floral and spicy. A wine of pleasure.

To eat, we choose to honor both the essentials of the house and the dishes of the moment. I hesitated for a long time between the hot goat cheese and the vegetable tian with cheddar, two entrees that have been on the menu since day one. The slice of breaded goat cheese, topped with tart apples, just-bitter chicory and walnuts, wins. The chewy and crispy little thing satisfies expectations.

Today’s starter is a beef carpaccio which does not deviate from the principles of safe pairings. It is garnished with parmesan and arugula, punctuated with Dijon and enhanced with a truffle tapenade. Impeccable.

After a big session at the gym, Leïla wants “a good old classic from Leméac”, namely veal steak in a chives crust with caramelized onion purée. The piece of meat is a good two inches thick. Its cooking is perfect, with a miraculous rosé which ensures tenderness and a smooth, but recognizable taste.

The halibut is my favorite, a very protein dish with its beans and chipolata sausage cut into rounds. Everything coexists excellently in a well-spiced tomato broth.

If I frequented Leméac on a regular basis, I would certainly avoid overloading myself on calories with its decadent signature dessert, the French toast drowned in caramel and enriched with a quenelle of dulce de leche ice cream.

But once is not custom and it is necessary well to make sure that this creation is always indeed a canon of decadence. Confirmed!

The second pastry is not lighthearted either. On the chocolate fondant (brownie type), there is caramelized popcorn, banana and popcorn ice cream. A circle of caramel at the bottom of the plate completes the offensive, well conducted moreover. But a dessert for two would have been enough!

That completes a flawless meal, if we forget the slight mess of the wine. But when it comes to grades, if there’s one thing that keeps me from frequenting Leméac more regularly, it’s the bill. Maybe a minestrone for $18, a salad meal for $32 and a fish or meat for $48-62 is the price to pay for all employees to have a decent salary. But it is certainly not within the reach of all budgets. Our full bill for two, with starters, mains, desserts and five glasses of wine total, came to $340, including tax and tip. That said, nothing prevents anyone from sitting down at the bar to order a glass of wine and a dish. To consider.

1045 Laurier Avenue West, Outremont