Restaurant review | Gia wine & grill: on fire!

Through the good shots and, sometimes, the not so good, our restaurant critics tell you about their experience, introduce the team in the dining room and in the kitchen, while explaining what motivated the choice of the restaurant. This week: the amazing Gia wine & grill.

Iris Gagnon Paradise
The Press

Why talk about it?

Those who run the best restaurants in town are familiar with Nora Gray and Elena, two Italian-inspired establishments whose reputations are second to none. The youngest, Gia wine & grill, which was added to the family in December 2021, has since been carried by a more than favorable rumor. We had to go to this unknown corner of the “far” southwest in order to finally experience it.

Who are they ?

Ryan Gray has worked in the restaurant industry for 20 years. He has seen eras, trends… and a pandemic! In 2011, with chef Emma Cardarelli, he opened Nora Gray, a restaurant that is quickly becoming one of Montreal’s unmissable Italian tables. Elena will follow in 2018, a magnificent pizzeria that is enjoying dazzling success. He once again leads the establishment with Emma, ​​to whom is added Marley Sniatowsky. Having seen the industry evolve, Ryan is aware of the need to provide his employees with opportunities to grow and, why not, to become partners, which he has done at The Gia with chef Janice Tiefenbach, sommelier Lawrence Fiset, manager Ellen Eamon and butler Julio Mendy, who all worked at the Elena before. The team also relies on the talents of pastry chef Michelle Marek and chef Willow Cardinal.

Our experience

Gia is a wine bar and steakhouse inspired by the cuisine of central Italy, regions where grilling is a central part of simple, ingredient-driven cooking. The grill is therefore an integral part of the DNA of the place. Outside, an extension of the kitchen has been built in a container (which will open next summer on a large terrace which will be very popular, our little finger tells us), and this is where the magic charcoal grill operates. Meat, vegetables, fruit, seafood, you name it.

But what strikes first when entering the lively enclosure of the Gia, where a mostly young but very diverse clientele is seated, is its somewhat improbable geographical location, in a former garage which is part of the RCA complex, on the outskirts of the Sud-Ouest district, at the end of a cul-de-sac. “Is there a restaurant in there?” exclaims the friend who accompanies me when I arrive. Eh yes !

From this blank canvas, Ryan Gray and his associates were able to imagine a unique space. From the entrance, the eye is caught by an island where various bottles are enthroned and the large cellar behind. This “wine island”, as the team has nicknamed it, allows customers to wait while waiting for a table. Moreover, the places at the long bar near the windows at the entrance are used to welcome those who arrive without a reservation. “If people come here, it was important for us to accommodate them, that everyone is welcome,” explains Ryan Gray.

What exactly are we eating at this table? A bit of everything: arrosticini, mini-skewers of meat cooked on the charcoal grill whose mouth-watering aromas, as well as several choices of antipasti, pastas, grilled meats and sides that change with the seasons.

Moreover, the chef works closely with many market gardeners and local producers such as Parcelles, La Fermette, Ferme Dorée or Ferme Beaurivage. This freshness can be tasted on the plates.

For the first course, the radishes with their honey-roasted hazelnut dip are simply sublime, impeccable in harmony with the lamb arrosticini offered by our very friendly and attentive server.

The eggplant, grilled in thick slices, melts in your mouth, simply accompanied by the creamy Péningouin raw milk cheese (Gré des Champs) and salsa verde, for a touch of freshness. A simple, rustic dish that lets the flavor of the fleshy seasonal vegetable shine through. The sugar of the grilled peaches, juicy and very ripe, is counterbalanced by the acidity of the homemade stracciatella cheese.

There is always a choice of fresh pasta on the menu; praised by our server, those of the day, with rock crab bisque and lobster mushrooms, seem promising. If the homemade tagliatelle with gorria (an Espelette-type pepper grown in Quebec) and saffron are very delicate, the whole thing lacks a little relief for our taste.

Despite our full stomachs, it is impossible to leave without tasting Michelle Marek’s desserts. The freshness of the coffee granita, succulent with its whipped cream, is welcome, as is that of the peach sorbet and roasted nectarine, unctuous and tasty. With an amaro as digestive, here is an exciting experience, offered by a team on fire!

In our glass

At the Gia, Ryan Gray pursues a mission that is dear to him, supported by sommelier Lawrence Fiset: to democratize wine. Their idea of ​​offering not only wine by the glass, but also in 500ml carafes is brilliant. The menu gives pride of place to natural wines, houses and vineyards that are in tune with the times, but not only. There is a desire here to highlight wines that are sometimes “forgotten” (understand: less trendy), with heart and substance. Moreover, Gia was named in honor of the winemaker Giovanna Tiezzi, an “extraordinary” human being and friend of the family, who has been working in kind at the Tuscan estate Pacina since 1987.

Price

Prices vary greatly depending on the dishes and their sizes. There is something for all budgets. We’re talking about ten dollars for the arrosticini; from $5 to $22 for antipasti and around $25 for heartier dishes such as pasta or grilled meats. Desserts range from $8 to $15.

Good to know

Le Gia also serves lunches, a shortened variation of the evening menu. There are several vegetarian dishes on the menu. The place is easily accessible for people with reduced mobility.

Information

Gia vin & grill is open Tuesday to Saturday, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., and Tuesday to Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reservations strongly recommended.

1025 Lenoir Street, Montreal