1012, rue de la Montagne | Tel. (514) 933-3885

t was hockey night in Montreal and I was in dire need of a bite prior to the puck drop. There are several restos in the area, but I wasn’t in the mood for spinach dip (Baton Rouge), didn’t care for cardboard buffalo wings (La Cage), and didn’t have time for a Lou’s Cut (bone in rib-eye, Queue De Cheval).

Then there's this new resto-bar adjacent to the Bell Centre. Owned by Gordon Ramsay's protégé Michel Ross, this brasserie should not be confused with his flagship fine-dining establishment Brunoise. La Brasserie caters to the suit-clad business crowd and Habs jersey-wearing customers alike.

Located on the corner of de la Montagne and de la Gauchetiere, La Brasserie is hard to miss. With the signature “Brunoise’ sign containing a square ‘O’ (clever, indeed), the restaurant is deceptively larger than the storefront would have you believe. Considering the restaurant name, I would have hoped for the bar to be the focal point of the décor, but such was not the case. The bar was located at the far end of the room, hidden by a sea of tables and chairs primed to accommodate the onslaught of rabid hockey fans.

I asked the waitress what beers were on tap, expecting her to recite the list in a heartless script-like fashion, but without hesitation she blurted, “Stella.” Only one beer at a brasserie? Odd. It wouldn’t have been my first choice, but it's better than Molson Ex in a plastic cup.

French onion soup

The menu, which doubled as a placemat, was filled with French bistro classics as well as several daily specials. I ordered my go-to bistro meal: French onion soup and steak-frites. The soup arrived hot, topped with a generous dollop of cheese. It was deep, rich and a tad greasy (which I luckily don’t mind one bit) and was a good example of a well-prepared classic.

Steak-frites

The menu, which doubled as a placemat, was filled with French bistro classics as well as several daily specials. I ordered my go-to bistro meal: French onion soup and steak-frites. The soup arrived hot, topped with a generous dollop of cheese. It was deep, rich and a tad greasy (which I luckily don’t mind one bit) and was a good example of a well-prepared classic.

As for the steak-frites, the hanger steak was cooked to perfection (blue, just the way I like it) and finished with maitre d’hotel butter. The fries were thinly cut , made with real potatoes, and double-fried in peanut oil. I tossed a couple in my mouth expecting to sink my teeth into a great example of an ethereal French fry, but immediately realized that they were overcooked and unbearably salty. Hoping to find salvation in my meat, I cut a chunk and as my fork approached my mouth, instead of smelling seared meat, I could smell citrus. I don’t know if it was the butter or how the meat was marinated. But I much prefer my meat to taste like, well, meat. My steak reminded me of a recently cleaned restroom.

The meal ended with a pudding chomeur (bread pudding). Baked in a ramekin, served à la mode and not at all looking ‘chomeur-like’, but contrary to the overcooked fries, the pudding was pasty and undercooked.

Next time I’m looking for a pre-game meal, I’ll pass on the ‘one beer’ brasserie. – Reviewed by Huge Galdones (Feb/07)