By Michael Minorgan for Curtains Up
www.globalgourmets.ca michael@globalgourmets.ca
I’ve been a subscriber to Living Social for some time but have never got around to actually purchasing any of their “deals”, until now that is.
A couple of weeks ago I took the plunge and purchased a few for Montreal restaurants and this Saturday I decided to cash one in at Da Vinci on Bishop St and report back here.. Of course my main objective is always to review the food, but I also wanted to see if we were treated any differently as coupon clippers. I was most interested in how the kitchen staff and the servers welcomed us. Having owned a couple of restaurants myself I the past I have always been loathe to use coupons of any kind when it came to dining out. It always rubbed me the wrong way and just didn’t seem the most auspicious way to enjoy a romantic night out.
Let me start by saying that the name Da Vinci wakes up wonderful memories for me as I visited their former location many years ago when they were ensconced on St Catherine St near St Marc. I still remember that small, cosy and romantic spot that dished up wonderful homemade Italian food.
Their new location on Bishop St is a monumental step up, much more upscale both in size and of course in its prices. The night we arrived things were humming. The downstairs dining room was packed and there was even a small queue at the door. When making my reservation I was told to identify myself as a Living Social customer and to give my voucher number. As such we were quickly identified by the maitre d” and hastily ushered upstairs! This might not bode well, I felt a bit like a kid being sent upstairs to his room for misbehaving!.
Not to fear however, their upstairs dining room was equally attractive and warm and decidedly much quieter than the room downstairs. One wall was adorned with large cubes of a deconstructed ballerina painting by Degas and on the other side there was a beautiful stained glass panel with the image of Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa watching over us.
Our waiter for the evening was a gem, a fatherly and ebullient Italian gentleman who couldn’t have been more professional and accommodating fulfilling all our needs and even recommending an alternative smooth and full bodied wine from Sicily when the one we chose was no longer in stock. A wonderful choice by the way one I will definitely seek out at the SAQ (Amorino Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Casaura $65)’ The management had taken the time to have special embossed menus printed for their Living Social promotion, a classy touch that made ordering much simpler.
Our ‘deal’ included four courses for the price of $34.50 per person and included an amuse bouche of bruschetta, cubes of parmigiano reggiano and slices of spicy genoa salami, a choice of antipasti from a selection of 6, a choice of main dishes from a selection of 4 and a choice of dessert from 3 selections and regular coffee or tea with refills on demand. A pretty good deal considering the regular menu prices which I have included in this column for comparison purposes.
I started with Carpaccio di Manza “All’e Milano ($19). A beautifully displayed plate of paper thin slices of raw herb crusted Angus beef filet that melted in the mouth. It was simply and deliciously flavoured with briny capers, a fruity Italian olive oil and fresh lemon juice and it was garnished with slivers of parmigiano reggiano and shredded arugula all exemplifying the basics of Italian cooking , simplicity and the attention to the quality of the ingredients. My companion’s equally delicious antipasti of two huge perfectly pan seared Digby scallops($21) with mango relish and a shredded fennel and rucula salad drizzled with a red wine reduction got us off to a great start.
Our “Secondi Piatti”, or main course were both a feast for the eyes and as we quickly discovered an equally festive feast for our taste buds. Mine was a perfectly moist and grilled salmon filet ($28) with its skin so crisp it was actually reminiscent of bacon…I ate every morsel. The salmon was accompanied by rosemary scented roasted fingerling potatoes and a colorful and toothsome medley of steamed vegetables and a simple sauce vierge, a classic mix of lemon juice, olive oil, chopped tomatoes and fresh basil all exquisitely light and flavorful.
My companion’s dish of a full roasted rack of lamb ($42) with a herb and mustard crust was grilled to a perfect medium as ordered and the meat literally melted in the mouth it was so tender. It was accompanied with rosette of pureed potatoes and drizzled with a simple sauce of its own herb perfumed juices.
We concluded our evening with an unctuous and creamy crème brulee and a dish of walnut studded semi freddo, that wonderful version of Italian ice cream.
All in all our meal was a living testament to true Italian cuisine characterized by extreme simplicity and limited, but very high quality ingredients all explained by a wonderful and timely quote from Oscar Wilde…..
“Life is not complex. We are complex. Life is simple, and the simple thing is the right thing”
Apart from sitting upstairs, which proved delightful in the end, we were definitely not treated any differently as Living Social clients…my hat is off to the management and to our waiter Michel who made our evening so enjoyable. Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was definitely shining down us last night and she left us both with a smile on our faces.
I still have two Living Social coupons left to use so watch this pace for further ‘couponed’ culinary confessions…..
Da Vinci Restaurant
1180 Bishop St
Tel: 514 874-2001
Email: info@davinci.ca
Website: www.davinci.ca
