By Michael Minorgan for Curtains Up minorganmichael@yahoo.com
Having recently discovered and moved to Ile des Soeurs (I should have done it years ago!) I was immediately captured by its many parks, wild life preserve with its own manmade lake and abundant natural surroundings.
Fitting neatly into this abundance of nature are its many modern apartment buildings and condo units
Since the birth of its development in the early 1970’s it now boasts a largely young and multi ethnic population of close to 20,000.
In spite of all these attractions there is a dearth of good dining options on the island. One of the best choices, Angelo’s, closed its doors this past fall.
By far the best of the remaining choices is Les Enfant Terribles nestled between the Evolo condominium complex on the northern tip of the island. Its location is idyllic situated on the shores of the St Lawrence with large panoramic floor to ceiling windows overlooking the river. In the summer it boasts a large outdoor terrasse on the edge of the river. I would be hard pressed to name another restaurant in the city with a better view of the waterfront.
The ambience at Les Enfants is classic minimal chic replete with distressed concrete floors and rich wood finishes dominating throughout. Subdued lighting and dramatic wood wall finishes and murals complete the ambiance.
The menu is classic Quebecois Brasserie using an abundance of local ingredients. There is s large choice of appetizers ranging in price from $7 to $16. Main courses offer a good selection of comfort foods priced between $16 and $28.
On the night we ate there we were warmly greeted at the door and ushered to a table by the large window overlooking the river with its dazzling display of lights from the South Shore reflecting on the water.
We started our meal with servings of Mini Chorizo Pogos with Yellow Mustard ($7) and Fried Calamari with Spicy Mayonnaise ($13) . Both dishes were battered and deep fried and both were unfortunately way too oily, the calamari so much so that the fried exterior was breaking away from its rings. Both the chorizo and calamari themselves were very tasty and tender and the accompanying spicy mayonnaise with the calamari was a great accompaniment. Both dishes would have fared better if they had been fried in hotter oil which would have resulted in a much lighter exterior with none of the resulting soggy excess of oil.
For main courses we opted for two of their evening specials: a Hanger Steak and Sautéed Dorade. Unfortunately we were advised by our waiter( on two rather awkward occasions) that the kitchen was out of both choices, (a bit strange since it was barely 8:30 on a Saturday evening). We were offered the same dishes with two substitutions: Filet Mignon ($36) and Atlantic Salmon ($25).
These main dishes fared much better than our appetizers. The filet mignon was served with a creamy puree of potatoes, sautéed kale with garlic and a velvety red wine reduction sauce. The steak was cooked to perfection as ordered ….delicious! The salmon filet too was cooked perfectly with a nicely crusted exterior and a wonderfully smooth and moist interior, slightly undercooked, just the way I like it. It was served atop a mini panzanella salad and surrounded by a rich, but not over powering reduction of fish fumet and cream. The flavors and textures matched perfectly and were delicious. The only thing that would have truly put this dish over the top would be if the salmon had been served with its skin intact. There is nothing better than crispy salmon skin with its wonderful bacon like texture and flavor
.To accompany our meal we chose a delightful Spanish Rioja, Muga ($55) from its carefully selected and expansive wine list.
We ended our meal with a Quebec classic and their house specialty, a Mini Pouding Chomeur ($5). It was wonderfully light and fluffy and sinfully sweetened with a rich maple laced caramel sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It is also served in a larger portion ($7) to share.
All the servers at Les Enfant Terribles are young and all are polite, friendly and eager to accommodate at every turn.
All in all a wonderful evening in warm, chic and friendly surroundings with amazing vistas of the mighty St Lawrence within arms reach.
I can’t wait to return in the summer to enjoy its outdoor terrasse.
Les Enfants is also known for its Brunches served every Saturday and Sunday from 9h30 to 15h00.
I definitely invite all of you ‘off islanders’ to come discover Les Enfants Terribles and the natural beauty of this residential oasis only 10 minutes from downtown Montreal.
Our meal came to $187 (including two cocktails and a bottle of wine)
209 rue de la Rotonde (Pointe Nord)
Ile des Soeurs
Tel: 514 508-6068
www.lesenfantsterriblesbrasserie.ca
Sunday: 9h30 – 21h30
Monday: 11h30 – 21h30
Tuesday & Wednesday: 11h30 – 22h00
Thursday & Friday: 11h30 – Minuit
Saturday: 9h30 – Minuit
