Some of you may recall a review of Brasserie Les Halles, that appeared in this blog in December 2005, penned by Wine & Food Guy. Well, on a recent trip to Montreal he enjoyed an evening at Restaurant Au Pied de Cochon, and has taken the time to compose a review of his experience. As a too infrequent visitor to Montreal, always in search of great places to eat, I am cetainly going to hunt this one down - although as one with a pending heart condition I fear I am going to have to pass on the chef's interpretation of Poutine. . . read on.Restaurant Au Pied De Cochon
536 rue Duluth Est
Montreal, Quebec
H2L 1A9
(514) 281-1114
www.restaurantaupieddecochon.ca/index_eng.html
Open 5:00 p.m. to Midnight. Closed Mondays.
There is a certain kind of thrill (mostly for us foodie types) in the prospect of a meal at “Au Pied de Cochon”. Chef Martin Picard, who is currently making the media rounds as the “chef du jour”, has developed something of a reputation with his “gonzo” approach to gastronomy within the framework of traditional French Canadian cuisine.
The first thing that strikes me is the lack of signage. Nothing! The space is large enough. The location is anything but spectacular - on Duluth off St. Denis, with all the tired “Bring Your Own Wine” restaurants - but this is not about neon signs, location or decor (simple wood tables with mirrored walls and almost no art). This is about a unique approach to food. The young, T-Shirt clad staff help to maintain an atmosphere of a casual happening place. The open kitchen and long bar also helps to bring you a little closer to the kitchen, the staff and the food. (Recommendation: Confirm your reservation prior to your arrival. Ours was lost and no small amount of cajoling was involved in getting it back.)
The next thing that struck me as we waited for our table was the mounds and mounds of foie gras sitting in the glass meat cooler. More foie gras that one could imagine being in any one place at any one time. This vision definitely sets the tone for the evening. While foie gras is banned in Chicago restaurants (ridiculous!) here it is celebrated and honoured on a menu that involves adding foie gras to almost anything on the menu. (A short note on foie gras…fattened duck or goose liver is not something you will want to consume everyday or something that works with every dish. It is a vegetarian’s worse nightmare, but according to Chef Picard it is a lack of understanding which has lead certain communities (hard to think of a City like Chicago as a united food community!?) to ban it from their menus. Ducks and geese are naturally inclined to force feed themselves as winter sets in, so this process, although no doubt challenging for some, sort of gets the duck or goose to where they would be naturally. Foie gras is very French, very rich and very, very good when done correctly. So for those who have not had the pleasure, and are prepared to admit to eating fois gras on your next visit to the Windy City, Au Pied De Cochon is the place to go…)
The menu is deceptively straight forward. During the winter months, it is all meat all the time (with a few pleasant exceptions). The summer months include an extensive selection of East Coast seafood personally arranged for and chosen by Chef Picard. His approach is about taking ubiquitous French Canadian cuisine, deconstructing it and re-inventing it in slightly over-the-top ways. A good example is the Poutine with foie gras. A combination of fries, cheese curds and gravy (standard poutine ingredients), to which Chef Picard adds melted foie gras and tops the whole thing off with a sizeable portion of foie gras. This PDC signature dish is now being copied by a number of chefs and for good reason. It is both over-the-top and quite simply delicious.
Other recommendations for Appetizers include, the Tomato tartlet (simple, with an amazingly pure tomato taste on a flaky little tarte) and Codfish accras (little cod balls with more flavour and texture than one might think possible in such a small package served with a terrific garlic-mayo dip) and Tarragon venison tongue (soft and supple in a rich and delicious tarragon gravy.) Amazing!
(Heads-up: If you have a problem with game, or the consumption of odd cuts of meat, then this may not be the place for you.)
Our party of four came prepared for the full “Au Pied” treatment. We were here to dive-in and get our snouts dirty and no amount of odd cuts of meat were going to dissuade us. For the mains, two out of our party enjoyed the completely original “Duck in a Can” where a full duck breast is cooked with various ingredients, including foie gras, in a can and presented at the table on a bed of toast and mashed celeriac. (The presentation alone is almost worth the $36.00 price of the dish. Very tasty and oh so rich!) The “Happy Pig Chop” is big, even by these standards, and nicely served with sauerkraut ($19.75). Finally there was the “Stuffed pied de cochon with foie gras”. The ultimate in large portioned, richly textured over-the-top meals served with PDC mashed potatoes (which include large amounts of cheese curds, butter and cream) and at $45.00 the top price for any single dish on the menu. (Word of warning: This really is very lush fare and the portions are indeed sizeable. You may walk away in some level of discomfort. Eventually this subsides and you end up thinking about the venison tongue and the amazing gravy it is served in or the unbelievably opulent combination of pig’s feet with foie gras…)
Somehow a few people in our party had room for dessert, although I’m still not sure how? (If you actually have room for dessert, you perhaps have not made the most of your visit to Au Pied de Cochon…) None-the-less, the lemon tart received a very good review. The issue of wine came up. Specifically what does one serve with Poutine and foie gras. My response is always to go with the safe bet - Champagne (or Sparkling Wine). This will cut through all the rich fatty texture with little or no effort. Something from a good vintage would be best, but anything dry and bubbly should work. For the cochon, game and other big red meats, we went with a red from the Northern Rhone which worked really well and was very reasonably priced. The restaurant has a pleasant little wine list, with mostly French options. You can easily get something juicy and red for under $50.00 a bottle without too much trouble.
Anthony Bourdain, an uber Chef and media slut himself, called Au Pied De Cochon “…the restaurant I’d been waiting for my whole life” and noted that the restaurant is “review-proof”. Although I cannot agree with his first sentiment, I do see what he is saying about the restaurant being review-proof. You either get it or you don’t! You are either up for a casually-serious twist on traditional French Canadian fare or you are looking for the safe choice - which can be found around corner in dozens of other restaurants. For those prepared to open up a can of duck on their taste buds, and experience the thrill of something new, this is one food experience well worth the trip. Pack your bags and bring your sense of adventure and your appetite.
536 rue Duluth Est
Montreal, Quebec
H2L 1A9
(514) 281-1114
www.restaurantaupieddecochon.ca/index_eng.html
Open 5:00 p.m. to Midnight. Closed Mondays.
There is a certain kind of thrill (mostly for us foodie types) in the prospect of a meal at “Au Pied de Cochon”. Chef Martin Picard, who is currently making the media rounds as the “chef du jour”, has developed something of a reputation with his “gonzo” approach to gastronomy within the framework of traditional French Canadian cuisine.
The first thing that strikes me is the lack of signage. Nothing! The space is large enough. The location is anything but spectacular - on Duluth off St. Denis, with all the tired “Bring Your Own Wine” restaurants - but this is not about neon signs, location or decor (simple wood tables with mirrored walls and almost no art). This is about a unique approach to food. The young, T-Shirt clad staff help to maintain an atmosphere of a casual happening place. The open kitchen and long bar also helps to bring you a little closer to the kitchen, the staff and the food. (Recommendation: Confirm your reservation prior to your arrival. Ours was lost and no small amount of cajoling was involved in getting it back.)
The next thing that struck me as we waited for our table was the mounds and mounds of foie gras sitting in the glass meat cooler. More foie gras that one could imagine being in any one place at any one time. This vision definitely sets the tone for the evening. While foie gras is banned in Chicago restaurants (ridiculous!) here it is celebrated and honoured on a menu that involves adding foie gras to almost anything on the menu. (A short note on foie gras…fattened duck or goose liver is not something you will want to consume everyday or something that works with every dish. It is a vegetarian’s worse nightmare, but according to Chef Picard it is a lack of understanding which has lead certain communities (hard to think of a City like Chicago as a united food community!?) to ban it from their menus. Ducks and geese are naturally inclined to force feed themselves as winter sets in, so this process, although no doubt challenging for some, sort of gets the duck or goose to where they would be naturally. Foie gras is very French, very rich and very, very good when done correctly. So for those who have not had the pleasure, and are prepared to admit to eating fois gras on your next visit to the Windy City, Au Pied De Cochon is the place to go…)
The menu is deceptively straight forward. During the winter months, it is all meat all the time (with a few pleasant exceptions). The summer months include an extensive selection of East Coast seafood personally arranged for and chosen by Chef Picard. His approach is about taking ubiquitous French Canadian cuisine, deconstructing it and re-inventing it in slightly over-the-top ways. A good example is the Poutine with foie gras. A combination of fries, cheese curds and gravy (standard poutine ingredients), to which Chef Picard adds melted foie gras and tops the whole thing off with a sizeable portion of foie gras. This PDC signature dish is now being copied by a number of chefs and for good reason. It is both over-the-top and quite simply delicious.
Other recommendations for Appetizers include, the Tomato tartlet (simple, with an amazingly pure tomato taste on a flaky little tarte) and Codfish accras (little cod balls with more flavour and texture than one might think possible in such a small package served with a terrific garlic-mayo dip) and Tarragon venison tongue (soft and supple in a rich and delicious tarragon gravy.) Amazing!
(Heads-up: If you have a problem with game, or the consumption of odd cuts of meat, then this may not be the place for you.)
Our party of four came prepared for the full “Au Pied” treatment. We were here to dive-in and get our snouts dirty and no amount of odd cuts of meat were going to dissuade us. For the mains, two out of our party enjoyed the completely original “Duck in a Can” where a full duck breast is cooked with various ingredients, including foie gras, in a can and presented at the table on a bed of toast and mashed celeriac. (The presentation alone is almost worth the $36.00 price of the dish. Very tasty and oh so rich!) The “Happy Pig Chop” is big, even by these standards, and nicely served with sauerkraut ($19.75). Finally there was the “Stuffed pied de cochon with foie gras”. The ultimate in large portioned, richly textured over-the-top meals served with PDC mashed potatoes (which include large amounts of cheese curds, butter and cream) and at $45.00 the top price for any single dish on the menu. (Word of warning: This really is very lush fare and the portions are indeed sizeable. You may walk away in some level of discomfort. Eventually this subsides and you end up thinking about the venison tongue and the amazing gravy it is served in or the unbelievably opulent combination of pig’s feet with foie gras…)
Somehow a few people in our party had room for dessert, although I’m still not sure how? (If you actually have room for dessert, you perhaps have not made the most of your visit to Au Pied de Cochon…) None-the-less, the lemon tart received a very good review. The issue of wine came up. Specifically what does one serve with Poutine and foie gras. My response is always to go with the safe bet - Champagne (or Sparkling Wine). This will cut through all the rich fatty texture with little or no effort. Something from a good vintage would be best, but anything dry and bubbly should work. For the cochon, game and other big red meats, we went with a red from the Northern Rhone which worked really well and was very reasonably priced. The restaurant has a pleasant little wine list, with mostly French options. You can easily get something juicy and red for under $50.00 a bottle without too much trouble.
Anthony Bourdain, an uber Chef and media slut himself, called Au Pied De Cochon “…the restaurant I’d been waiting for my whole life” and noted that the restaurant is “review-proof”. Although I cannot agree with his first sentiment, I do see what he is saying about the restaurant being review-proof. You either get it or you don’t! You are either up for a casually-serious twist on traditional French Canadian fare or you are looking for the safe choice - which can be found around corner in dozens of other restaurants. For those prepared to open up a can of duck on their taste buds, and experience the thrill of something new, this is one food experience well worth the trip. Pack your bags and bring your sense of adventure and your appetite.
5 comments:
Chef Picard and yourself are either lying or ignorant. Yes, migratory wild ducks do increase their food intake prior to migration, but they DO NOT gorge themselves to the point of death! The livers of wild ducks and geese have been known to expand up to twice their normal size- but not a ten-fold expansion as is found in forced-feeding production. AND, the ducks used in foie gras production (Muscovy and Mulard or Moulard)are non-migratory and not prediposed to gorging of any kind. Not to mention that birds do not lock themselves immobile in cages for weeks and shove metal rods down their throats. You and Chef Picard are either highly uninformed or blatantly lying to the public.
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