As the fowl turns
Catherine Macpherson
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Rotisserie Frango entices with Portuguese specialties and perfect desserts
photo: Marianne McEwen
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The new, small and friendly Rotisserie Frango brings an enticing aroma to an unexpected neighbourhood
There it was. The unmistakable smell of wood smoke tinged with meat drippings. But... Where am I? This scent, more rightly associated with the corner of Rachel and St-Laurent, wafted up from Mont-Royal at De Lanaudière. And then I saw them: chickens. Splayed and pressed between two grill racks, turning long and leisurely over a toasty bed of wood coals, showers of sparks dancing among the splats and sizzles of dripping chicken juices.Perhaps the wood smoke got in my eyes but it took me a few seconds to decipher the name "Frango" on the facade of the Portuguese rotisserie joint that opened a few months back. The "F" looks like a poultrified Alfred Hitchcock profile. But the promise of good Portuguese chicken this far east of the Main was intriguing.
The interior is modern, sunny and peopled with an incredibly likable staff. There are only a handful of tables and counter stools, but even if you're getting take-out, lingering is encouraged. Shelves are stocked with Portuguese specialties: tinned seafood, piri-piri sauce, olive oils and biscuits; the deli counter proffers Portuguese cheeses, chorizo and other cured meats, as well as salads and sweet treats. Marinated shrimp were sweet and herbaceous; an octopus salad was perfectly tender. The pasteis de nata -unctuous, scrumptious custard tarts in a feathery, flaky crust - were pure perfection. No surprise as they're made by the deft hands of pâtisserie Bela Vista.
But the Portuguese-style gingerbread is made by the owner's wife. Stop in on
Saturday mornings for your latte and a piece of that anise-spiked gingerbread: slightly crisp outside, softly chewy inside. Heavenly. With a range of lunch and breakfast options, Frango aims to feed you, any time of day. Yeah, yeah, get to the chicken, right? And here I hesitate. It's good. You can taste the wood charcoal. The skin was crisp... in parts. And the meat tender... in parts. Ultimately, the desired distinction between crisp skin sheathing moist meat was not there. We ordered the piquante sauce on the side - the ruddy, chili-flecked oil certainly perked the bird up. But it just didn't cut it next to some of the city's best. It may be a matter of timing (an early weekday supper, on our part), and I'm willing to go back when I see more promising birds on the grill. Turnover is part of what makes these chickens great.
A sandwich of spicy piri-piri-infused chicken thighs, juices soaking into the Portuguese roll, was mighty tasty. So, too, the roasted potatoes. Leftover spuds, fried up with some of that chorizo and eggs, makes a fabulous breakfast. There's so much good, it really makes you want to like this place completely, so if they could just please work on the chicken?
Rotisserie Frango
1318 Mont-Royal E.; (514) 903-1228
Dinner for two, before tax, tip, and beverage: $17.50 for a whole chicken, potatoes, salad, two Portuguese rolls and a small side of coleslaw.
www.frango.ca
