It's hunting season
Catherine Macpherson
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L'Orignal: Canadian cool
photo: Marianne McEwen
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And the game is a big, fresh, juicy L'Orignal... for starters, anyway
There's a moose loose in the back alleyways of Old Montreal. The hip kids seem to know about it, and young thangs from West Island are flocking in droves for some wildlife spotting. L'Orignal is the newest venture from Monica Terlecki and Travis Champion of the resto-bar Garde-Manger.Looking like a secret club, guarded by a heavy Jacobean door, we entered L'Orignal with some trepidation. But the staff and the soundtrack immediately put us at ease. Take your small-town Canadian dive bar and transplant it to fancy-pants Old Montreal. Gussy up the joint with a trendy menu and even trendier clientele, and voilà! No beer signs and dartboards, just handsome pine panelling, corduroy cushions, stone walls and nooks stuffed with kitschy Canadiana. A carved wooden moose head, courtesy of a local artist, hangs near the bar. The bathrooms are frigid, the lighting kept low, and the likes of Gordon Lightfoot, Blondie and Tom Petty opined in the background. Nothing for it but to order a Moosehead and look bemused.
The menu features plenty of game meats and local goods. Tartare offerings include duck and foie gras alongside vegetarian creations like spiced cucumber with sweet potato. There were a slew of specials, another menu's worth, really. Our well-meaning waiter listed off as many as he could remember but we stuck with the regular items, despite being awfully tempted by a venison tartare.
Things started off strong. An appetizer of house-made salmon gravlax with maple and three salts was luscious. The
fish was not overly sweet - just a hint of maple to the respectably velvety flesh. Sprinklings of fleur de sel and pink and black salt lent a nice, briny crunch. Toasted sesame bagel, a retro sour-cream-and-green-onion schmear and fresh cucumber noodles rounded out the generous plate.Even more delectable, the mini lamb burgers were definitely the hit of the evening. Itty-bitty plump lamb patties, stuffed with a bit of spinach and topped with caramelized onions and melted Migneron cheese, were served on pâte-à-choux buns. The egg-rich pastry, soft with just a nice bit of chew, was an inspired choice. Grainy mustard gave the required hit of piquant. I could have gorged myself silly.
Taste flat-lined a bit on the mains, however. The description of cornflake-crusted fish 'n' chips gave me visions of jagged-crisp crust breaking apart to reveal creamy-white fish. While the cod itself was pleasant enough, the coating seemed barely a notch above that which coats your average fish stick. Seared duck breast with Coca-Cola and cinnamon sounded intriguing, but the sauce just delivered an indistinct sweetness with no discernible cinnamon. I had hoped for shellacked-crisp skin giving way to salty, melting duck fat and rich meat, but the whole breast was uniformly lacklustre, with no exciting flavour or texture contrasts.
L'Orignal has already gained a reputation as the place for after-work or late-night drinks. With multiple wines by the glass and a bar menu that consists of oysters, fresh seafood platters, olives and bacon-wrapped dates, cocktails and nibbles may be the way to go. Skip the mains, order another round of blackberry martinis and mini lamb burgers, and enjoy the pleasant surprise that comes with retrieving your warmed jacket from the heated coat closet. How delightfully Canadian.
L'Orignal
479 St-Alexis; 514-303-0479
Dinner for two, before tax, tip and beverage: $60-$110
