Boris Bistro (Montréal, QC)

465 McGill Street
Montréal, Québec
514.848.9575
website

This summer, I met up with my friend Cee and others for lunch. She picked Boris Bistro while searching for a restaurant with a great outdoor space. Boris Bistro's outdoor setting cannot be beat. Shaded tables in a not very small nook make it a perfect space for an outdoor lunch in Montréal, well reputed for its terrasses.

Boris Bistro.

I started out with a refreshing sparkling apple drink. I drank it very quickly as it was hot.

 

Sparkling apple drink.

I decided to order two starters as I like variety. I had a trio of tapenade that included an olive tapenade, an artichoke mixture and a cheesy dip. All this accompanied by two very small, very thinly sliced toasts. It was rather disappointing as the tapenade was salty and needed more bread. The other two components were good, but it was slightly deceitful to call them tapenade. This is no longer on the menu, replaced by a wild mushroom toast that sounds potentially better.

 

Tapenade trio.

I decided to indulge and order the potatoes fried in duck fat. The fries were very good but I'm not sure I noticed that they were better than any other fries, i.e. not sure I noticed the duck fat.

 

 Fries in duck fat.

You can't beat the location at Boris Bistro. I may not have ordered well, and admittedly did not order a main. The food I did order was good, but not extraordinary, and on the pricey side for the portions porvided. You're paying for where you are sitting so enjoy the setting and bask in the sun.

 

Tuck Shop (Montréal, QC)

4662 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest
Montréal, Québec
514.439.7432
website

My sweet agent and friend MJ invited me out for dinner to celebrate the purchase of my new condo in Montréal. MJ suggested Tuck Shop and snagged us last minute seats at the bar for dinner. Tuck Shop is a bistro style restaurant located in the Sud Ouest neighbourhood.

Our bartender/server enticed us with a fish taco as the starter of the day. Unfortunately, when we ordered, they ran out of fish, so the fish was replaced with deep fried buffalo mozzarella. The outside was fried to a golden crisp, while the cheese was still oozing and exhibited stringy mozzarella properties. The taco was also filled with guacamole, beans and fresh lettuce which helped balance out the fried cheese, and made for a great starter.

For a main, MJ ordered the Boston Cod ($32), served with new potatoes, asparagus and fiddleheads. She really enjoyed her dish. When she accidentally knocked her wine glass into her dish, the server was sweet enough to quickly take the dish back into the kitchen and clean it up.

I ordered the fresh crab from Gaspésie ($35), served with asparagus, fiddleheads and sautéed mushrooms. The crab mixture was served into the crab shell, which made it easy to eat, although I did struggle with the crab claw that was served. The crab mixture was very good and I quite enjoyed the mushrooms. My small complaint is that the portion of vegetables seemed small. This seemed like the perfect "girly" dish, with no carbs in sight. I longingly looked at the steak dishes served with a massive amount of frites.

Tuck Shop is a gem in the Sud Ouest neighbourhood. I loved the bistro ambiance. The menu seems to change regularly to accommodate seasonal ingredients, so this would guarantee variety whenever you visit.