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| - A problem with the restaurants along Sainte-Catherine rue is that they seem to fall into two categories: hole-in-the wall, mostly take-away dives aimed at drunken university students, or much more upscale restaurants populated mainly by romantic-looking couples perched at tiny tables. I was in town for a conference and a friend had had to cancel at the last minute, so I was wandering around looking for a late dinner by myself.
Piazzetta seemed pleasantly casual in an upscale way and also did not have a wait. In the event, I was very pleasantly surprised by the food.
The Caesar salad was a very tangy, caper-laden composition and very tasty. As the name of the restaurant implies, they specialize in delightful thing crust pizzas, some quite traditional and some more experimental. I was tempted to try the Germaniinspired special, with sauerkraut, red onions, and I believe sausage, but instead I went for the pizza Diavolo. It was surprisingly spicy and flavorful. The crust is particularly good--quite crisp with a hint of Parmesan baked into it. They have a number of decent Italian and Californian wines by the class.
I asked the waiter's recommendation among several very tempting dessert options and followed his guidance in ordering the Praline royale. I am fairly picky about chocolate desserts, but this was perfect. Rather like a light chocolate mousse cake, with several layers and it crossed with a pleasantly sharp crunchy sweetness to it. Overall, it presented a satisfying chocolate richness without being cloying or overwhelming the way that some chocolate desserts can.
Definitely a fan, and would actively come back to try more of their pizzas and more of the desserts when next in Montréal. I am giving this 3 stars rather than for only because I try not to give 4 stars on a single visit.
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