Last night, after about a month of planning, the surprise party I had organized (with the help of a few people) for my best friend Jess, was pulled off with much success.
We had dinner at L'Academie in Pointe Claire. I had never been there before but Jess has been there several times and she loves it.
All I wanted was the escargot but did not think many people would be getting the appetizers so I refrained- with much regret. Jess let me try one of her escargots and they were amazing.
Ant got the Mussels and I got the Atlantic Salmon.
I must say, I was not impressed and Ant was not a fan either. It was the first time I did not ask for a doggie bag and I think that is an indication of my feelings toward the meal. Jess got a dessert for free since it was her birthday but even that was... odd. They said it was ice cream but it looked more like whipped cream with crumbs put on it. It was strange.
This restaurant is BYOW and I am glad we brought a bottle to share. Although, I must say that the atmosphere is pretty great. It seems to be too formal for there to be the big screens they had but I am happy that I was able to see the hockey score in the background. The staff is very friendly and I even ran to an old coworker of mine which was a nice surprise.
Overall, I am happy I had the company I did but I don't think I'll be returning to this restaurant. To each their own though! If you go there, I hope you have a better experience and let me know! They have more than one location so maybe going to another one would make a difference.