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| - I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a tendency to overcompensate.
I have been guilty of pushing myself to run 2-3 times the distance of a missed run day on the next day to "make up" for lost time; I once went 300 dollars overbudget on a TV because the exact one I've been saving up for was conveniently sold out the day I went to purchase it; I also drove 300 miles to a brewery to buy a case of beer when I found out that my local distribution wells had just sold out.
Foie gras isn't something that I'm known to go nuts about--I've actually only had it once previous to my dining experience at Au Pied de Cochon--but it did bring a slight frown to my face when a state-wide ban on one of the world's three delicacies was instituted a couple years back, depriving me of the oppportunity to ever try it again (at least at my home state)
So you can only imagine my delight when I stumbled upon yet another opportunity to overcompensate, when I learned about a restaurant that pretty much drowns everything in the chopped liver of a stuffed goose while conferring with a friend about a possible trip to Montréal; I was also amused when I found out that said restaurant also likes to stuff ducks into cans and serve them atop slices of baguettes, but I'll save that story for later.
My Calgarian friend and I ended up at Au Pied de Cochon after making reservations weeks ahead (we tried the same for Joe Beef, but no such luck there.) Once we got to the restaurant, we found ourselves behind a murder of crow-like uppity bachelorette party girls who apparently had been double-booked and waiting for over an hour for the restaurant to accommodate. Whereas this wasn't a great start to the evening, listening to four Indian girls bitch drunkenly about how they think they're better than others and how the restaurant should cater to their every need brought both a chuckle to my face and a glimmering hope that maybe they would shut their annoying pie-holes.
Annoyances you would more often than not experience at fancy world-class restaurants aside, we were promptly seated at the bar by the charming hostess who took our orders at the bar while securing our table in the main dining area. While waiting for the food, I ordered APdC's homebrew ale, which never made its way to me, perhaps because our tables were moved or because they forgot, but it didn't bother me too much.
For the appetizer, we ordered the evening special which was a seafood gratin of sorts baked into a fluffy eggy batter with just the right amount of cheese. I can still remember every bite of that delicious seafood/vegetable filled fake-pie. What's more, is that I remember my friend trying to cut up and eat the cork wood coaster that the gratin was served on.
Next came the Duck Carpaccio -- out of all the thinly sliced meats/fish/vegetables I've tried in my life, this was probably my favorite. The duck was topped with fresh onions and mushrooms, served on top of a dreamy bed of olive oil and a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar.
While the main courses were cooking in the back, our Foie Gras Poutine graced the table like an angel descended from heaven -- my friend and I tried a lifetime's worth of poutine during our 3-day excursion in Montréal, but we both agreed that this was quite possibly the most exquisite that we'd had. The way the foie gras gravy mixes with the cheese curdles and the fries.... I have absolutely no words to describe the unholy matrimony of the two.
The Stuffed Pied de Cochon was the first of the heavy hitters to land at our table. Think Schweinhaxe meets foie gras, takes her out to romantic first and second dates, and then goes hard and heavy on the third. I never thought I'd ever enjoy eating pig's foot (even though it does appear to be a delicacy in certain regions of my country of heritage), but who can say no when the meat is so tender, juicy, tangy, and tart at the same time? Hell, make anything taste like the aforementioned adjectives, and I'll eat anything -- just don't tell me what it is until I'm done.
And finally, our coup de grâce was served to us in the form of a white can with the words "CANARD EN CONSERVE" and ungracefully plopped onto a serving plate on top of four finely sliced pieces of baguette. How it landed so perfectly and artfully despite its forceful ejection out of a metal can, I will never know, but one thing is for sure; I have never known life until I've had a perfectly delightful meal served out of a can, and I'm glad that meal took place at Au Pied de Cochon.
Probably one of the top three best meals I've had in my life. I'll definitely be coming back the next time I'm in town!
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