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| - We came to Montreal for the Jazz Festival hoping to experience some of the great food and drink that we'd heard so much about, along with the fabulous music. It wasn't until our fourth night in the city that we discovered this amazing place and felt that we'd had the culinary experience we'd been looking for. I generally don't like to spend lots of money on dinner, but if I am going to do so I want to be "wowed" and I want to have a meal that doesn't leave me feeling that I could have made it myself at home. L'Autre Version specializes in locally grown/raised foods. We arrived on a Saturday night without a reservation and were delighted to be seated right away at a nice table in their back terrace. This lovely outdoor space is a beautiful green oasis and escape from the hustle and bustle just outside in Vieux Montreal. The service was perfect. The wait staff always seemed to be there just when we needed them, but remained unobtrusive and almost invisible while we enjoyed the food, wine, and conversation. We started with sautéed local mushrooms served on an actual piece of tree bark with a smoking piece of fresh thyme, some lichen (yes lichen) and sea lettuce. These ingredients might give one pause, but the combination was absolutely perfect, creating a perfect blend of color, smell, texture and taste. For the main course I had venison served with mushrooms, barley nettle risotto and a delicious sauce. The meat was rare, tender, and delicious. My wife had Lake Walleye with broccoli. The fish was a bit bland but the sauce was delicious. The mix of local fresh ingredients prepared to perfection and presented with an artist's flair left us fully satisfied. Dessert was to the same high standard. I had a chocolate plate with a range of different types of chocolate, while my wife had mini beignets served in an aluminum can. Our meal at L'Autre Version was one of the best we've had, and one that will stand out in our memories for a long time.
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