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| - Was visiting Montreal mid-February from NYC. Didn't think to make reservations ahead of time, and wound up paying for that dearly. My boyfriend and I were starving come 7pm and wandered around Old Montreal assuming some place would be able to squeeze us in.
Non! Non! Non! Everyone was full. As we made our way down St. Paul's, I was preparing myself to just head down to Five Guys and call it a night. Finally, we passed Venti and decided to give it a shot.
The man at the door was incredibly sweet. We told him we didn't have a reservation and he kindly offered us seats at the bar. This actually turned out to be great. The best part of our night, and I think the most important part of what made this place so wonderful (and what prompted me to want to write a review), were the guys in the kitchen. They were like 6 kitchen cowboys back there. They worked like a well oiled machine and for 2 hours we watched them produce some truly gorgeous food. The one or two times something didn't come out looking right, they started all over again.
We started with a charcuterie plate (no cheese) which was fantastic. Our server was a total sweetheart who was attentive and knowledgeable - very kind and down to earth. For my entree, I ordered the half Cornish hen, marinated with fresh chilies and garlic. and the chickpeas in tomato sauce. It was AMAZING. My boyfriend ordered the roast pork, which I watched the chef plate with love, and we literally still talk about it to this day.
For dessert we ordered the flourless chocolate cake and chatted with our waiter a bit. I really can't say enough about this place. Some of the restaurants along St. Paul's seem a little gimmicky and without a lot of character, but Venti has a personality all its own that starts in the kitchen and makes it a really solid player. Definitely check it (but make a reservation first!)
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