| rev:text
| - i think everyone can recall specific detail of many momentary tastes they had experienced in their first truly exquisite meal. it may not be their favorite meal, or their choice of hypothetical last meal (as this often returns to something your mother made), but it is etched in each person's memory as the moment where they spent more than they ever had before, and walked away with a memory an experience, and a justification as to the value of fine flavor in a world of economic woes.
europea is that first fine meal for me. i and my then boyfriend, and now husband, had spontaneously driven the hours and hours up to canada one year for an international film festival, and as we had been experimenting with several cooking techniques, we decided to splurge, and really try to find out what food cooked by someone with classical french cooking skill tastes like. the person at the hotel desk recommended europea, which was located only a few blocks away.
we decided on the tasting menu, with wine pairings, which was a tremendous amount of money in that we had both just started "grown up" jobs. but it was completely worth it, and again and again, this restaurant remains my benchmark in an experience of a meal that was completely worth the amount of money we had paid.
i can't recall the exact order or items of the menu. but i will tell you that i still recall the taste of the amuse bouche as if it were ten minutes ago. a tiny spoon, and a little espresso cup, filled with the finest, richest taste of lobster cappuchino, or bisque, that you could ever imagine. it sent both of us into a closed eye making of a memory. other dishes that followed included my first taste of foie gras, which was seared and served with a fruit based sauce. of course, the meal continued on with wines, meats, cheeses, and delightful deserts, ending with the finest cup of coffee i've ever closed a meal with. we both left, slightly tipsy, and with the feeling that we would value food as an art for the rest of our lives. each dish cooked once, for one patron, and is different each subsequent time it is cooked due to variations in cooking time or seasons. i felt truly lucky after this meal.
i wish i could recite to you the sequence of dishes, but honestly i wasn't of the initiated at the time that i had eaten here. what i would recommend is that if you're in montreal and in need for a real treat, but have never had an extensive tasting menu before, take the plunge and try this restaurant which will set your standards for you. i truly enjoyed it, and have gone on to taste the creations of the likes of pierre garnaire (paris), david chang (new york), the chefs at les ambassadeurs (paris), my boy ken oringer (boston), etc etc. europea still remains amongst the best and of course my virgin tasting menu. and as a result, fine food is now draining my expenses day after day, but without regret:)
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