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| - Getting an RSVP at one of Montreal's best restaurants has become difficult. Liverpool House? Three-week wait. Le Hangar? Sure there's room, if you want to eat before 5:30pm or after 10:30pm. Bremner? No matter how early you plan, making an RSVP is difficult if no one answers the phone or calls you back - well done on joining Opentable. Ah yes, planning a night out is currently necessary even in Montreal, especially since popular restaurant trends promote smaller, cozier, bustling restaurants that fill up fast.
That's how I finally ended up at Tuck Shop. I've wanted to try this place for a while, so I called a week early to reserve for a group, and opted for the dinner-table-style menu that includes 4 appetizers and 2 mains (a steal at $45 per person). A taste of everything for everyone? Aww yeahhh.
We started with a salad - white beets, coriander, mango, arugula, radish, cucumbers and parmesan. It was yummy and refreshing, especially with the tart lemony dressing.
Next, we had the most delicious smoked salmon ever. At Tuck Shop, the salmon is wild, house cured and smoked, and comes with "potato rosti", trout caviar and crème fraiche. And I repeat - delicious.
Our third appetizer consisted of cheese tacos. Made with fried mozzarella, coriander, corn and lettuce, they were soft and delightful. Awesome, because tacos can easily be flavourless. It might be surprising, but it's true.
Our last appetizer included caramelized salmon with bok choy, root veggies and quinoa. The salmon was crispy on the outside and prepared to the point of a perfect soft pink on the inside. The veggies were cooked but crunchy. Delish.
Having forgotten how many dishes were included in our menu, we thought our meal was over. Lo and behold, the waitress came over to tell us that our mains were on their way. Oh baby! These included the most mouthwatering jerk chicken accompanied by black bean purée and fried okra. It was spicy and juicy and everything jerk chicken should be. Perfection.
Finally, our last main consisted of hanger steak with chimichurri, wild mushrooms and rapini. Again, so good. And the best part? We didn't even have to say "medium-rare".
We wrapped up our meal with three delicious desserts to share. Tiramisu, warm apple pie, and caramel fleur de sel "cheesecake". The tiramisu was good, but not something to rave about. It's ok - a tiny bit of sub-perfection makes Tuck Shop human. The apple pie was amazing - warm and so satisfying with its crumbly crust and just-sweet-enough apple center. Needless to say, our favorite was the caramel fleur de sel "cheesecake" that was more of a silken cheesy-caramel-y-salty-cream than a cheesecake. Whoa.
Yes, I absolutely loved Tuck Shop. It made me think of a smaller Orignal and a non-pretentious Garde Manger. The music was super fun (Tom Petty and Gypsy Kings, anyone?) and added to the bon-vivant vibe that permeated the small restaurant. The service was good and the food was varied and delicious. I do hope that Tuck Shop's tables continue to be difficult to book for a while - it would certainly be well deserved.
Food 9.5/10, Atmosphere 9.5/10, Pretty people 9/10, Music (superfun, goodvolume) 9.5/10, Service 8.5/10.
Pictures: http://www.belledenuitmontreal.com/posts/tuck-shop/
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