Brunch: L'Avenue du Plateau
Restaurant L'Avenue, 922, Mont-Royal East (514)523-8780
So, the other day I got a phone call from my friend's husband (we'll call her "Depeche Mode"). He's a Muslim Jew. That has nothing to do with this review, but I thought I'd mention it anyway since the background story is interesting. I will not, however, give you the background story now. One day, at my blog, I may tell it.
Anyway, Depeche Mode's Husband (DMH) asked me to go to brunch. Since Depeche Mode was in Turkey visiting friends, and since DMH was new to Montreal, he was understandably bored. I, being a brunch whore, quickly accepted the invitation.
He came to pick me up and due partly to hunger and partly to lack of an imagination (also due to hunger) we settled on the immensely popular L'Avenue due Plateau. I first tried L'Avenue after noticing an ever-present line up outside the restaurant. Really, no matter when you drive by, there is a line. This is especially true during the weekend. One day I decided to join the line. That day is not this day. This day was my gazillionth time eating at that restaurant, except all those other times I did not have a restaurant review blog. So, let's say I didn't know how the food, ambiance and service would be until now. Let's all find out together.
So we get to L'Avenue and we join the line. The good thing about the line is it moves really quickly. They don't rush you inside the restaurant, but people know about the line up and in a big show of collective action, everyone just moves it along so that someone else can get inside.
A note about the line: when you get to the front of the line it gets especially torturous. This is because through the glass window you can see the fruit chefs chopping fruit. It looks so fresh and succulent. This is also because you can see empty seats that are not for you. So, you play this game with yourself (which causes you to cease conversing with your brunch companions and retreat to the inner recesses of your mind). You ask yourself: is that our seat? How about that one? I bet that's our seat. That's a table for two. No, no it isn't. They just put two tables for two together. So, it's a table for four. Crap. Wait, yes, there's another seat. They're motioning to us! It's ours! We're in!
We got seated near the front of the restaurant. Every seat in this restaurant is fine because, hey, it's a seat. So, our waitress brought us the menus. Our waitress is a red-headed waitress whom I've seen working at that restaurant for quite a while. Also, I think she goes to my gym, but that's neither here nor there. She's a really good waitress. She even told me what the music was - Jamiroquai's latest album. I think I'm going to buy it. Did you ever notice that the lead singer of Jamiroquai, Jay Kay, sounds just like Stevie Wonder? And once, on the Brit Awards, they did a duet and it sounded like only one person was singing. Whatever, I'm getting distracted.
The menus are in French. Or, at least, I've never asked for nor seen an English menu. This doesn't matter to most Montrealers, but I was worried for DMH being an ex-San-Fran-Jew (and current Montreal Muslim-Jew) and I offered to translate for him. Did I mention that DMH is a scriptwriter? More about that later. The point is, DMH could read the menu, so good for him. He even ordered in French.
Reading this menu is always an overwhelming experience since everything looks really good. They have crepes or waffles with almost any topping. Good toppings like carmelized banana and rum, or cheese and apple; not bad toppings like marshmallow and chocolate sauce. They also have "normal" breakfasts, omelettes and other assorted goodies. All of it is good, but beware the "eyes bigger than stomach" syndrome. The plates can be rich and filling.
I ordered a "normal" breakfast on this particular occasion. Two scrambled eggs, bacon and patates rissolées. Now, unlike Le Toaster, the potatoes at L'Avenue are really what I would call rissolées as opposed to "home fries." The potatoes are soooo gooood. They definitely cook them in A LOT of butter, but there must be something else that I can't identify. Oh, there's the usual stuff like garlic, onion, etc., but there's got to be something else, because these are extra good. As long as you order something without pancakes, crepes or waffles, you get a choice of bread. The choices are greater than or equal to the following: white bread, brown bread, belgian bread, baguette and bagel. I chose a baguette. Mmmm. This meal was so good. If I haven't hinted enough at it already, L'Avenue serves good food. One day you just know it's going to become over-rated, but that day hasn't arrived yet.
I also ordered a glass of blueberry/pineapple/banana juice. It came with a garnish of orange and kiwi. What do you want me to say? It was cold. It was fruity. It was excellent.
DMH liked his stuff too.
Now, I've mentioned before that the measure of a brunch is its coffee. To be honest, this coffee is just okay. However, in this case, the coffee is not a measure of the brunch, but something tells me that the judges will penalize L'Avenue for this when they reveal their final scores. The judges are picky that way.
Basically, this is the end of the review, but I mentioned that DMH is a scriptwriter. He just wrote a script partly set in Vietnam. A few days before this brunch, I had agreed to read it and give him some feedback. I hate movies set in warzones or war veteran movies, but this script is really good. And the end! Halfway through the script I still hadn't developed any sympathy for any of the characters, but once I did! Look out! I cried at the end. It will probably get made because DMH is kind of in the know in Hollywood. He's a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Next year, Depeche Mode and I are going to vote for him. If we have anything to say about it, Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Gwyneth Paltrow, Julia Roberts, Steven Spielberg, Meg Ryan, Brad Pitt and Nicolas Cage have absolutely NO SHOT at an Oscar either as actors, directors, producers or executive producers.
My rating? FOUR STARS! Oh, snap! The judges deducted a FULL STAR just for the coffee.
Love and kisses,
Laurelle
Restaurant L'Avenue, 922, Mont-Royal East (514)523-8780
So, the other day I got a phone call from my friend's husband (we'll call her "Depeche Mode"). He's a Muslim Jew. That has nothing to do with this review, but I thought I'd mention it anyway since the background story is interesting. I will not, however, give you the background story now. One day, at my blog, I may tell it.
Anyway, Depeche Mode's Husband (DMH) asked me to go to brunch. Since Depeche Mode was in Turkey visiting friends, and since DMH was new to Montreal, he was understandably bored. I, being a brunch whore, quickly accepted the invitation.
He came to pick me up and due partly to hunger and partly to lack of an imagination (also due to hunger) we settled on the immensely popular L'Avenue due Plateau. I first tried L'Avenue after noticing an ever-present line up outside the restaurant. Really, no matter when you drive by, there is a line. This is especially true during the weekend. One day I decided to join the line. That day is not this day. This day was my gazillionth time eating at that restaurant, except all those other times I did not have a restaurant review blog. So, let's say I didn't know how the food, ambiance and service would be until now. Let's all find out together.
So we get to L'Avenue and we join the line. The good thing about the line is it moves really quickly. They don't rush you inside the restaurant, but people know about the line up and in a big show of collective action, everyone just moves it along so that someone else can get inside.
A note about the line: when you get to the front of the line it gets especially torturous. This is because through the glass window you can see the fruit chefs chopping fruit. It looks so fresh and succulent. This is also because you can see empty seats that are not for you. So, you play this game with yourself (which causes you to cease conversing with your brunch companions and retreat to the inner recesses of your mind). You ask yourself: is that our seat? How about that one? I bet that's our seat. That's a table for two. No, no it isn't. They just put two tables for two together. So, it's a table for four. Crap. Wait, yes, there's another seat. They're motioning to us! It's ours! We're in!
We got seated near the front of the restaurant. Every seat in this restaurant is fine because, hey, it's a seat. So, our waitress brought us the menus. Our waitress is a red-headed waitress whom I've seen working at that restaurant for quite a while. Also, I think she goes to my gym, but that's neither here nor there. She's a really good waitress. She even told me what the music was - Jamiroquai's latest album. I think I'm going to buy it. Did you ever notice that the lead singer of Jamiroquai, Jay Kay, sounds just like Stevie Wonder? And once, on the Brit Awards, they did a duet and it sounded like only one person was singing. Whatever, I'm getting distracted.
The menus are in French. Or, at least, I've never asked for nor seen an English menu. This doesn't matter to most Montrealers, but I was worried for DMH being an ex-San-Fran-Jew (and current Montreal Muslim-Jew) and I offered to translate for him. Did I mention that DMH is a scriptwriter? More about that later. The point is, DMH could read the menu, so good for him. He even ordered in French.
Reading this menu is always an overwhelming experience since everything looks really good. They have crepes or waffles with almost any topping. Good toppings like carmelized banana and rum, or cheese and apple; not bad toppings like marshmallow and chocolate sauce. They also have "normal" breakfasts, omelettes and other assorted goodies. All of it is good, but beware the "eyes bigger than stomach" syndrome. The plates can be rich and filling.
I ordered a "normal" breakfast on this particular occasion. Two scrambled eggs, bacon and patates rissolées. Now, unlike Le Toaster, the potatoes at L'Avenue are really what I would call rissolées as opposed to "home fries." The potatoes are soooo gooood. They definitely cook them in A LOT of butter, but there must be something else that I can't identify. Oh, there's the usual stuff like garlic, onion, etc., but there's got to be something else, because these are extra good. As long as you order something without pancakes, crepes or waffles, you get a choice of bread. The choices are greater than or equal to the following: white bread, brown bread, belgian bread, baguette and bagel. I chose a baguette. Mmmm. This meal was so good. If I haven't hinted enough at it already, L'Avenue serves good food. One day you just know it's going to become over-rated, but that day hasn't arrived yet.
I also ordered a glass of blueberry/pineapple/banana juice. It came with a garnish of orange and kiwi. What do you want me to say? It was cold. It was fruity. It was excellent.
DMH liked his stuff too.
Now, I've mentioned before that the measure of a brunch is its coffee. To be honest, this coffee is just okay. However, in this case, the coffee is not a measure of the brunch, but something tells me that the judges will penalize L'Avenue for this when they reveal their final scores. The judges are picky that way.
Basically, this is the end of the review, but I mentioned that DMH is a scriptwriter. He just wrote a script partly set in Vietnam. A few days before this brunch, I had agreed to read it and give him some feedback. I hate movies set in warzones or war veteran movies, but this script is really good. And the end! Halfway through the script I still hadn't developed any sympathy for any of the characters, but once I did! Look out! I cried at the end. It will probably get made because DMH is kind of in the know in Hollywood. He's a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Next year, Depeche Mode and I are going to vote for him. If we have anything to say about it, Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Gwyneth Paltrow, Julia Roberts, Steven Spielberg, Meg Ryan, Brad Pitt and Nicolas Cage have absolutely NO SHOT at an Oscar either as actors, directors, producers or executive producers.
My rating? FOUR STARS! Oh, snap! The judges deducted a FULL STAR just for the coffee.
Love and kisses,
Laurelle
posted by Laurelle St. Laurent at 8:31 PM
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