travel bite: Joe Beef – Montreal, Canada

November 28, 2023

It is often the restaurants with the best reputations that I find most disappointing, and Joe Beef has the best reputation. At one time it was named the second best restaurant in Canada, and though it has slipped down to 24th, it is still arguably one of the most important restaurants in Montreal. Add to that, one of the co-owners, David McMillan, retired after the pandemic. So as I Ubered to Little Burgundy, I was both extremely excited, but also pretty sure I’d be let down.

As I stepped out of the cold Canadian air and into the warmth of the front dining room, I was struck by the unique balance of kitsch and charm that is Joe Beef. The room was covered in grandma’s wallpaper and chalkboard menus. Various cooking and gardening tools hung on the walls. Some plates, a shelf of books, endless hooks to hang your coat, and a great glass vase filled with random matchbooks from such exotic destinations as Fort Lauderdale decorated the room. Waitress dressed in all manner of outfits, from the casual jeans and t-shirt of our server to the leather butcher’s apron of another that reminded me of Dexter more than anything. The three dining rooms were all small and cozy thirty seats at the most where we were seated in the back. The tables were set with rustic, blue checkered napkins and china likely gathered from flea markets and estate sales.

The first order of business was drinks. I ordered a Clover Club, a classic gin-raspberry cocktail which was excellent. My wife selected a Champagne Old Cuban, an elevated and enlarged version of original. We also ordered a bottle of local wine, Domaine du Nival – Les Entetes, a beautiful pinot noir from Saint-Louis, Quebec. In the few days since, I have tried to find a bottle, it’s almost impossible. If you go to Joe Beef, do not skip the chance to try this.

Joe Beef is the type of restaurant where you need to order more than what you could ever possibly eat. The menu is always changing and in addition to the one they lay in front of you, the chalkboard calls out more. You want to get everything and narrowing it down is the hardest part. Unless you are five, in which case you just want french fries and bread service. There wasn’t much on the menu for my son, but they did offer to make him plain pasta. He was happier to just have bread and fries, and I loved the parker house rolls.

For my wife and I, we decided on three appetizers. Clams on the Radio is exactly what it sounds like. Five clams on the halfshell, baked with andouille and served on top of an antique radio. Perhaps a gimmick, but who cares when they taste so good. My wife declared them the best part of the meal. The steak tartare was likewise splendid, served with french onions so that no toast was needed. Finally we enjoyed the chalkboard special of a poptart stuffed with brandade, which is a spread of salt cod and mashed potatoes.

For a main course, I was tempted by sweetbreads, the roast pork on the chalkboard, and of course the Lobster Spaghetti, Joe Beef’s iconic dish. But in the end we decided to share the “Nice Dish of Duck.” It included a large duck breast perfectly prepared, a confit leg and thigh, and the roasted hearts of the the duck and his entire extended family. Luckily for my wife I like duck hearts and ate them all so she didn’t have to. It was dressed in a plum sauce and sat upon squash fritters. It was exceptional, though perhaps I should have had a salad to go with it to cut through the richness of the dish.

The night before we ate at Joe Beef, we went to Gibbys. I was so full at the end of that meal, I almost wondered how I would eat again the next day. And the day before Gibbys was Thanksgiving, so I was coming off of two feasts when I arrived at this dinner. And after bread, three appetizers, and a giant plate of duck, I was out of room. But how can you not try bananas foster crepes. So I did, along with a corpse reviver. The crepe was beautiful, the caramel was decadent, and the banana semifreddo stuffed inside was delicious. Good thing I didn’t get that salad.

In the end, Joe Beef did not disappoint, not one bit. Just look at me after dinner. That’s the face of a very happy man.

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