What I immediately loved about La Fabrique was the concept: a low-key, casual atmosphere with upscale creative food. The decor is casual and playful, with many tables lining the walls with swivel plastic chairs (that are surprisingly comfortable!) The walls are covered with wood paneling that the waiters make use of by hanging your menus and bread baskets from. The best part of La Fabrique though is the fact that the small kitchen is centered in the middle of the restaurant, wide open on every side, allowing patrons to watch with fascination as the chefs prepare their dishes. It's so much fun to watch the chefs at work, you feel like you are witnessing an Iron Chef episode right in front of your eyes! This openness definitely reveals the chefs' confidence in their abilities, and the pride they have in their use of fresh ingredients.
The food was simply excellent. I would describe it, like many restaurants in the Plateau, as french cuisine with a Quebec twist. After ordering, you are given complementary homemade pickles with a dill flavored cream and bread. The pickles were so fresh, crisp and tangy, and the bread was soft on the inside with a crispy crust. Their menu included a large selection of terrines, so as an appetizer, we ordered a cod terrine. It was delicate and creamy, and served with bread and spinach toasted in brown butter. The terrine was so light, and it had a wonderful fresh, and not overpowering, cod flavor. As we watched the chefs at work during our meal, we noticed an appetizer that was constantly being ordered. We were later told that it was the beef tartar appetizer and according to the waiter, it is hugely popular. Definitely something to try next time!
Pickles and cod terrine platter
The main courses we ordered were a veal mille-feuille and the fois gras platter with canard confit. The veal mille-feuille was so tender and succulent, and it was served with shrimp stuffed arancini. In italian cooking, arancini are cheesy rice balls, and my italian husband gave these his enthusiastic approval. The large variety of vegetables served on the platter were cooked and seasoned to perfection in the meat's cooking juices.
Veal mille-feuille with shrimp stuffed arancini
The fois gras platter was also outstanding. I love when salty fois gras or duck are served with sweet enhancements, and this platter delivered just that. The sides included sucre à la crême flavored mashed celeri root, caramelized onions and sauteed parsnips and small potatoes - all delicious. The fois gras portion was extremely generous and had a melt-in-your mouth texture.
Fois gras and canard confit
For dessert we ordered the chocolate pogo with pear soup, which was good, but other desserts might have impressed more. We also had cafe lattes, which were great.
With the meal, we ordered a half bottle of one of the most affordable red wines that was recommended by our waiter, and it was excellent. Overall the bill including a half bottle of wine, a shared appetizer, two main courses, a shared dessert and two lattes came up to 100 $ including taxes, which we found was more than acceptable considering the quality. I'm told that the menu changes frequently and according to their website, they serve brunch, so this place has definite re-visit value.
La Presse was definitely right...this place is a must-see!
Approximate price for two people: 100 $
http://www.bistrotlafabrique.com/
This looks excellent! Your main courses look delicious! My only problem are the pickles...you know how I feel about pickles ;)
ReplyDeleteI'll definitely be considering it for a special occasion :)
It is a great place for dinner...the vibe is casual urban elegance to its best. I am happy your book had it in its not-to--miss-restaurants section....but I think I told u about it first no??!!! ;)
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