The Joy of Eating: Part 3 – The Joie de Vivre of Montreal

This is part three of my three-part series on the fun that can be had in the oft serious setting of fine dining. Part one, with the introduction and the story of my meals at Travail Kitchen & Amusements in Minneapolis can be found here. Part two covers my meal at Desfrurar, the best restaurant in the world, and can be found here.

Le Mousso, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Montreal is a wonderful town. It’s friendly and easy and clean, full of culture and a European vibe, and the people are charmingly friendly. When I was tasked with planning a trip for all the gals in my family (three chicks of my generation, and three hens of the previous), it became the obvious choice – lots to see and do, great public transportation, amazing culinary scene, and all on this side of the Atlantic. The way it all shook out, the three hens and I would arrive first in the city, with the two other chicks coming over the next couple days, which lent itself perfectly to a fine dining extravaganza on our first night in the city. (The two other chicks are vegetarian and pescetarian, so tasting menus become a trickier proposition).

I chose Le Mousso for the meal seemingly by random chance – in a city of great dining, there are so many tasting menu style options, but for no obvious reason this one stood out to me. It seems even more peculiar when I remember the obstacles I faced – the website is only in French (and I somehow forgot that one could easily translate websites with the click of a button), and the reservation button wasn’t working for me for some reason, so I had to actually make a telephone call! Horrifying.

But choose it I did, and so I practiced my “Bonjour! Parlez vous anglais?” a few times and dialed them up. The person who answered did not, in fact, speak English, and said several sentences in very rapid (but very friendly sounding) French (of which I understood none) before connecting me with a gracious English speaker. [Side note – it is easy to get around the city without speaking any French, as most people speak English too, but I find that it is always in good form to at least learn a few basic words and phrases.] Years ago, on a short trip to Paris from my study-abroad digs in Barcelona, I was semi-traumatized by a waiter being very rude to me about not speaking French, and he would only speak French. So I was quite comforted about this whole trip by the accepting and approachable nature of these two women!

And so, the hens and I arrived in Montreal and set out for our adventure in fine dining, with very little knowledge of what to expect. I knew that the chef, Antonin Mousseau-Rivard, served a hyper-seasonal menu that might change daily and focused on playing with flavor, texture, and imaginative plating, and nothing else! But we were not to be disappointed. The flavors and textures were, in fact, quite playful, and the plating both imaginative and beautiful. Every course produced a lot of “oohs” and “ahhs” from our group when it was set in front of us. And while many of the dishes were simple or classic in their pairing of flavors, they were still somehow new and exciting!

The first course, for example, was a classic pairing of ham and melon. But it also wasn’t. The melon was compressed cantaloupe, the texture changed from crisp and light to dense and tender. The compliment of salt and spice and herbs elevated this element from a mere piece of the puzzle to something spectacular all on its own, though the addition of the house-cured coppa – rich and deep and full of umami – made it sing in a whole different register. A classic dish transformed. And for our NA pairing, as throughout the meal, it was accompanied by what I can only describe as the soul of the food repeated in a glass – in this case a salty melon mocktail.

The night progressed with many other lighthearted twists to the known. There was the play on a New England oyster roast, where they are generally baked in cream and bacon. In this case, it became a cold dish served in the oyster shell, familiar but transformed. After that came the beautiful rose on a plate, made of cured tomato and tuna. Later a beef carpaccio dish with uni was served so simply, but with a side bundle of edible flowers to “drag through the remaining sauce before eating.” And there was the first dessert, a smores ice cream bar on a stick, served on a bundle of sticks that evoked a campfire.

As each dish came out, the chef made an appearance at the top of the room to explain. On this night, he did so in both French and English, and though his comfortable charm came through in the language we understood, sometimes his jokes did not – he clearly didn’t have the more nuanced mastery of a native speaker. I never felt the lack, though. When he couldn’t find the right word, the moment became humorous as he guessed incorrectly until another member of staff finally helped him out. He was followed in each course by the sommelier, a little pixie of a woman who spoke with such animation and verve that even in the French explanations that I could not understand, I was captivated. (She also did a second explanation in English, and with a more comfortable eloquence than the chef.)

This chill, welcoming, joyful vibe was clearly shared by the entire staff, despite an air of formality to the meal lent by the synchronized service of each course. At one point, there was a loud crash from off stage, and not only did the rest of the staff commence with the claps and cheers, the person responsible came out and took an exaggerated bow! In short, mistakes were made, and they were owned, and laughed off. It was ok to be human here. The balance between the elegant fine dining and the comfortable was superb.It was this balance of atmosphere, along with the mischievously transformed comfort foods and the clear enjoyment from both the patrons and the staff, that led to such an overwhelmingly fun dining experience. The room was full to bursting with joie de vivre, with laughter and light and a magic that can only truly happen when everyone is of one mindset. The night was full of the joy of eating.