There are a few “superstar” restaurants in Montreal, and Joe Beef consistently ranks among the top three for innovative “cuisine terroire” (local or market cuisine). They take the “local” to a new level, with their extensive backyard garden growing a feast of fresh vegetables in season. It certainly brings new meaning to the term “farm to table”. Bourdain ranks it as one of his favorites in the city and featured it in his “Layover Montreal” episode last year.
Saturday is my daughter’s 30th birthday and she asked for dinner at Joe Beef for her present. We reserved seats on the backyard patio and the weather was terrific, sunny and warm, with a cool breeze. Here are a few of the dishes:
Bloody Caesar with a lobster claw and raw oyster
Spaghetti with a whole lobster (one of their signature dishes)
Duck breast with rhubarb
Porchetta with clams Casino and fennel
Rabbit sausage with mashed potatoes (good but way too salty)
The food was delicious but the portions were huge. I mentioned that the sausages were too salty and they wiped out about $30 of desserts. Classy.