by MARK SLUTSKY

Le Pistol is a real Main success story. Opening in a large space in late '02, the bar, co-owned by none other than the brother of noted local rocker Sam Roberts, has been consistently crowded ever since. Who knew you could do so well offering university students cheap booze and grub on one of the city's most popular nightlife strips?

The place seems specifically designed to attract the collegiate set, from the comfy banquettes to the sports-sporting plasma-screen TVs to the tunes, which range from classic rock to indie rock to the Beastie Boys (and surely beyond, but it's definitely a student-friendly playlist). On any given night you'll see lots of our future captains of industry flirting, drinking and sometimes even doing their homework. The place is actually kind of reminiscent of The Bronze from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or 90210's Peach Pit. In a good way! Nothing wrong with loud, cozy hangouts like these. Rock-friendly and boozy, it might even threaten the Bifteck, across the street.

But how's the food? The answer is pretty good, mostly. Actually, Pistol definitely goes beyond the call of duty when it comes to bar food. Originally offering only sandwiches, a semi-recent kitchen and menu expansion has added a bunch more items to the list, generally of the salty and greasy variety, which is really pretty much what you want when you're eating at a bar. And with most items clocking in at the $5-$10 range, the price is definitely right. Pistol has the kind of licence that compels you to order food with your drink, so on most nights after

9 p.m. they offer an unbeatable 99-cent menu (generously referred to as "tapas"), with small servings of chicken wings, cheese sticks, chicken bruschetta and the like. It's better than popcorn, at least as far as I'm concerned.

The bulk of the menu, though, is dedicated to sandwiches with a James Bond theme, in name at least - the 007, the Goldfinger, the Live and Let Die (an unsettling name for a sandwich), the Thunderball and the View to a Kill (all $4.99 for half, $6.99 for a full sammie). I liked the Live and Let Die, a steak-and-Swiss cheese affair. It was a little greasy, but the thin strips of steak and the soft melted cheese made for magic in my mouth. The View to a Kill was also deliciously tasty and hot, packed with grilled chicken, bacon, tomatoes, cream cheese and cheddar. The 007 is similar to the View to a Kill but made with sundried tomatoes and pesto, and the Goldfinger, with Black Forest ham, cheddar, avocado, and sundried tomatoes. This is one part of the menu that stays away from the deep fryer, with very good results.

Less impressive were the two deep-fried seafood dishes on offer, the calamari ($7.99) and the fish and chips (also $7.99). Though the calamari was served with a nicely spicy dipping sauce, the squid rings themselves were dry and chewy and generally unappealing. Maybe the batch I had had just stayed in the fryer for too long, but I'd stay away from these. The fish and chips were definitely better, though on my first visit they were so bone-packed as to be inedible. On my second trip the whitefish was thankfully bone-free, and arrived in three enormous pieces. The fish itself was pretty tasty, but you had to bite through almost an inch of batter to get to it, which was a little much.

But hot sandwiches are the order of the day at Pistol, and I can definitely recommend the burger ($6.99, $1 extra each to add provolone or bacon), served on a tasty sweet bun, and on an enormous plate liberally covered in tasty, thin-cut fries. The patty was solid in size without being overwhelmingly large, as bar burgers are wont to be.

You don't go to a place like Pistol to sample their cassoulet or coq au vin, but for solid bar fare and well-designed sandwiches, it's definitely one of the Main's better choices.

Le Pistol
ADDRESS: 3723 St-Laurent (just below des Pins)
PHONE: 847-2222
HOURS: 8 p.m.-3 a.m. daily
BEST FEATURES: The well-designed sandwiches
and the solid burger
ALCOHOL: Oh yes
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: Yes
CREDIT CARDS: Yes
NO-SMOKING SECTION: No
PRICE: $0.99-$10 per person, before tax, booze or tip
RATING:**1/2 out of ****