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>> Hitting the delectable, affordable lunch special at haute-cuisine eatery la Chronique

by A.J. Kinik

I had walked past la Chronique, at the corner of St-Urbain and Laurier, literally a million times. Maybe more. I knew of its reputation for being one of Montreal’s finest restaurants, run by one of the city’s most exacting, most celebrated chefs, Marc de Canck. I also knew it was one of Montreal’s priciest restaurants, with some tasting menus reputedly approaching $200 per person. That kind of thing generally just turns me off, but there was something about its nondescript exterior, its small, simple dining room, and its tinted windows that kept me intrigued.

Then I found out that la Chronique had started serving a lunch special, a rarity within the fine-dining scene, and that de Canck himself presided over these luncheons. Here was a perfect opportunity to see how the other half lives. And, after all, it was Mardi Gras. Might as well tie one on before things get all penitent, right? So that’s what we did—we crashed the gates.

Okay, not exactly. My guest did give la Chronique the ole New York Times food critic test by purposely dressing down to see if she could provoke some kind of reaction (nope), but aside from that we were well behaved, happy to simply observe.

Pay la Chronique a visit and you’ll find the atmosphere remarkably understated—a modestly appointed room with just a few tables, some black & white photographs, and a massive analog clock permanently frozen at 4:50 adorning the back wall. The clock is the perfect motif for the place—not only does it suggest the origin of the restaurant’s name, but it hints at something more important. Namely, that dining at la Chronique is a leisurely affair. The food is made with care and the pace of the service encourages one to take one’s time and savour the experience. In short, if you’re looking for a quick power lunch, this isn’t the place.

So, what was this “special menu”? Well, for $25 you got a three-course prix fixe menu consisting of an appetizer, a main and a dessert. Our opening courses set quite a precedent. I took the soupe au poisson and what emerged was not the kind hearty, garlicky soup typical of Marseilles, but something much more subtle, even delicate. The tomato base was there, so were the hints of fennel, but this version was made with gently poached salmon and the accompanying seasoning showed a real deftness of touch—willing to let the fish and the vegetables shine instead of dominating them. Even the rouille-slathered toasts that came with it were easy on the palate—made with sweet, roasted garlic instead of the more typical raw garlic.

My partner, on the other hand, opted for the Angus beef tartare (add $3), and she was presented with what was certainly the best tartare I’ve yet encountered in Montreal over the course of a three-year running survey. Studded with three absolutely perfect homemade potato chips and garnished with just a few slivers of parmesan and some capers, this was a very light, flavorful, and perfectly textured tartare, one that really showed off the freshness and quality of the beef de Canck had used instead of burying the beef in seasoning or over-processing it.

And, as it turns out, neither our mains nor our desserts could keep up. Braised beef cheeks arrived tender beyond belief and glazed just-so, served on a bed of excellent, almost airy, pureed potatoes, with roasted mushroom caps and a tasty red wine reduction, while the veal livers came with sautéed chanterelles, roasted fingerling potatoes and a pepper sauce. If these two dishes seem oddly similar, they were, and while they were both very good, they were definitely a little on the conservative side. Likewise, we had high hopes for our desserts because de Canck has won awards in this department, but while both desserts—a banana-walnut cake and caramelized banana combo with homemade vanilla ice cream and a chocolate soufflé with raspberry sorbet—were well above average, neither was the revelation we were hoping for. Still, this was a rather fine lunch—with generous, pre-Lenten portions—for a mere $25.