Grab bag

Mimi Restaurant brings assorted standards
and a kid-friendly atmosphere to Mile-End

by MATHILDE RABBAT

“For rent” signs in shop and resto windows serve as daily reminders of the impact that the recession’s harsh reality has had on many now-defunct local businesses. So, it’s ever so refreshing to see that the trend hasn’t prevented eager beavers from opening up new eateries, like Mile-End’s Mimi Restaurant.

This family-owned and operated resto, named after the youngest of the clan, defies any attempt at definition. Spaghetti, fettucini, tortellini, panini and lasagna all point to this being a decidedly Italian eatery. But an eclectic menu runs the gamut from those Italian standards to Tex-Mex, deli and pub food. Pizzas with all kinds of toppings and sizes, smoked meat sandwiches (or smoked meat on pizza and pastas) fajitas, ribs, seafood—it’s all in there. I’m guessing the chef, or whoever came up with this mix, might have simply composed the menu using foods they personally enjoy.

Bread and the like, often preceding the feast, were conspicuously absent from the meal altogether, though bruschetta and garlic bread au gratin do figure as appetizers ($2.99). Other appetizers, priced between $1.99–$6.99, include escargot, escargot au gratin, a soup du jour, a shrimp cocktail and smoked salmon. Butterfly shrimp ($10.99), a seafood pasta dish with scallops and shrimps in a rosée sauce ($9.99) and grilled salmon ($11.99), with a choice of salads, make up the offerings at the eatery’s festival de la mer.

The grilled salmon dish prominently displays a thick, and I mean thick, slab of fish, ever so lightly brushed with nothing but soy sauce—or something akin to it. This respectable cut, slapped on the grill barely long enough to leave grill marks, proved to be delightfully tender, though it could have benefitted from a bit more tinkering, pre- or post-grilling. The fish filet was then perched atop a lacklustre salad where a good portion of mixed greens had been sitting in too much balsamic vinaigrette for too long. If balsamic isn’t your thing, punters are also presented with the option to dress their salads with other dressings, namely Italian, Caesar or a creamy, extra cheesy blue cheese.

For those with more voracious appetites, a trio of combos is also up for grabs: Orleans chicken done up in a honey mustard sauce combined with butterfly shrimp ($17.99), a half-rack of baby back ribs accompanied by teriyaki chicken ($17.99), or paired with butterfly shrimp ($18.99). As it turns out, “butterfly shrimp” is somewhat of a double entendre, as it were—not only do they have a butterfly shape, these creatures from the sea are heavily buttered and slathered in a potent breadcrumb and garlic spread. Though I consider myself an avid fan of garlic, the spread was too jam-packed with the stuff to let any other flavours, or aromas, surface.

The half-rack of ribs, on the other hand, hit the mark. The baby backs, combined with a side of rice interspersed with veggie bits, were tender as ever, nicely lean and coated with a tangy and not too sweet, dark barbecue sauce, applied in just the right proportion. Ribs can also be enjoyed for lunch, from a midi express menu, with offerings priced between $7–$11, which includes a salad, coffee and dessert. You can even bring the young’uns, as there is a special section on the menu devoted to kids.

It’s totally fine that the simple fare isn’t refined, nor does it pretend to be. Whether you’re in the mood for chicken wings and nachos (complimentary with designated drink specials) or Lester’s smoked meat on pizza—or if pasta, or fajitas and sangria are more your thing, Mimi’s got you covered. The service is courteous and friendly as can be. Another bonus: the terrasse is open as we speak, and it’s on the sunny side of the street.