Pulled beef and
piquant pork

Some Venezuelan and Mexican delights
new on the dining scene

by MARK SLUTSKY

The pulled sandwich has officially arrived in Montreal—a little behind the rest of the continent maybe, but I’m not going to complain. Generally comprising a soft bun filled with exquisitely tender, slow-cooked meat topped with something crunchy and vinegary, the pulled pork sandwich is the most popular variation, and you can find excellent variations at Dépanneur le Pick-Up in Little Italy (where they also offer a vegetarian version) and occasionally at Mile-End’s Sparrow (my personal favourite).

Pork lends itself particularly well to the treatment, but at Bocadillo, a new sandwich shop on the Main, a “pulled beef” sandwich is the star attraction. Or more precisely, a mechada sandwich. Carne mechada is a slow-cooked Venezuelan dish, usually served with rice or beans, but as it turns out, it makes for a pretty satisfying sandwich filling too.

Bocadillo is a relative of Little Italy’s pleasant and chill Sablo Kafé. Squeezed in among the dollar pizza and falafel joints of St-Laurent, it’s a long, narrow place (so narrow that seating three people was a little awkward) with a sammie-oriented menu.

Sandwiches cost $6.50, served on fresh homemade buns that the guy behind the counter says are made with yogurt “and some secret ingredients.” The mechada is clearly the star of the show, cooked for hours then reheated on the grill and piled into a hot bun. The meat is soft and tender, a little sweet and spicy (hotness levels can be adjusted on request). In a neighbourhood full of sandwich options, it’s definitely a competitor. There’s also a grilled chicken sandwich (with pollo marinated overnight in a 35-spice mix), a tasty roast beef sandwich and breakfast sandwich options. Hey, they don’t call it Bocadillo for nothing.

TACOS AND
TORTILLA SOUP

Back up in Little Italy, I checked out Itacate, a newish Mexican place that’s undergone a recent renovation and menu revamping. I’m always excited to find a new real-deal Mexican place, and Itacate didn’t disappoint, though it wasn’t the cheapest. Strangely, our visits to both Bocadillo and Itacate were marked by the fact that we were the only customers there, and by a boisterous selection of ’80s radio hits.

I started with a small portion of Itacate’s fresh guacamole ($5–$9), which was bright and tasty. It went nicely with the tortilla soup ($5.50), a generous bowl of rich red broth, non-soggy tortilla strips, cheese and sour cream that was particularly soothing on a cold afternoon. Other soups on the menu include cream of coriander and cream of bean (all $5.50) and pozole, a corn soup ($9).

Other fare includes the kind of stuff you’d expect at any Mexican restaurant: burritos, enchiladas, tacos. As an inveterate tacos al pastor fan, I tried Itacate’s variation ($9) and found it very satisfactory—I mean, given that, let’s be honest, we’re not in Mexico City, or even Los Angeles here. Four corn tortillas topped with a generous heaping of marinated pork and pineapple, as well as a side of pico de gallo and refried black beans graced the plate, and while $9 isn’t exactly taco truck pricing, sometimes you just gotta scratch that al pastor itch. We also tried the chilaquiles, a dish of nacho chips interwoven with shredded chicken, cheese and cream sauce, all laced with piquant green salsa. A big, sloppy plate, but tasty and fun to eat, if a little self-indulgent. I didn’t get a chance this week, but next time I visit will be on the weekend to check out the extensive brunch menu—huevos rancheros ($5.50), molletes ($6) and more.