The tapas and the Papas

New on the Main, Papas Tapas-Martinis
serves up tasty Portuguese and lots
of martinis

by MATHILDE RABBAT

The Dex store is gone, Mac is no more, the Shed Café is a distant memory and even American Apparel is shuttered. It seemed like it would never end, the jackhammers and dump trucks on the Main, tearing up the concrete, leaving behind an open sore.

The construction on St-Laurent, and the ensuing financial crisis, seem to be over now, but a heap of À Louer signs remain in their wake in what was a bustling part of town.

New establishments, however, are beginning to surface—a McKibbin’s Irish Pub, a new Juliette et Chocolat and Papas Tapas-Martinis.

Just north of Sherbrooke and open for a few months, Papas’ concept is simple: a few innovative dishes, served tapas style, and a selection of 30 martinis. In true tapas form, portions are modest, enough for two to get a fair idea of each dish.

We started with two stellar soups, the caldo verde à Papas ($5) and the sopa de cabaça e scallop ($10), both well executed, though the latter should have without a doubt been served considerably hotter. The caldo verde was enjoyable, comprised of thinly sliced collard greens in a hearty, puréed, thick potato broth with a flavourful slice of spicy choriço, which emerged with each spoonful.

The cabaça e scallop proved just as viscous, and just as satisfying. Though the fresh truffle that the dish was said to feature went unnoticed, a lone, perfectly pan-seared scallop perched in the centre of the butternut squash-base did not. A dash of salt and pepper, a splash of cream and a hint of nutmeg enhanced this slightly sweet pottage.

What’s a Portuguese meal without heaps of seafood? The polvo grelhado e anis fresco ($12), combines chunks of grilled octopus with sliced fennel flambéed in Sambuca.

This delightful dish, served piping hot in a cast-iron pan, came with a minced red pepper salsa, spiked with balsamic vinegar, garlic and caramelized onions. Though the octopus could’ve been more tender in spots, the dish is a keeper, as is the bacalhau fresco com grão-de-bico e azaeitonas ($14). You simply cannot go wrong with this cod tapas, in which mashed chickpeas provide a soft bed for chunks of fried white fish. Along with the cod and the chickpeas, a minced black azaeitonas (olive) paste makes for an interesting and complementary combination.

Barring a most heavenly dessert, I have saved the best for last: the costa do bisonte ($9). We’re talking exquisite tender game meat, bison rib lightly coated with a divine, top-secret sauce that the chef adamantly refuses to divulge. I can tell you this, however—the bison is definitely marinated in port and cooked to fall-off-the-bone perfection. Paper-thin slices of crunchy, golden, fried potato were a welcome alternative to the chunky fries that often accompany ribs.

Having savoured the bison (and everything else for that matter), fear set in over the dessert. Would it live up to the rest of the meal?

The possibility of disappointment was quickly dispelled when the bolo de chocolate e queijo de cabra ($8), another one of the chef’s brilliant creations, made its way down the hatch. This chocolate and goat cheese cake, covered in a delicious caramel sauce, is not to be missed. Kudos as well to the homemade and heavenly olive oil vanilla ice cream.

If you’ve already made dinner plans, you may want to give their weekday lunch special a try, or the weekend brunch special (11 a.m.–3 p.m.), featuring eggs à la portuguèse, omelettes and bagels, all priced at an affordable $10. And, don’t forget the 5 à 7 for a martini or three, a glass of port, or wine from a well-stocked selection.