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Classy Creole >> Le Canne à Sucre serves Haitian food in a refined atmosphere
by SPANKY HOROVITZ If you can't decide what to eat, check out St-Laurent blvd. around Fairmount. This block seems to be jam-packed with restaurants: Indian, rotisseries, Szechuan, African, Senegalese, Peruvian, Italian, you name it. The only thing missing was a representative of the Creole/Haitian community. And now let me introduce Le Canne à Sucre. I've been eating Haitian and Caribbean food all my life. I always find something new, and the flavours never seem to bore me. The one thing that binds the restaurants is the setting--they are always small and you always feel right at home, like you're in your own kitchen. But I've never encountered a Creole restaurant that caters to the classier crowd, until now. While many people associate the word "Creole" with "New Orleans," in Montreal it means "Haiti." This place has been open about two months, but they look like they're here to stay. The tables and chairs are heavy-duty, and there are even two antique dining-room tables for parties of six or eight. The art on the walls is beautiful, and the pièce de resistance is a Napoleon mirror from some century other than this one (I apologize for my ignorance, but I'm only in it for the food). The menu is limited, but has managed to expand every time I return. I always begin my meal with an appetizer of acras ($2.00). These deep-fried fritters are made from a mixture of onions, parsley and herring imported from France. They're served three to a plate, garnished with red peppers and onions doused in a light vinaigrette. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, mmmmm. I washed down my starters with some Haitian rum sours. These bright-red cocktails offered a perfect balance. I tried three different main dishes, one of which was not even on the menu, so be sure to ask your waiter/waitress what's available. This policy assures that you're getting fresh food, and a variety of it as well. The first thing I had was the marinated chicken breast sautéed with onions, mushrooms, red and green peppers and garlic ($15). The meat was tender as could be, and the sauce was delicious. Luckily the meal was served with red beans and rice and fried plantains to soak up the sauce. My second dish was "lambi," a seafood stew made from mollusks ($22). These too were stewed in a fabulous sauce, obviously a trademark of the very talented cook/owner Anne-Marie Clément. I also tried the "cabri," which were goat ribs ($18). They were well done, while the meat was still tender, and the marinade was exquisite. The whole thing was once again accompanied by red beans and salad. Who thought goat ribs would be so tasty? For dessert I tried "Le Crime Parfait," which was indeed the perfect crime ($3). This was a slice of fresh pecan pie topped with French vanilla ice cream, drizzled with raspberry sauce, all floating in a pool of mocha coffee. Wow! Put me in JAIL!! My only complaint was that the portions seemed a little on the light side but, looking back, I was always full when I walked out. If you're hankering for some after dinner entertainment, the restaurant also features a disco/Creole/salsa club on the second floor. A coupon from the restaurant will get you in for free before midnight. Have a Creole day, salsa the night away! Comments: foodspanky@hotmail.com
Le Canne à Sucre Address: 5322 St-Laurent Phone: 271-2929 Hours: 5pm11pm Best Features: classy decor, classy food Alcohol: Yes Vegetarian friendly: no
Price: $1228 per person, Rating: ***out of **** |