Royal treatment

>> Le Prince offers an alternative to 3 a.m. falafel

by SPANKY HOROWITZ

Eating Lebanese food can truly be a feat of determination, skill and dexterity--a task that could be put on a pedestal right alongside rubbin' your belly while patting your head. I offer this comparison because when I find myself eating Lebanese food, I'm usually very tired (it's often 3 a.m.), very drunk (again, it's 3 a.m.), and standing up (unfortunately, at 3 a.m.). If I try to count the number of Lebanese eateries that would inspire me to eat at a decent hour (and sober), I could do so on the fingers of one hand.

 This month marks the opening of one more well-needed dining room specializing in Lebanese food that isn't served in wax paper, styrofoam boxes or given to you in your car at a drive-thru window (a feature recently added to the Amir at the corner of Jean-Talon and Décarie).

 The new restaurant has been christened Le Prince and is the brainchild of the owner of Amir, Montreal's Lebanese fast-food king, along with the participation of an ex-host from La Sirène de la Mer, one of Montreal's best Lebanese restaurants. These Middle Eastern wonder-twins hope to activate their superpowers to provide the ultimate Lebanese dining experience, and they come very close.

 The appetizer section of Le Prince's menu is so impressive that I proposed to my eating partner that we forgo our main courses and instead feast on an array of appetizers, called mezze in Lebanese circles. My finicky friend held his ground, so we ordered only two items off the list; the makanek (Lebanese sausages with lemon, $7) and a half fattouche salad ($5).

 Makanek are cocktail-wiener sized sausages sautéed in olive oil, each one curiously containing one lonely pine nut deep in its centre. The salad, of which I would recommend a half-order, was a traditional Lebanese dish with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, toasted pita, sumac, lemon and fresh mint. If you're bored of eating salads, try this one for a refreshing change of pace.

 For main courses we ordered the shish-taouk ($14) and the grilled striped bass, which, like almost all the fish here, is sold by weight. Our waiter, although very courteous and patient, failed to inform me of the price or the weight of my fish, a gesture I would have appreciated rather than the surprise I got when my very tasty fish, which did not include any side dishes at all, amounted to $19. Although the fish was tender, fresh and grilled to perfection, I would have thought that one would be able to select one's fish, based on appearance and price, in a fish-market room, like at La Sirène.

 The shish-taouk plate consisted of two skewers of marinated and grilled chicken with a roasted tomato and rice or fries. The meat was tender and perfectly cooked, with no visible grill marks. This lack of markings was due to the open charcoal pit used to grill the meat and fish. The thick metal skewers are slightly longer than the fire pit so the meat literally floats above the heat, leaving every inch of the meat free to be cooked by the fiery goodness of the pure wood charcoal.

 The portions here are large, but Lebanese appetites are larger, so every meal is capped off with a complimentary wedge of watermelon, an over-the-top gesture to please the Homer Simpson in all of us. And if Homer would like it, so will you. :

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Le Prince

Address: 7385 Décarie (corner Jean-Talon)

Phone: 343-3355

Hours: 11am-10:30pm (closed Monday)

Best features: fresh fish, great grills and free watermelon!

Alcohol: yes

Vegetarian friendly: if you eat fish or settle for salad

Credit cards: yes

Wheelchair access: yes

Price:$11-30 per person, before drinks, tax and tip

Rating: *** out of ****