Horsing around

Outremont eatery La Messa's got game

by SPANKY HOROWITZ

The other day I was so hungry I could have eaten a horse. The next day, I did. It all began on one of my regular strolls through the tree-lined streets of Outremont, admiring the autumn foliage in the hope that some eccentric millionaire would approach and offer me a high-paying job doing nothing in particular. As I neared the corner of Hutchison and Fairmount, I noticed that a new restaurant had planted roots and sprouted up only a handful of steps from the Figaro (still occasionally referred to as the Croissanterie). It's called La Messa, possibly derived from "mesa," which is Spanish for table. The pang in my belly coaxed me inside to see what their table had to offer.

Smartly decorated in fall shades of red and gold, La Messa is spacious and comfortable, the perfect place to linger over a cup of one the many warm beverages offered on the drink menu. There are espressos, cappuccinos, mochaccinos, lattés, teas, tisanes and a wide assortment of more exotically flavoured coffee-based potions that would definitely put a little motion in your ocean, if you know what I mean.

During the day, the à la carte menu features entrées, salads, sandwiches and pasta, all using original and flavourful ingredients such as capers, olives, balsamic vinegar, roasted eggplant and red pepper. I sampled entrées of calamari ($6) and spring rolls ($4). The latter, hand-rolled to order with chicken, mango and fresh vegetables, was a great start except the Thai peanut sauce that came with it was much too runny and wouldn't cling to the rolls--a mistake very easily corrected.

The calamari, which often can be quite rubbery, were pleasantly tender and flavourful--a sign that these babies were fresh and properly grilled. They were artfully displayed on a triangular plate alongside some roasted red peppers, freshly pitted kalamata olives and super-pungent capers--not from a jar. My only reservation was that there could have been more than seven morsels of squid, especially in a neighbourhood packed to the tentacles with Greek eateries offering mounds of calamari for the same price, or less.

The Caesar salad ($4) was excellent. The romaine was crisp and full of bite, the vinaigrette was tangy but not overpowering and the freshly shaved parmesan bound it all together in perfect harmony. Once again--and I hate to seem like a kvetch--there was a slight, yet easily avoidable, problem. The salad lacked ingredients that I wouldn't have missed if they weren't listed in the menu description. There were no capers, no bacon and only three croutons (I should not have to, or be able to, count them).

Evenings at La Messa feature a table d'hôte that begins with soup (cream of sugar beet) or a mix of baby California greens in a tamari vinaigrette, followed by coffee or tea. I was curious to try the "improvised pasta--for the curious adventurer," but even more intrigued by the roast horse ($13). I couldn't resist.

My equine entrée arrived on a large, hot plate-- blanketed by a pungent port and blueberry sauce--and was accompanied by roasted potatoes and a unique array of grilled vegetables including rapini, onion, yellow and red bell peppers, fennel and zucchini. The horse meat resembled roast beef, but had much less fat and a slightly linear grain. It was tender and tasty, if not a little gamey. I'd definitely order it again and recommend it to any curious eaters with a flair for adventure.

With such an original menu, I only wonder what the "improvised pasta" would have been. I guess I'll find out next time. :

Comments: foodspanky@hotmail.com

La Messa

Address: 5198 Hutchison

Phone: 495-7117

Hours: weekdays 10:30am-10pm, weekends 9am-11pm

Best features: cozy, lots of warm drinks, exotic flavours

Alcohol: yes

Vegetarian friendly: absolutely

Wheelchair access: yes

Price: $7-20 per person before drinks, tax and tip

Rating: HHH out of HHHH