Green scene

Very veggie Casa del Popolo converts carnivore!

by SPANKY HOROWITZ

Considering the recent worldwide outbreaks of foot and mouth disease, the future of carnivoria is greatly at risk. If we're not careful, this could signal the beginning of the end of our world's meat supply, leaving us with vegetables, grains and other non-meat products. Soylent green anyone?

All things considered, I've decided to go vegetarian for a while, and you may want to do the same. If you do decide to go green, one nice place to get a quick fix is Montreal's own version of Planet Hollywood, Casa del Popolo, partly owned by godspeed you black emperor! bass-guitarist Mauro.

While starspotting or checking out the weird crap on the walls, you can get a bite to eat courtesy of Kiva, a bookbinder/restaurateur who is always ready to tell you what's good on the menu. Speaking of which, you won't get one at your table because all the food (and drinks) are listed on the giant chalkboard behind the bar, so start squinting. Right now there are only sandwiches, soups, and salads, but judging by the never-ending traffic of tools and workmen going through the joint, soon enough there will be a full-fledged kitchen churning out more serious fare for the more serious eater.

The sandwiches cost $4, and you can choose from veggie pâté, chèvre, Swiss cheese, grilled tofu or bocconcini. Each sandwich is custom-fitted to create a completely unique taste experience. For example, the chèvre (goat cheese) sandwich is packed with artichoke hearts, tomatoes, lettuce, hummus and roasted red peppers--now that's a sandwich!

The herbed chèvre is a rich goy's cream cheese, perfect on a baguette, the rich goy's bagel. If baguette is not your bag, you can get your sandwich on any number of fresh breads that Casa del Popolo offers on a daily basis. For $8, you can get the "special" which translates as a sandwich with a soup and a salad. Depending on the soup of the day and, of course, your appetite, you may never make it through all that food, so be prepared to take home half a sandwich. Maybe they should offer a special with only half a sandwich?

The grilled tofu sandwich is also a winner: big hunks of grilled tofu (try the pumpernickel for this one) along with some tomatoes, lettuce, roasted red peppers, pesto and your choice of hummus or mayo.

The salads ($3) are not to be missed. Okay, maybe you can live without the green salad. The red cabbage salad is a little more original, with its creamy yogurt and dill dressing, or even the bocconcini salad ($5) with basil so fresh it's cut off the plant after you order. (I heard it screaming in pain and almost felt guilty eating it.)

The real showstopper salad in my eyes--and mouth--was the carrot salad. Shredded carrots are soused in soy sauce (and possibly sesame oil) and mixed with sesame seeds, coriander and arame, a Japanese algae seaweed product. The result is a smoky, crunchy palate-pleaser that will turn any carnivore's head.

Every new day brings a new soup ($3), and a little of yesterday's leftovers. One day it's veggie chili, the next it's lentil curry with coconut. Every soup is made fresh in-house and what with winter never ending, you'll always be warmed up. Let's hope our world's meat supply remains safe, but in the meantime I'll be eating at Casa del Popolo. Besides, I hear sometimes they have live bands. :

Comments? foodspanky@hotmail.com

Casa del Popolo

Address: 4873 St-Laurent

Phone: 284-3804

Kitchen hours: 11am-10pm, closed Mondays

Best features: no foot and mouth disease; live bands!

Vegetarian friendly: strictly

Wheelchair access: street level

Alcohol: cheap'n'plenty

Price: $3-12 per person, before drinks, taxes and tip

Rating: HHH out of HHHH