Top grade

St-Pius X Culinary Academy gives new meaning to school lunch

by SPANKY HOROWITZ

It's hard to find a bargain, but my keen senses keep me on the lookout for the really sweet deals. It also helps when a reader (thanks to Mirella Bontempo) tips me off about a three-course meal for only $7! The catch (there's always a catch) is that it's only open Thursdays for lunch. It's also a cooking school--so you never know just what will happen.

St-Pius X Culinary Academy, at the un-trendy corner of Papineau and Sauvé, has turned out graduates who have gone on to work in the kitchens of such marvels as Chez la Mère Michel, Club des Pins and Mikado. With only so much you can do in the classroom, the cooking school opens its doors to the public once a week.

When I visited, the menu offered a choice of three appetizers, four mains, and three desserts. We noticed that some patrons were sipping wine, but were told that customers have to bring their own; a vital piece of information that was not revealed to us when we made our reservations on the telephone.

It was a warm day, so we passed on the squash bisque and instead ordered spicy shrimp tempura with a remoulade sauce and baby salad greens with bocconcini in a raspberry vinaigrette.

The shrimp scored high for taste and for presentation. Three generous shrimp were battered, fried, skewered, and then built into little teepees on our plates. The baby greens were very fresh and the bocconcini cheese was not chilled--and that's a good thing. You can't really appreciate the subtle flavours of a good bocconcini when it's as frigid as a creamsicle and tasting of whatever else was in the fridge with it. Bravo.

Our mains arrived together, almost. My order, stuffed quails and rice with a Madeira sauce, suffered through a ghastly game of broken telephone, so I had to wait until my co-eaters plates were being cleared before mine was set before me. Our humble waiter informed us that the students who arrive late become the servers by default, and do not take pride in their "work." I might suggest that the curriculum include a serving course, as service can make as big an impression as the food. The course should include bringing water and bread promptly, because we waited too long.

Nevertheless, my quail turned out perfect, so the wait was worth it. Tall food was the theme of the quail, so the minuscule fowl was perched high atop a perfectly cylindrical mound of wild- and long-grain rice, and a layer of puréed squash. Nicely done.

The Wiener Schnitzel Holstein was also a good choice, but the menu should have mentioned the over-easy fried egg served atop the schnitzel. It received mixed reactions from the three different people at my table who had ordered this dish. Of course, they all ate it--so it couldn't have been bad, just surprising. It was served on a bed of handmade, pan-sautéed spätzel, which is German for pasta. Similar to gnocchi in consistency, it is a perfect match for Weinerschnitzel.

The desserts were the absolute highlight of our experience and worth the price of the entire meal. The French apple pie with a butterscotch sauce was some of the best I've had all year. The Mossiman bread pudding was also a hit, served with two scoops of vanilla ice cream, and the strawberry Bavarian mousse was tangy and tasting of fresh strawberries.

There were some shortcomings, but to give a grade, the St-Pius X Culinary Academy serves the best three-course $7 lunch I've ever had.

foodspanky@hotmail.com

St-Pius Culinary Academy

Address: 9955 Papineau (enter from parking lot on Sauriel)

Telephone: 381-1022

Hours: Thursday only 11:30am-1pm, reservations only

Best features: three-course gourmet meal for $7

Vegetarian friendly: usually, but call first to confirm

Wheelchair access: yes

Alcohol: bring your own wine

Price: $7 per person, not including tip

Rating: HHH out of HHHH