In the barrio

>> El Patio brings Spanish and French flavours to Verdun

by SARAH MUSGRAVE

Verdun continues to surprise me with its choice of fun and interesting restaurants, where you can often get great meals for less than you’d pay in central Montreal. El Patio, which offers Spanish and French cuisines, is one of the newer additions to the neighbourhood’s eating scene. Situated on a quiet residential street a few blocks from Wellington, its hidden location means it’s almost as much of a secret to locals as it is to visitors to the area.
On the midweek night my friend and I visited, we were two of only a handful of diners who trickled in. However, El Patio tries to combat the Monday to Wednesday lull with an all-you-can-eat tapas extravaganza, offered at $18.95 per person (it must be ordered for two or more). Preparing all sorts of different Spanish goodies is lots of work for the chef but, judging by the people at the next table digging into plate after plate, it’s lots of fun for diners. Unfortunately, my dinner date didn’t eat fish or seafood, so the garlic shrimp, rice and seafood croquettes, fried calamari and sardines all had to go unsampled. Instead, we simply ordered the garlic mushrooms ($5.50) à la carte from the list of tapas. Flavourful and tangy but light on the garlic, they gave us a taste of the subtle but careful preparation you can expect from this part of the menu.

The rest of the offerings straddle fare from France and Spain, starting with the soups—a refreshing gazpacho right alongside a hot, cheesy French onion. There’s the same duality in the main courses—confit de canard or veal with sauce share space with paella or grilled turbot.

I opted for the table d’hôte, which for $15.50 from appetizer to dessert, is a pretty good deal. It started with a homemade veal terrine served on a plate full of bright colours: fresh green lettuce leaves, strips of tangy skinned red pepper and a creamy dressing. The most delectable part was the sautéed onions marinated in pink peppercorns and raspberry vinegar. We couldn’t get enough of them.

For the main course, my friend chose the lamb côtelettes ($16.50), mini chops infused with herbs (some pieces more so than others) and cooked to pinkness. The meat was quite good, but the vegetables were definitely where it’s at. These included French beans (the smaller, thinner ones) dotted with the garlic we’d missed earlier, delicious julienned carrots with fresh herbs, a carved zucchini pocket filled with something wonderful: buttery purple cabbage and a scoop of mashed potato combined with more of those amazing onions.
My main course of duo du pêcheur consisted of two types of fish, salmon and St-Pierre, nicely cooked with a mild pink sauce made of beets and cream. It came with the same spread of those incredible veggies.

For dessert, the crème brûlée ($6) was huge—almost the size of a typical tapas dish. The crust was a little too crusty and heavy, but the creamy custard inside was great. My meal came with a cake called bras de gitane—“gypsy arm”—made up of a white pastry, lemon and a crisscross pattern of fruit coulis. There were even a few bites of fresh strawberry on the side.

El Patio’s décor isn’t stunning, but it’s not fussy either. As soon as the weather warms up, the little trellised patio that gives this resto its name will be an added draw. In the meantime, the house sangria ($10.50/half litre), made with a magical cinnamon syrup and small pieces of apple and orange floating in it, will give you the taste of summer. :

El Patio
Address: 425 Hickson, Verdun
Phone: 766-5888
Hours: 11:30am–2:30pm; 5:30–10pm (later on weekends)
Best features: neighbourhood feeling, honest food
Alcohol: yes
Vegetarian friendly: not really
Credit cards: yes
Wheelchair access: one step up
Price: $17/person before tax, drinks or tip
Rating: HH1/2 out of HHHH

Feedback? restoagogo@hotmail.com