by SARAH MUSGRAVE

The snow had started falling, each unique flake bringing its own brand of misery to Montreal streets. Desperate to get into the mood for the onslaught of winter, I went out looking for a little après-ski without the ski. A Euro-style crêperie seemed like just the place to indulge in chalet vacation fantasies and, as least as far as the décor was concerned, Ty-Breiz had it down pat.

The walls of this 40-year-old Plateau establishment are covered with rustic wood, the tables are decked out in red and white checks and the staff is made up of career waitresses—like the surroundings, a little worn in places but still relatively charming. The artwork here is even more country kitsch: in fact, right over our table was an oil painting of a sad clown that my date dared me to stare at for longer than five minutes while drinking a glass of wine (I just couldn’t bear it).

I’d never been to crêperie without ordering crêpes, but this time I wanted to test the kitchen’s versatility. Noting that Ty-Breiz prides itself on top quality seafood, I went that route. There were fish and crustaceans aplenty to choose from, but the scallops among the nightly specials caught my fancy ($19.50, all included). My companion went for the flipped and fried stuff, upgrading his $12 crêpe to the table d’hôte for a twoonie.

Our meals started with a choice of potage or salad, which the menu claimed was “famous.” Well, I’d certainly recognize that lettuce anywhere, especially when not disguised by any other veggies! It seems the dressing, available with or without garlic, is what the fuss is about—strong, thick and tangy, it certainly didn’t hold back on the buds. The soup was a cream of mushroom, obviously homemade, with a velvety texture. Quite nice.

Things tilted slightly downhill for the main courses, however. My scallops were fine—just fine—almost perfectly cooked and served in a creamy sauce with little bits of veggies in it, accompanied by steamed broccoli, marinated beets and rice. I think the grilled scallops à l’ail from the regular menu might’ve been more inspiring, if only because they seem to know how to handle their garlic here.

The ham, béchamel and white asparagus crêpe bretonne wasn’t particularly remarkable but perhaps, like an overhyped movie, we expected too much from it. We agreed that it was low on filling, especially the asparagus. The batter itself, thinly spread, cooked to almost crispiness and folded in a square, was at first strangely sweet. It made us wonder if the other option, buckwheat instead of white flour, would’ve been a little more savoury.

I gave Ty-Breiz another chance to win me over with dessert, in this case the fruit and chocolate crêpe ($4.95). Again, it was good but not spectacular. The chunks of fruit had a prefab feeling to them, and I sure would’ve liked some ice cream oozing out of the mix (amazingly, this wasn’t one of the choices on the sweet side of the menu). Of course, we managed to finish it off, along with some coffee.

All in all, there’s a lot more mediocrity than magic in this pan. But if a recent weeknight was any indication, sometimes that’s what the people want—the place was jumping with retirees and middle managers chowing down contentedly. Maybe like me, they were in search of a vacation vibe, and in that sense Ty-Breiz is on the mark, serving up what’s best described as hotel food that’s utterly unchallenging but not without its comforts and charms. :

Ty-Breiz
Address: 933 Rachel (@ Mentana)
Phone: 521-1444
Hours: Sun–Thurs 11:30am–9:30pm; Fri–Sat 11:30am–10:30pm
Best features: Comfort crêpes, chalet cachet
Alcohol: Yes
Vegetarian friendly: Limited
Credit cards: Yes
Wheelchair access: One big step, one small step
Price: $20/person without tax, drinks or tip
Rating: *1/2 out of ****