by MARK SLUTSKY

In the beginning, there was Rosie's. Situated in the crook of an L-shaped hallway in an industrial building on St-Laurent, Rosie's was a much-beloved lunch counter to those lucky enough to know it.

With its high ceilings, painted in huge, Mondrian-inspired blocks of bright colours - and the fact that it was located in a hallway of all places - Rosie's was one of the strangest and somehow best locations for a restaurant in the city. Not to mention that the food was great and cheap.

Since the proprietor of Rosie's closed up shop and moved to Île-Madeleine, the space at 3655 St-Laurent has been occupied by a couple of restaurants, Local 103 and Faim du Monde, neither of which really lived up to the place.

But the newest occupant, L Corridor, might just be a worthy inheritor of the Rosie's legacy.

Caribbean cuisine is L Corridor's thing, and they've spruced up the hallway in island style, with a palm-tree mural and lots of plants. It's a strange but workable tropical/industrial combo.

Like most of the stuff they serve, L Corridor makes their patties in-house, so we figured we had to try a couple to whet our appetites. We ordered one chicken and one beef (both $2). Though not spectacular, they did the job. The pastry was light and flaky, and the insides were pleasant enough, if a little lacking in spice. Most important, though, they tasted fresh.

My buddy beat me to the punch and ordered the jerk chicken ($8), that classic marinated and grilled Jamaican dish, before I had a chance, as I was hankering for some. As I was jerk-less (though they do offer a fish option, $10) I went for the goat curry (also $10).

The jerk chicken was advertised on the menu as being "very spicy," though I'm sad to say that just wasn't the case. Not to say that it wasn't good though - it was tender and well-seasoned, but very spicy it was not. It'd be a stretch to even call it regular spicy, though perhaps the hotness level varies from day to day. Still, unless you really go in for the hot stuff, it was far from bland.

My first reaction upon biting into the goat curry was a rush of happiness. Something about the gravy seemed to instantly activate my brain's pleasure centres. Made with potatoes and, of course, goat, it was thick and rich, though a little skimpy on the meat. Otherwise, though, it was intensely satisfying. If you're looking for something a little more starchy, you can also get your curries wrapped up in roti form ($5–$7, with an extra $1.50 for the side salad).

Both dishes came with ample side servings of rice and peas (read "beans") and salad. Though I'm not usually a big rice man, the dish was so wholesome I couldn't stay away from it.

The salad was your standard green salad with a couple bonus features. Topped with shredded carrots and a very sweet dressing, it also featured plump raisins sprinkled throughout, a very nice touch.

I'd heard great things about L Corridor's ginger beer, so I ordered a glass with my meal. Sadly, they were out, so the good folks suggested sorrel juice ($2) instead, which I'd never had. Made from a Jamaican herb, the red juice was both tangy and a little sour. I didn't immediately cotton to it, though repeated exposure could make me a sorrel man. My friend went for the mango shake ($3), which was a good choice, creamy and sweet with lots of froth.

L Corridor has a nice, homey feel rare to restaurants on the Main nowadays. As the restaurant space serves as a passageway, people came in and out throughout our meal, chatting with the restaurant folks and contributing to the convivial atmosphere.

Montreal doesn't have nearly as many Caribbean restaurants as it should, and this one's a welcome addition.

L Corridor
ADDRESS: 3655 St-Laurent (near Prince-Arthur)
PHONE: 350-5320
HOURS: Mon–Sat 12PM–11PM
BEST FEATURES: Wide variety of tropical drinks,
tasty home-cooked food
ALCOHOL: No
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: Yes
CREDIT CARDS: No
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes
NON-SMOKING SECTION: Yes
PRICE: $8–$15 per person before tip
RATING: **1/2 out of ****