Clubbed about the head and face

The word on new and renewed clubs, cafés
and lounges in Montreal

by SCOTT C

Let me say that the advent of a new club, café or bar in Montreal can be one tricky little number. From getting a proper liquor licence, haggling with the city for an after-hours permit and properly promoting your space amid all the unsubstantiated stories and territorial in-fighting that goes on, there always seems to be places coming and going.

While we entertain one of the best reputations for nightlife on the continent, nightspots in this city come and go like the wind, often with lots of rumours, chat and unanswered questions. Lots of unanswered questions. It's really quite amazing to witness some of the tight-lipped tiptoeing that goes on when you're trying to find out facts about stuff that people are generally talking about anyways. After a little poking around, I can at least give you the heads up to what's out there now, and maybe some stuff to look forward to, depending on what you're into.

Call me Scooby Doo, but I've felt like a bumbling idiot the last couple of days trying to find out the details behind the re-opening of a little club called Sona. At last word, the original Montreal afterhours was set for a grand return on October 31 in its new location on the fourth floor of the Pepsi Forum. The latest news is that the official opening has been put back to the weekend of November 7. In the meantime, though, 514 is using their November 1 Freaky party, their annual Halloween shindig, as an advance preview of the space. DJs for Freaky include Anthony Pappa, Chus & Ceballos and locals Joubin, Goldenchild, Smokey and Quest. The list of prospective residents for the new Sona mach two includes Pink Feria, the Autist, the TripleTek Soundcrew, Loco, DJ Blast and lo and behold, even Jojo Flores.

Nexxt in line

Business must be good over at Club Dôme. I had the distinct pleasure of speaking to manager Aniello over the phone this week, and although we didn't talk too long (all of a minute) he informed me that the owners of the infamous Ste-Catherine nightspot would be acquiring what was once known as Illume, over on the corner of St-Laurent and Ontario. If you thought Dôme was all MC Mario gigs, peppered with appearances by Young MC and Tone Loc, look again at www.clubdome.com to see exactly how they like to party. Apparently the new club is destined for some upper-echelon antics when it opens in December under the moniker Nexxt.

It finally looks like Old Montreal is getting back to some state of order these days, after months and months of annoying construction detours, dust-clouded streets and angry motorists. The Old Port hotel explosion has inspired more than one adventurous businessman to try his hand at harnessing the "new energy" down there, and the Philippi Bros. are no exception. Dan and Nick have run a dep on St-Paul for years now, pushing enough bread and cheap wine to eventually open up another on McGill. Not surprising then that they've recently unveiled Cobalt, a resto-lounge at 312 St-Paul W., corner St-Pierre, aiming to blend in nicely with the neighbourhood's pending nightlife explosion and the daily ins and outs of the café stopover. It's a low-lit, cozy space that's only been open a week, but plans to house live jazz and weekly DJs. On the menu you'll find fresh pasta, paninis, frittatas and both brunch and breakfast fare. If you're a fan of the small spots with lots of character, this might be the place.

Also worth checking out in the Old Port area is Utopian at 417 St-Pierre. That's the former Exotica - where once there was an all-gay salsa club now sits a snazzy space that's open to gay men, lesbians and straights alike. This one promises to be fun.

Disco (Peking) duck

Up on the other side of town, Restaurant Rosalie has been settling in since it opened last January at 1232 de la Montagne. General manager Jason Masso explained that the bar/dinner lounge is essentially a French bistro, offering stush plates like their special honey brushed Peking duck. Rosalie also compliments its classy menu with DJs Alex Robbins, DJ Kara, Michael Thifault and the one and only Gary "Troubleman" Tremblay on the decks from Wednesday to Saturday. This is one of those spots with no "official" dancefloor, but there's the propensity for a party to arise at any time.

Back up on the plateau, Dancing Mocha Jo's at 5175A Parc is gearing up for a healthy schedule of breakfast, brunch and lots and lots of dancing. This café/dancehall/studio opened unofficially back in the summer, but digs in this fall with a slew of dance classes, special events and a brand new menu. Many will remember this basement storefront on the corner of Parc and Fairmount from its days as an after-hours coke bar, but those days are long gone. Armed with a gorgeous new hardwood dancefloor, inexpensive food, beer and enough tango, salsa, jazz and swing activity for the curious or the experienced, things are looking quite promising. Take their tango brunch, which pops off every Sunday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., an all-day celebration of footwork and food for just $5. The space is also available to rent for private parties and dance classes, but you can check all of that out at www.mochajo.com.

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