JKal's Vintage Affair: The Greasy Spoon

Although I’m a citizen of Montreal, I always feel like a newly welcomed tourist when it comes time to venture off into a culinary experience. This European inspired city always surprises you with new dishes, restaurant openings and its interior decorative attractions. This week, I decided to try out a new spot in the heart of Mont-Royal on Laurier Street: The Greasy Spoon. At first, the name threw me off a little, I won’t lie to you. My first thoughts were burgers, fries, finger foods, to name a few. Standard and unhealthy. Period. Those thoughts remained up until I visited the restaurant’s website. Before making reservations, I was already determined that this was going to be a spot I was going to remember based on what I saw online. A vivid and well-structured website with minimalistic description, a clear and short menu and bold photography. It had all the necessary figures to be eye-catching to the viewer.

I figured it was better to go on a weekday due to the limited space and intimacy the restaurant projects. As soon as I walked in, I noticed that the decor had a two-way illusion: it is considered very warm for the cold season but is also lively enough during the summer season with its beautiful outdoor sunny terrace. The staff is very dynamic and bilingual (something that plays a huge role in this city). The décor is set with bold and dark furniture but revives itself through illuminative table and bar accessories. In my opinion, a vintage touch has definitely been put into the allure of the restaurant.

Let’s talk about what the spoon has to offer in its ~~greasy~~ delicious plates:

I’ve always believed in menus. The less, the better. Think about it for a second: if a restaurant has a set menu with an average of 5 choices whether it be in appetizers, main dishes or deserts, it is most probably because they are very well acquainted with that specific cuisine and put in a great amount of time and pleasure into cooking those meals. Aside from its tasteful cocktails and exquisite wine list lays an interesting and engaging menu on the wooden tables.

I wouldn’t be able to tell you what sounded better, but I can tell you that I had no regrets on the choices I made.

I started off by accompanying my glass of white Riesling with an entrée of tuna tartar. Considering that I have had my fair share of tartar, there is no possible comparison to this creative one I sampled. Once fruits were involved (pineapple and pear), I was left speechless and was determined to leave the wooden board empty.

Bearing in mind that I started off with white wine (great company to seafood) and a fish tartar, I was going to continue my tasting of seafood.

I opted for the Cajun rubbed salmon filet that was complemented with quinoa and summer squash. The all was served with a chipotle raspberry sauce. I was amazed. First off by the serving layout and secondly by the tremendous amount of combined tastes that were served in one plate.

If you love seafood, I have no doubt that this would be part of one of your top meals in the category.

I ended the night with an espresso and was left indecisive for the final and (best) part of the meal: the desert. There were three choices: a banana marshmallow cheesecake (original eh?), a berry whipped cream pie or a half-baked chocolate chip cookie served with vanilla ice cream. As the waitress served me coffee, she instantly insisted on the cookie. Let me tell you…nothing. I had no comments. I’ll leave this one to you.