On Saturday, we experienced the worst breakfast and the best dinner on the trip. We also learned if you could get brunch reservations at the last minute, it’s probably not worth going. For this post, let’s listen to “Terrible Lie” by Nine Inch Nails.
Emerald wanted to go somewhere with a rooftop patio. I found two possible places through OpenTable. When I confirmed which of the two restaurants we should visit, there was a misunderstanding, and ultimately, we ended up at the wrong restaurant. Based on the reviews, I knew beforehand the food at Les Enfant Terrible was aptly named, but as Emerald wanted a rooftop and Envy didn’t want to wait for a table, our options were limited.
When asked for her recommendations, our server carefully responded, “Customers have said good things about the crab cake benedicts and croque-madame.” I immediately knew that she didn’t eat the food herself.
I ordered the Crab Cake Benedict ($25), Emerald picked the Croque-Madame ($22), and Envy opted for the M’et Mmetoutle Monde ($14, plus $4 avocado). I noticed our drinks sat the counter for ten minutes. I did enjoy my mimosa ($10), which tasted like freshly squeezed orange juice. Envy didn’t care for her Espresso Martini ($15).
Envy said her sausages and eggs tasted like it was from a free hotel buffet breakfast, the ones that keep their food in a warmer. We both liked the side of avocado. Envy observed that we never received the fruit cups included in our entrees.
Emerald noticed one of my eggs already popped. I could taste the crab, shrimp and smoked salmon and enjoyed the caviar hollandaise sauce. I thought this dish tasted like the airplane food when my sister booked me a first-class ticket to visit her. Tasty, but not fresh.
Poor Emerald got the worst of the entrees. I took a bite of her sandwich and gagged. The bread was untoasted and soggy, cold from the bland jelly-like cream sauce. She only ate the thin slice of meat and egg and wouldn’t touch the bread. I suggested she return the dish and grab a pastry on our way home. She declined. With one taste, I could sense Les Enfant Terrible had a toxic work environment. You could taste the sadness in the food. The absolute disregard for making a dish edible reek of someone unhappy, hungover, and needing a hug. I don’t blame the cook. The fault lies with the establishment. Down with management!
An accidental compliment salvaged the afternoon. When we returned to our place, Envy wanted to go for a hike, and Emerald wished to rest. So I popped out and visited the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
When I went to pay for my ticket, the employee asked me if I was thirty or younger. Taken aback but still shameless, I uttered an unconvincing and slow “Yesss” and accepted the discounted rate. Elated, I continued on my journey. One of my favourite pieces of art were the Inuit sculptures and Aboriginal masks. I returned to our apartment younger and ready to experience one of the best restaurants I’ve tried in … perhaps ever. To be continued.
Hitting the Sauce 