The best restaurant we visited in Montreal was Le Vin Papillon. The overall experience was so magical that I’ll book again the next time I’m in town. For this post, let’s listen to “Dream a Little Dream of Me” by Papas & Mamas.
Our server showed us three bottles of white wine. I wanted the second choice, a wine that paired best with the food. Envy and Emerald outvoted me, so we drank a Beaujolais Blanc ($90). The wine was lovely and a little buttery. We ordered less than the recommended number of dishes, six to seven for two people.
We picked our food based on the server’s recommendations, which included: Thon de La Gaspesie Tart ($25), Petoncle Cru ($48), Gnocchi Fritti Anguille ($16), Jambon e le Petite Bourg ($17), Mitake aux Champignons ($26), Belles Tomatoes ($15), Calamars, escarole, tomato ($19) and Tarte Clafoutis aux Ceris ($16).
The gnocchi fritti anguille was a knockout. Each square was black and blistered, puffed up like a pillow. The eel puree was unique. I could taste a hint of charcoal smoke, and the flavour reminded me of creamy smoked salmon. I would order this again.
The Jambon e le Petite Bourg ($17) was a plateful of thin slices of ham and shaved layers of smooth cheese. This dish was all about quality and simplicity.
I was in love with the big Boston scallops, Petoncle Cru. The texture was creamy and silky and popped from the fresh basil and fat salt flakes. What made this dish shine was the sweetness of the scallops and the sensation of the chilled shellfish sliding into my mouth. I liked how the basil flavour didn’t overpower the natural flavour of the scallops.
Emerald said bluefin tuna was a fun take on beef tartare, though I found the endive leaves overly bitter. I knew we shouldn’t have gotten this dish because our server looked disappointed in our choice when we ordered it. Don’t get me wrong, the tuna was great, it wasn’t a knockout like the other dishes.
The calamars arrived on a metal skewer, like a kebob. The squid was smooth and slippery, with a crunchy, el dente bite. The clean flavour from the green butter was phenomenal. The texture of the squid surpassed what I ate in Greece. I appreciated this dish because it’s so rare that I get to eat squid prepared so well.
Emerald, Envy and I were all over the mushrooms. Crunchy crevices, feathery light, each bite was a delight. Envy said everything was super simple but fantastic.
Envy mentioned the wine paired well with the tomatoes. Like our experience at Lapin, the tomato flavour was pronounced. I told my friends this must have come from the best tomatoes in the world. What a fantastic sauce. Emerald noted there was the right amount of seasoning in all the food. We would get the tomatoes again.
Envy ranked her top three dishes: tomatoes, scallop, gnocchi, and mushrooms. Emerald said the gnocchi was number one, then the tomatoes and mushrooms. I preferred the scallops, calamari, and then the tomatoes. This restaurant has it all – food prepared by culinary geniuses, servers who go above and beyond, and customers who know a great thing when they experience it. I left walking on moonbeams and not wanting the night to end.
Our meal cost was on par with Lapin, just over a hundred dollars a person. My only regret was not visiting Le Vin Papillon twice in a week, so I could try everything on the menu.
Hitting the Sauce 