MIXING UP CULTURES
Foiegwa has sense of humour
First of all, I love the name Foiegwa. I’m not sure francophones will get it, but the Barbara Walters pronunciation of foie gras used by all those Americans (and, let’s face it, many Canadians) who, with few exceptions, cannot roll their “R”s to save their lives always makes me smile.
How many of us have heard our neighbours massacre French food names, be it “foie gras” as “foie gwa” or “sauvignon blanc” as “sauvignon blank,” croissant as “kwasant,” pâté as “pah-tay” or the everpopular crème brûlée as “krehm brew-lay?” So right off the bat, Foiegwa gets points just for having a sense of humour, something sadly lacking on today’s all-too-serious restaurant scene.
The second thing I like about Foiegwa is the decor. Located in a former La Belle Province franchise on the corner of Atwater and NotreDame, this place always caught my eye for its quilted metallic exterior — a bit like a backsplash you’d find in an old-school diner kitchen. The space was taken over by the Barroco Group (owners of two of Old Montreal’s hippest restaurants, Barroco and Bocata) as well as several new partners, and given a makeover by the designing Gauley Brothers.
Described as an “Americanized French diner,” their new restaurant features white tiled walls framed by cappuccino-brown banquettes. Lining the room are Marc Tremblay sketches of famous Montrealers, hung in a style similar to that used at the famous New York theatre cantine Sardi’s. There’s an open kitchen to the right of the entrance and a large bar that does double duty for the group’s speakeasy-style, über-cool Atwater Cocktail Club next door. The music is loud (but good) and the room, on the stormy Tuesday night I visited, was packed. This is one hot restaurant, so be sure to book in advance or else take the risk and show up for the other half of the seats reserved for walk-ins.
The Americanized French diner concept extends to the menu, though it really is more French than American, with stereotypical dishes like garlic snails, onion soup, Dover sole meunière and entrecôte frites. The listing for frog’s legs with fries and ranch dressing made me smile (how’s that for American/French fusion?), though I wondered whether these “cuisses de grenouilles” were sustainable, like the fish and seafood dishes listed on the menu.
The seriously American part of the menu is the cocktail list, which is both good fun and vastly appealing. I tasted four, winners one and all, with extra marks for the Dark and Stormy, the Cinco de Mayo and the Maple Old-Fashioned. I’m coming around to the idea that you can pretty much judge a restaurant by its cocktails (if the cocktails are unbalanced, chances are the food will be too), and these were all bang-on: not too sweet, too strong or watered down. Excellent.
As for the menu, there’s a lot to like as well. It’s not perfect yet, but Foiegwa has been going for just over a month. Two elements I admired straight away were the quality of ingredients and the clean plating — not something you usually find in a diner, or even a bistro, really. The food is as stylish as the room.
We were disappointed to hear the onion soup was sold out so early in the evening, but turned our attention to a salade niçoise, a bagna cauda and — who could resist? — the foie gras. The niçoise was terrific. Served on a pool of stracciatella di Bufala (soft, stretched-curd Italian cheese), the remaining ingredients included multi-coloured cherry tomatoes from the neighbouring Atwater Market, preserved tuna and croutons. Not sure why they’d call this dish a niçoise (a few olives, green beans, peppers and potatoes are missing), but I loved the mix of flavours and textures nonetheless.
The bagna cauda was just as great, because the vegetables were all crunchy and fresh (one would expect as much at the height of the season) and the anchovy-and-garlic-based mayonnaise offered a bold flavour without overwhelming. I cannot deny dragging more than a few pieces of the delicious bread through that plate to soak up the last of the dressing.
And as for the foie gras: perfect. Served seared, the liver was golden-crusted on the outside, pudding-like on the inside and placed atop a round of fig brioche and a spoonful of tomato jam. At $25, the foie runs a bit steep, but it’s worth it.
The mains weren’t quite as satisfying, mainly because a few were too heavy. The best was the trout amandine, which was velvety in texture, fresh in flavour and topped with a tomato concassé and toasted almonds. I loved it, enjoying a bit less the crunchy (too crunchy?) haricots verts served alongside. A dish of spaghetti with butter, black truffles, a slow-cooked egg and Parmigiano-Reggiano came in second. I admired the simplicity of the mix, but the truffle held the other ingredients hostage after a few bites.
Then there was the beef tartare, served with salsify chips and a side of spectacular fries. The first few bites were good, but after a while the mayonnaise holding it all together became cloying.
I was looking forward to the duck confit hachis parmentier. Enhanced with ceps and foie gras, this fancy shepherd’s pie was dry, from the mashed potato topping to the duck and fixin’s underneath. A bit of sauce at the bottom would do a world of good.
As for the hamburger? Now, that was juicy! Though a bit messy to eat with even basic table manners, this burger featured a tasty meat patty, melted cheese and a brown sauce. Two bites in, I felt like I was eating the posh version of a Dic Ann’s burger.
Desserts were classic French, with a little whimsy thrown into the mix. A chocolate mousse had great chocolate flavour, though the texture was more dense ganache than frothy mousse. The millefeuille was made up of crisp pastry layers and a light custard cream. I liked it, but kept thinking how much better it would be with a third element as a counterpoint (berries, nuts, caramel?). The star of the sweets was a Paris-Brest made not with the usual choux pastry base, but a doughnut. Great idea! OK, the cream was a bit weak in flavour, but that didn’t stop us from wolfing it down in seconds.
Eating adventures aside, I had a great time at Foiegwa, thanks especially to our utterly charming and professional waitress, Tiffany. Everyone was just so nice, resulting in a memorable evening. And postsupper we enjoyed a nightcap at the Atwater Cocktail Club around the corner, down a dark alley and behind a nondescript black door. Inside was another room filled with even more young, branché couples. Seems to me this restaurant group is on to something. Good times and good food in spaces designed for fun are where it’s at. Oh, and great cocktails help, too.