THE HOLDER
brothers had hit nightclubs in the ’80s, and their brasserie, Bernard, is another.
The room is dimly lit, with heavy pillars, tobacco-coloured walls, hardwood floors, huge mirrors and plenty of dark wood furniture.
Brasserie Bernard μμ½ $$$ 1249 Bernard Ave. (near
Bloomfield Ave.) Phone: 514-508-5519 Open: Mon.- Fri. 11:30 a.m. to midnight. Sat.- Sun. 5 p.m. to closing.
Licensed: Yes Credit cards: All major cards Wheelchair access: Yes Vegetarian friendly: Yes Reservations: Essential Parking: Easy on the street,
with meters Price range: Starters: $7.75$16; Main courses $19-$34;
Desserts $3-$10 Back in the ’80s, I, like so many coming-of-age Montrealers, partied at nightclubs owned by Maurice, Paul and Richard Holder. Their impossible-to-get-into dance club Business was a favourite, and it was always a trip to play pool (or watch others in action) at their branché billiard bar, Le Swimming. Their first eating establishment opened a decade later, when the groovy club vibe starting spilling over into the emerging restaurant scene.
It was a tiny place called L’Oeuf that was later rechristened Brasserie Holder. Though far smaller, the Holder brothers’ new restaurant matched the popularity of restos like the late, great Luna and Buonanotte back when St-Laurent Blvd. was the epicentre of city cool.
The brothers went on to open Le Café du Nouveau Monde midtown, then later made the bold move of relocating Brasserie Holder down to McGill St. That was in 2003, when The Main was still hopping but Old Montreal was in dire need of a little fun. And they got it with Holder, a far more expansive restaurant than the original that not only had a lot of spunk but better food than anyone expected.
The Holders carried on, seemingly invincible, until two of their restaurant projects flopped. There was the chic bistro L’Étoile, situated — alas — in a definitely un-chic stretch of St-Hubert St. And then came the revamped and short-lived Chez Delmo on Notre-Dame St. As much as I enjoyed their updated version of this classic Montreal restaurant, I still recall the miserable-looking 70-somethings at a neighbouring table, less enthused, no doubt, about the Holder brothers take on this oldschool seafood restaurant. You win some, you lose some, but being the intrepid restaurateurs they are, the Holder brothers moved on.
Project rumours swirl endlessly around this group. A bistro in Westmount, perhaps? A seafood bar on The Main next spring? Then came something concrete: a 120-seat restaurant in Outremont called Brasserie Bernard. I was intrigued, yet also concerned. The space they selected had last housed the short-lived Le Murphy, and competition from the neighbouring and wildly popular Les Enfants Terribles would be fierce.
Yet despite pretty awful food, Le Moulerie, a restaurant that came before Le Murphy, was always packed, especially the great streetside terrasse. And considering the generation that once boogied hard at Business now made up the seasoned steak-fritesmunching set, the Holders knew that demographic well. Few Montreal streets are as fashionable as Outremont’s Bernard Ave., and considering the crowds at surrounding bistros like Leméac, Chez LévêqueandLeParis-Beurre, this new brasserie seemed like a sure bet. But of course, it has to be good.
Over two visits, I ate my way through a good chunk of Brasserie Bernard’s menu, enjoying a lot of what I tasted. The food’s not as sharp as, say, Brasserie T!, but it’s far from the plain Jane French fare you get in formulaic bistros. Yes, there’s bavette, duck confit and moules/frites, but there’s an obvious effort to make everything more swish. For instance, in most bistros, a hot goat’s cheese appetizer consists of a slab of mediocre goat’s cheese broiled atop a stale crouton served on a bed of ropy frisée lettuce drenched in mustard vinaigrette. We’ve all been there.
Here, though, a large quenelle of soft goat’s cheese is placed on a slice of brioche, topped with tomato confit and onion jam, and served with a swirl of arugula pesto. How very nice. And just as good was an appetizer made with fried aubergine, fresh mozzarella, tomato concassé, a ribbon of prosciutto and a squiggle of balsamic vinegar. Quel treat!
The minestrone is another winner, filled as it is with loads of vegetables and enhanced with a generous spoonful of pesto. Yum! The fried calamari arrived with two sauces: spicy tomato and tartare. The breading on the rings was a bit crumbly and the squid was a tad chewy, but it’s still worth recommending.
Main courses were less successful, first and foremost the bavette, which though flavourful was dog-toy-level chewy. The fries served alongside will need a rethink. On two visits they were warm, sunken, and the portion consisted mainly of end bits. In a city where the french fries are finally picking up steam, these frazzled “frites” fell flat. The fries were also paired with a huge bowl of moules marinière, which though acceptable were hardly mem- orable (though to be fair, it’s next to impossible to find tasty mussels in any Montreal restaurant).
Obvious off-notes tended to rob dishes of their full potential. The duck confit was good, if on the dry side, yet the arugula salad and roasted ratte potatoes underneath were greasy. As for the extra dash of truffle oil? In a mushroom dish, maybe, but not with duck confit.
I loved the succulent grilled salmon filet, but why were the accompanying lentils cold? And where was the promised “vierge” sauce? As for the beef tartare, not only was it too spicy, it was too mushy. Tartares must have texture! And as much as I loved the thick-cut liver, the mashed po- tatoes underneath it were as stiff as Justin Bieber’s drinks.
Desserts were better than expected, and I’d happily endorse the crisp-shelled profiteroles and the scrumptious caramel/apple mille-feuilles. The molten chocolate cake with ice cream is rich and gooey, and gets the job done without giving much in the way of chocolatey thrills. But considering the price, $9, that might be a bit much to ask.
For thrills, look to the wine list instead, which is both very well priced (just a notch above two times retail) and filled with excellent selections. Now if it were only a bit longer, it might draw in those wine lovers who favour bistros for a night of no-nonsense food paired with special/rare/cult wines.
Wait, how could I have gotten this far without mentioning the décor? From the outside, Brasserie Bernard has sort of an imposing fortress look. Inside, the room is dimly lit, with heavy pil- lars, tobacco-coloured walls, hardwood floors, huge mirrors and plenty of dark wood furniture. Add to that a handsome bar up front that seats 10, and the all-around feel is heavy and masculine, providing quite the contrast to the primarily female clientele.
On both my visits, I was surrounded by women: young, old, simply-dressed or glamorous. Every seat was taken, which may have explained why service, though solicitous, was on the slow side. And everyone — including yours truly — appeared to be having a swell time. Brasserie Bernard is ambience city.
Looks like the Holders have a hit on their hands. How great to see this dynamic restaurant group still taking risks in the challenging restaurant market that is Montreal. No doubt our city is hurting of late, yet there are still moments of bliss, thanks, most certainly, to restaurants like this.