Creative cocktails set the pace at Brïz
Some dishes need a little work, but this bistro is well on its way
I’ve fallen hard lately for a certain aspect of dining out that never really grabbed me before: the cocktail. The idea of a cocktail is fabulous, but in reality a lot of them are sweet, strong and have a tendency to taste and look a bit too much like cough syrup. Savvy boozers tend to stick to the classics — a martini, gin & tonic or that wonderful Brit summer favourite know as the Pimm’s Cup. I’m happy to opt for a glass of rosé, riesling — or how about a golden Pineau des Charentes? — while perusing the menu.
But for about a year now, servers have been coming to my table in restaurants saying, “Aimeriezvous un cocktail?” before handing me a drinks menu that looks wonderfully enticing, miles away from the dreaded martini/ appletini/ lycheetini lists of old. I’m thinking of places like Le Majestique, Dominion Square Tavern, The Balsam Inn, Lili Co., Mimi la Nuit ( where they make a Caipirinha sure to make Argentine polo players swoon), and so many others where the cocktail is not just a pre- dinner drink, but a harbinger of the meal to come. I am coming to love a good summer cocktail — it doesn’t have to be all that boozy, just well- balanced, bracing, refreshing and original.
Seated in the small dining room at Brïz on a recent Friday night, I’m sipping two delicious cocktails. One, the “Pamplegin” is made with gin, grapefruit, Apérol, basil and ginger ale. The other, the “Arak spritz” consists of Arak and Campari topped with Prosecco. I sip them slowly on this steamy night and revel in the mix of flavours. Both are terrific, but the pairing of anise
and bitter in the latter is inspired. Our waitress, Aurélie, is just as dynamic. She knows her menu well and considering how short it is ( three starters, three mains, two desserts, a few daily specials), that’s not surprising. But I like her enthusiasm. In fact, I like a lot about this four- month old, market- side bistro.
Located on St- Denis street on the edge of Little Italy, Brïz is a restaurant with four partners: three, Alex Mevel, Mathieu Bourdages and Mathieu Cloutier, who are the chef/ owners of Kitchen Galerie, and the third, Fabrizia Rollo who was standout in the third season of Radio-Canada’s Les Chefs. Rollo also worked as sous- chef at Kitchen Galerie, and now it is she among the partners who is Brïz’s chef de cuisine. How great to see another woman chef on the scene, espe--
cially one you can see working right there in the restaurant’s open kitchen alongside a bunch of burly guys. Nice.
The room is very simple, with spiffy teal blue banquettes, bar seating and huge, streetside windows giving the space a slight Edward Hopper Nighthawks feel. There are only 35 seats, and the blackboard above mine features the nightly specials and a few nibbles to start. We ordered a bunch to share, including goldenfried zucchini flowers stuffed with smoked cacciacavallo and romanesco broccoli, and crisp arancino filled with pulled pork ( yum!) served with a lemon and sumac emulsion. What a treat, and every bite was ideally grease-free and shattering. Gorgeous.
For starters we opted for all three appetizers: a tomato tart, grilled squid, and marrow with
brussels sprouts. Though Rollo is of Italian origin, her cooking style is more broad, more Mediterranean, with a bit of Middle Eastern thrown in to make things interesting. I like all the lemon, the citrusy hit of sumac, and in her tomato tart, the interplay of pecorino, sweet pepper marmalade and a few slow- roasted tomato supremes. This time of year, who needs much more?
Then came the squid: perfectly cooked al- dente slices of grilled and fried seafood paired with a handful of chickpeas and a creamy yogurt sauce. All wonderful, perfect even. However, I was less taken with the marrow dish, which looked spectacular with its long crouton set at an angle towering over a large marrow bone. But the marrow was barely there and the accompanying chewy-chewy bacon and frazzled sprout leaves didn’t taste of much. And as we’re at least two months away from Brussels sprouts season, why even bother?
Main courses were uneven. First, a plate of cavatelli with roasted broccoli and cauliflower, ricotta salata and breadcrumbs: A few bites in and … nothing. With no bold flavours in play ( some bites were disarmingly sweet), it was all too timid. Half went back untouched. I was also on the fence over a plate of porchetta. The meat was succulent, but the accompanying ricotta gnocchi were chewy, the fried kale was dull and the salsa verde was unnecessary alongside the demi- glace. The listed oyster mushrooms where nowhere to be found. Less is more in Italian cuisine and this dish definitely could have used less.
The best of the mains was the dorade ( sea bream). Presented in a circle with a few rapini sprigs and shaved raw fennel, the juicy white fish was further enhanced with cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, a sauce vierge and a smear of baba ghanoush. Though one of my friends complained the fish was slightly overcooked, my piece was perfect, especially with the wine we selected, the Argyros Estate Atlantis assyrtiko from the short, but well- chosen and wellpriced wine list.
Desserts included a simple affogato ( espresso drowned in ice cream), a choux bun filled with ricotta and cherry compote and a chocolate terrine sandwiched with cookies. I’m not sure why restaurants serve chocolate desserts in the height of our local berry season; instead of coffee with that ice cream, how about a few Canadian peaches?
As much as I love the effort made with the cocktails, it would be great to see that creativity extend all the way to the last course. And with the market right around the corner, here’s hoping the chefs keep that short menu of theirs more focused on the season. But it’s still early days for Brïz, and though parts of my meal needed work, Rollo and co. show promise.