YOU’RE GOING TO ‘LOV’ IT
Local, organic, vegetarian eatery a hit
I began 2017 in this space with a somewhat ambitious wish list of what I would like to see more of on our dining scene in the year to come: more reasonable wine prices, more diversity on high-end menus, an increase in women chefs, more vegetarian options, etc. Wishful thinking, perhaps, but these days it sometimes seems that’s all we have.
So imagine my excitement last week upon entering a restaurant that fulfilled so many of those desires. Opened last December, this two-month-old Old Montreal restaurant is called LOV. Before you cynical types roll your eyes at that name, you should know it’s actually an acronym for “local, organic, vegetarian.”
Upscale vegetarian restaurants in Montreal are about as rare as Trump voters in California, so having heard good things in a very short time since LOV’s opening, I made a beeline to McGill St. for further investigation.
Before even entering, the first thing that impressed about LOV is the decor. Even from the outside, with its tall windows and twinkling lights, the restaurant is supremely enticing. Conceived by Jean-Pierre Viau and Jacinthe Piotte, the room is decorated in Palm Beachy tones of pistachio green and white, with leafy wallpaper and high ceilings. Brick walls are painted white and diverse seating arrangements include bar seating, communal seating, table seating, you name it. In the back, near the spiffy bathrooms, you’ll find those hanging basket chairs in which ’70s starlets like Pia Zadora and Suzanne Somers were often photographed. The chandeliers appear to be made with the kind of wicker wastepaper baskets you find at Pier 1. It’s all very fresh and young — kind of like being immersed in a green juice smoothie, but in a good way.
And on top of all that, in this heavily female-populated space, the ambience is electric. All this is brought to you by owner Dominic Bujold, also owner of the raw-food concept restaurant Crudessence and the everexpanding pizza chain Pizzeria No. 900, well-known for its sharp design and delicious pizza.
As for the menu at LOV, that has been placed into the hands of Stéphanie Audet (formerly of the raw food restaurant Crudessence), who has quite the knack for creating not only fine vegetarian dishes but even more challenging vegan dishes as well.
The cuisine here is described as “botanical” with a marked emphasis on natural, vegetarian, organic and healthy. Some dishes are identified as gluten-free or vegan, with options for those willing to omit the eggs, cheese or honey. Unlike many restaurants whose vegetarian plates feature beautifully arranged — but rarely inspired — ingredients, Audet’s dishes read tempting, even to us carnivores. She begins with a lineup of snacks and salads, then moves into small-plate territory, with only a few main courses.
There’s a short but well-chosen and well-priced wine list signed by sommelier Steve Beauséjour.
And as is the fashion these days, cocktails are big here too, especially this selection created by “God of cocktails” Romain Cavelier, one of Montreal’s leading mixologists who made his name at bars such as Le Mal Nécessaire and Henri Saint-Henri.
So there’s obviously a lot of talent among these restaurant walls, but what does that amount to as a meal? Pleasantly surprising, I’d say. Starting with the balanced cocktails (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), this was a strong showing, and service provided by our ever-present waitress was excellent.
It’s still early days in this already wildly popular eatery, but I wouldn’t hesitate to say we have a winner here, and the kind of restaurant we could use more of.
Our dinner began with four small plates: kale mac and cheese, roasted cauliflower, vegetarian poutine and roasted root vegetables. The mac and cheese resembles a dish I make often that calls for a butternut squash purée in place of the classic cheddar cheese sauce. And instead of the usual macaroni here, casarecce is the pasta shape of choice. It was quite good, if a bit dry, the downer being the small amount of kale. The kale haters would be thrilled, but this kale lover thinks an increase in bitter greens would have provided some much-needed pizzazz.
The roasted cauliflower was given a Middle Eastern twist à la Yotam Ottolenghi, gussied up with curry, tahini, preserved lemon and pomegranate seeds.
Again, I found the flavours too subtle, wishing after a few bites that Audet had played her hand more boldly. But in the next dishes she came through.
First off was the vegetarian poutine, made with excellent fries, curd cheese and a sauce she later told me was made with roasted vegetables, mushrooms and plenty of miso.
She nailed it; that poutine can go up against a meaty equivalent any day. Then came the roasted roots, a mix of parsnips, carrots and cubes of grilled pineapple with a lightly spiced, romesco-style sauce underneath and a scattering of chopped pistachios overtop. I loved every bite. Not only is this dish multi-dimensional regarding textures and flavours, the combination of flavours themselves — earthy, sweet, spicy, tangy — was so enjoyable. I just wished I had ordered some gluten-free bread to lap it all up.
For main courses, we selected three, beginning with the excellent Burger Big LOV, garnished with cheese, onion, tomato, pickles and Big LOV sauce. What a tour de force: the vegetable patty was tender and tasty with a texture similar to meat yet none of that toughness.
The garnishes were perfectly proportioned, too, and the delicious, soft bun really made the whole thing come together. What I liked best about this veggie burger, though, was how light it all was — definitely worth the
trip to the restaurant alone.
Though creative, our other two dishes weren’t as successful. Gnocchi made with sweet potato and buckwheat had the ideal soft-without-being-mushy texture. But the buckwheat added a bitterness that, with the hemp/ basil pesto and arugula alongside, overwhelmed. Buckwheat made a second appearance in a dish where a thick slice of celery root was described as “steak.”
Served with buckwheat grains and guacamole speared with grainy tuiles, the celery root looked like a juicy slab of swordfish, but — surprise! — tasted like celery root.
I’m not a big fan of vegetarian dishes as substitutes for meat dishes, and calling this a steak can only set the diner up for disappointment, especially with the bitter buckwheat and bland guacamole used — and failing, alas — to gussy it up.
Dessert included but two options: a gluten-free raspberry brownie and a coconut milk panna cotta, which both tasted like something Gwyneth Paltrow wannabes would adore but made my inner pastry lover’s spirits sag. I’m always game for a good dessert, but this gummy brownie was no replacement for the real deal and the panna cotta tasted more like something you’d eat for breakfast. Frankly, I think a kitchen this creative could do better.
That said, I really enjoyed my night at LOV. Even with some misses, how great to get out of the same ol’ same ol’. And the space is wonderful, the people are nice and the cocktails are terrific. And just before leaving I saw some onion rings coming out of the kitchen. Encased in a golden kombucha batter, those oversized babies sure looked tempting. Can’t wait to give those — and so many other items on this menu — a try.
It’s still early days in this already wildly popular eatery, but I wouldn’t hesitate to say we have a winner here.