Ah Valentine's Day! To honour this *ahem* holiday, I want to share with you one of my most cherished gastro-memories. A love letter to taste buds everywhere, if you will.
It was Valentine's Day in Montreal, -20 degrees or thereabouts and I was going to be treated to a romantic din din a deux by the squeeze de jour. The choice of resto was left to me and I didn't hesitate - Les Halles. It sits on Crescent St. and if you don't know Montreal, Crescent is ground zero for underage drinking, overage drinking and deals of an unsavoury and often illegal mein. But here resides one of Montreal's grande dames of eateries. Its menu has always been classic French, but I hear through the grape vine that they've updated somewhat over the years. However, its calling card remains the basics executed with love and elan.
We arrived at the reserved hour into a room which, though quiet and stately, nevertheless was the most opulent thing I had ever seen. We were gently, so very gently, ushered into a room that contained no more than 4 tables, the restaurant being comprised of several such rooms. The lighting from the wall sconces was low, but a glow emanated from the tables. That glow came from the utensils - silverware, burnished from years of use, sat at their precise and pre-measured positions. As I sat, I picked up the dinner knife. It weighed heavy in my hand. Now, to the average bear this would barely register or merit mentioning, but to me it was overture to what was to come.
The maitre d' took my napkin, snapped it open, and placed the blinding white square on my lap. What the...?! We hadn't been even introduced! I think I may have stiffened or something because he looked at me with a wisp of a smile and intoned, "Madame." Oh. Ok. This is how it's done.
Wine list, or more to the point, wine tome. We hadn't the foggiest notion where to begin, so the maitre d' breathed,"It is cold tonight. May I suggest the Medoc? You will not be disappointed." I have been searching for this wine ever since. It was a meal in a glass, filling every nook and cranny in your mouth with deep richness, finally cloaking it in velvet before sliding down your throat. I would take that wine for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, 'til death did me convey to the rest eternal.
And now to ordering. Our fairy god-waiter arrived, murmured the evening's specials and evaporated. No really, for the rest of the evening he would appear at just the right time and disappear just as suddenly. The only hint that he did indeed serve us was our plates changed during the evening. This is service of the highest calibre.
I am a brisk orderer. I don't ask a lot of questions, I just look at any given menu and if something jumps at me, we have a winnah! Or, I'll switch right at the last moment. I don't know why I do that but I'll be "Oh, the fish, oh the fish, oh the fish" then "Are you ready to order?" "Yes, I'll have the veal." Curious quirk, but there you have it. I'm just warning you in case we ever dine together.
First course - Lobster bisque.
Mother. Of . God. Served in a snowy flat bowl, a soft pink that coated my spoon and tasting it one knew that praise to Neptune was required. Small chunks of lobster were floating around and it took every ounce of restraint not to pick up the bowl and hoist it to my lips. I had no idea if it was ok to inquire of the waiter what was in it, but I threw caution to the wind and asked (and how could he refuse? My lipstick was perfect
and my perfume cost 1/2 my rent. I oozed class...sort of.) He informed me that it was the brandy and sherry that made all the difference. And the lobster was flown in just that day. My family has maritime roots so this marriage of seafood and alcohol suited me right down to my DNA.
Main course - Pork chops
Do not sniff at nor poo-poo the piggy. Two thick, pan seared chops, a barely there layer of fat crisped to Queen Anne lace, with a thin blanket of Calvados creme. Apples and pork. Made for each other. The veggies were simple; sweet baby Jeebus, the mashed potatoes still had wee lumps - they had been mashed by hand. These people loved the spud. Carrots and turnips in a maple glaze, and a dollop of pureed sweet peas. My eyes must have had a wonderful workout because I kept on rolling them around in my head at every morsel. "This is so fucking good". I was almost breathless.
Dessert
A trolley of temptation! Tiers of tantalizing treats! This would prove to be my introduction to that over-used by much loved dessert accompaniment - the coulis. I had a slice of tarte au chocolat with a raspberry coulis. Let me tell you about my love, my nigh on obsession with raspberries. As a munchkin the most magical thing in the world to me was to come upon a wild raspberry patch. My family would take summer holidays somewhere on the East Coast and nine times outta ten, a raspberry patch could be found at any given campsite. I can't tell you how many bushes I may have destroyed, but to this day, put anything raspberry-ish in my mouth and I'm five years old, sitting on the ground in the sunshine. I can't tell you much about that tarte au chocolat, but the coulis sent me into raptures.
That was the first truly stellar restaurant meal I ever had. And it happened on Valentine's Day. And if my calculations are correct, that would have been 16 years ago. He went the way of the dinosaur (and I should mention, though I remember every fork/spoonful of that night I cannot recall anything that he had because he had a "thing" about sharing food. The "thing" was, you don't. Ever. Yeah, dead romantic, he was), but I remember that meal because who ever was in the kitchen that night loved what they were doing. And that was his Valentine's day gift to his customers.
And this has been my Valentine's gift to you. Hug the one's you love, if they aren't with you give 'em a call and tell 'em. And don't forget that while you're spreading that love around, remember to keep some for yourself.
LiliLaLarge
PS - Of course, the title was inspired by this song which has been going off in my head for the last week. To all of us who have been, who are, and who want to be again, I give you Tears for Fears, Head over Heels. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMBbJ_l0Tb4
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