The Gallivanting Gourmand Casa Vecchia in Pierrefonds, Quebec
Fantastico, delisioso, prima!
It's not hard to find words to describe the fine Italian fare that this restaurant on boulevard Saint-Charles in Pierrefonds offers.
A visit to this historic landmark building on the West Island is mandatory if you love culinary magic prepared at the hands of an excellent chef. The magic is enhanced by friendly and professional "front of house" staff.
The choreography and timing of a truly great dining experience relies heavily on cues from a server to the chef so that individual courses arrive at your table at just the right time. Such was the case on my first visit to this eatery.
An appetizer of warm freshly made bruschetta promised good things to follow as it had been made with the requisite simple ingredients that are the hallmark of real Italian cuisine. Fresh basil and tomato adorned a crusty offering that fairly glistened with good olive oil. A hint of garlic suggested the bruschetta had benefited from a tender rubbing.
Casa Vecchia offers a good selection of wines to compliment every dish on its menu with prices that vary from the affordable to upscale. My partner and I settled on a good Italian Cabernet (Loredan Gasparini 1997).
Our selection married well with my partner's first selection of Escargots Romana. A bath of demi- glace, tomato and garlic with a hint of wine and a sprinkling of parsley gave a half dozen of these plump delicacies the spotlight along with some good mushrooms. This appetizer was perfect for mopping up with crusty bread, which we did. I enjoyed a fresh inselata Verde that was made special by the addition of hearts of palm, endive, radicchio, fresh greens and a balsamic and olive oil dressing.
We took our time choosing a main course as the menu is extensive and tempts diners to want to sample it all. Fortunately there is a solution for the hungry as our waiter explained. A variety of pastas can be substituted for the vegetables that accompany most dishes and this allows a taste of the chef's handiwork. I counted at least fourteen pasta dishes along with an even larger number of poultry, veal, beef and fish dishes. While not sampled, the risotto promises good things. Prices start at around $11.95 for pasta and go up to $26.95 for a dish such as the Terra E Mare (surf and turf) of grilled filet mignon and scampi's. Diners can choose from a table d'hote that includes appetizers and main dish to dessert and coffee starting at $10.95. A midi express offers selections at $7.95.
I settled on the Carre d'Agneau Romarin after grilling, no pun intended, the server, as to whether he would recommend it. His recommendation proved his informed reliability, as the dish did not disappoint. Six perfectly grilled lamb chops arrived along with a medley of vegetables that included roasted red pepper. The smoky pepper was a good match for the robust flavors of the lamb and rosemary. My request for medium doneness was not ignored and I happily attempted to not be too obvious of my licking of the tiny roasted bones that contain the most flavor in my opinion. I was treated to a sample of a freshly prepared linguini in a classic tomato sauce as a side and it confirmed this restaurants attention to freshness. The afore mentioned Italian trinity of basil, tomatoes, and garlic surrounded each length of pasta and benefited from a good olive oil and a tableside grinding of quality parmesan. My partner's choice of the Vitello aux champignons sauvage proved that this restaurant can make a serious veal scaloppini. A nice sized perfectly pounded cutlet arrived on scene and was "melt in your mouth" tender. Its accompaniment of oyster mushrooms in a demi-glace and wine infused sauce gave it nice earthy tones. My partner also paired her selection with the linguini and gave it her discriminating two thumbs up.
After protesting that we were too satiated to have dessert we succumbed to the idea of sharing a piece of the Tiramisu. This classic Italian dessert is often a good way to judge a restaurant on its ability to please after a big meal. It proved light and fluffy as it should be and we sinfully indulged in bites of every cake that the restaurant offers thanks to the nudging of our waiter and chef. A good cappuccino and latte allowed us to relish and reflect on the fine dining experience of the evening.
Casa Vecchia is located at 3827, boulevard Saint- Charles in Pierrefonds. Reservations: (514)-620-4444.
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Greg Duncan is the Executive Director of the Quebec Community Newspapers Association and Lives in Notre-Dame-De-L'lle-Perrot, near Montreal. He is an avid cook and a lover of all things culinary.
Copyright © 2001 Greg Duncan/Log Cabin Chronicles/11.01 |
