La Brasserie Brunoise

Located just west of the Bell Center
August 16th, 2007

La Brasserie Brunoise opened up this spring across from the Bell Center as the sister restaurant to Brunoise, located on the Plateau. The space is open and has a real French bistro charm to it, save the large HDTVs on each wall.

We've walked by this restaurant a dozen of times before, saying, "Hey, we should try that place," and always hesitating to actually do it because there was never much of a crowd inside. It's easy to be suspicious of places that aren't busting with people, and sometimes rightfully so. But in this case, our first impression couldn't have been more wrong. It's a new restaurant, so it'll take a bit of time to gather a following. But after the meal we had, we're convinced this place will be lined up regularly before long...

We sat down at a nice table for two and ordered the house recommended Babich Sauvingon Blanc -- a tasty label from New Zealand. The wine was fabulous and we quickly placed our orders for the main course.

[Plat Principal]

The Duck Confit, served on a bed of baby arugala with "small potatoes," was one of the most succulent in the city, and the sauce was amazing -- dark, rich and full of flavour. What it was made of (or magically conjured from) exactly, I don't know. It was just plain delicious.

The other entrée we ordered was Quiche Florentine with salad, which was a two-inch high slice of light, fluffy cloud. It looked like a piece of New York cheesecake, but it had a savory taste that went well with the Smoking Loon Cabernet.

[Overall Impressions]

Our server was fabulous and, as it turns out, was one of our favorite servers at Casa Tapas. She was glad to see us at La Brasserie Brunoise, which was simply lucky timing for us. All and all, great food, great value, and friendly service puts La Brasserie Brunoise near the top of the list.