Restaurant Closures - 2008

[BLM]

It was suggested in a posting that we should start new threads for Restaurant Closures & Restaurant Openings as it was getting unwielding. I'll start one for Restaurant Closures in 2008. Noticed that Pho Bang Montreal restaurant in CDN has now closed. Had wanted to try their Vietnamese spicy soup. Wanted to get more suggestions for specifically Vietnamese spicy soup in Montreal by starting a topic, but got zero suggestions so far.

[olivier1665]

Trinity closed last week non?

[Fritzy]

The Manhattan board reported the Trinity in Manhattan closed. Did the Trinity in Montreal close too? Their website seems to be running normally.

[BLM]

Trinity Estiatorio is just closed for the holidays. Re-opening Monday January 12th.

[williej]

The Chicken Wings place at Montclair and Sherbrooke in NDG (which was a Waffle Place before that but was never open when I tried to eat there) is closing after less than 6 mos open, and the wonderful coffee shop Cafe 92 next door will expand into that space. That's good. The chicken wings place always smelled of hot oil. The thing I like about Cafe 92 is the tropical juices, the great lunch specials, the warm greetings from the owners and the great cafe! And I get to practice my Spanish, too.
6703 Sherbrooke St. West, corner Montclair.

[lagatta]

Yeah, I've heard of Café 92, though I live at the other end of town (northeastish) - friend who teaches at Loyola campus.

Though your chicken wings remind me - I bought a packet of frozen organic chicken wings (nice meaty ones) at Segalls, and have to take them out of the freezer to be a tapa tomorrow evening!

[chilipepper]

Angus Beef on Drummond has been put out to pasture and replaced by Arlequino Pizzeria. Puerto Madero on St. Marc in the old Kalinka space) gone and papered over.

[Maximilien]

End of an era in town, as seen in La Presse ( or cyberpresse.ca)

Guy et Dodo Morali will close on the 23rd
La Rapière will also close on the 23rd (never heard of this one)
Les Chenets will close on Saturday.

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/vivre/cuisi...

[carswell]

Wow. All three downtown, too. That's major and probably a sign of more than a tight economy.

[TheSnowpea]

My father will be disappointed about Guy & Dodo: he is from out of town but loves the place. There goes my chance to try it out.

[keelo]

Restaurant Lotte or "Furama" in chinatown closed their doors today. They were on Clark just south of Rene Levesque.

[kpzoo]

No kidding, really? I just had dim sum there two Sundays ago and was impressed that they'd ditched the filthy carpet near the bathroom and everything was spic 'n' span. Do you know anything more? Is it a permanent closure?

[kpzoo]

Well, it does not look good. My husband passed by Lotte Furama today and there's a bankruptcy notice on the door, with a warning that nothing is to be removed from the premises. :-( Guess this is the incentive I need to try another dim sum place...

[carswell]

Yet another icon falls. Disturbing.

In this case I wonder whether the cause was:
- the economy
- the quality of the food (fluctuating, to judge by my experience and reports here)
- competition from Chinatown rivals, in particular the newest, Ruby Rouge (i.e. that Chinatown just can't support another major dim sum palace)
- the demographic shift of local Chinese away from the centre city with the concurrent appearance of suburban dim sum palaces
- some combination of the above
- some other reason that's not occurring to me.

[kpzoo]

Yeah, I wonder what's going on. The last time I was there - and pretty much every other time - it's been packed, so I was surprised to hear about this. (We even spotted Denys Arcand waiting for a free table on our last visit just a few weeks ago!) One other thought that occurred to me was that maybe they just weren't charging enough to cover their costs. Ever time I paid a bill there I was astounded at how much food we had just eaten for a mere $11 or 12...

[carswell]

Yeah. The only time I didn't have to wait was on a weekday at the end of the lunch-hour rush. And even then the place was nearly full.

You'd think it'd be pretty easy for them to figure the break-even point. Then again, with Kam Fung and Ruby Rouge breathing down their neck...

[Chow_Hound_Dog]

I think you've pretty much covered it, carswell. It is probably a combination of the reasons you've stated.

The "inside scoop" I initially heard was that the Lotte was supposed to move to the new Swatow complex down the street. It is possible the owner(s) decided to "start anew" with new backers and a new name. Granted, this is ALL speculation on my part.

P.S. Would you be the same carswell on the I.V. boards? If so, we have common passions!

[JadeMyst]

I suspect that business on the weekday evenings was low and low number of wedding banquets booked probably did them in as their weekend dim sum was usually busy.

[Chow_Hound_Dog]

That's usually how it goes. A restaurant being busy at a particular time (like Dim Sum) doesn't usually tell the whole story.

But getting back to the bigger picture, there is no doubt the economy will claim many more establishments as eating out is usually one of the first niceties to go during an economic downturn.

[mainsqueeze]

Tomodachi, the sushi place on Bishop above Grillades Bizou has been replaced with a place calle Soupe Express (pho).

[Harrisonb]

Not sure if it's been mentioned elsewhere but it looks like Les Petits Secrets Chez Ken et Abby on de Castelnau and Henri-Julien is no more as there has been an a louer sign in the window for the past few weeks.

[lagatta]

Yes, it's been closed for quite a while. I hope someone else can take it over; Castelnau is a pretty little street and a nice setting for cafés and a few food-related businesses (a boulangerie, a café/gelateria, a café-restaurant, a Middle-Eastern savoury-baking place and of course L'Occasion gourmande, the second-hand bookshop branch of Librairie gourmande at JTM).

[afoodyear]

Buffet Samrat, the sketchy Indian buffet on St. Catherine and St. Laurent, is closed. Hot & Spicy by the Namur metro is closed also. Possibly the one in the Faubourg too? Blank on Sherbrooke and St. Laurent is closed and is now becoming some sort of wine bar, it would seem.

[anachemia]

Anyone know what the story is with Le Petit Milos, at the corner of St. Viateur & Parc? Windows have been papered over for what seems like at least year, and the place is totally vacant inside...but there is a handwritten sign on the doors saying they are closed temporarily?

[lagatta]

I can't understand that one for the life of me. So, it is closed. Rent it out or something.

[BLM]

Apparently the owner of Milos will turn that location into a restaurant featuring upmarket Italian cuisine(planning to open spring 2009). The former chef of Il Mulino restaurant, Franca Mazza has been working at Milos for past year, in preparation for this new Milos-owned Italian restaurant venture.

[VanyaD]

Walked past the papered-over Le Paris location today and saw a notice saying the place is closed for renovations and will be reopening in November, if I remember well. What's that about?

[SnackHappy]

Last time I walked by someone had posted the bankruptcy papers ont he outside of the window with the list of creditors and highlighted the unpaid wages part (which didn't look like alot compared to what they owed the rest of their creditors). I guess someone's holding a grudge.

[carswell]

The Moroccan fastfood stall cum crêperie Le Bédouin is the latest in the long line of Faubourg Ste-Catherine deceased.

[VanyaD]

Sad. The Fabourg has really been destroyed. If it weren't for Bangkok they could just close the whole place down.

[anachemia]

:-( Very sad indeed. That was a good place. What is it with Faubourg? That place is doomed...

[Maximilien]

"Grilled Cheese Express" closed ???!?

passed by the location earlier today, and it's empty.

[emerilcantcook]

I didn't see it personally, but my partner said that they put a notice on the door stating that they will be moving to Old Montreal.

[emerilcantcook]

I wasn't a big fan, but Chocolantara on Mont Royal seems to be closed. They were on vacation almost all summer, which I thought was really odd. I think there was some underlying landlord issues since the building they occupied was on sale. Now the building is "vendu", and the commercial space is for rent. There is no note on the door other than the a louer sign, and nothing is said about them looking for relocating. Lets just hope that the new business won't be another Thai Express/Sushi Shop/RicePudding/Macaron/Cupcake joint. The location is prime, so I hope someone could do something nice with that.

[mangermtl2]

Perhaps this was mentioned in another post but I just read that Montée de Lait is relocating on Bishop st. and will now be called Montée.....
Apparently this is a much bigger space, but I rather liked the fact that it was small and quaint, that was part of the charm and experience of going there..... Will have to check out the new space, anyone know when it's supposed to open?

[rcianci]

End of the month.

http://www.montrealinfo.com/index.php...

[chilipepper]

Le Journal de Montreal is reporting Le Paris has closed....*sigh*

[superbossmom]

thanks for the heads up; I meant to go soon.

[lagatta]

I think I first went to Le Paris as a little girl. A special "grown-up" treat from a very sophisticated aunt. She was a nurse in the Canadian army and travelled everywhere and had even been to the Soviet Union at times when few Westerners were even allowed in. Bought a nice fur hat or something there, of course. I was very impressed with what for me as a kidlet was the height of fine dining.

Indeed, it opened in ... 1956! Perhaps it or its staff were tired, but I do hope some take up the flame of cooking the classics.

http://www.canoe.com/infos/societe/ar...

[ios94]

On July 29 I made a post about Boucherie Milan closing in Dec, the latest is that they may have a potential buyer now but I didn't get too many details. They had closed for renovations for 2 weeks. Apart from some fresh paint on the walls not much seems to have changed. No clue if the same staff will be on hand. Stay tuned I guess.

[rillettes]

I went there a couple years ago, along with blork, on a company function.
I was struck by how well the dishes were prepared, but also that, gosh, there were a whole lot of older folks gumming their food.
I guess the clientele never changed. I've never been back, but now wish that I had.

[grillit]

Yes, there was a front page vignette in the Gazette this morning.
Last time I ate there would have been over a decade ago. The place was filled with the elderly. I remember thinking at the time that the restaurant would soon have to close as their patrons didn't seem to have much time left...

If I recall, the food was pretty decent, albeit not very memorable...

[mangermtl2]

Montreal info is also reporting that L'Atelier (on st.laurent) will be changing owners and "vocation" by the end of September...too bad, I liked that place

[lagatta]

That whole stretch is a very difficult space. The block between Mont-Royal and Villeneuve just barely seems to have stabilised. There are a lot of locales along St-Laurent north of Mont-Royal that just seem toxic. I think the area needs more food shops.

[carswell]

Bummer. Wish they'd given a little forewarning. Would have made a point of dropping by for one last taste of their excellent roast chicken (served only at lunch on Saturday) and one last draught of that time-capsule decor, like a set from An American in Paris or Irma La Douce. That stretch of Ste-Catherine grows more moribund with each passing month. How sad.

[lagatta]

Here is an article in English about the closing of Le Paris: http://www.canada.com/cityguides/mont...

[rillettes]

Something that hasn't been mentioned, but what I always thought was a cool, understated touch, was that there was a rail outside the resto where you could leash your dog (if you dared), along with a water bowl for the pooch.

[Joel_L]

Apparently Le Paris has returned under new management.

http://www.montrealinfo.com/index.php...

[carswell]

The windows of Agapes -- the one-time locale of Jongleux Café and Chorus on the west side of St-Denis between Sherbrooke and Square St-Louis -- are papered over, sorry to say. Handwriting on the paper says an Indian BYO will be opening soon (please, gods, let it be a relocating Shahi Palace).

[blork]

Damn! I've only been there once, for an office lunch a couple of years ago. Basic old-school bistro fare, done reasonably well and reasonably priced, which is nice. But I still salivate when I think of the fries! They were the beefiest fries I've ever tasted. OMG they were good! I kept meaning to go back but never did. :-(

[emerilcantcook]

I am not sure if there were any fans since they are rarely talked about in this board (moi? never got a chance to try them unfortunately), but Sandwichmania seems to be closed. There is a "a louer" sign on the window.

[Joel_L]

I passed by the place every day walking home from work and it was always dead. I'm not surprised it closed.

They should have made the storefront a bit more inviting! No lights, decay...

[grillit]

L'ouverture, the new place that open at Laurier O. & Esplanade is all papered up. It seems they only opened yesterday ;)

That location is cursed.

[moh]

It is a bit of a tough space. Lots of nice terrace, but with our lack of summertime, not so ideal. The rest of the space is kind of long and narrow and large, so I bet rent is crazy.

[Maximilien]

I think it sets the record for the quickest openning/closing time ... less than a week.

I never saw it openned.

[zekesgallery]

Howdy!

Le Pistol, 3723 Saint Laurent has paper on its windows. No news as to what, if anything will replace it.

[Anth]

I live in the neighbourhood and noticed this too, but found it tough to believe this went under. Is it for sure closed? I assumed they needed emergency renovations or the like.

I'll investigate.

[Anth]

Pistol is not closed, and is indeed just undergoing renovations.

[chilipepper]

Chhouk Tep appears to have closed and replaced by an Italian resto...

[zekesgallery]

Howdy!

On the cover of the August edition of Metropole (the freebie Old Montreal real estate advertiser) has as its headline in big 12pt type: Le Helene de Champlain doit fermer ses portes "nous n'avions plus le choix - Pierre Marcotte."

But no article about it anywhere inside.

[carswell]

It was announced last year -- there were articles in La Presse and/or Le Devoir. A double whammy: some $5 million in repairs and renovations are required (the city owns the building but is reportedly reluctant to pay) and Marcotte, the operator, is planning to retire soon.
http://www.tqs.ca/videos/infos/2007/1...

[carswell]

Bruno Bistro (108 Laurier West, just east of Raza) looked very closed when I passed by tonight. Never appeared to be busy. Guess it wasn't.

[Richelle]

To my great chagrin, Vella has closed.

[chilipepper]

Calories in Westmount is all papered up - what the hey?!
Also the Vietnamese joint down the block from them isn't closed but under "new management: Chez Nga".

[Jaetee]

Calories is under new management, and I'm pretty sure they closing it for a facelift.

[ios94]

Boucherie Milan @ JTM is closing it's doors in December after 40 years, what a shame. Hopefully I can find another butcher shop with employees like Milan that went out of their way to please their customers. I noticed a "for rent" sign in the window this past weekend, I asked them about it and they told me they are shutting down in December, supposedly they almost had a buyer but that fell through.

I always hear good things about Chez Vito, so maybe that will be my new spot.

[Plateaumaman]

Sushi Volant is closing on July 31. Apparently chef would like to move on to other projects. It's a blow to my favourite takeout options though.

[SnackHappy]

You're breaking my heart!

[mainsqueeze]

Guess who's having sushi tonight?

[BLM]

Lesley Chesterman mentions in her column today, that at Sushi Volant's website, they indicate they're closed for renovations, & reopening on September 1st(I just checked Sushi Volant's website, & they do state that).

[mainsqueeze]

Has anyone been to sushi volant since September 1st? They're website still says, "Sushi Volant is closed for renovations. We will reopen September 1st. Thank you for your patience."

So what is the deal?

[BLM]

Have called their phone number. Yes, they have re-opened after their renovation at same location, although they are closed today(they're closed Mondays).

[Plateaumaman]

I am pretty sure this is Sushi Volant with new management. We tried their sushi recently and although the recipes are recognizable the execution is not the same i.e. rice is sweeter, rather sloppily put together, fish now smells fishy and the prices are higher.

[BLM]

Calories 'Grand Re-Opening' Oct 15th.

[Moosemeat]

I haven't gone in to see what the deal is, but it looks like Tabaq has been replaced by a Sri Lankan resto. I'm not sure if I should look at this as a loss or a gain.

[grillit]

Perhaps not significant to chowhounders, I noticed that La Fourchetta on Laurier O. is papered up.... wonder what will open up in it's place...

[chilipepper]

Ogura on Union is all papered up - when did they close?

[BLM]

It's been at least several weeks(I also noticed it).

[Moosemeat]

I hope I'm wrong about this, but Afrodiziac seems to have closed. The message on their answering machine says that they are renovating, but its been several months now.

[carswell]

Various hounds have been trying to get through to them for at least a few weeks, even to the point of dropping by. No sign of life. Does not look good.

www.chowhound.com/topics/524421

[carswell]

Not a huge loss gastronomically, but La Fiesta, the "Mexican" resto on the east side of Côte des Neiges a block and a bit north of Queen Mary, has big À LOUER signs in its windows. This is a few doors south of the still-empty former premises of Le Commensal, a few doors north of the soon-to-be-vacated Phos and across the street from the recently shuttered Quiznos and downsizing Renaud-Bray. Plus, the menu blackboard for the bistro at Librairie Oliveri has been disturbingly blank the last three times I've walked past it (haven't popped in to inquire what's up).

Is it a sign of economic hard times? The neighbourhood's changing demographics? The city's recent announcement that they're going to start doing to Côte des Neiges Boulevard what they did to the Main and have been doing for the last three years to Queen Mary?

[buspirone]

carswell - this puzzles me muchly. The area has always been a great haven for decent, well-priced food and there both a lot of residents, students and pedestrian traffic in the area. The area should be thriving much more than it is.

[carswell]

«The area should be thriving much more than it is.»

Agreed. The area had been steadily gaining in vibrancy until recently. Nowadays it's only the Middle Eastern/North African options that are multiplying (the demographic change I was referring to), and for the most part they're all carbon copies of each other.

[Patelenberg]

Well, none of these is a loss as far as I'm concerned. I never ate at Fiesta so I shouldn't really say anything, but it never struck me as particularly appealing. Commensal was overpriced, and Quiznos is no loss either. That upper stretch of CDN has a lot of bad eating still. If only the Subway on that block would close too...

Notwithstanding all this, the neighborhood remains great for eating. The best of it is in the little independent restaurants a little further down the hill, not the chains anyway. My only regret is the still-missed Indian joint on Queen Mary.

Incidentally, does anyone have anything to say about the corner felafel joint (on CDN and Swail, I think?) that underwent renovation? I ate there once and found that the food, never great, had declined in a strange inverse correlation with the increase in price. But maybe I just chose poorly.

[carswell]

No, none of them are a loss from a foodie's standpoint -- unless Bistro Oliveri has also bit the dust, that is. But empty storefronts, shrinking cultural institutions, loss of local diversity and long-term major disruption of the neighbourhood's main commercial artery are not signs of a vibrant community. And from talking to other restaurant owners in the area, I know some of them are beginning to feel the pinch, and higher food prices, increased fuel costs and more difficult driving/parking are not going to help.

Kebab, the falafel joint, is inferior to just about every other option in the area. You'll find better shish taouk, etc., at Farhat, Sindibad, Sandwiches et Brochettes, BBQ Aseel and even Al Amine (and possibly Almanar, though I've not been).

[carswell]

BBQ Aseel, the Iraqi place deliciously ensconced next to the Hallil student centre (vive le multiculturalisme!), had been dark for a couple of weeks. This evening it's A LOUER. Meanwhile, Shish-King, "le roi des grillades," has opened a block away on the corner of Gatineau and Lacombe. Plus ça change...

[lagatta]

Not so much multicultural as multifaith, that. Most of the Jewish students at Université de Montréal who belong to Hillel or use its kosher food services are Sephardic.

I studied at UdM for many years, as I did my bacc and master's there, and much of that part-time while working full-time. I was always rather sad that there weren't the cafés, bars and reasonably-priced food places (no, not the Peel Pub!) available near UQAM, McGill and Concordia.

[tonbo0422]

Yeah, we really need another falafel joint/fast-food sub place/pizza-by-the-slice/Pho eatery up this end of Cote-des-Neiges. Frankly, I wish Pizzedelic would disappear, Pacini would disappear and all the various coffee places as well (Van Houtte?)

Move in some mom and pop restaurants, NOT sushi, NOT sandwiches, maybe some Indian, maybe a poissonnerie . . . Christ, the places in this neighborhood change hands faster than a Somalian dictatorship.

[zekesgallery]

Howdy!

The 'new and improved!' Delmo seems to have bitten the dust. Long live Nantua!!

[eat2much]

I ate there a few Saturdays ago and there were only two other tables being served on what should have been a busy night. Too bad, since the food was pretty decent.

[carswell]

Bad news and good news.

The bad news: The café at Benelo on Crescent St. has closed for renovations. Am vague on the shape it's going to take when it reopens but it sounds like it will be much more limited in size and scope.

The good news: Alex, the young French chef who'd been running the café since last fall is preparing to open a new resto on Bélanger near Jean Talon Market. If I heard correctly, the name will be La Reine Margot. Details when I get them.

[lagatta]

I'll keep an eye out for that too. More in Jean-Talon Market thread.

[rillettes]

Walked past 55°, on St-Laurent yesterday. The windows were all papered up, but nothing else indicated whether it was for renos or closing.

[ScoobySnacks20]

That spot is doomed. No one ever survives there....

[Glaff]

Les Bouchées Gourmandes on St-Paul (Old Montreal) has closed this week...

[moh]

ACKKK! Closed on Vacation? Or closed permanently???? Please say vacation or something!!!!!

This has been a great fear of mine...

[Glaff]

Permanently I think... the sign was taken off... and there's a paper in the window : "Fermé pour cause de non renouvellement de bail"...

I was there last friday and tasted the best palmier I've ever had!!

[emerilcantcook]

Dangit! I always do this. I promise myself that I would go there over and over but never go and never support small businesses that deserve it so much. I just hope that this is a case of evil landlord trying to evict them for some selfish measures or Starbucks paying 3 times the rent to open shop across O&G; not financial hardship that they can't pay the rent. I hope they will open up somewhere else.

[moh]

Good news Glaff and Emerilcantcook!

I dropped by Bouchees Gourmandes this morning, and the chef was there with a friend, clearing out the place. I asked him what was happening. They were having problems with their landlord, but they are intending to look for a new place and try to reopen within about a month. They intend to keep the same name and phone number. He looked to be in good health, and looked cheerful. So.... I am hopeful they are planning to reopen soon, and I will keep my eyes peeled.

[roquinn]

We are in Montreal on holidays for the month of July. We have been loyal customers of Les Bouchees Gourmandes since it was first recommended to us on a 'Horse & Carriage' ride in July 2005. We have visited numerous times on each trip to the city over the past four years. We even purchased a beautiful piece of artwork painted by the owner's daughter when we were here last summer! It is the large flower done in yellow/orange tones with some sort of newspaper decoupage. We absolutely love it!!!
We were distraught when we ventured down for brunch at our favorite restaurant on Saturday morning, July 5 (after our arrival on Friday night) and saw no sign of anyone.
One of the guys at the restaurant next door said they thought they were reopening on Parc Avenue but we have driven the length of it numerous times and haven't spotted anything yet.
It is great to hear they are intending to reopen but we would love to know if anyone knows exactly when or where??? We leave on August 2!!!
Does anyone have an update???
Thanks!

[moh]

Roquinn, I recently called their number and spoke to the owners. They are actively searching to find a new place and reopen as quickly as possible. They have kept their old business number, you can try calling it to get an update, I last spoke to then about 2 weeks ago. Hopefully they will reopen soon, and before you leave!

[roquinn]

Thanks for the update!
I will give them a call.
Cheers!

[surfer25]

Hi

I just went on the Plaza St-Hubert street last week for eating at the Restaurant l'Étoile...but it was closed. I never understand why i never hear about it in the news and no ads in the newspaper. It's was such a good restaurant and the quality was far more better then those located in downtown or on the Plateau or the west part of the city.

Hopefully I hope the owners will prepare a comeback so much needed. The location is great and the decor is very nice and neat !. It,s just across the street from L.L. Lozeau and just beside Le Petit medley. Hope to hear from that restaurant in a near future ! I will keep my fingers cross.

Have a nice evening to all

[lagatta]

I never happened to get there - read quite a few negative or lukewarm reviews in the media and blogs, including here. Agree that that specific patch definitely needs a good bistro. I used to like the Vietnamese byow Le Mangoustan, but it has gone downhill. There is also a little Portuguese grill place along that stretch. Interestingly, that particular micro-area has seen a lot of positive developments (Délires du terroir, the Charcuterie, boulangerie, and a good fruiterie) and many young, alternative-type businesses). Hopefully someone will get the formula right.

[superbossmom]

Zekesgallery posted here on april 4 that L'Etoile had bitten the dust.

[SnackHappy]

Whilst walking on Ste-Catherine this afternoon, I noticed that Pipeline, the restaurant next to Foufounes Électriques, has closed. That's too bad. They made a decent burger and had a really interesting menu including a poutine with peanut butter sauce that was actually quite yummy. It's been replaced by a place called Saigon Style. I don't think it would be going out on a limb to assume that it might possibly be Vietnamese.

[chilipepper]

Masai on Parc Ave. appears to be papered up and dark....

[chilipepper]

Sadly, Restaurant Congee in Brossard has closed.
Happily, we had a good meal at Jing Hua on Taschereau - succulent BBQ duck, a heaping platter of fresh chinese broccoli and a huge hotpot of seafood tofu - all very tasty - for 34 bucks for three of us. We will be heading back to try their set meals which we hear are a good bargain.

[moh]

AGHHHH! What a bummer! Restaurant Congee was great!!!!

[Fritzy]

Bocca d’Oro, the venerable Italian place on St-Mathieu appears to be closed. At any rate when I walked by yesterday, the menu box was gone, the door was locked and a large sign in the lower window announced that a catering firm would be opening there soon.

[BLM]

Bocca d'Oro has not closed. Below will be their catering/read-made foods division, that they plan to open in May. Otherwise it's business as usual for Bocca d'Oro.

[SnackHappy]

On a little outing to NDG last night, I noticed that Persepolis has been replaced by another Persian place named Gilan. Parsomush has closed as well. There are renovations going on inside and a new sign announces Shiraz: a halal Persian resto.

Also, further west, Boite à Lunch has been replaced by a Japonese/Korean place. I don't have any other details.

[hungryann]

In the same area, I noticed today another persian place that seems to be under construction at the south-east corner of Sherbrooke and Marcil. I couldn't read the name since the sign was partially obscured though. Has anyone tried Shiraz or Gilan?

[superbossmom]

Petite Terrace de Provence; the owners were from Provence and tried so hard to make their place work, it did for a few years but alas, they are gone.

As for le Fournil, I'm not sure it made it to the one year mark, it was in a busy sector and their fruit squares were amazing.

I always feel sad for people who try to make their dream come true but the restaurant business is a tricky one to survive in.

[Withnail42]

I think Le Fournil still has there place on Victoria in Westmount. Their flour-less chocolate brownies are a thing of beauty.

[ajkandy]

They're definitely still there. Amazing croissants (but they go rock hard overnight, so eat em fresh), and I got what I think is the best apple pie I've ever had in this city there. The aroma as you walk in is enough to make you swoon.

[Withnail42]

The cheese croissants are another winner. Don't know how they do over night because they never make it past the first day. Make that morning.

[zekesgallery]

Howdy!

I have heard from a reliable source (since hauling up to Saint Hubert isn't something I do everyday) that L'Etoile by the Holder Bros. has bitten the dust.

[lagatta]

That got quite a few less than stellar (sorry) reviews, so I didn't go there, but I was hoping they would get their act together. The southern part of Plaza St-Hubert, for a long time a desert of closed businesses, marginal dollar stores and assorted junk, has some interesting young shops now, including a fair number of foodie ones

[westaust]

I was asked to used this thread instead of the other one

I noticed that Le Fournil on Maisonneuve has closed

as well as La petite terrasse de Provence corner Cathcart and Mansfield

[superbossmom]

I ate at Rose Blanche a few weeks after it opened, wienershnitzel, good enough. I never saw it full or busy any time I passed by last summer...... it just never took off.

[carswell]

Another one bites the dust. The Le Commensal resto at 5199 Côte-des-Neiges is shuttered. No tears shed here. That leaves two outlets on the island. Wonder what their chances for survival are.

[lagatta]

Le Commensal seems to be concentrating far more on prepared vegetarian foods for supermarkets and shops than on their initial cafeteria operation.

I remember the original Commensal eons ago; much more interesting back then. It is rather expensive now for what it is.

[eat2much]

I don't know the name of the place but the restaurant that was just beside Olive & Gourmando on St-Paul has brown paper windows as of this morning.

[mtl98]

The restaurant name is Rose Blanche. East Europe food. Bad food, bad service, bad decor... it was time. Hopefully, the place will be replaced with something better...

[eat2much]

I moved my offices to St-Paul Street a year ago and cannot remember ever seeing anyone eating there.

[mainsqueeze]

East European? Someone else called it French:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/393476

[mtl98]

Obviously someone doesn't know that a bouillabaisse made with dill and a goulash are not French at all!

[Venusia]

Le Commensal is owned by the Fondation Chagnon, basically the largest philanthropic organisation in Canada. André Chagnon's vision for the Commensal is to have it move into institutional food service (e.g. hospitals and schools). He can afford to throw lots of money at it until he finds a concept that he's happy with.

[carswell]

The space is being renovated as a Première Moisson outlet. The owners of ExoFruits, which has been the 'hood's main vendor of PM breads, and Au Pain Doré, located right across the street, must be delighted.

[SnackHappy]

Walking back to the car after dinner in Chinatown, we noticed that Restaurant Uyghur has closed. All the signs have been taken down and there's a note in the door, but it was in Chinese.

We were very sad because despite its imperfections, the place was unique and had some truly delicious dishes. Where will I get my Iron Plate Kebab fix, now?

I feel I might have to move to East Turkestan.

[blond_america]

That's a shame. Though i have never been the place with more than two tables of paying customers. Oh Uyghur, I never had the chance to get to know you!

[moh]

Dang! I didn't get there either! Does anyone read Chinese? Any chance the sign says "we're moving"?

[rcianci]

Adding my voice to the rising chorus of "Damn, I missed that one!" What a shame.

[emerilcantcook]

Bummer, really! Yes it had imperfections, but since it was the only remaining example of the cuisine in the city, I thought they would be able to get away with just being OK. I guess this wasn't enough for the others, because when we ate there or just passed by, the place was always deserted.

[carswell]

Recalling this through the fog of early morning, but an item on Daybreak's newscast said the developer who bought the property that includes the iconic Ben's Deli has applied for a demolition permit. If approved, the demolition could happen as early as this spring.

[Moosemeat]

Yes, but apparently there is already organized opposition from an international group dedicated to preserving art deco buildings.

[Lighthousehunter]

Boston Chowhound here. Wife and I stayed at Le Cantlie last week (accomodations bought at a charity auction). Ben's still has all the signage and decor it did when I last visited several years ago. Looks like nothing still has been touched.The new developer hasn't exactly stripped the building's exterior.
On another note, Ripples on St. Laurent opposite Schwartz's remained closed, but looks like new fixtures may have been shipped in. May have been just too early for what seems to remain a seasonal business, despite what their website claims.

[emerilcantcook]

I saw some people doing some work inside Ripples last week, so hopefully they will open soon.

24 hr Falafel place on the corner of Pins seems to be closed. Signs were also taken off.

[BLM]

Ripples has re-opened. I was there briefly early last night.

[rillettes]

The 24hr falafel place used to be Mickey Beignes.
Anyone remember that? After getting soused at Bifteck or Phoenix or some other dive, you would stumble into the place for late-night carbs.
Of course, everyone smoked everywhere back then, so your donut came out tasting of tar and nicotine.

[Withnail42]

Ah, Beignes Mickey. There's a name from the past. I remember they had to change their name or logo at some point.

[chilipepper]

Saffron on Ste Catherine at St. Mathieu looks dark - curtains drawn, furniture in disarray....

[x96mdn]

Café Vasco da Gama on Bernard is papered over with a construction permit in the window. - no idea if it is renovations or a new place is moving in, but it is closed.

[HungryLurker]

Del Verde in TMR
Drove by about 2 weeks ago saw a bankruptcy notice on the door.
Was pretty good and one of the few go-tos in TMR.
Too bad.

[carswell]

Any truth to the rumour that Delfino, the sweet little seafood resto on Lajoie in Outremont, has thrown in the towel?

[BLM]

Well their phone number is disconnected(I tried calling their number earlier today).

[eat2much]

It looks like Spaghettata on Laurier might be down for the count. Windows are papered up and voice mailbox is full.

[rillettes]

Really? Wow, that place has been there forever. Well, at least since 1987, my only time there.

[carswell]

On that other board, occasional Chowhound Maltoni reports that Delfino's owner says the restaurant is moving to St-Laurent Blvd. Whew!

[lagatta]

That is nice, but I liked that place as a leafy, quiet place to take my elderly mum, as a treat. I very much associated it with Outremont.

[BLM]

Le Cartet in Old Montreal is closed for renovations. Reopening March 2008.

[Maximilien]

Ail Y'ail Y'ail closed.

[rcianci]

Damn! Never got to try them. :(

[lagatta]

That is sad! Wonder why?

[moh]

You know, that stretch of St. Laurent is hard to make work if you are a business. Not as much foot traffic as there is south of Duluth. Wandering home, I never see a lot of people in that area, and I never saw a lot of people in Ail Y'ail Y'ail. I never went in there because it always looked pretty dead...

[carswell]

A fellow fan mused yesterday that maybe Al had closed temporarily to go on vacation or for an acting gig. Nope. Walked by the locale last night. Except for the ghost of the name on the window, the place has been pretty much emptied out and a big À LOUER sign is prominently displayed. Bummer. Best wishes to Al, wherever he's ended up.

[lagatta]

Has anyone seen any activity on the premises of the former McDonald's at the corner of Mont-Royal and avenue du Parc?

[rillettes]

Driving past it, stopped at the light, nothing seems to be happening. Just the brown papering of the windows.

[SnackHappy]

So this spicy soup is not bun bo hue? Frankly I've never seen a spicy soup on a Vietnamese menu that wasn't bun bo hue. Could you desrcribe what this soup is you're looking for?

[BLM]

If you are speaking to me. What I got eventually at Pho Bang Montreal(I can't remember how it's listed on the menu, maybe 'Cochincninese spicy soup) after I cleared things up, that I wanted their Vietnamese spicy soup(I might of said Cochincninese spicy soup after the bomobob posting), was so below my expectations that I can't really describe in words. It tasted like Vietnamese Pho soup, that was slightly spiked with the broth of their spicy soup & they added one beef bone, & tried to pass it off as their Vietnamese spicy soup(I was so so so... disappointed). My thinking, the Vietnamese Pho soup that they originally gave me by mistake, after the waiter misheard me, they didn't want to throw it away & take a total loss on it.

[eat2much]

To bring this thread back on track note that Zen on Sherbrooke Street (in the Omni Hotel) will close its doors on February 28th.

[rcianci]

Haven't been in years and years. I remember the duck as being very good and not much else.

[eat2much]

Another pioneer of "tuxedo Chinese" has closed its doors. Le Chrysantheme (a.k.a. Chrysanthemum) on Crescent has closed up shop but is survived by L'Orchidee de Chine on Peel (same owners).

[bomobob]

What, you mean they moved then closed already? Their Cochincninese spicy soup was amazing. That's really too bad, because although Pho Lien does good soup, their bun bo noodles are often soggy.

[BLM]

I didn't know they had moved earlier. Just know, I wanted to check out Pho Bang Montreal for first time yesterday(I had seen the establishment before, but never went in), but it was empty(the 'Pho Bang Montreal' sign still displayed outside).

[BLM]

I just did a search of Pho Bang Montreal on Canada411.ca, & it shows there's a Pho Bang Montreal at 9920 St-Laurent(didn't know about this location). So there was two Pho Bang Montreal locations, & now there's just one?

[BLM]

Shows me what I know. Just called up Pho Bang Montreal on St-Laurent blvd. They moved from CDN to their current St-Laurent blvd location 2 months ago. Headed there for their Cochininese spicy soup this afternoon.

[bomobob]

OK, now I'm doubting my own sanity. In Chinatown, on St.Laurent near Viger, is Pho Bang New York. I had always thought they were branch #1 and branch #2 was on CDN, right next to the mega McDo. Both have been in those 2 locations for years. The CDN one closed while I was out of town, and I understood they relocated to somewhere else on CDN.
It may well be after all these years, the two were never related, and I blindly assumed they were without paying enough attention to the actual name. Weird, huh?
For what it's worth, the cochinchinese soup at both was (is?) identical.

[BLM]

The relocated Pho Bang New York, is now on St-Laurent & Sauve. Thanks for you telling me this morning, that they moved.

[hungryann]

It's Pho Bang Montreal on St-Laurent and Sauve.

[BLM]

Yes. They moved to this new location two months ago.

[moh]

So how was the soup?

[BLM]

I'm withholding judgement until I make a revisit probably next week. The server misheard/misunderstood when I ordered spicy soup(he only heard 'soup' & initally gave me their pho special... & so on), that I'm giving them a benefit of the doubt, by trying the spicy soup again soon.

[moh]

ok, after hearing this story and emerilcantcook's story about the soup at pho lam, I'm beginning to feel that we all need to take Vietnamese lessons. In fact, I think that would be a great course: Food Speak, a course that covers some of the major languages and how to use them in restaurants. I'd sign up in a minute (although I have already managed some of the basics in Korean, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, I do need lots of help in Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Arabic, etc.) We could have a second course on products in ethnic food markets.

Of course, this would take away some of the excitement ("did you order this? No, I thought you did... What is it anyway? Could it be a chicken butt (Pope's nose..) How about pig lips? Woah that's an odd texture.... ")

[hungryann]

Great idea...sign me up! LOL

[marblebag]

I'll do the food translation if you pay for my meal :)

[BLM]

Just wanted to say. Finally tried the Cochinese spicy soup at Pho Bang Montreal under proper conditions(now sure what I tried on the first visit there, after the waiter misheard what I ordered), & it was absolutely terrific. The best Cochinese spicy soup by far I've ever tasted.

[bomobob]

Hooray! Isn't it superb?