Review of Romeo

[cricri7]

I went to Romeo last night with a friend. It is located on Mont-Royal a couple of streets west of St-Denis. The owners are the same as the Misto, that is what the waitress told us. We had a very enjoyable meal and not too expensive. It is less expensive than Misto. We arrived a bit before 7 o'clock and there was a special. If you ordered food, you could order a glass of beer or a glass of wine for 4$. I thought it would be cheap wine but it was a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo that was around 33$ a bottle and 6,75$ a glass, regular price. The waitress even ordered me another one just before 7 o'clock and brought it me only when my other one was finished.

I had the minestrone, ceasar salad and the beef carpaccio. My friend had the portobello as an appetizer and the salmon as the main course. Everything was very good and not too expensive. The salmon, as a main course, was 12$ and you got israelian couscous and an aragula salad with a nice piece of salmon. I was surprised by the quality and the taste of the food since everything is not expensive.

We will surely go back on a Sunday because women, if you make reservations beforehand, don't pay for the food if you order alcohol. The waitress said it was a table d'hôte that was offered to women. The place was not too crowded and a pleasant buzz to it. It is a nice place for people who don't want to spend over 70$ for dinner. Since I had spend a good amount on Madre, on Masson street, last week I wanted something a little lighter on the wallet. It was lighter on the wallet but also very good!

[iWoo]

I had dinner tonight at Romeo with two friends. The location is 285 Ave du Mont-Royal, corner of Henri-Julien. There is a BIXI station the next corner west (Rue Laval).

There was no special tonight, but apparently on Sundays ladies get a free meal with an order of a drink, and on Mondays they have 2-for-1 pizza with a beverage. (Unsure of any details...)

I had the beet salad with aragula and a light, mildly tangy citrus dressing agumented by the juice of a slice of lime. This was actually the first time I have had a beet salad, and the small cubes of both the red and yellow varieties were mildly sweet with a pleasantly soft texture. The dressing was very light, but I think without the lime juice it would have been somewhat plain. ($7)

My friends had the mozzarella di bufala and the "deux coeurs" salads. The buffalo mozzarella with slices of tomato were fresh, but needed some salt to go with the fresh ground pepper. The two hearts of the latter salad were grilled artichoke and brined palm hearts, and seemed like a more complex tasting and filling dish; I sampled a bit and would probably get this next time. ($8.50 each, I believe)

I had the Italien pizza, which was fairly simple and savoury: grilled italian sausage with shaved parmesan on top of the cheese and sauce. The thin-crust dough was excellent; crisp and chewy on the outside and moist in the middle, but not heavy. My dining partners swapped slices of pizza to try the different types they ordered. With only a few toppings, there wasn't a large difference in taste, but they were consistent and filling. ($10-14 per pizza)

We shared two desserts; the chocolate torte and a rosé wine raspberry sorbet. I found both to be rather cloying, but I prefer the ending of a meal to be more subtle. In any case, my friends didn't leave any behind, and they would likely be perfect paced with a coffee.

With a half litre of red off the menu, the total for three came to $105. The service was not exceptional as others have reviewed the place, but it was early for a Saturday dinner.

Though there were only two other tables seated while we ate, the place seems quite spacious and well-designed to go along with their quirky, modern identity. Wood textures abound, and the solid, square tables go with the large, open windows on two sides of the entire establishment. Rolling "garage-doors" with windows keep out the weather or the cold, but on a warmer day the place would feel a bit like a covered terasse. Right on Mont-Royal and a minute from St. Denis, there's a lot of foot traffic on the sidewalks if you're fond of people watching or, perhaps, being seen.

As cricri7 summed up; pleasant, lighter on the wallet, and the quality is good. Romeo is also well-situated, being so close to Station Mont-Royal. If I revisit solely based on food, I would likely try a non-pizza main dish, as the nearby Tomato: La Boîte à Pizza and Piazetta both have similar 'za in the same price range. Romeo certainly has a more modern and unique ambiance than the two, and it seems like it would be equally good for a lunch or dinner date.

[afoodyear]

Nice review, iWoo :) I had a decent salmon and Israeli couscous lunch at Romeo, if you find yourself there again, it might be a worthwhile option. Their lunch specials are pretty reasonable.

I'm not really a fan of Romeo's pizzas, likewise with Tomato. Even though Piazetta has more of a chainy vibe, I find their pizzas to be more flavorful, with better toppings, and have a better crust. Perhaps that's just personal preference though.