Restaurant Closings - 2010

[BLM]

Use this thread for restaurant closings in 2010.

[westaust]

Not really a closure, but Victoire Hot Dog on Beaver Hall has closed and moving to 600 gauchetiere to make place to a new condo/office project

[BlueSteak]

Beniamino & Co, 32 McGill St, closed...Anyone know why?

[Glaff]

There's one on Viger too... is this one still open ? Maybe they want to focus on one location only.

[sweettoothMTL]

I don't know. My guess would be the two stores were too much of a monetary stretch, and the one on Viger was more lucrative. That McGill location had been considerably reduced last year, when they completely cut off the retail part of the place.

I would be curious if anyone has insight. I used to love the quality/value ratio from this place before the first renos last year...

[JohnnyGe]

Cellini's at Hotel Vogue is now toast......... no notice given.

[westaust]

Mr. Sub corner st-Catherine and Mackay has now closed

-----
Mr Sub
1455 Rue Sainte-Catherine W, Montreal, QC H3G1S6, CA

[BLM]

That was the only Mr Sub in the Montreal-area?

[westaust]

AFAIK yes

[montrealbelle]

Mesquite is closed. Can't say I'm surprised. They started out so well and then they just started going downhill. What a shame, such a nice story behind their beginnings. Good luck to the four of them.

[TheSnowpea]

Yes, I noticed that a few days ago that they were closed. Mind you, after a horrible brunch experience, I am not surprised.

Not a restaurant but the fish market on Monkland, Chasse-Marée, is closed too. I was always very disappointed with their offerings and gave up on them quickly (the lil fish place that a few years ago was on Somerled near Cavedish was so good - closed cuz of landlord issues - was so good, I could never take to Chasse Marée.

Also, speaking of landlord issues, I just found out Andarra, the small Armenian (I think) bakery and snack bar on Harley street near Concordia Loyola is closing before the end of the year. Bummer: they are one of my go-to spots for trays of munchies for my parties.

Video from The Gazoo about Andarra's closing soon
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/m...

[eat2much]

Chasse maree moved to Sherbrooke Street.

[BLM]

How's the food at Andarra? Just read the story in the Gazette.

[williej]

The fish store on Sherbrooke in Westmount is pretty good.
As for Mesquite the location was taken over by another name. Anyone try the new place there?

[blondee_47]

Chasse Marie opened under a new name on Sherbrooke St in NDG..saw it in the Suburban

[kpzoo]

New address is 5814, rue Sherbrooke O. - tel. [phone]. Supposed to have general gourmet foods now, aside from fish.

[BLM]

Which Mesquite location is closed? Be more specific please. The original Mesquite location is still open.

[cherylmtl]

Was there ever more than one Mesquite location?

[BLM]

Sorry, I was thinking of Bofinger. I thought Mesquite changed it cuisine focus recently.

[extrabrocolli]

Illy. Fairmount/Jeanne Mance. Papered. Sign down.

[nikkori]

You mean Tredici? I saw that today, too; wondered if it was a redesign.

But man I hope they're gone, to be replaced with something more interesting/affordable.

[anachemia]

Oh no! That's really quite sad - I mean, yeah, the place was way snooty and overpriced and everything, but their food was damn good.

In particular I'll miss their meatballs, lasagna, lovely veggie sidedishes, and nice selection of juices. Though again, all very overpriced; I only went there a handful of times as a result of that and the snootiness factor. Too bad!

[chickenbruiser]

It always felt wrong to me... out of place, like it belonged in a different neighbourhood (downtown or old mtl) where the business lunch crowd could do their thing.... plus that condo building is a monstrosity... I preferred it as an empty lot

[anachemia]

Yeah...agree with you on both counts!

[english muffin]

The Sparrow!!!
I just got an email from their facebook page saying that the 14th November will be their last service. The bar is staying, and there is talk of the restaurant team moving elsewhere but no details yet.

To say I'm gutted is an understatement...

[kpzoo]

See the recent Sparrow thread - hopefully the news is not as bad news as it seems:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/746163

[english muffin]

Thanks for that Kpzoo, I was in such shock and dazed that I didn't look around before posting.
Fingers crossed!

[unlaced]

Bao Dao, the Taiwanese-ish restaurant in Verdun, has closed.

-----
Bao Dao
4236 Rue Wellington, Verdun, QC H4G1W2, CA

[SnackHappy]

That's too bad. And I overheard the owner of Fu Yuan Xiang telling a patron that her restaurant was up for sale. Bad news for the Chinese food scene in Verdun.

[unlaced]

I wasn't a fan of Bao Dao but I do like Fu Yuan Xiang - I was counting on them for my Chinese fix during the winter, when it is too cold and I am too lazy to head to Chinatown 2. I walk by FYX all the time and it is normally packed....

-----
Bao Dao
4236 Rue Wellington, Verdun, QC H4G1W2, CA

[RhondaB]

Driving by Kam Fung on Thimens in VSL yesterday, thought I saw a sign indicating "A Louer"

[SourberryLily]

Really?! Hmm i will try to drive by there to confirm this. Thank god there is still Tong Por not too far away on Marcel-Laurin.

[reelection]

Wow hard to believe this is closed. They'd do lots of dim sum business...

[SourberryLily]

I don't know about this one. I passed by really fast (didn't actually walk up to the door) And the sign was still there, as was their old menu posters in the doors and nothing looked boarded up.

Can anybody really confirm that they are closed?

[carswell]

The Liquid Nutrition franchise at 1617 St-Denis just south of Émery appears to have closed. Bad location or the beginning of the end of a fad?

[Glaff]

Good news !

[Campofiorin]

The one at Promenades de la Cathédrale is also closed. Has been for a few weeks now.

[celfie]

the one on bishop closed too
there's a sign redirecting customers to the branch on guy and de maisoneuve

whoever is responsible for this place isn't too bright
the rate at which they expanded was absurd
it's not as if other smoothie chains don't exist in this city
perhaps there's a reason why there isn't a booster
juice or jugo juice on every corner

it's a shame, because their smoothies were seemingly
healthier than the competition's - but they had to go ahead
and yuppify their locations with fake waterfalls and ugly lighting

Wrap city has taken on the same
motif - the guy-concordia location is pretty much a dead zone
it's not exactly a pleasant place to go

It's time for montreal entrepreneurs to cater to montrealers and stop decorating for the Situation and Pauly D!!!

[lagatta]

Walking past Trattoria dai Baffoni yesterday (corner Dante and St-Laurent) I noticed it was closed and "looking for a new location" (?) In the opinion of many people I know, this is no great loss in terms of the grade of food they'd been churning out, but for some of us who remember it as a good small restaurant decades ago, it does hit home if only in terms of nostalgia. Also wonder what on earth that big location will become?

[sweettoothMTL]

As long as it's not more condos.

A good BYO would be nice, the food had gone down, but from what I remember, it was a pretty space and walking by, the outdoor patio looked nice (not directly on the street).

[lagatta]

Sweettooth, I had exactly the same fear, though at the same time all the condo developments in the area do have their ground floor space devoted to businesses, so that doesn't really prevent another restaurant opening. Basi, for example, is in an apartment building (don't know whether it is condos or rental apparts). I'd love a good BYO, but there don't seem to be any really good Italian (or other Europeanish) BYOs in the area. Yes, it would be nice to preserve the existing building. I'll keep my eyes peeled for developments.

[lagatta]

I walked pas Baffoni again - there is a huge white on red VENTE sign on the St-Laurent façade, on the Dante side everything must be sold signs (but I don't see any restaurant equipment inside). Instead, peering in I saw what looked like boxes of stuff for Christmas gifts (some, but not all, kitchen related) so I guess they'll just have one of those temporary sales places until they find a new buyer or tenant. I have no idea what will happen to the building.

[lagatta]

sweettooth, hate to tell you, but the former Trattoria dai Baffoni is indeed becoming condos. I have no idea if there will be a café, restaurant or other chow related business on the ground floor.

[sweettoothMTL]

I missed that when you originally posted it Lagatta, sorry, just saw it. But it's not too late to shake my head in disapproval.

I'm hoping with you for an interesting italian BYO on the ground floor, Little Italy needs one, but I'm not holding my breath.

[The Ice Cream Man]

Nouveau Palais has closed.

[thebenc]

"King is dead - etc etc.." :P
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6779...

[SnackHappy]

I'm not sure if this is news or not, but I went by Sho-Dan on René-Lévesque tonight and saw papered up windows and À LOUER signs.

[westaust]

It's been like that for many months already

[michaelmas]

Caf et Bouffe (on Villeray between Casgrain and de Gaspé) has been closed for some time now.
I had only eaten there twice but enjoyed my meal both times.
It's a shame because it was a very laid-back, cozy, female-run BYOW about a block away from me.
Simple pastas, braised meats, and salads mostly.

The paper on the windows suggests that a Frite Alors! will be filling the space.
Frankly, I find this a bit strange - it's not a heavily trafficked intersection. And if I wanted Frite Alors! now I'd just walk the few minutes to the Marché Jean-Talon.

[lagatta]

Yes, I saw this recently too and forgot to post it. It seems like a strange location for a Frite Alors!

[sweettoothMTL]

That's a shame, Caf et Bouffe was a nice little neighbourhood BYOB. It was always full when I went.

[Haggisboy]

La Sirene on Blvd St. Jean on the West Island appears to have shuttered its doors. Drove by there last night at what should have been the prime dinner hour and the place was closed, in total darkness, and there was an A Louer sign in the window.

[hanklin]

Can't say I am surprised La Sirene is gone.
I only ate there only once and it ranked as one of the top 3 worst restaurant meals of my life.

[celfie]

that location is cursed

[lagatta]

Sablo Kafé, on St-Zotique corner St-Dominique (Petite Italie) has been shuttered and papered over for some time. In the meantime, "Gigi's" "le fastfood de la Petite-Italie" (though more a greasy spoon than what would usually be called a fast-food joint) on St-Laurent north of Mozart is also papered over, and says that it will be moving to 50 St-Zotique est, which I believe is the address of Sablo.

This would be an atypical move downmarket of late in the nabe. We'll see...

[BLM]

The Caffe in Gamba outpost at PVM has been gone for how long? Just noticed it was no more today(unless it's still run by Caffe in Gamba, but it's less noticeable).

[cherylmtl]

A few months at least. The Laitue and Go chain went under, and I believe two of them were bought by someone else, including the PVM one - but the new owner's ideas didn't work with Gamba's, so the two apparently parted company.

[BLM]

So you're saying Laitue & Go chain went under a couple of months ago, but two of the locations were revived(including the PVM one) using the same Laitue & Go name?

[cherylmtl]

Yep - someone apparently bought only two of the locations (or franchises, or whatever the agreement was), and the other two are gone.

[chilipepper]

Riz en folie on Mackay has shut down ...*sigh*
Its website says it still offers deliveries, though, and sells its stuff at some stores, i.e. certain IGAs.

[blond_america]

I just saw their products at the IGA Louise Menard in Complex Desjardins. Frankly i'm surprised that Riz en Folie lasted that long.

[melani1]

Just as the university session starts... at leat their's the Yeh nearby to satisfy a sweet craving. And I have 6 of their containers!

[SnackHappy]

Drove by Kieu Anh on Sunday. There was a construction permit posted in the mindow and a À Louer sign in front of the building. Very sad to see this one give up the ghost. Although we didn't go often, it was still one our favourite Viet places.

Not that it's a huge loss, but L'Art à Tatouille on St-Hubert near Bellechasse has been replaced by something called La Bêtise. The concept is Tapas du monde [yawn] . It looks more like a bar with food than a restaurant.

http://www.labetise.com/

-----
Kieu Anh Restaurant
7491 Rue Saint-Denis, Montreal, QC H2R2E5, CA

[lagatta]

I'm sorry to hear about Kieu Anh; that was a nice little neighbourhood restaurant. I used to go there frequently with co-workers when working in an office very close by.

Can't see the La Bêtise site - guess that is one of those Flash sites that not all computers seem to be able to access (dunno why). Art à Tatouille always seemed to be closed - wasn't it only open for lunch, sometimes? Tapas du monde, what a mishmash. A bar with food isn't necessarily a bad thing (think Miss Villeray) but this sounds like neither fish nor fowl.

The southernmost part of St-Hubert above Rosemont will probably take off a bit once the Quartier 54 complex is inhabited; for the moment it is still rather sad. Le Mangoustan has seen better days - though I'd be thrilled to hear that it has improved again.

-----
Kieu Anh Restaurant
7491 Rue Saint-Denis, Montreal, QC H2R2E5, CA

[hungryann]

Philinos seems to have closed and there is a new sign up. That as a shocker, I thought it had been doing well.

-----
Philinos Restaurant Bar
4806 Av Du Parc, Montreal, QC H2V4E6, CA

[Shattered]

Wow, that is a shocker. It was a neighbourhood institution.

[hotdogsgirl]

We were there last Sunday night and they informed us that they were not closing. They put up a new sign because people had said the old one wasn't visible.

[BLM]

The first time trying to go to Philinos, I couldn't find them(that was about a year or two ago). I couldn't find the restaurant name sign. So it's a good thing in my eyes, that they have a new sign now.

-----
Philinos Restaurant Bar
4806 Av Du Parc, Montreal, QC H2V4E6, CA

[celfie]

i ate there 2 nights ago and it was good ;)

[hungryann]

Oh, that's reassuring...did they change their name? I drove by quickly and saw another name on the sign, that did not sound greek to me.

[harry in montreal]

Pronto - Westmount Sherbrooke W. ?
I liked this place somewhat... BIG A LOUER in the window. if they are not gonzo, they are crazy to allow the landlord to do that. anyone know for sure? harry

[grobi]

What ever happened to Tavola Grande on Sainte Catherine? It seems to have closed from one day to the next.

[harry in montreal]

In NDG - the chinese/szechuan (sorry for my spelling) restaurant at the corner of Decarie and Monkland seems to be RIP. H

[eat2much]

They seem to be renovating and re-opening soon with a new name which iirc is Red Ginger

[C70]

Yep. VIllage Szechuan has bit the dust, but something else is opening in its place.

[Lowe Arthorbit]

New Navarino bakery (avenue du Parc at St-Viateur) has the windows all covered up and I'm wondering if anyone can confirm it is closed for good?

[chilipepper]

I heard they were renovating - I hope so!

[SnackHappy]

Noticed walking by there a while ago that La Iguana on Roy is no more.

[sweettoothMTL]

Well, I do have nice memories of them, but they had been closed to me after their second revamping (I already liked them less after the first). Too bad, it originally was a great place, well located, great terrasse and sangria (and that is someone who usually dislikes sanrgai speaking).

[Shattered]

It's been closed for ages, and I never even thought to post cause I didn't know anyone who liked the place, and consequently never tried it in 4-5 years in the 'hood.

As sweettooth said, great terrace and location tho, so hopefully something decent opens for next summer.

[sweettoothMTL]

Well, not to repeat myself, but it was good for a year when it opened, nice atmosphere, good mexican for montreal. Then someone must have told them they were close to St-Laurent and had a terrasse, so they raised their prices, reduced food quality, went with a black and white higher end theme, and lost my interest. Anyways, sorrry for the rant.

[dawnMTL]

Was very sad to see La Iguana closed... their guac was great! Did notice the service declining in the last year or so.

[Maximilien]

Just saw that Patisserie Belge on Laurier St. W. has closed. Happened a while ago ? or recently.

[wilmagrace]

summer closing of robin des bois june 20-August 10
http://www.robindesbois.ca/

[poutineguy]

Chez Van, at 288 Ave Laurier Oest, is closed. Today I passed by, their sign had been taken down, the windows were covered with reflective coating. I don't know exactly when it closed.

[blondee_47]

Dusty's??!!....I am now in mourning...

[bopuc]

Was just told that Dusty's (diner on Parc, corner Mt-Royal) closed.
Is it true? :(

[poutineguy]

I can confirm that this is true. Dusty's is indeed closed. There is a sign on the door which says "Sorry. Thank you. Until we meet again." in both French and English. I called and talked with the owner, he said that there might be interested parties who could buy the place, but as of now, they are closed. When i asked why, he replied "I'm kinda tired."

[1963]

Despite a soft spot for Dusty's there were a couple holes never filled. First and most their coffee sucked. Awful. Hard to run a breakfast joint with dishwater coffee. Never could figure out why a few extra cents weren't invested there.
Sevice, despite (or because of) it's youthful touch was never good. Lots of spilled water etc. Seemed like the first try for almost all waiters/esses.
It will be missed for it's great location and reasonably priced decent tasting breakfasts.

[karlcow]

Dusty's+ is at work. Same place. Same owner. There are refreshing the furnitures and so on. No date announced.

[passthatversace]

Does anyone know if Le Pistol on the main is still open??

[Shattered]

Been closed for at least a year.

[carswell]

Café Chill Out (formerly Couleur Café) next to the Zone store on Côte des Neiges north of Édouard-Montpetit is papered up and sporting an À LOUER sign.

[keelo]

I noticed the other day Rockaberry's on Queen Mary has closed. A sign announcing reopening as another restaurant is on the window, the name escapes me.

***EDIT

I just checked the website and saw this,

"Our Queen Mary location is moving to Trendy Monkland Village!!!! Opening Soon!!!!! "

I guess we'll keep a look out.

-----
JamRockCafé
5390 Ch Queen-Mary, Montreal, QC H3X1V3, CA

[eat2much]

There is a sign up in front of the ill fated Il Conte Lounge that Rockaberry will be opening soon. Yet another establishment bites the dust in the space next door to the mighty Monkland Tavern

-----
JamRockCafé
5390 Ch Queen-Mary, Montreal, QC H3X1V3, CA

[thomasein]

Unfortunately, Provisions has closed due to "circumstances beyond their control". It seems that there are no plans to reopen.

[sweettoothMTL]

That's a shame, I enjoyed a recent visit there, and was planning to go back in the summer during the festivals.

[Fritzy]

Au Bon Gourmet on St-Mathieu is temporarily closed due to a fire in Dec. 2009

[Fritzy]

OOOps I got the name wrong -- it is Au Bistro Gourmet on St-Mathieu that is temporarily closed due to a fire.

-----
Bistro Gourmet
2100 Rue Saint-Mathieu, Montreal, QC H3H2J4, CA

[chilipepper]

Hiko-Sun, Korean place next to Itacate on Beaubien, all papered up. Too bad, they had a tasty kinchi stew.......

[lagatta]

It says they are re-opening. I'll keep watch.

[westaust]

Taverne Crescent is closed, a new restaurant named Camp to open at the same spot on May 5th

-----
Taverne Crescent
1433, Crescent, Montreal, QC H3G 2B2, CA

[EaterBob]

According to this Facebook event, the opening is on the 6th - although I would presume this is their way to make sure that the restaurant gets noticed
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid...

I would not put it past them to have multiple openings for as many people as possible, after all it is Crescent street, and it wouldn't seem right if there wasn't an overflow crowd of 20 year-old women in short tight skirts and high heels. One for the investors, another one for friends and family and another one for the hoi polloi.

[Shattered]

Also wouldn't put it past them for it to be 'launch party' in name only. ie. no specials, no drinks or hors d'oeuvres on house... I've seen restos in other chic areas, namely the old port, have "launches" of this sort.

[wilmagrace]

resident diner on notre dame old montreal had for rent sign, although furniture there not open on tuesday so presume it has closed up, I enjoyed their meals, thought it might make it as had a niche and good location near city hall building

[cicii]

i believe newtown has closed or is changing management. can anyone confirm?

[montrealwaitress]

definitely not closed and if it's changing management it's certainly not changing ownership. while i've seen them doing lots of spring cleaning (painting, etc) they haven't been closed at all.

[JohnnyGe]

Looks like Manhattan on Union has bit the dust. One of my favorite lunch bistros downtown. Wonder who's heading into that space?

[jtothe]

La Montee on Bishop, is officially closed. The bouchonee location has inherited most of the staff.

[HappyMtl]

I will miss La Montee! They had very good food.

[alixium]

Bouchonné, located on St-Laurent, is now called la Montée de Lait. (confused yet?)
http://fr.lamontee.ca/home

[lagatta]

Most of you probably know that Itacate Mexican restaurant on Beaubien just east of St-Dominique has moved two doors east, to slightly larger premises. Originally the owners wanted to keep both premises, but now I see a sign in the old restaurant window For Sale or Rent.

It is a nice little space, if you know anyone who is interested in opening a restaurant in that area.

[peloquma]

trinity resto, so closed or did we all know...

[hungryann]

Really? That's shocking.

[BLM]

It seems they went bankrupt from postings I see on Twitter(1.3 million in the hole). Although the tweet I saw is a little confusing. In same sentence where they say Trinity went bankrupt, but also says pretty sure they will re-open soon.

[kpaxonite]

it says renovations http://www.trinity-restaurant.com/

[kpaxonite]

often this is an excuse esp in a new restaurant,... i was mad when segafredo wrote this and was actually bankrupt

[chilipepper]

I thought the sign on the door said they'd be back in mid-March or some date like that.....

[ios94]

I was driving up St Laurent on Saturday and passed by Los Classicos, I didn’t have the best opportunity to see exactly what was going on but I looked over and noticed a sign saying "opening soon" or something to that extent, my wife said it looks like they were renovating.

The Los Classicos sign was still up so I don't know if they are renovating or if someone else is taking over. I got the impression though that is was Los Classicos "re-opening" soon. I could be wrong, maybe someone in the area can confirm this more accurately.

[jellybelly25]

I walked by today and the space is being taken over by a new restaurant. I'm sorry I forgot to write down the name (it was one word). The name is written on paper on the bottom right of the window with "nouvelle administration" written next to it.

[lagatta]

I cycled past there today - another Mexican resto, but as jellybelly25 said, "nouvelle administration".

A few locations in that area seem cursed.

[Shattered]

It does seem like a sorta no-man's-land between the happening main stretch of the Main (up to Mt Royal) and where Mile End picks up around Laurier.

[kpaxonite]

trust me the 2 dollar chow mein on pine and st laurent is very busy at 2 or 3 am
plus there are popular clubs like blue dog and koda
not to mention shwartz and main

[lagatta]

Well, that is very far down indeed, and a different clientèle.

[kpaxonite]

lol i fully agree.. but it still must not be considered a wasteland.. many people have fond memories!

btw my comments wer emostly refering to the no mans land comment... not the mexican place

[SnackHappy]

Like Shattered said, the no man's land starts above Mont-Royal. The bit around Des Pins and up to Mont-Royal has always been quite lively.

[Shattered]

Seriously, kpaxonite, check a map... you're talking about places 15-20 min walk downhill.

[everyonelovessushi]

Djoliba on Park Ave.
Something called Australian Pie set to open in the same location.

[reelection]

When did Djoliba close?? I was going to go try it before the end of this month!

[Shattered]

Count another disappointed CH'er. It was on my list since it opened and I never got around to it (only 20 min walk away too, doh). We shouldn't take any place for granted in this economy...

[unlaced]

Australian Pie!?!?!?! This Australian is super excited about that news - does anyone have any more information on this? I would love to be able to get a pie and sauce without having to make it myself! I might have to BYO some of my stash of Australian BBQ sauce though...

[everyonelovessushi]

Just walked past the place about 20 minutes ago and the guys looked like they were packing it up for the night. They are obviously in over drive to open up, wouldn't be surprised if it was a matter of days.
BTW, WTH is an Australian pie, and what makes it special?

[unlaced]

Here is the website for Australian Pie, due to open this week it seems (as the Westmount Rugby club is retiring there post game, according to google)
http://www.tourtiereaustralienne.ca/e...

An Australian pie is a meat pie, which we eat as a meal or as snack. Every bakery in Australia offers it, as well as sausage rolls, and they can be really awful or really delicious, depending on the meat and flavourings use and the quality of the pastry (and how long it has been sitting in the pie warmer for) Have a look at the wikipedia page for more info! I don't know if they will catch on here, but I will be going on the weekend!

[reelection]

According to their Facebook page ( http://www.facebook.com/pages/Montrea... ), it is already open! Reviews are tricking in at that link. Would love to get a CH'er perspective on this in the near future.

[unlaced]

I will be going on the weekend and will report back!

[Shattered]

Caprice at 70 Prince-Arthur E (beside Mazurka) is papered up. That's a surprising one, since it's been around for years.

[Shattered]

My bad. I walked by yesterday, they're very much still open. Guess they were renovating during the slow season, or on vacation and figured papering over would make a less inviting target for 'do-badders' than leaving that big glass front unattended.

[chilipepper]

Drove past Mess Hall in Westmount and it's all papered up - closing? Renovating?

[Dusty08]

One of the bartenders there bought the restaurant. They are currently renovating. No idea what is planned.

[carswell]

That didn't take long: Nouba (5329 Saint-Laurent) has reportedly closed. It opened in November of 2009.

[Shattered]

I knew that name rang a bell. It was one of the places firebombed during that string of bombings last fall.

The Nouba incident was particularly bad because the owner had one thrown into his apartment, too.

http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/loc...

All still unsolved, I believe.

[sharkbait88]

restaurant caravelle that served cheap homestyle vietnamese food in the basement of 2020 university is closed as of the beginning of this year. no word on relocation or reopening.

[westaust]

they have another outpost at Place Ville Marie if you want to continue to have your Caravelle Fix

[sharkbait88]

is it the same owner?

[superbossmom]

Since Bronte is in the lobby of a hotel, I assume something else will open there
to accomodate travellers.

[cherylmtl]

I think the article said it was being kept open for breakfast and lunch, for hotel guests.

[jptimbaud]

what a loss. IMO the cooking at the 2020 outpost was (much) more authentic.

[marblebag]

The people at the 2020 joint spoke Vietnamese. the PVM location speak some language I don't recognize.

[lagatta]

When I worked there I loved Caravelle - SO much better than the western Chinese place.

Lots of students ate there.

[cicii]

caravelle has opened a new location though on the bottom of crescent/rene levesque

[cherylmtl]

Not a permanent closing, but Chalet BBQ's dining room is closed for at least the next 2 weeks for renovations. Delivery and takeout are still open, thankfully!

[PogoPoutine]

Any idea what they are going to do to the place? I found it charming, if a little dated and tacky. Freshening it up a bit couldn't hurt too much I suppose.

[kpzoo]

I'm pleased to report that Chalet BBQ's dining room is open once again, and has retained all the unique "charm" of its 1940s-era faux-ski-lodge decor. The only thing they redid was the floor, which apparently had become a hazard with missing tiles everywhere. So not to worry - it's virtually identical to its pre-reno self!

[Dusty08]

Brontë has closed. Just heard the news via facebook from Lesley Chesterman: "RIP Brontë".

[SharpGui]

Yes... Brontë is closed, sad but true.

[chilipepper]

Pique Assiette on Bishop gone and replaced by Lebanese resto Habibi - when the heck did that happen?! And where did the P-A go?!

[eat2much]

Bistingo on Van Horne has closed.

Not a closing per se but Mon Nan will be moving from its' present location to 43 de la Gauchetiere East (downstairs from Tong Por/ Tong Sing).

[lucylent]

Santangelos on Lincoin and Guy has closed!

[chilipepper]

The one on de Maisonneuve near the Bay disappeared too.

[eoj]

I heard that there was still another location somewhere, does anyone know if this is the case? I'd be sad if it was totally gone ... those porchetta sandwiches were addictive.

[cherylmtl]

Laitue and Go in Eaton Centre has laitue and gone...don't know if it's just that location, or all of them. Not much of a loss, but still...

[Maximilien]

posted in the wrong year ... and post was delete. go figure what I originally wrote!

Los Classicos (mexican on St-Laurent) is closed, and as Carswell wrote, most probably also the second shop on St-Catherine.

[sweettoothMTL]

WHAT?? I tought this place was doing ok. Well, bad start of the year for the decent mexican places...altough I didn't know they had a St-Catherine outlet.

[carswell]

For the search engine, it is/was Los Clasicos sans double s. And going to their website still garners you a "server not found" message.

Have to admit I didn't see this one coming. Their St-Laurent shop was fairly busy whenever I was there or walked by.

Back to humdrum Mexican, I guess. Bummer.

[kpzoo]

I ate at the Los Clasicos on Ste-Catherine once and I must say it was one of the more disgusting meals I've had anywhere. I was so disappointed because I'd heard such good things about the St-Laurent location. The refried beans were served at room temperature with globs of white lard throughout. It was truly revolting. I am a bit sad that I'll never get to taste the food at the other location, since the reviews had been so positive.

[carswell]

Never ate at the Ste-Catherine operation. Sounds like that may be a good thing. The food at the St-Laurent location was, along with the original taqueria that's since become the forgettable Taqueria Mex (St-Laurent just south of Marie-Anne), the best Mexican I've encountered in Montreal.

[Mr F]

Taqueria Mex has been essentially the same forgettable nosh at the same location for at least 15 years. (I lived behind them in 1995.) Are you thinking of Tortilleria Maya, since moved to JTM? Or just remembering a time farther back than 15 years?

In any case, the Tortilleria at JTM has a tasty Mexican lunch counter -- though my knowledge of Mexican food is very limited, so I can't say how authentic it is or how it measures up to others.

[carswell]

The resto now known as Taqueria Mex was originally the Montreal outpost of a taqueria in Malibu. I think the name was different but don't recall what it was, and googling Malibu restaurants is no help.

The decor and menu were pretty much the same as now but the food was infinitely better. Among other things, they had an in-house tortilla machine located in that semi-enclosed space just west of the front counter (where the mannequin is today), and their tortillas were indeed things of beauty. They also made the best Mission-style burritos I've had this side of the Sierra Nevada.

Was turned onto it by a Mexican neighbour not long after I moved into my current apartment, which was probably sometime in the early '90s.

Have hit the Maya counter at JTM (El Rey del Taco?) a couple of times. The tamales were just OK but the tacos were as good as any I've had in the city since Taqueria Malibu (or whatever) closed.

[Mr F]

Thanks for that. Shame it slipped to ordinary so long ago...

[lagatta]

Sarah Musgrave has a (generally positive) review of El Rey in the Gazette today: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/t...

A friend who ia a Latin American studies scholar and who has done lengthy research stays in Mexico says that rough-and-ready counter is surprisingly authentic, for humble Mexican taqueria food. He likes going there.

[hellophotokitty]

So does anybody know why Los Clasicos closed? I almost cried when I drove by about two weeks ago and saw the sign for "restaurant for rent". (sorry for the double post..)

[Maximilien]

Me think 2 reasons :

- They opened a restaurant with too many places.
- They opened a second restaurants without enough secured funds. (probably they saw that it worked well enough with 1 restaurants and they thought it would be easy to have another one).

[Shattered]

And my post was deleted too.... I said that they expanded way too quickly, and the second location was in a pretty seedy location. Too bad, the first place seemed to have a good following and press. But, I have to say, I saw the second location, and thought, "uh-oh". You just can't expand that quickly, especially in this fickle & slim-margin biz.

sweettooth, the St-Cath location was just east of St-Laurent, before Metropolis & Foufounes. As I said, pretty seedy (St-Lo & St-Cath: streetwalker central).

edit: Actually, my comment & other follow-ups are still there. anyway...

[moh]

Aggh about Los Classicos..... They really made very lovely home-style food, I am going to miss this place dreadfully.

If anyone hears of any plans for the family to open up a new place, please please post.

[sweettoothMTL]

Passed by Mestiza Sunday (the little Mexican grocery store-brunch place, on St-Zotique), and the local looked empty! Very sad, I will cherish the remaining jar of their home salsa in my frige.

(I didn't see any current closing 2010 thread, I hope this is the used one?)

[FoodNovice]

They're continuing to produce their products, just no retail outlet. Saw some at La Dépense in JTM.

[sweettoothMTL]

Thanks for the info, that's good news. But I will miss what little food she made on the premises, especially that week-end brunch, in the summer, they had a good terrasse, always very quiet. Altough I hadn't stopped by for food since september, so I can't really be upset.

[FoodNovice]

If you want to keep in touch, you can sign up to her newsletter here:
http://mestiza.ca/
that's how I found out about her product line.