Kahnawake restaurants

[wcundill]

Hey,
I am taking some friends from Italy to Kahnawake to go golfing, and I would really like to take them for a traditional meal on the reserve. Any suggestions? Or anything in Montreal which I should consider?

[porker]

I assume you mean traditional Mohawk fare...I'm afraid your friends might be disappointed.
The only traditional meal served at Kahnawake restaurants is cornbread and steak and only the cornbread is actually traditional.
Very different from the sweet cornbread of southern US states, this is a softball-sized "dumpling" of sorts made with masa and kidney beans. Like many peasant foods (I'm thinking of Hawaiian poi), unless you grew up eating it, you probably wouldn't care for it. Usually served with pan gravy (sometimes made with coffee sometimes tea) and usually only offerred on Sunday.
There are three places that are likely serving it these days (places come and go) - Lafleur Golf Course (which would be convenient for you as its on Rte 207 along golfclub row), The Grill, and The Waterdrum. The first is the most "upscale" as Lafleur's caters mostly to non-Native golfers. The Grill and the Waterdrum are in the village proper and are more small-town cafe type restos where, IMO, perhaps visiting Italian friends may ask "why are we here?"
Again, Sundays only.

[wcundill]

Thank you for the guidance, I will have to change my tee time to the weekend now. They are quite open minded, and I am sure they would love to eat at any of those places so long as it is authentic. Please let me know if there is anything else that comes to mind

[celfie]

you won't find a restaurant serving authentic mohawk food. the traditional food is eaten at banquets

[porker]

Even then, "traditional" might not be what most people expect. Wild game is out of fashion, although a few people hunt (Moose from the Laurentians, deer from up north and local as well, rabbit/duck/goose/grouse etc) and fish.
When people in Kahnawake say "traditional" as in a meal for a wedding, for example, they usually mean chicken & dumplings, meat pie (a pork and potato based tortiere), ham, turkey, roast beef, cold cuts, salads. This is "traditional" as opposed to an Italian-themed or other type of catered affair.
Traditional religious feasts (Longhouse) are a bit different where game and more traditionally Native foods are prepared.

There is a store on the 138 which advertises game and fish, although this is sold fresh and/or frozen, not prepared as meals.

[celfie]

most of my experience is with banquets in northern communities where country food involves offal, lots of white fish, sometimes whale and game meat

[porker]

PM me and we'll see what we can do...