Restaurant Closings in 2012

[EaterBob]

Howdy!

The annual bring out the dead thread.

2011 - 188 replies
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/755927
2010 - 176 replies
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/678649
2009 - Was anyone able to figure out what happened? Did the moderators move it to the media board?
2008 - 178 replies
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/476309
2007 - 146 replies
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/383710

[Har_Gow_Freak]

I am dreaded and woeful as my favorite chinese restaurant in mtl has bit the dust. WAhhhhhhh........(sob) : New Dynasty in chinatown! (snif) I have been a loyal patron for 9 years and I know that I WILL NEVER EVER FIND ANOTHER GOOD RESTAURANT QUITE LIKE IT!!! Alas, I have been searching for months since its closure and I have realised that it is irreplaceable. No more fried rice, no more Chow Fun, no more Har Moon, no more Soo Guy, no more Fujian Rice......WAAAAHHHHH........

[Shattered]

Damn, this was on my list to try for a long time. Been around for years, figured there was no rush. Too bad.

[maj54us]

They had a great won ton soup. Maybe someone can inquire if Thomas who I thought was one of the owner opened something elsewhere or he retired maybe.

If I remember when they left restaurant V.I.P. a little bit down the street on the east side, they said the were a few owners in this adventure called new Dynasty.

I will remember my last visit there a a funny moment where the clerk passed my credit card 4 times in the machine. I told him it was out of paper. So I had the bright idea to call my credit card company the next morning to make sure I only had one transaction. Surprise I had 3 transaction from them. I was corrected within a week since it was a mistake. Good thing they didn't close in that week.

[urbandude]

On Prince-arthur add Mazurka, Pasta Mia, EVa, and East India.

[Shattered]

Mazurka will be missed. I wonder if Prince-Arthur has become a death zone for restaurants. Mia and Eva opened this summer, looked tacky, and looked like they closed months ago to this casual observer. (Dunno a thing about East India.) Meanwhile Rubs is doing well... but who knows where they'll be when the BBQ trend slows down.

[lagatta]

I'm actually very sad about Mazurka, as it was very important in my life some decades back when I was very young. Some old friends/colleagues had planned to go to say farewell, but we all had a rush of work and didn't have time to organise it.

Har Gow Freak, my condolences about New Dynasty.

[kpzoo]

Since the year 2012 has come to a close, could we please post any further closures in the 2013 thread to keep everything together:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/884627

urbandude & Har_Gow_Freak - maybe you guys want to repost there?

[eat2much]

T looks like Goosto on Parc has the dubious honour of being on both the 2012 opening and 2012 closing lists.

[catroast]

didn't see that one coming....

[SnackHappy]

Wrong concept in the wrong location.

I'm surprised Tourtière Australienne have lasted so long on that stretch of Parc. They have a great concept, but the location sucks.

[lagatta]

Odd that the location remains such a negative-energy spot for restaurants and other food-related businesses (except the restaurant supply store). It is so close to Mont-Royal and Jeanne-Mance parks, major bus lines, in a very desirable neighbourhood.

Just a couple of blocks north is a world of difference.

[catroast]

there's not a lot of foot traffic on that block - i suspect because there's not much else around

[westaust]

opening right in the midst of major infrastructure works being done was not the smartest move either! At least TA was opened before and encouraged their existing customer base to continue to come, rather than try to build a completely new clientele like Goosto had to do!

[catroast]

ultimately what sealed their fate was that no one goes out of their way for a panini.

[Maximilien]

Yep, and the tam-tam hippies do not go there; nor do the cross-country skiers and runners/bikers that go to the mountain.

[chilipepper]

Hope Le Filet lasts.

[catroast]

i don't think that le filet relies much on foot traffic

[maj54us]

There was a Macdonald there for a while and they also didn't last.
What would work at that corner ?

Dusty did well. I don't even know if it's even open or reopened ?

[catroast]

dusty's is gone and hadn't done well there in ages

[jaco44]

Dusty's closed?

[maj54us]

I was actually told today that the building burned down.

[Apple IIGS]

Sadly, you can add 'Le Jardin de Puits' to the list of closed restaurants in 2012.

See here for the discussion thread:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/881804

[westaust]

According to a twitter post of Lesley Chesterman, Mazurka on Prince-Arthur is closing before the end of the year
https://twitter.com/lesleychestrman/s...

[catroast]

that's too bad. i've enjoyed their lunch special and obviously didn't go often enough to make a dent.

[lagatta]

Much of my misspent youth was spent in the Mazurka, before the renovation, many years ago (clue song "Those were the days"...)

[unlaced]

Malawa 514 (the African restaurant in Verdun) is now closed, as is the Italian restaurant Le Salon Rouge (also in Verdun), which is being renovated to become an Indian restaurant.

[MaiCarInMtl]

It seems the Dunn's on Acadie (Marché Central) is also closed. Our waiter confirmed that it was the same owners and staff as before though. Just a new name and slightly different menu (although they still offer smoked meat). Sorry, I can't recall the name as we only noticed it on the menu and there was no sign outside when we went.

[westaust]

Restaurant Le St-Cyr at 222 Ste-Catherine est has closed, and will offer the area only for events.

[Maximilien]

Wow!!!

HUGE HUGE failure for the Quartier des Spectacles.

[Glaff]

Good news actually... maybe a good chef will take over that place.

[westaust]

More on this one, Simplechic will be the caterer in the mean time, and a new well known restaurant will take it's place in 2013

http://www.lelezard.com/communique-15...

[PhilTG84]

Is anyone surprised? I was there this past winter and was really unimpressed. The food was decent, but overly priced and the service was really pathetic. Our server continually made mistakes, was indifferent and openly indicated that the tip had not bee included on our bill so as not to forget......

Maybe they can do something with that location, maybe a decent restaurant?

[AlexCV]

It didn't work. Looked wrong, felt wrong, and that's without actually having eaten there. I've considered it a few times but whenever I've been near there and looking for good food, Bouillon Bilk got my business (and frankly, I haven't regretted it).

[SnackHappy]

Was walking on Plaza St-Hubert and noticed that Le Plaza has closed. There was a sign in the door stating that they are still available for events.

[MikeyMadness]

Dunn's has closed its West Island location on Sources Blvd.

I noticed the signs had been removed from the building as I drove by today, Oct. 5.

From their website:

We regret to inform our loyal customers that we are closing the Des Sources restaurant. Our clients deserve the best in terms of quality and consistency, and at this location, this was a guarantee we were unable to keep despite our best efforts. We want all of our restaurants to provide the very best food, atmosphere and service that our customers have come to expect from Dunn's Famous.

We would like to thank all of you who have helped make Dunn's Famous the success story it is today. We invite you to check with us periodically for all our future openings including one in this area!

Thanks again

[westaust]

Chez Gauthier on Parc is closing on Nov. 3rd

[EaterBob]

I was just there earlier this week. Do you have any details as to why? Because when I was there I was actually very pleased to see how busy it was.

[westaust]

No details, my guess would be the owner is getting old and wants to retire with no one to take the helm

[Glaff]

Le Jolifou is closing this saturday. I'm still impressed that they managed to stay open that long in that bad location...

[SnackHappy]

I wish them the best and hope to see them doing something else in a better location.

[bengol]

Sad in a way. In their previous incarnation, Le Jolifou was one of the better fine dining restaurants in Montreal, with a real warmth and a unique positioning of offering Quebecois food with a Mexican twist. But when they switched to their "southwestern" theme a couple of years back everything seemed to unravel. The fine service touch went down an excessively informal path, the food preparation did not really distinguish itself that much from the all the other tex-like dining establishments that have sprung up in Montreal over the last two to three years, and the ambiance became relatively uninviting. If ever the expression "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" could be applied to a restaurant environment that seemed to be going well this could be a case study.

[williej]

I actually liked the new incarnation. Whenever we went there it was full, too. The prices were good; the food was good. I am sorry to hear that it is closing and wish David and his staff all the best in the future.

[sweettoothMTL]

Agreed, I liked the new incarnation too, good food at good prices. We had a few dinners with large groups there, whereas the fine dining format didn't lend itself to that.

Best wishes to them.

[mangoannie]

Cheeburger has been locked with no sign on doors for 4 days.......

[SnackHappy]

Uh, oh... I'm going to miss those onion rings.

[Fintastic]

Weird. I went for the first time on Sunday afternoon and witnessed what seemed like an emotional discussion between staff members. In fact, it was so weird that I dared not enter. Perhaps it was my last chance...

[mangoannie]

looks like it has reopened now

[jfprieur]

Accoriding to the twitter account that ran Burger Week (@Mechant_Mangeur) not only did they close but they took all the Burger Week money with them as well. Not cool of this is the case...

[Maximilien]

Grumman is closing their Faubourg place.

Probably related to recent events (hint-hint nudge-nudge)

[Glaff]

Yes, confirmed on Twitter : "sadly, no. the landlord was unable to rectify the situation and we are looking for a new location"

[mangoannie]

owner was on radio saying basically indestructable those critters; here are ways to enjoy their tacos
http://grumman78.blogspot.ca/
sad that they had to encounter such an unexpected problem in their new location

[SourberryLily]

Got to appreciate the honesty!

[PhilTG84]

Honestly, the Faubourg is not a great dining experience (I'm watching my words since the last time I posted on this, it was deleted).That building is a mix of very odd groups: students, transients, shoppers and workers. On the weekends, the place is empty. You could go bowling in there and no one would notice. During the week, there are students and a few transients, but even then there isn't much foot traffic. The facilities there are poor and I think if the Grumman crew figured on gentrification, they figured wrong. The building had a chance when ConU wanted to buy the facilities and turn them into a student centre complete with rental space for restaurants.... but when that failed, the place become even more desolate. They're probably better-off looking for a space that is more amenable to their clientele.

[Arktik]

"That building is a mix of very odd groups: students, transients, shoppers and workers." You mean the general mix of people that you see in any mall or on the street downtown?! An odd thing to say...

[mangoannie]

they should try the pepsi forum, never did hear more about the food centre there that was suppose to replace italian resto

[PhilTG84]

Arktik,

I was trying to be ironic. In '05-'06 when the building was going to be sold to Concordia for $24million and managed by the University for CSU purposes, school admin had proclaimed that the building was an odd mix of students, shopper and workers. I added the transients. The reality is that the building is in a state of disrepair, and hasn't had much foot traffic since the closing of Plantain's. With innumerable food options in a 5-6 block radius, it's no longer the prime spot. The FB-classrooms are being phased-out as classes are shifted to the CJ-building across the street.

[ScoobySnacks20]

Faubourg was unfortunately born to lose. Even on its 1st year ('87) the cinema got flooded during a storm. Sad because it had a unique vibe. Can't put my finger on it, but it had its own thing going.

[Shattered]

I know what Phil is trying to say, he's just not saying it well. Faubourg is sketchier and emptier than most malls, and has been for years (also, the streets from Guy to Atwater have a more transients than further east downtown - til St-Laurent, anyway). I also agree the ConU plans were the place's best hope.

[mangoannie]

the resto with cheapest breakfasts (1.99$ coffee included) in Montreal closed today, temporarily for renovations, will reopen on 24th (Blanche Neige, across from Jewish General hospital). I like it not only for price, location but also open 24 hours.

[westaust]

Another long standing restaurant is closing, Le Piemontais on René-Lévesque

http://www.newswire.ca/fr/story/10322...

[mangoannie]

brings back many pleasant memories, sorry to hear of its closing

[westaust]

Not 100% confirmed yet, but according to twitter posts, La Paryse will be closing this autumn

@katerinerollet
Après 30 ans, le restaurant La Paryse fermerait ses portes cet automne. Dommage. Un des meilleurs burgers en ville.

[maj54us]

why not sell instead ? hmmmm is business slow ?

[Frids]

Has it been slow? Whenever I've wanted to go, albeit on weekends, it's been packed.

[AlexCV]

Could be rent / landlord? The place is named after the owner, selling would expose her name and reputation to take the blame for however the new owners would be running the business. And without the name, there's not much to sell.

[sweettoothMTL]

WHAAAAT? I don't know if that is their intention, but just in case it is true, I have to go as much as possible until then :)

[chilipepper]

Their last day is Oct. 31st, according to a friend who called.

[Yaman]

Confirmed. Paryse will even have to send a press release next week because of the buzz around the closing. There's even a Facebook Page to help foodies cope with it

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dites-M...

[Glaff]

Looks like they actually want to move : http://www.montreal.tv/portail/blog/2...

[kimberleyblue]

I went by to pick up some burgers from them last week, and they said that they were planning on closing for a while, and then opening up somewhere else in montreal.

[maj54us]

Then I guess it might be a rent issue. Their lease probably came to term and the owner of the building might ask for double the rent.

[eat2much]

Grumman 78 just tweeted that their counter at the Faubourg is closed until further noticed. Methinks it might have something to do with the Gazette article of this morning.

[maj54us]

a link would be nice or a recap of the article maybe?

[AlexCV]

http://www.montrealgazette.com/Cockro...

[chilipepper]

What happened to Mai Thai on Bernard - closed with A Louer sign?

[catroast]

Mai Thai was a disaster. I cannot stand skimpy thai restaurants that give you 1/5 of a chicken breast on an order of $10 skewers. I spent $60 for 2 and had to make a real dinner when i got home. If it's truly gone then good riddance. it's no wonder it was always empty. I've given up on thai food in Montreal.

[PhilTG84]

Yeah... Montreal does a number of things well, but Thai is not one of them. The only Thai place I've eaten at that was decent was Phayathai on Laurier (corner St. Urbain) and it was pretty good, but again pricey and the plates are rather small. It had a limited selection, but compared to other "Thai" restaurants in Montreal, it was passable.

I've found that in Montreal the tendency is to lump all south Asian cuisine into a single jumble, "Pho, Thai, Chinese" cuisine where by you get neither a good Pho, decent Thai food or edible Chinese. It's just a sugary, meaty mess. It's disappointing because I really enjoy Thai food and find it lacking. When I'm in San Francisco I'll get my Thai fix, but that reduces my Thai consumption to 2-3 times a year!

[catroast]

there's definitely good pho in montreal e.g., pho tay ho = mind blowingly good.

[PhilTG84]

I'd give it a rating of "meh." Pho in Montreal all suffer from the very same problem: the broth is usually just a stock chicken broth with salt, powdered spices and a dash of MSG. Even Pho Tay Ho on St. Denis is like that. Sure, the broth is better than many other places; but, it still fails to impress me. You always get the same spiel "oh yes, this broth was slow cooked for hours using traditional spices... blah blah blah." If so, then why is the soup scalding hot and why is there a cloudly layer at the bottom reminiscent of powdered spices that didn't mix? I'll eat a so-so Pho because it's usually fairly good and a decent price, but let's not mince words here-- I am still waiting for a truly spectacular Asian restaurant in Montreal, and so far.... I'm still waiting.

[catroast]

That's not true

I haven't seen the kitchen at pho tay ho, but at a few places i've seen very large pork or beef bones coming out of the stock.

[maj54us]

@catroast: If you're talking abouth the broth. My trip there made sure I would go back. The broth was "so so" liked their spring roll but not enough to go back

[soundbyte]

It appears Yuukai, a really great Japanese fusion resto on Parc near Bernard, is closed. The door and one of the windows are boarded up, not sure if there was a fire there or in the adjacent unit recently? A real shame as this was one of the few Asian BYOB's (even BYO-Sake!), and the food and service were top-notch.

[eat2much]

Yuukai was the collateral damage of arson at the bar in the same building: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/P...

[derekjen]

Yuukai re-opened last week. Sample place.
wwww.facebook.com/yuukaisushi

[yellowcake]

Bon Appetit Des Caraibes on Notre Dame in St-Henri is papered up.
No indiciation of renos or closing.

[Fintastic]

I've been out of town for many weeks, but someone has told me that Chez Claudette on Laurier has closed? Can anyone confirm or deny? I won't be in that part of town for a while..

[Wallach29]

I walked by there a week ago and it was still in operation...

[eat2much]

Pasta a Piacere on Notre Dame in Old Montreal is papered up. They might be renovating or have closed up shop.

[sweettoothMTL]

I remember they did this a few years ago, just re-opened under a new name. I don't know if it will be the case this time.

[Chocolatesa]

Sorgho Rouge on the corner of St-Marc and Maisonneuve, I think it's a Korean place opening there now judging by the sign when I walked past the other day. I'm sad cause I'd been meaning to eat there since we moved to the neighborhood in February but hadn't gotten around to it yet. Hopefully the new place will be good when I do.

[SnackHappy]

Tasabroso on St-Hubert has closed and been replaced by something called Inka Diner – A Peruvian fast food place that specializes in sandwiches.

[eat2much]

There is a for rent sign on the Club du Village on Sommerville in Westmount.

[PhilTG84]

Read in the Independent that they are retiring after a long career.

[soundbyte]

...and also, Restaurant Pilote on notre dame in the old port seems to have closed. This had quickly become a favorite spot of mine after opening late last year, they had a great weekday lunch special, excellent service & a truly beautiful space (*huge* for that area). Passed by a couple weeks back & it looked pretty disorganized inside, tables pushed to one side, and the bar area looked to be empty. No papered windows or notices on the door, and their sign was still up, but i figure they've packed it in. I feared the worst after noticing they had closed for the winter season, but still....

[soundbyte]

I believe Calories in Westmount has closed its doors for good. No signs of activity the last few evenings (when there would usually be a few people having coffee at their outside tables), and a big For Rent sign now posted in one of the windows. A shame, they used to have really good cake selections, and before the latest remodel it was always an inviting spot, esp. during on those cool fall evenings...

[MaiCarInMtl]

I just happened to go there on closing night. It has been closed as of Thursday, June 28th. One girl did mention the owners maybe opening up a new place at some point but nothing concrete. It's a bit of a shame because I did like the atmosphere and dessert selection. So what am I left with in the area now? Pekarna and their early closing hours?

[PhilTG84]

I saw an "A Louer" sign in the door yesterday that I hadn't seen before. My guess is that it's done for. They tried to reconceptualize a few times and nothing seemed to work. The desserts were good but overpriced and small. I'm sad to see it go, actually.

[mangoannie]

having used this caterer over the years and as she is so wellknown by montrealers I thought I would note denise corneililer is closing up shop end of July
http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/f...

[garmonbozia]

La Cantine is closed, and there is a sign stating that a new Syrian resto is opening soon.

[TheSnowpea]

I believe the Cha Guan tea shop and house on Monkland, in NDG, has closed. Their space is for rent and their website's URL has been taken over some some Russian IP.

[neilmcg]

Darn. TAJ LACHINE in Lachine on Notre Dame, supposed to have been decent. Never tried it. Showed up to find it closed last Friday!
Anyone know what happened?

[ScoobySnacks20]

It was nothing special, Shangrila was usually better. They had a bad location and I never saw customers inside. There is a new place on Dollard in Lasalle a block away from Pushap that just opened. Haven't tried it yet.

[maj54us]

THURSDAY's Hotel de la montagne, Les beaux Jeudis and their adjacent buildings will be closed and put to the ground in the fall making room for a condo, hotel project.

That will kill the crescent street area for a few years.

anyone has any details on the project ? are they taking the whole block ?

[SnackHappy]

Ogilvy's is expanding: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/O...

[PhilTG84]

Some mega land development is going in there, should be interested. I never really cared for much for Thursday, it's another one of those Crescent St. tourist traps.

[catroast]

ogilvy's is actually going to be holts

[chilipepper]

Troïka on Crescent is gone-when did that happen? Now there's some tapas place called L'Avalanche. Hmph.

[Jaetee]

Not Surpised about Troika. Seems as though they were on one of those Coupon - Groupon kind of sites All the time!

[Shattered]

Mamma's on Pins O. isn't closed, but it may as well be to Plateau/ghetto-dwelling nightowls like myself. They now close at the absurd hour of 10pm. Maybe 11pm Fri-Sat, I can't remember - but still a huge change from their prior 5am close those nights, and 2am the rest of the week. No idea why, must be new owners. They're abandoning a huge late-night delivery business, not to mention the Main is now the only decent sit-down option in the area. All the better for them and Alto on Parc for the delivery biz, I guess.

[FoodNovice]

Is DNA closing or is it just Chef Derek Dammann that's leaving?

[Glaff]

Closing. Last service was tonight as said here earlier this week.

[mangoannie]

seems sudden, nothing on their website/fb; Leslie chesterman on cjad dinner rush show this afternoon also said to head over there tonight for last serving. So sad to see this resto close and all the others like clunyarbar, chaud lapin, dependence, ecluses etc.....went by le caveau this week and the place is just an empty old buiding in prime downtown location.

[Glaff]

You're talking about Les Éclusiers? Its been bought by Apollo and will reopen next week.

[FaStAeRo]

Can somebody confirm this? Opentable shows full availability...
Did anybody call?

[SnackHappy]

The people who were running Café des Eclusiers decided not to renew their lease after a series of noise complaints by neighbours. Apollo has taken over the space as well as the Buvette in the Old Port.

http://www.vieuxportdemontreal.com/ca...

[westaust]

And the people who were running the Eclusiers now run 5 a 7 on thursday nights at New City Gaz in Griffintow

[Fintastic]

Ugghhhh! That's the worst!!!

[ios94]

Santana's Mexican on Gouin in Roxboro is papered up with an "a louer" sign.

[jaco44]

Unfortunatly the location was bad and parking was not easy. Went once and the margaritas were not that good for a mexican restaurant and the food even if not expensive was not tasty at all. We were full but did not enjoy our meal taht much.

[Glaff]

DNA is closing. Last service saturday.

[bengol]

Wow! Truly one of the best 10 -15 restaurants in Montreal. Easily the biggest restaurant closing of 2012 so far!

[SnackHappy]

El Buen Gusto a.k.a. Délicieuses Pupusas on Beaubien has closed. The windows are papered up and there's an À LOUER sign.

[SnackHappy]

Lallouz on St-Zotique has closed. A sign in their window redirects customers to their St-Laurent location.

[sweettoothMTL]

Well, as long as the St-Laurent location keeps going. I went there for lunch recently and really liked it, it would make for an unexpensive place for our group dinners. But the one time I passed in the evening, it looked almost empty, not much of an atmosphere...

[C70]

The gazette reporting that Thursday's is closing in the fall.

[Fintastic]

Finally some good news in the closing thread..

[mangoannie]

temporary closing in June then relocation in November of Queue de cheval
http://www.montrealgazette.com/Queue+...

[EaterBob]

Cluny is closing in June
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...

[Glaff]

Sad... and I don't understand... it's always full on lunch hour...

[eat2much]

My guess would be that the new rent would be too high.

[EaterBob]

I would concur, especially since they are announcing it more than a month in advance.

[Fintastic]

Very sad. The food wasn't always great, but the interior was my favourite in the city... maybe even in the country.

[sweettoothMTL]

Don't forget that with a lot of the subventions for the Cité du Multimédia coming to an end, a lot of companies moved out of that area, so it's possible traffic was down, if only slightly. But they are such in the middle of nowhere, they needed the business traffic, no tourist wander there and not many residents of the area either.

[MikeyMadness]

Email received from L'Inconnu:

Goodbye!

Dear friends and clients,

We regretfully inform you that L’Inconnu is now closed.

Thank you all for your support during the last four years.

We will keep you posted with any news from our chef.

Hoping to see you again soon!

[Fintastic]

This is very, very sad... I wish I had visited L'Inconnu more often over the years, and maybe suggested it more often on these boards. It was probably the most underrated restaurant in Montreal - its always been a bit of a mystery to me why it didn't garner more attention. I'm actually surprised that they stayed afloat for as long as they did, but this is still very disappointing news. Maybe they'll have more luck next time, as it seems like they were sorrily lacking it for the last few years.

[meagain]

Cartel Street Food closed with a sign saying they want to find a new location. Had my Swarm jam discount in pocket as we walked up this evening, should have guessed when they cut out lunch service.

[SnackHappy]

Sorry about your coupon. I'm not surprised, though. Their concept was ill-conceived. They were trying to be two things at once – a street food restaurant and a douchey downtown bar. Anyway, the food wasn't that good.

[maj54us]

keep the coupon and if they re-open elsewhere you can hand it out to them. If they are smart they will not refuse your coupon.

[causeimhungry]

Or you can email Swarm Jam and they should definitely refund your money. I only visited once (and used a voucher as did everyone around me). The food was so-so but the drinks were tiny little margheritas which didn't justify their 12$ price point.

[meagain]

This a bit of a double post (coupons and deals) but Swarmjam has notified that it's processing a refund.

[westaust]

Au Chaud Lapin is closing tomorrow according to this:
http://boblechef.com/lifestyle/rip-au...

[chilipepper]

http://tvanouvelles.ca/lcn/infos/regi...

[unlaced]

Hecho en Mexico in Verdun is now closed. I saw them spruik themselves on chowhound semi-recently, offering cooking classes - maybe that was a last ditch effort? It's a shame they have closed - they started out so promisingly!

[cherylmtl]

Doesn't surprise me. The one time I ate there, the food was okay, prices had gone up, and the service was so slow (IIRC, it was around a 1 1/2 hour wait for our mains) and disorganized (albeit friendly) that we never returned.

[foodinspace]

So that's now two of the most authentic Mexican places going under. (The other was Iguanas Ranas.) Why does Montreal have such difficulty with Mexican food? I liked both those restaurants immensely. Essentially they were simple taquerias, so gourmet shouldn't be expected. I'm doubting, perhaps, that even with better service they would have survived. It just seems that Mexican and Montreal don't jive, at least outside the Beaubien/St-Denis area. (Also that place on St-Laurent closed - twice - though I never ate there.) Qué horrible!

[Fintastic]

It's true! I liked this place the one time I was there. The service was slow but lovably quirky. As far as Mexican goes in Montreal, it at least tasted semi-authentic (read: cooked by someone of Mexican heritage).

[wattacetti]

Are you sure Iguanas Ranas is closed? There were people inside having a meal when I walked past about 30 minutes ago.

[foodinspace]

Whoa! That's good news. I had heard from someone else that tried to go there, maybe, two months ago. I guess it was just temporary. Yelp still says it is closed (as of Oct 2011.)

[Har_Gow_Freak]

Iguana Ranas? Another great name!!! Hey I'm on a roll today!

[J_Bean]

I had bought a certificate for Hecho en Mexico (on I Love Montreal, I think) and when I tried to use it, the owner / chef didn't want to accept it because he had never bothered to confirm the ID number on any of the certificates he had previously accepted and people had been bringing him copies of certificates that were already used, and he had continued to honor them. He said he had lost over $5000 dollars. Sad story, but indicative of poor management. Unfortunately good food, must have good restaurant management, in order to survive. Hopefully we will see this chef again in another restaurant with better management.

[montrealwaitress]

tried to get a banh mi sandwich at Bai Le on MacKay, but she has closed up shop due to rent increases.

[denpanosekai]

When was this restaurant EVER open?? We live a block away and never managed to eat there.

[Fintastic]

Dang! These were pretty good, and just about the only place to get banh mi this side of atwater market.

[Shattered]

Too bad, but also too bad I only got there once. It was open only 11-5 weekdays. Ridiculous.

[SnackHappy]

Not sure how new this news is, but Sol y Mar / Pizzeli on Saint-Denis has closed.

The Sol y Mar and Pizzeli Coq in Villeray are still open.

[mangoannie]

cafe des eclusiers in old port will not be back anymore, no renewal of bail
http://www.montreal.tv/portail/blog/2...

[sweettoothMTL]

La Moulerie on Bernard will change name to Murphy Boire et Manger. They are papered up this morning, but just half the restaurant, the corner half and terrasse will remain opened, based on this I found online:
http://www.bardagi.com/blog/2012/03/d...

Apparently, it stays in the family, with the sons taking over. Menu will change.

[catroast]

hopefully it will be better than moulerie. I went not long ago and the food was god awful and the service even worse.

[Har_Gow_Freak]

What in god's name is "Murphy Boire et Manger" kind of name for a restaurant? Or is it a pub? Why is the "boire et manger" even there?!? Why not just call the place Murphy's??? Would be less mixing english and french that way? Just WHERE and WHAT is this place anyway?

[Maximilien]

I think, Murphy is the name of the original "La Moulerie" owner, a French Canadian from Catholic Irish descent. ( a bit like the Johnson or the Ryan)

I don't like the name; it does not fit the Outremont neighborhood.

[catroast]

it fits with les enfants terrible

does anyone know why there are no bars in outremont. is it a zoning law?

[soundbyte]

By bars, do you mean a traditional pub-styled place, like say Ye Olde Orchard? b/c there are several places that are pub-like, in that they serve beer & liquor, along with food (albeit limited options in some places). Helm (a brew-pub), Whisky Cafe & L'Assommoir are the ones that come to mind...

[SnackHappy]

Helm, Whisky and L'Assommoir are all in Montreal not Outremont.

EDIT: I should have written that they're in Plateau-Mile-End not Outremont. I guess old habits die hard.

[catroast]

Helm is my guilty pleasure bar, especially since they have Ancestral which is another guilty pleasure. I first tried their food on a groupon and was pleasantly surprised. Their beef tartar and jack daniels chicken wings were pretty good.

But ya, I wish there was a bar on Van Horne - even one as far a Wilderton or Darlington (CDN)

[eat2much]

Grubz seems to have bitten the dust.

[montrealbelle]

Not surprised. Everytime you went in they were out of something! Wonder if they are going to open again under another name?

[eat2much]

It looks like the space is being gutted and renovated rather than just a fresh coat of paint and a new name.

[SnackHappy]

"Wonder if they are going to open again under another name?"

Maybe something similar and just as appetizing like Larvae.

[zero122]

Looks like they are really closing shop this time rather than just changing up a few minor things and reopening with another name... as mentioned above, they are fully gutting out the place and spent a few days packing up moving trucks with all the equipment about a week ago.. It's too bad because on good days their food was quite good... and they had a nice terrace for the summer..

Anyways, hope something good opens up there soon..

[tah1234]

Grubz doesn't seem to be re-incarnating. The place is papered up with a for rent sign in the window. It was a nice, sunny terrace - hopefully something good will set up shop there.

[Shattered]

Fire has closed A Lam Kee, the Chinese BBQ takeout spot at 1065 St-Laurent. Claimed the tea shop next door too. May be back since an office is still open on 2nd floor, but all else is boarded up, including 3rd floor windows, so it looks pretty bad.

[Wallach29]

Sun Tung Lok in Brossard will be closing its doors after 15 years in business on April 6 or 7 according to the staff there. They might open up at a yet to be determined location.

[Glaff]

Cuisine et Dépendance is closed according to Lesley Chesterman on Twitter.

[sweettoothMTL]

What? Well, I won't take all the blame, but it had been on my to try list for a couple of years now. I guess all the new competition in that area didn't help.

[Glaff]

I don't really understand though as their Twitter account is still active : https://twitter.com/#!/RestoCetD

...

[Maximilien]

maybe the closure is not immediate ? will be passing in front of the restaurant tonight and I'll have a look.

[Maximilien]

looks closed.

[Glaff]

Looks like the last person to know will be the person running the Twitter account! There was still a message about the Menu Théâtre a few hours ago...

[buspirone]

Website has a nice message confirming the closure as of March 23, 2012

[eat2much]

The Java U on Monkland seems to be closed.

[buspirone]

There are a number of Java U closures I`ve noticed - like the one that used to be on St. Denis as well.

[sweettoothMTL]

Hum, well they did seem to expand very quickly the last few years. But it's a shame if they are having trouble, it's always been a good coffee chain.

[AlexCV]

I've always found that the coffee at Java U was subpar and really the worst thing there. I don't recall what it was like before they switched to those abominable Franke super-autos.

[eat2much]

I try to frequent Java U over Starbucks or Second Cup since they offer more and better food choices. I have yet to enjoy a Starbucks coffee which, to me at least, always taste burnt.

[mangoannie]

I like the ambiance/decor at javu U but prefer coffee at Van Houtte, not even a starbuck fan. Java U is suppose to be opening a couple of new ones downtown Montreal, would they be doing that if in trouble....

[cherylmtl]

They're almost all franchised. So, yes, they would be opening new ones, even if others weren't doing well.

[catroast]

wow never heard someone compliment van houtte. i think it is the worst coffee in the city.

[Har_Gow_Freak]

Hate Starbucks... Van Houtte or Café Noir are better.

[catroast]

van houtte is the worst coffee on planet earth

[cherylmtl]

No, that honour goes to McDonald's, but Van Houtte is second-worst!

[causeimhungry]

I actually like McDonald's coffee. Tim
Horton's is by far the worst.

[cherylmtl]

But Tim's will do when driving the 401 late at night. It's moderately flavourless, but drinkable in a pinch, and keeps me awake. Van Houtte is just bitter and undrinkable IMHO. This thread just makes me thankful for the wonderful coffee that we can get here!

[catroast]

it's inconceivable that anyone would choose van houtte when faced with other options --- even their fresh beans are terrible. We are forced the swill by Chartwells at Loyola. When I am too lazy to walk to second cup, I sometimes have a cup of regret. SO SO SO SO SO SO BAd.

[PhilTG84]

A Concordian! I remember the Van Houtte machine at Loyola. I can drink Van Houtte but what I cannot tolerate the service. The Van Houtte at the corner of Stanley/De Maisonneuve is so bad that I've actually sworn. It was like I was being serviced by snooty yet handicapped 9 year olds who were more interested in yammering about the iphones and talking about boobs than serving coffee. I'd sooner drink pond scum from a leeching pond than go there again.

[catroast]

The honour of worst service and bad coffee goes to Cafe Depot across from the Hall building in my opinion ;)

[PhilTG84]

I did my B.A. and M.A. at Concordia, and spent 99.99% of my time in the Hall Building, so I often would grab a Tim's coffee and go back to my office on the 11th floor. Once in a while I would venture off to Cafe Depot or to the Second Cup (that then turned into something else... and is now a print shop). My only real experience at the Cafe Depot was trying to buy a muffin and get coffee. It was okay, but having to cross the street was too much effort and I only ever made it there once.

As for Myriade, the staff is good, the coffee is good.... but the patrons are obnoxious hipster undergrads with a grand sense of importance. I'd often meet my students there and just couldn't stand being there for more than a few minutes. It's sad because the coffee is quite good.

[cherylmtl]

I'm a Myriade patron, and I'm neither a hipster nor an undergrad - nor are most of the people I know that go there. But perhaps it depends on what time of day you're there... and really, if the coffee's good, I don't care who the other patrons are...

[PhilTG84]

I find Starbucks depends on the location more than any other coffee franchise. The Starbucks at the corner of Guy/DeMaisonneuve is heinous-- awful clientele, service is never better than so-so and it's too small. The same is true of the one on Sherbrooke in Westmount. However, the Monkland cafe is nice and I found the staff to be courteous and professional.

[catroast]

I don't mind starbucks but nothing beats myriade downtown. its worth walking 20 blocks for.

[cherylmtl]

I beg to differ - I find the Starbucks in Westmount is one of the friendlier ones. Now, the one in Alexis Nihon is another story entirely...

[denpanosekai]

Probably not a big deal to most people here, but Scores at 1432 St-Catherine West is now closed. I never went there but I live in the area so it bums me out a bit to see such a large vacancy.

Place seemed to draw good crowds so I find this closing quite curious. IIRC the building (which underwent renovation for years) is owned by SIDEV, who also own the building next door where a La Belle Province closed sometime ago as well. We can probably chalk this up to poor management.

http://www.scores.ca/34-restaurants/s...

[rwarren]

I'm impressed that it survived under all that scaffolding.

[SnackHappy]

Seems to have flown under the radar, but Claude Postel in Old Montreal has closed and been replaced by something called La Concession.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/La-Con...

[FaStAeRo]

Dagwoods in Lasalle went bankrupt...
Not a fancy place, but the sandwiches were always fresh

[diabless55]

Dagwoods in Lasalle has been reopened for a couple of months now. Different owner though.

[westaust]

Iburger on Metcalfe is closed and papered up

[krazykanuck]

Correction...Iburger is not closed, they had extensive water damage are are closed until further notice.

From their site: http://www.iburger.net/iBurger_site/E...

[westaust]

There is a paper in the door from the "syndic de faillite" regarding the company operating the restaurant

[eat2much]

Le Petit Moulinsart on St-Paul has closed after 20 years. There is a sign in the window saying they will try to re-open in a new location.

[SnackHappy]

Maybe they ran out of salt.

[EaterBob]

Primadonna was dark but without paper on the windows when I passed by earlier this eve, and it is not possible to make a reservation with them via Opentable.

[eat2much]

Add Meat Market on St-Laurent to the list for 2012

[WhoNew]

Simpléchic in Verdun seems to have been emptied out over the x-mas period; no menu in the window, no notice of renos....

[SnackHappy]

It would seem that Simpléchic now only does catering.

http://simplechic.ca/

[melani1]

Drove by the Green Spot, the windows are all brown-papered up. Is it closed? Was there last week and no sign that it was closing.

[westaust]

They are closed for 3 weeks for renovations, that explains the container and bin across the street.

However, one that seems closed, or about to is the Place St-Henri restaurant across the street, a big restaurant à louer sign appeared in the window

[Maximilien]

Wellhouse (sherbrooke w. near victoria) looks like it did not survived the holidays , it was supposed to re-opened 2 weeks ago.

[unlaced]

L'Aioli/L'Aioli a la Gaudriole on Laurier Est appears to be closed (the space is for rent.) They put up a good fight I think, and tried a lot of different things to draw in customers, but in the end you could tell things were getting desperate, and that is always off putting.

[SnackHappy]

Looks like Le Morgan on Ste-Catherine East bit the bullet.

It's being replaced by a yet unnamed restaurant.

http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php...

[maj54us]

Not a great part of town for restaurant business.

[foodie_mtl]

Dubai Subs and Yogurt is papered up and a new sign reads: Ole Burgers and Yogurt.

[BarackHObama]

good luck to them lol

[Har_Gow_Freak]

Heh! Olé Burgers what a weird name...

[MaiCarInMtl]

I could swear I saw a sign for a new place called "Snow" when I walked by there just this past weekend...

[denpanosekai]

Ha, forget it. It's been three different yogurt-related names in the past four months, all papered up. They're going to completely miss out on the lucrative summer season... and they put up a terrasse too!

In related St-Mathieu/Maisonneuve news, is the short-lived Darak set for a comback?!?

[denpanosekai]

I'll be damned... that "Organic Yogurt Snow" place is finally open for business, and it was packed tonight! That's despite Maisonneuve being completely shutdown between Guy and St-Mathieu. Hopefully it'll snowball positively to the 2-3 deserted buildings on either side.

[krazykanuck]

It looks like Plaisirs Coupables on Peel is closed. Passed by today and there were summons papers taped to the door. By the looks of it the bank has forced them to cease operation and close the business.

[SnackHappy]

Could this signal the end of the gussied-up comfort food trend in Montreal? One can only hope.

[BarackHObama]

not a chance "

[TheSnowpea]

I saw a tweet yesterday on @tweetsmontreal claiming Le Caveau was closing. I have no more info than that, and no confirmation, however.

[JohnnyGe]

On their website:

Le restaurant est maintenant fermé, merci à notre clientèle.
The restaurant is closed, thanks to our customers.

A shame!

[eat2much]

Vic Market on Victoria is closing on Sunday. All products are on sale at less 40 percent.

[Maximilien]

There's a notice on the windows saying they are only closed for "améliorations".

will follow up on that.

[eat2much]

The "ameliorations" are a complete change of format (i.e Asian cuisine) as well as liquor, etc. The "market" part is history.

[Maximilien]

What is the count of the actual closing (excluding discussions) in all those years? is there a corelation between the local/global economy vs. closings ?

M.

[EaterBob]

I do not know if I have the time of the motivation to even try and figure that one out. But I did just find a copy of a 1990 Zagat Montreal and am interested in looking into what still remains. Personally, I'd guess it has more to do with how popular Chowhound was/is than anything else.

[kpzoo]

I found the elusive 2009 closings thread (thank the Google):
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/584458

[PhilTG84]

Sparta Rotisserie & Grill CLOSED.

I was walking by Sparta Rotisserie on Ste. Catheirne and noticed a sign that said closed due to fire. The Tutti Fruitti is open as are other stores on that stretch, but they're gone. Does anyone know if they'll be back?