Shut Up and Eat’s Year End Review!

Yes! Another year end list! Who doesn’t like lists? Well if you want to read one of the most awesomest lists that consists of awesomely delicious awesome, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve decided, like I’ve done every year, to compile my top five places that I’ve eaten at in the past year that have been particularly memorable and stood out. Before I get into it, I just want to take the opportunity to thank everyone for making 2011 a very memorable year; your support is invaluable and I appreciate all the encouragement as well as all the hating. So I wish everyone – supporters and haters – a very happy and healthy 2012, may the new year be fruitful and prosperous to you and yours. Now… on to the delicious stuff.

In no particular order…

Imadake Izakaya

1. Irasshaimase! Imadake izakaya (Original post)

One of the hottest spots in Montreal right now is Imadake Izakaya – traditional Japanese pub with awesome grub to match. I first stepped into Imadake, which seemed like such a long time ago with high expectations. Having eaten in izakayas in Japan, I was prepared for a hokey imitation or an assimilated version of a Japanese restaurant with a “Izakaya” pseudonym. But I was wrong… wronger than a fat guy in biking shorts on a hot day. The food is adapted from recipes and pub staples found in pubs in Japan. With dishes like fried chicken skin, grilled pork belly with citrus salt or balls of octopus and miso marinaded cow tongue, Imadake is bringing tastes and refreshing flavours to the Montreal dining scene; I wouldn’t expect anything less from a head chef who taught at the culinary school in Osaka Japan.

Most notable:
-Black cod ramen
-Takoyaki
-Okonomiyaki
-Homemade tofu salad
-Fried tofu

Imadake Izakaya
4006 St. Catherine W (corner Atwater)
514.931.8833

Poutineville

2. What do you poutine to your poutine? (Original post)

Poutine: fries, cheese and gravy; easy as that right? WRONG! The guys here at your new favourite poutine joint are doing it up big and customized to your liking. With a check list of toppings and ingredients, they make your plate according to what you pick. Not the first poutine restaurant in the city, but the first of this concept, and it puzzles me why it took this long for a bunch of poutinerary geniuses to put their guts together and come out with this sooner. Not only do they make all their own delicious sauces, their existing menu items are stellar and tasty to say the least. Poutineville’s braised beef poutine is one to be rivalled; tender and juicy beef braised for hours topped with a red wine sauce sitting atop of their signature smashed potatoes, this poutine is definitely one you need to try at least once!

Mathematical breakdown of Poutineville; by chosing one of three types of potatoes, one of three types of sauces and a mix and match of 33 toppings.
3 * 3 * (2^33) or N[3 3 2^33] = 77,309,411,328 different possible poutine combinations.

My favourite combination:
-Chicken, bacon, onions, mushrooms, on regular fries with three-pepper sauce.

Other notable dishes:
-Italian sausage burger
-Ribs
-Chicken with brie sandwich
-Keep an eye out for seasonal and weekend specials.

Poutineville
‎1348 Beaubien
514-544-8800

Deville Dinerbar

3. Diner reinvented (Original post)

I’ll be honest with you, it’s been a while since there was an actual destination restaurant for me that was situated in the downtown core since the days I used to ditch afternoon classes in high school and hung out and caused trouble at 49 cent pizza. I was told about Deville Dinerbar and was convinced to check it out. The concept is fun and innovative. They take diner menu classics and put their own unique spin on the dishes synonymous with the concept of traditional diners; Mac and cheese in a fried wonton, shepherd’s pie IN a chicken pot pie, what else can you ask for? Very generous portions, great atmosphere, friendly and helpful waitstaff, Deville Dinerbar is all-dressed when it comes to a well rounded dining experience. What was interesting was the fact that these diner “classics” weren’t dishes I necessarily grew up with or have some sort of emotional or sentimental attachment to. Based on this alone, I didn’t have preconceived expectations going in, however, Deville Dinerbar completely ruined the expectations of any other modern twist of a diner I would go to next.

Most dinetastic:
-Lobster BLTA
-Fried pickles
-Chicken and waffles
-Tuna tacos
-“The Big Easy Beignets”

Deville Dinerbar
514-281-6556
1425 Stanley St

Icehouse

4. What’s cooler than being cool?

What can be better than gnawing on some Dr. Pepper bbq sauced ribs, buttermilk battered fried chicken, sucking down pitchers of spiked lemonade while be crammed up to the person at the next table, sitting close enough to know what they had for breakfast, by the smell of their armpits alone? And even on game nights, they show the Habs games! I know right?! Icehouse is one of the hottest spots in Mile-end and the lineups around the corner can attest to that. This tiny Texan bbq joint is a small bustling place packing big bbq flavour. From pulled pork tacos topped with pork rinds, to lobster burritos filled with fritos, the masterminds behind this place are sinister. Icehouse is great for late night eats, slamming back a few cold ones, and eating off the table (read the original post, you’ll know why). I was hesitant to write about this place, only because I know the line will get longer and my patience thinner.

Notable nom noms:
-RIBS
-FRIED CHICKEN
-Lobster burrito
-Oyster poboy
-Pulled pork taco.

Follow @kitchenettemtl on Twitter, Chef Nick Hodge is always tweeting daily and weekly specials… Chicken fried all-dressed pizza you say? Don’t mind if I do.

Icehouse
51 Roy E
514-439-6691

5. Laurier Gordon Ramsay

It’s rotisserie chicken you F*cking IDIOT! (Original post)

Ok, this place has had a bull’s-eye placed on it ever since the announcement that Ramsay was setting foot in Montreal. With high expectations surrounding it and people going in with existing bias against the foul-mouthed chef, I found that Laurier didn’t get a fair shot right from the beginning. Having read the mixed reviews, I decided that I had to go check out the noise and see how loud the food really was. A lot of people were disappointed with the rotisserie chicken, saying that it tasted like rotisserie chicken… Umm… what else is it supposed to taste like? When your chicken tastes like dirty gym socks and Gruyere, then you have something to worry about. Just because a celebrity chef puts his name behind it, doesn’t necessarily mean the chicken will divide itself into bite-sized pieces then commit suicide by stabbing itself onto your fork in a sacrificial gesture to pay homage to The Ramsay.

The food is good. As much as you try to will and convince yourself to hate the food because you don’t like Gordon Ramsay, the food is still good.

To order:
-ANY OF THE CHICKEN.
-Chicken pot pie
-Chicken soup
-Chicken Poutine
-Sliders
-Try the lemon soup that comes with your wings and ribs.

I’d just like to say that in the past year, the blog has grown exponentially, and this has furthered my growth as a person, a food blogger and online entity. All the work I’ve put into eating out and documenting my experience is a result of response. Response that I have received as feedback from people I’ve met, comments on my articles as well as the ones from Facebook and Twitter. You the readers have motivated me not lose track of focus as well as forced me to define and discover the direction I’ve decided to take with Shut Up and Eat; where it’s come from and where it’s headed. My devotion to my blog is most definitely paralleled by my devotion to you. I appreciate and value your readership, thank you… especially the hot chicks.

-Jason