Recently, one of my old favorite but forgotten about Montreal haunts, Newtown Restaurant and Lounge, came back on my hotspot radar in a big way. On April 5th, I was joined by a few of my gal pals to attend a Wine Flight event hosted by the swanky and sophisticated resto/bar located on the corner of Crescent Street and De Maisonneuve. Crescent is one of the major hubs of Montreal nightlife and Newtown’s upscale and trendy atmosphere is the perfect place to take in all the action. But on this particular night, we were more interested in what was happening on Newtown’s beautiful upstairs terrace than in the hustle and bustle outside. And who wouldn’t be? Surrounded by a spectacular view of Montreal’s skyline, we were embarking on a four-course gastronomic exploration of the French region of Alsace with Newtown’s chef, Martin Juneau. And the menu wasn’t limited only to this region’s incredible food. An exquisite wine selected by James Graham-Simpkins accompanied each course. Here’s a run-down of the menu for the evening. Try not to let your mouth water!
Our first course was a dish known as “flammeküech,” which is a flambéed onion and mushroom tartlet served with a dollop of crème fraiche. A Sylvander “Vieilles Vignes” by Domaine Ostertag from the year 2008 accompanied this yummy treat. Then we moved on to “Sürküt,” or braised bacon carpaccio, marinated cabbage and warm sausage salad with mustard jelly. The wine for this course was a Riesling “Cuvée Particulière” by Gérard Schueller, also from 2008. Our next course was “baeckoffe und kachelmuës.” This dish is pork loin and belly, spiced potatoes in clear broth, and glazed organic duck egg in a white sauce. A Pinot Noir by Albert Boxler from 2009 was an excellent choice for this dish. Out last exploration of the amazing food of the Alsace region was a desert known as “kougelhopf,” a Mirabelle plum compote with white cheese cream and almond ice cream. It was as heavenly as it sounds, and only made better by the 2009 Gewurztraminer “Grand Cru Marckrain” by Laurent Barth served with it.
The evening was such a success, I can’t wait to go back! Find out what I was wearing during this fabulous evening by simply visiting the Fashionista section of the blog.
xoxo
Pictures by Julia C Vona.
