Cafe du Lac - a taste of Quebec
Winterlicious blew a massive busy front into the southern most region of Etobicoke
and Cafe' du Lac got buried by a "lac effect blizzard". It was indeed Winterlicious and I had signed up to experience Cafe du Lac's fixed price offerring with a group of friends for the second sitting on a Friday night when the Lakeshore bistro was getting totally slammed!
Cafe' du Lac bills itself as a "Quebec Style" restaurant and on this night it operated about as efficiently as the FLQ's Victoria Day picnic party or Montreal City Hall on any given day. To be fair to the good people at Cafe' du Lac, the popularity of Winterlicious can be a challenge for even the most seasoned Toronto restauranteurs but this was actually my 3rd visit and the machine was not well oiled on previous occasions either. I do like the ambience, location and the spirit that Cafe du Lac represents but there is a lot of "hit n' miss" wrinkled up in the whole equation that needs some ironing out. We eventually got over "the hump" and settled in to have an really enjoyable time.
The down side: Our party was left waiting for far too long (40 mins) without beverage to ease the awkwardness even though some transition libations were subtly suggested, then outright requested to the staff. The place was under staffed and a bit frantic (needed at least one more server and a bartender/sommalier) - another set of patrons just gave up and left (but I think that's pretty lame personally).
Our group was able to cover all aspects of the fixed menu - we are good enough friends to sample each other's plates and although there are some very rich and tasty dishes, some were actually a bit too rich and left a slightly heavy feeling...
The up side: The proprietors (hailing from la belle Province) are interesting, energetic and well intentioned. The food is pretty tasty on whole - the duck confit was delicious, it was our big winner on the Winterlicious menu and their signature short rib poutine was a hit across the board.
Prices are very reasonable and it seems that they make a sincere effort to bring something unique to the neighbourhood (blues night, open mike night etc.). Desserts were top notch and just the right portion size (about 4 morsels worth of maple tart, chololate mousse or upside down berry cake)
Just like Montreal itself; a city that I have lived in, visit often and have a special fondness for, Cafe' du Lac is far from perfect but has a certain "je ne c'est quoi" that will probably bring me back to it again - just not during Winterlicious, Habs play-off games or St. Jean Babtiste Day. Perhaps for a semi-annual "bring back the Expos" fan club banquet..??
Je me souviens...
Price : very reasonable ($35 fix price)
Rating: C
2350 Lakeshore Blvd. W.
416-848-7381
2 comments:
Bobby - just wanted to let you know I think you are bang-on in your assessment. Everything - food, service - was hovering around mediocre, but I think that is one of the drawbacks of Winterlicious everywhere. I could see a glint of what Cafe du Lac is capable of and I will be back. I hear they have a great brunch...
Bobby - agreed on all points.
We really, really want this restaurant to succeed, but they need to get the service together. We went the first week they opened, and a number of times since, always hopeful that the service would improve. It hasn't. The owners seem sincere in wanting their guests to have an enjoyable dining experience, but frankly, there's no excuse in allowing sloppy service. Certainly not after they've had well over a year to get it right...
Far too-long waits between ordering and actually seeing food, removing plates before they are completed, dropping the bill before it's requested, then disappearing for 20 minutes? Servers who don't understand that it is their responsibility to know exactly what ingredients are involved in all dishes being served. It's a successful service when the all the guest's needs are anticipated and taken care of in advance. Sorry, but they're nowhere near this level.
Let's hope they get it right soon...
Oh, and a couple of small corrections:
'je ne sais quoi', and the holiday is Saint-Jean Baptiste!
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