Quebec Is in Good Hands

The Pitch

One of my top meals of 2024 was at Mercuri 109, which sadly closed a few weeks after my visit.  Fronted by the renowned Joe Mercuri, a veteran of the Montreal dining scene, I best recall the defunct downtown restaurant for its unique style of cuisine blending Italian with other elements into small dishes to share such as focaccia served with burrata, tuna crudo and short rib ravioli.

Of course, a restaurant shutting is always sad for the industry, the people behind it and its fans; but sometimes it can lead to favorable outcomes for certain folks.  Last week I was approached by a chef Colin Lavallée – unknown to me at this point – who was in fact the brain and muscle behind that memorable meal.

The young chef wanted me to try his new home, a resto/wine bar called June Buvette in Pointe-Saint-Charles.  Open since the summer of 2023, this neighborhood eatery is backed by the ever-expanding Tomahawk group of nightlife establishments.

The Mood

The two-part locale takes the spot previously occupied by Indian restaurant/cooking school Masala Cuisine (reviewed here).  The first room you walk into is clad in white brick walls with a wine island at the front followed by two rows of red banquettes leading to a small bar.  The second half is completely different, evoking quieter, warmer cottage vibes.

Patrons started trickling in shortly after we showed up at 7PM, turning what seemed at first like a quiet night into a busy service.  This being a personal invitation by the chef, my wife and I were seated at the edge of the bar, affording us a glimpse into the nearby kitchen, but also allowing Mr. Lavallée to pop out regularly to serve us in person and explain his creations.

tagged:  SIT AT THE BAR

The Food

The menu at June follows the trend of offering small, affordable made-to-share plates.  The fare is seasonal, eclectic and Italian leaning to some extent – which is reminiscent of what I had at Mercuri 109, but less expensive.

For tonight, we had the pleasure of letting chef Colin curate our multi-course tasting experience, which included both on and off-menu items in addition to spur-of-the-moment creations which nobody before me has tried – totally bragging here!

The bartender started us off with a funky whisky/amaro passionfruit/coffee kombucha cocktail followed by a German pinot noir, a Trebbiano blend from Umbria and a Langhe from Nebbiolo interspersed in between courses.

Starter

Starter

$25

$25

Burrata

One of the plates I recall the most from my dinner at Mercuri 109, there is something purely magical when you dip warm focaccia into honey/olive oil and spread some creamy burrata on top.

Starter

Starter

$16

$16

Tomato Salad

End-of-season, three-color cherry tomatoes with truffled cheese in creamy, caramelized yogurt.  My wife who doesn't eat raw tomatoes beat me to it and ate most of them; that's how good this was!

Starter

Starter

$16

$16

Fried Calamari

A unique take on fried calamari that does not involve a thick batter.  More on the Asian side with a sweet-and-sour sauce and served with lime instead of lemon.  Fresh, tender/squishy and scrumptious!

Main

Main

Tuna Tataki

A great play on texture with fatty tuna contrasted against crunchy endives, which were caramelized to reduce the bitterness.  While the umami burst was there, it was slightly masked by the use of berries.

Main

Main

$28

$28

Raviolis

One of the highlights of tonight took the form of ravioli – obviously homemade – stuffed with ricotta and topped with braised short ribs, their jus and a crumble of sorts.  Luscious, delicious and bodacious.

Main

Main

Jimmy Nardello Peppers

One of those off-menu, made-up-on-the-spot dishes I mentioned before, an unusual assemblage of grilled elongated peppers with caramelized grapes and polenta.  Interesting but a tad too sweet for me.

Dessert

Dessert

Pain Perdu

An old-fashioned dessert – described as a grandma dessert by chef Colin – but elevated; pain perdu topped with white chocolate and a crumble, with compote on the side.  Marvellously decadent.

Dessert

Dessert

$13

$13

Olive Oil Cake

My only letdown of the night; this really wasn't my kind of dessert.  The play with hazelnuts was fun and crunchy, but I could not get over the olive oil taste and the tangy/earthy beet flavour.

tagged:  GOOD FOR SHARING ORIGINAL DRINKS

The Verdict

In an up-and-coming neighborhood not lacking in splashy options such as Sabayon, Fugazzi, Milky Way and Ava, June Buvette seems to be doing quite well.  The team behind this buvette de quartier may have started with modest ambitions, but those seem to have been eclipsed.  June is clearly a destination restaurant with a strong beverage program and serious cheffy food, while keeping things fun and informal.

This success is in no small part due to chef Colin, his kitchen brigade and the front of the house.  Their youth, exuberance and know-how were palpable and reflect Quebec's budding class of chefs and restaurateurs who are just getting started in their careers.  On a more personal note, I very much appreciated chef Colin's personalized invitation and will cherish this experience for a long, long time.

By learning that the creative force behind last year's dinner at Mercuri 109 has found a new home and is blossoming in it, not to mention it turns out we share the same birthday but twenty years apart(!), this night became even more memorable and took a sentimental turn.  Chef Colin and his cohorts have a bright future ahead of them, and so does Quebec's restaurant scene…

Price per person:  $47