Au Pied De Cochon

536 ave Duluth est
Montréal, QC H2L 1A9
(514) 281-1114

Food is my passion, I love trying new restaurants, new dishes, new ingredients, that it ends up being very rare that I go to the same place twice. What does it mean if I go again? Great food, great atmosphere, great prices, well it is a combination of all of them. Many times I'll go to the same place because, it's tasty food at a good price and close to home. And then there's Au Pied De Cochon, which I've been 4 times and I'll add one more to the list in a week. This place combines the food with atmosphere, the great service with even greater prices and delectable smells with divine flavors.

At this point, I've nearly tried all the dishes I've wanted to try on the menu, 23 different items. As you can tell, I like this place a lot. Martin Picard, the chef at this small eatery, has a TV show on the Food Network "The Wild Chef" and was just featured in Playboy as one of the greatest chefs. Playboy has never been wrong before... The menu is filled with fatty items, french fries(in duck fat), hamburgers, foie gras, pizza, pork..you get the point. This is one of the most unhealthy places in Montreal, but also one of the tastiest.

Some of the most notable items on the menu are the foie gras cromesquis(3.50), two deep fried squares, filled with hot melted foie gras. The only way to describe this dish, is an explosion of flavors! The tarragon bison tongue(6) is absolutely delicious, and this was the first time I have ever tried tongue. This piece of meat is a melt in your mouth type with just enough sauce not to overpower the meat flavor. The beef tartare(12) is one the best tartares out there, rolled in a sushi cornet filled with rice, matchstick french fries and a quail egg, this was such a pleasure to eat.

All I have to say is, foie gras, an abundance of foie gras. The best dish at this restaurant, I would have to say is the foie gras poutine(23). An absolutely exquisite poutine that combines french fries(in duck fat) with cheese and two different types of gravy, a PDC gravy and a PDC gravy mixed with foie gras in it, and then a big chunk of foie gras right on top. What more can I say than cloud nine, heaven, a dish fit for a king...

Another main course worth mentioning is the duck in a can(37). An extremely heavy and rich duck with foie gras and even richer sauce. This dish is pure fat but with tons of flavor.

This last dish was ordered more for the fun of ordering it then anything else, but in the end, it was delicious. The pigs head for 2(75), not something I would eat everyday, was a cooked head, served on a huge wooden platter with mashed potatoes across the face and mussels shoved in the mouth. The meat is so tender, that a spoon can can cut it, with such beautiful aromas, and the potatoes made with melted cheese are none I have seen before.

Even the desserts are phenomenal, from the creme brule(7), to the pecan pie(12), the pot de creme(8) and the chocolate molten cake(8). All with such sugary and sweet flavors, all desserts are a must!

I do suggest reserving a table a couple of weeks in advance, last tuesday night at 11 PM, there was still a lineup outside! I do also suggest trying to get a seat at the bar, were you can watch the artist create your masterpiece. The service is superb, with waiters, busboys, hostesses and kitchen staff greeting you and smiling the whole night.

I could keep ranting about how great this restaurant is forever, but I'm sure the keys on my keyboard would start breaking off. All I need to say is, this is not for the faint of heart (yes there is steak on the menu) or the kosher people, this is an all out carnivore, artery clogging, heart stopping, delectable restaurant. Martin Picard, I thank you for this gem in my hometown!

Food:9.5/10
Atmosphere:9/10
Service:9.5/10
Location:8/10
Price:10/10
Overall:9/10