Le Bistro Montage

A few weeks ago, Jenn and I met Jeff and Nicole for dinner at Le Bistro Montage.

Jenn and I had difficulty finding it, considering it’s practically tucked under the Morrison Street Bridge. Once we figured out where it was, we had no problems finding parking, even though it was a Friday evening.

Upon entering, I was struck by the energy that filled the room. The volume of the conversation was already at a roar, even though the place was only half full. The eclectic wait staff were frenetically going about their business. A good deal of yelling could be heard coming from the kitchen.

We were immediately seated at one of the long communal tables. Not having eaten in such a setting, I was a bit apprehensive. However, I soon found it very comforting, as if I were sitting down to eat with a very large extended family.

Montage’s wine list was large and varied. However, I felt not enough of the choices were available by the glass. It’s possible that this was done to encourage sharing of a bottle at the table. Unfortunately, I was the only one in the mood for wine that night. I eventually settled on an Australian Shiraz-Cabernet. I can’t recall which winery it came from. To my surprise, our waitress brought the bottle to the table. The bartender had decided that there was not enough wine left to pour two glasses, so I got the remainder. Later in the evening, when I poured my second glass, I found that they gave me enough for nearly two full glasses. They could’ve easily gotten away with selling another glass from the bottle, but chose not to.

My salad was very fresh and crisp. The cajun caesar dressing was incredible. It seems like such a trivial thing to rave about, but everyone at the table was blown away by it.

Even though our dinners arrived relatively quickly, my vegetables were already getting a bit cold. But this was more than made up for by the perfect blackened catfish fillet. It easily the best catfish I’ve ever had. It had a good crust and was cooked completely through, without being oily or dry. The cornbread, served with honey, was also outstanding.

After receiving the dessert menu, it took only a few seconds for me to decide what I wanted: the chili-chocolate cake. (Regular readers of this site will know that I’m a big fan.) I was quite disappointed to hear that they had run out. My second choice was a very tasty mud pie.

Despite the three minor complaints described above, I had a incredible evening at Montage. The energy, communal atmosphere, well-prepared comfort food, good friends, and plentiful wine all contributed to a truly joyous dining experience.