As winter continues the bear down, restaurants serving homey comfort foods have an even stronger appeal than usual. Montreal Plaza is a genre-defying small plate eatery that takes traditional dishes and flips, deconstructs and in some cases, blows them up entirely.

The shrimp sandwich assembles shrimp and greens between fried bread and tops it, on the outside layer, with bacon. Quite whimsical and definitely a knife and fork affair. Served in escargot plates, dollops of smoked salmon cream are dotted with slivers of sweet oranges, sprinkled with dill, arugula and chervil and served alongside pieces of torn bread. The strawberry shortcake goes off the rails a bit and appears to have been dynamited. I liked it. Why eat a dessert the conventional way? The strawberries and cream flavours come at you in unorganized fashion.

Montreal Plaza challenges our sense. Its dishes are deliciously inventive, gregarious and good natured fun. It is a welcome diversion from the winter blahs.

Montreal Plaza is located at 6230 Rue St-Hubert in Montreal and is opened from 5-11 pm daily.

 

Crème de maquerau fumé