Celebrity Chef Match — Two New Restaurants in Montréal

Extra! Extra! This just in! Celebrity chefs and restaurateurs Gordon Ramsay and Daniel Boulud both have their eyes on Montréal.

Gordon Ramsay revamped a 1936 family restaurant, previously Rotisserie Laurier BBQ, now Laurier Gordon Ramsay. A fun challenge it must have been for Ramsay to upgrade this landmark restaurant, named after the street on which it stands. A makeover would be understating it, Laurier Gordon Ramsay got quite the facelift— and the vibe, in the words of Ramsay, is “casual glam” meets “shabby chic.”

In terms of food, Chef Ramsay brought it down a few notches from fine dining to rotisserie barbecue, preserving a few classic favorites and introducing new comfort food staples. The menu runs the gamut, from Québec raised, grain-fed rotisserie chicken to smoky ribs and a porchetta sandwich with aioli and arugula. His carrot cake and sugar pie make for the ideal finishing touches.

Why Montréal? Ramsay’s motives stem from his love of Canada and nostalgia for his first year as a chef in Paris.

Another new name coming to Montréal that should ring a few bells is that of Daniel Boulud. Known for his celebrated New York restaurants, specifically his three Michelin starred Daniel, Boulud also seems to have found a new home in Québec, opening his first Canadian restaurant, La Maison Boulud. La Maison is perfectly placed in the prestigious Montréal Ritz-Carlton and its inauguration will mark the 100th birthday of the five star hotel.

According to Boulud, La Maison will marry upscale with casual, something between a neighborhood bistro and a posh restaurant. Although the menu has yet to be revealed, we know that the Chef B. will use local producers and purveyors. Boulud promises that farm raised venison, porcelet and yes, even a hamburger, will make it to the menu.

Chef Boulud chose Montréal after presiding over the Montréal Highlights Festival in 2007. Says Boulud: “I feel at home in Montréal, where people embrace and enjoy good food and I think I can add something to this tradition.”

Opening in early 2012, La Maison Boulud will definitely be nothing short of fabulous and the newly opened Laurier Gordon Ramsay is not to be missed should you find yourself in soon in the Montréal area.