Lavanderia

A Taste of Summer

374 Victoria, Westmount, Quebec, H3Z 2N4

 

Lavanderia was opened by THE chef Antonio Park just a few months ago-  a chef who has managed to create a name for himself in a city saturated with restaurants. Why all the hype? Because he knows how to bring a unique flare and story to the food served at his restaurants and you could literally taste his passion for what he does. Park, which has been visited by the likes of Katy Perry and Neil Patrick Harris, and where you could find P.K. Subban on just about any given day is located right next door- close enough so that Antonio Park could make his way between the restaurants within seconds!

The restaurant took a different route than most in terms of décor-  brightly lit and almost tropical feeling, rather than the usual dim and romantic. I loved it. The bar (where we sat) was set under a large tree, and menu items and art were hanging on the walls by clothes pins- a nice touch going along with the theme of the restaurant (Lavanderia translates to Laundromat from Spanish- Park grew up living in his family's Lavanderia in Argentina where they would prepare Argentinian specialties with ingredients from their yard). The walls are white, but the space still manages to feel warm. We ordered a Pineapple cocktail and a grapefruit and chili cocktail...at this point I was convinced it was summer in Montreal. Our seats at the bar gave us a direct view into the kitchen where we watched chefs grilling seafood and meat. A sweet escape from winter.

What We Ordered

A delicious and comforting muscle soup in a coconut broth with carrots, corn, and other vegetables. A great start to the meal!

The soup was followed by a tasty appetizer of Queso Fundido Chorizo- melted cheeses and chorizo served with flat corn bread.

Next up- a grilled calamari with capers, tangy peppers (I don't remember what they were called, but they were absolutely delicious), and sun dried tomatoes.

Finally, the fish of the day- a long and thin sardine-like fish, grilled whole and served with lemon. The fish was grilled to perfection. (Other options for the grill included lamb, chorizo, and several cuts of steak)

For dessert, a lemon curd cheesecake served with passion fruit sorbet and a chocolate coulis. Not too sweet, and a refreshing end to the gorgeous meal.

If you're looking for an escape from winter, or just for some damn good food- I highly recommend Lavanderia. Reserve, reserve, reserve!




Mind, Taste, Love.