Joe Beef Montreal was Kitchy and fun but serious about food.

It’s hard to describe why I liked Joe Beef so much, the extensive menu and wine list on chalkboards is nearly impossible to read and seems daunting until you realize the person serving you really wants to engage in a conversation about what you like, what’s on the menu and what you might enjoy.  There was a good deal of talk about it and we never felt rushed.  When it came to wine she returned with 3 bottles of wine that she thought we might like and was happy to let us try.  So by then I was enjoying myself and pretty confident I was in for a good time.  I’m Pescetarian (just to be difficult), meaning, I eat fish, seafood, dairy products and veg but no chicken, pork, lamb, beef.  You get the picture, so a restaurant called Joe Beef seemed all wrong.  The name is a hat’s off to a 19^th century Montreal working class innkeeper and has nothing to do with beef and everything to do with the personality of the restaurant and this one really does have a personality.  Bustling with happy people, talking about and dining on great food and wine, Joe Beef was my favourite restaurant on this trip. We shared a traditional French aioli plate of vegetables, fish and prawns with a thick, freshly made garlic mayonnaise to get the appetite charged.  A couple of us followed with the house special lobster spaghetti.  Fresh lobster partly cracked and easy to eat on a big bowl of al dente spaghetti in a rose sauce, I loved it with the suggested Sancerre.  Another amazing dish was the ribs with pommes frites.  The ribs were reported to be good and I can speak for the chips.  I love a good chip and these were pretty amazing.  I’d bet they were twice cooked and I’m glad I don’t live close enough to deal with the cravings they could create.  Joe Beef offered a unique experience, excellent food, generous servings and I loved the discussion of food as a way of ordering rather than just reading a menu.