Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Gibbys

I have great friends, and they like writing for me :) This one is from Serge, a great dude I used to work with!

Gibbys’ website boasts that the location has “historic stone walls, original beamed ceilings, cozy
fireplaces, and romantic lighting, all combined to make dining at Gibbys a not soon-to-be-forgotten
experience.”... and it’s all true in the best of ways. I was there a year and half ago but I remember it like it was yesterday!

My spouse and I are big fans of Chef Gordon Ramsay’s recipes, which is where we first heard of a beef Wellington. Where the hell does one go to have beef Wellington in the Greater Montreal area? We were willing to drive some distance to find a place that served it, but luck was with us, because Gibbys has it on the menu. And they make a mean beef Wellington, among other things.

We went there on a date, something couples need to do now and then, especially if they have children
to feed and raise in the house. Gibbys is a great place to relax and get away from the everyday hassles. I won’t lie to you; this place was a little expensive. But the ambiance was so relaxing, we felt like we had traveled to some foreign country in Europe, perhaps France, perhaps England, definitely not Canadian.

We were seated in the basement which was like a medieval setting, I would not have been surprised
to find knights seated at a table near the fireplace (although it would surely take away some of the
quiet we found so appealing upon entering). Even though we sat in the middle of the room, we didn’t
mind because the whole place just emanates perfection and taste. Some traffic was expected but this
one time it really didn’t bother me. By the way, reservations are a must, this place on Saturday isn’t
accessible for walk-in traffic.

My girlfriend had the beef Wellington which came with mushrooms and salad, and I had the rack of
lamb Youville. The food was well plated; it definitely showed finesse from the kitchen staff. We never had beef Wellington before so we had no point of reference, but I can tell you that it tasted delicious all the way through. Of course you can choose how you want it cooked, and they got our well-done right on the button. We wondered how the pastry would come out; surely it had to be soggy to a certain point, right? Well it was beautifully crumbly on the surface, but just right underneath. The rack of lamb was also perfectly seasoned, but because I came in with a huge appetite I would have been happy with a bigger portion. There is plenty of bread, but again, you know not to indulge if you want your money’s worth. We started off with crab cake appetizers, which were sublime... but again, we thought they were a bit small.

Service was appreciable but it didn’t have the same attitude that you would expect from a high-
end restaurant set in a 200 year old building. At first we thought we’d get a more personalized
service, something a little more refined but it turns out the service is much more terre-à-terre, kind
of like a bistro or steak house. It’s not at all a bad thing, just a little out of touch from the rest of the
atmosphere. Our waitress was very nice, on time and always mindful of our needs.

All I can say is that I became very hungry writing this review, remembering my visit at Gibbys and all the delicious food I ate and the fun time I had with my beautiful girlfriend on a cold rainy autumn night. Oh and by the way, they have complimentary valet parking!

And now, the scores!

Food:9 Portion size is not an easy thing to do with high-end items; the important thing is to
have fresh ingredients, good presentation and be overall delicious, which is what you can expect at
Gibbys.

Service:7.5 We were generous in tipping our waitress because she did her job very well, but it
was just too “down-to-earth” coming from a place that gives out such a prestigious vibe.

Come here to be romantic on an anniversary, come here on a third date to show that you have taste,
but mostly come here to have a great meal in an uncommon setting in that part of Montreal we all love but rarely go to.

Gibbys on Urbanspoon

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