Just came back from a trip to Quebec and was able to eat at Moishes in Montreal. It’s an old school steakhouse: very nice wood interior, well dressed wait staff and a small meat menu. I ordered the ribeye with twice baked potato for $54 and my wife ordered the striploin New York cut with french fries for $52 so we could get a nice cross selection. We also shared oyster mushrooms ($11) and a Caesar salad ($10). I’m remember-guessing on the prices but they’re pretty close.
Every meal at Moishes includes fresh light rye, pumpernickel, pickles and coleslaw. All of it top notch, especially the vinegar based coleslaw. A nice crunch and a sour sweet taste. Pickles and coleslaw are available at most supermarkets now and are a real treat: we don’t buy any other pickle.
The Caesar salad came first: romaine lettuce, a thin layer of dressing, a shower of cheese (I believe Romano) and a crouton. That’s right, one crouton and no bacon! The taste was nice but too much anchovy on the linger. I mentioned it to the waiter and he said everyone loved the anchovy and some asked for more. Ya.
Steaks arrived: they were beautifully cooked to medium rare with an extraordinary crust. A decent sized portion for both steaks. The twice baked potato was nice and airy with a cheddar crust and the potato skin firm but not crunchy. Fries were crisp and fluffy. The oyster mushrooms had a nice char and a slight acidic taste that was fantastic.
There was one glaring problem: the steaks had no real beef flavour and had a chew to them. Based on the fat levels, texture and taste I believe this was Canada AAA grade beef (similar and slightly better than USDA choice). I could be wrong but don’t think so. For that kind of money I expect Canada Prime grade and dry aged to boot.