Midnight Express!

A few weeks ago I joined a few friends from the awesome blogs, Montreal Food Divas and The Main to try out L’Orignal’s brand spanking new late-night menu with a gourmet twist. L’Orignal’s recent reopening has invigorated the chalet inspired space with new life thanks to a brand new décor and fantastic new menu.

For starters, the menu is great on paper but better when you’re seated at a table and starving because it’s midnight and you’ve just polished off a couple of drinks with a couple of friends. A selection of late night snacks like warm poutine, crispy grilled cheese, meat pies, oysters and more are the perfect antidote for having downed one too many fantastic drinks during the night.

The poutine is put together from tasty potatoes grown on Isle d’Orleans and covered in squeaky cheese curds and a sauce made from ingredients like chicken bone marrow, stock and grainy mustard. The gooey grilled cheese is filled with cheese curds, Havarti, Gruyere and Quebec cheddar, all between toasted homemade brioches. Their meat pie is stacked with mashed potatoes and game meats like local quail and deer meat and baked to perfection inside a crispy piecrust. L’Orignal’s late night menu varies depending on the night but the staples I mentioned are available all week long. You’ll have to check out the menu for yourself to see the rest of the delicious offerings. From Monday to Thursday, the kitchen serves the late night menu from 11pm to 1am and from 11pm to 2:30am on Friday and Saturday nights.

We were so impressed with the menu that we went back twice. The original night things got a little out of hand because we waited a little too long to order. We also had one too many Jameson infused Old Fashioneds before sitting down to eat so our my memory was a little fuzzy when I sat down to write this article. The second time around we tasted everything again and it was as delicious as I remembered it. Late night menus having been popping up all over town but L’Orignal goes one step further by putting quality ingredients in everything they serve and treating late night as delicately as they do all other food services.

I was also happy to see that by the end of the night on both our first and second late nights out, that the restaurant is packed to capacity. By midnight and 1am though the vibe is a little more relaxed. Folks are gathered around the bar, having drinks and sharing the food they ordered.

For those looking for a great, late night out and don’t want to be in a nightclub, L’Orignal is an excellent alternative. It has become one of my favorite places for food and drinks in the city.