Montreal & O.Noir

[dagibbs]

Jex invited me to join her for dinner at O.Noir in Montreal on Saturday, so I suggested we make a weekend of it, and stay over night -- I get hotel-points so can get the occasional free night. We were looking for some Dolfin chocolate bars, too, so got a chocolate guide to Monteral from __niall.

The dinner experience was quite interesting. Eating in pitch black is different -- I took my glasses off, because there was no point in wearing them. I didn't find it as difficult as I had expected, though. I was able to do things like put my glass down, and then pick it up again, even with the other hand. Or tell whether there was food on my fork, and how much, by the weight of the fork. And I had minimal spillage of food. The most challenging was the creme brulee dessert, where the solid top had much the same texture/solidity/sound under the spoon as the plate or bowl itself. The food was, generally, good too. I ordered everything explicitly but the cocktail, but Jex went with "surprise" for all three courses (entree, main, dessert) -- though specifying that she was an ovo-lacto vegetarian. It is interesting on the surprise side, because you don't know what you're going to get until the food actually goes into your mouth. I wasn't quite that daring, also there were several things on the menu that either I quite liked, or wanted to try.

We also visited three of the chocolate sources _niall recommended: Suite 88, Gourmet Laurier (where we bought out the Dolfin Hot Masala milk chocolate; the cashier sent someone to re-stock after we checked-out :), and Juliette et Chocolat where we had the hot chocolate (semi-sweet, with milk) which was really delicious. I also survived a couple hours of clothes shopping.

And, the weather for the driving was quite good both ways, and pleasant for wandering around Montreal a bit. It was a nice little get-away.

Tuesday, I'm off to Michigan for the rest of the week, too.

Comments

[xinef.livejournal.com]

How do you read a menu to order if it is pitch black?

[dagibbs.livejournal.com]

They present the menu to you in the lit entry section, where you also hang up your coats, and put any packages or purses in a locker. You order at that point, then are taken into the completely unlit eating section of the restaurant.

[xinef.livejournal.com]

Ah ok, that makes sense.

[switterbeet]

Very, very neat! What other sorts of things were on the menu?

[dagibbs.livejournal.com]

Appetizers: Beet Salad; Calamari; Duck Confit
Mains: Pasta stuffed with squash and ricotta; Sesame crusted shrimps; Crusted Blue Marlin Steak; Steak
Desserts: Creme Brule; Tiramisu; Fruit Sorbet

There was a vegetarian option for each course, plus the "surprise dish" could be made vegetarian for each course as well.

They also had a wine & cocktail menu, plus the option for a surprise wine or surprise cocktail.

[elizilla]

Just imagining what it must be like to work in a place like that. Imagine carrying huge platters in the dark, and having to dodge other servers doing the same. In theater they put little glowing strips on the floor for the actors to know where things are; I wonder if this restaurant has them for the staff?

I wonder if they hire the blind, for jobs that blind people normally wouldn't do?

[dagibbs.livejournal.com]

No glowing strips -- just dead black. I know historically they have tend to hire blind servers for this. I don't think they carry large platters of food around, but I don't know for sure. They do walk around saying "a-ten-sion" a lot, as warning for others walking around. We had to hang any coats outside the dark area, and put any/all bags or packages in lockers they supplied. Also, cell phones had to be turned off (or left in the lockers) so there wouldn't be light from them either.

[http://users.livejournal.com/niall_/]

Sounds like a very different experience - what happens to our brains' conception of food when one sense is turned off... well, other than smell, which is very unpleasant.

I'm glad you got good use of my map! I think I figured Gourmet Laurier was the best place for Dolfin.

[dagibbs.livejournal.com]

We greatly appreciated the map -- and I have a "finder's fee" chocolate bar from Jex for you, as a thank you for the map and directions.

[http://users.livejournal.com/niall_/]

Ooo! Thank Jex for me! Hopefully it won't be too long before I can get it.