Joe Beef

Joe Beef, opened in 2005 by Fred Morin and Dave McMillan, captures the soul of a certain type of modern Montreal cooking: irreverent, lusty, imaginative, and humorous. Signature dishes here include spicy spaghetti with lobster, a hulking grand aïoli platter with vegetables from their own garden, and a carnivorous horse tartare. This is a tough ticket, so call for reservations as far in advance as possible. For a more vegetable-forward menu and largely natural wine list, try Joe Beef’s sister restaurant, Le Vin Papillon, run by chef Marco Frappier and sommelier Vanya Filipovic. Try the whole-roasted cauliflower showered in fried chicken skin, or a rye “éclair” with carrot pastrami and mustard seeds. Since they don’t take reservations, be prepared to wait, or come on the early side.