Moishes for 5à7?

On Thursday nights, St. Laurent Boulevard is brimming with energy as people criss cross through traffic, heading from one place to the next to meet with their friends for drinks, food and who knows what else!  It’s the weekly ritual of the Thursday 5à7 in Montreal or happy hour to the rest of the world. Last Thursday evening, I went to Moishes Steakhouse for Thursday@Moishes, a new way to celebrate the official arrival of the weekend.

A classic along the Main, you might think of Moishe’s as a typical family restaurant, but after 8pm on Thursdays, as the sun sets, the lights dim and the families are back at home, a wave of younger (and young at heart) patrons who are dressed to impress, descend upon the restaurant to turn the heat up for the rest of the night. The service at Moishes is amazing.  We were greeted promptly and seated right away with a great view of the entire restaurant (it was packed to capacity at 9:00pm and people were still arriving). I would like to mention one staff member in particular, Leonard (I called him Lenny all evening and I do believe he owns the place!) who was with us from start to finish.

He offered us advice on everything from cocktails, to food and wine.  No sooner were we seated when I was sipping a dry vodka martini that I literally could not put down until I drank every last little drop.  I wanted more, but that would have been trouble; not that trouble is a bad thing. The meal itself started with oysters and lead into roast beef, which happens to be part of their Thursday menu, designed to attract those who wish to chat over a light meal while enjoying one or more of their favorite potent cocktails; my kind of people.

As a Newfoundlander, you would think I’d be used to eating seafood, but oysters are still relatively new to me.  A friend found my oyster swallowing posture hilarious.  The details of what I had to do to eat them will remain a table secret.  The oysters were delicious, though next time I may use a little less Tabasco. The roast beef was some of the best I’ve ever tasted and thanks to Lenny’s expert intervention, it came to our table perfectly cooked.  I sacrilegiously like my meat slightly well done, unless it is done well.  I know I never have to worry about that at Moishes.

We capped the night off by finishing our Bordeaux with a delicious Crème Brule. Montrealers love their 5à7 and on any given Thursday night, bars, pubs and restaurants all over are packed to capacity as the city’s workforce blows of a little steam with their social lubrication of choice.  Other restaurateurs in this city could take a page from Moishes book.  This St. Laurent staple is taking the 5à7 and bringing it to a whole new level with Thursday@Moishes, proving that you don’t need to always be crammed into a tight little bar to have a great time. http://www.moishes.ca