Bread is Pain

I am not usually one to succumb to a sweet tooth. My sugary treats typically border on the savory; the salty-sweet combination of Payday bars, the comforting warmth of pumpkin pie, and the creamy lusciousness of artisanal ice cream. To me, dessert is all about balance, and all too often sweets are nothing more than that, pummeling my taste buds with overwhelming sweetness until I feel a touch nauseous.

My ideal end to a meal is a nice espresso or cappuccino, digestif of Cognac, and a simple and small dessert like a truffle. Juliette insists that a great chocolate rivals that of great wines in subtle flavor variations. I have to agree. Quality chocolate is truly one of the closest things we have to divinity. This coming from someone who doesn’t really “get” dessert.

We first decided to try Juliette & Chocolat after a brisk walk on an unseasonably frigid night during the Films du Monde festival, trying to put something in our bellies that would warm us from the inside out so we could enjoy the movies under the stars outside Place des Arts. The line up on a Friday night was a bit of a deterrent – a line up, for chocolate! – but we stood our ground and eventually ended up huddled over a table on the terrace, nullifying our ability to get warm.

I now know that there is typically a much quieter terrace in the back which is more or less obscured from view, and that the floorspace is actually considerably larger than it looks in general, so the turnover at tables likely isn’t as bad as we’d anticipated. Still, all was not in ruin, as I quickly received a Viennese coffee ($4.50) topped heavily with luxurious whipped cream. Anything warm and chocolaty tends to taste better when you are chilled, and to that, this was perhaps the most delicious Viennese coffee I’ve had yet to date.

True to her original cause, to offer a place in Montreal to get a perfect cup of real, velvety hot chocolate, premium hot chocolate is an integral focus here. The first page of the menu offers several dark and milk vintages that will set you back $9.50, but the traditional, thick grandma’s style offered in extra-bitter, dark, milk and white chocolate is a more conservative $5.35. Alcoholic options are also available, making your hot chocolate into a lovely after dinner drink by adding whiskey, creme du menthe or Baileys. This chocolate “bar” is a unique concept in Montreal, as far as I’m aware, and as you step in through the doors you can see the concoctions churning by the cash register. The milk chocolate variety did not disappoint. A later visit indoors involved a milkshake so intense I believe I can paraphrase by saying it will cure PMS.

Juliette & Chocolat offers a wide variety of origin and vintage chocolates. They also have decorative chocolates of various flavor combinations on display, that can be purchased and gift boxed. For those who don’t care to chew, in addition to the beverage selection, chocolate shots can be poured for a straight up dose of the stuff.

The food menu is composed primarily of crepes, both savory buckwheat and sweet, with a selection of a half dozen salads. Prices range from $8.50 to $13.50 for lunch, and $4.35 to $13.95 for breakfast, er, “dessert”. Don’t worry, these are big production salads and crepes that are sure to leave you satisfied, epic proportions filling out plates that will definitely encompass your place setting. The house-named salad comes with mixed greens, strawberries, pears and goat cheese with a chocolate-raspberry vinaigrette. Nice touch.

Ice cream, my usual, has been totally ignored on my visits thus far. Instead, I’ve taken a sample into the pastries and enjoyed the praline bomb ($5.95) and the classic brownie ($3.25). The brownies, though rich in chocolate flavor, have a warm, cakey consistency that I’m not particularly fond of. I tried letting it cool a bit to get a denser texture but it just wasn’t happening. Oh well, it’s not like there aren’t other things to try.

The one drawback is that repeat visits have proven the service to be remarkably inconsistent. When paying premium prices, it is not hard to be turned off by waiting half an hour for a beverage, twiddling your thumbs while surrounded by people scarfing down food while your tummy rumbles. A few more waitresses on the floor and better communication between servers and barristas would quickly increase my slightly faltering opinion. Otherwise, it’s hard to complain when chocolate is involved.