Tuck Shop: Amazing food, impeccable service
Tuck Shop is one of our favourite restaurants in town, and has been since it opened in 2010. To start 2019 on the right foot, the address has been given a makeover. With a flamboyant return, the dynamic and motivated team offers us a culinary experience that is even better than before (if thats possible)!
At the helm is the ambitious trio of Amelia Stine, John Bloom and Chief Theo Lerikos, joined by John Metcalfe. Together, they managed to make this address an iconic institution of the Saint-Henri neighbourhood. In its early days, Tuck Shop was considered one of the city’s favourite spots for English-speaking people. However, the house now welcomes just as many Francophones as Anglophones. The address has grown in popularity over the years and has evolved in harmony with the neighbourhood.
How does this small space (38 seats) feel so incredibly impressive and welcoming? There are a few answers: the quality of the restaurant’s cuisine and wine list, the restaurant’s atmosphere and décor, and its service. They have it all.
Designed by the Rhoncus Agency, the space is wonderful! It stands out from the rest, with the right balance of chic and modern. Green tones dominate, paying homage to the “farm to table” concept. An added bonus: the oyster bar where, thanks to the magnificent new open kitchen, offers you a seat to observe the busy rush of the cooks in the Kitchen.
Chef Theo Lerikos adopts the same structure as before, with a comforting bistro menu that continues to leav us speechless. The menu is concise, well chiselled, and the dishes are prepared with an impressive balance of textures and flavours. There are six appetizers, half a dozen main courses, a plate of Quebec cheeses, and two or three desserts. Since the menu is constantly changing, we can’t give you a specific recommendation, but know that we’ve never had a dish here that wasn’t overwhelmingly positively received.
There is always a market salad, fresh pasta, two meats and two fish, all wonderfully prepared. The plates are generous and the dishes comforting. The emphasis is on market products. For example, Kamouraska lamb, Gaspésie products and famous wild mushrooms of Quebec. Here, we do not seek to transform the products, but simply to magnify them. One could define the cuisine as “refined comfort”, as it embodies gourmet simplicity! You will now find a little something extra compared to previous years: delicious seafood under the spotlights at the beautiful new raw bar.
Jonathan Metcalfe is in charge of putting together the cocktail menu. There are three to five options, simple and well done, that match the season’s menu. Co-owner Amelia is in charge of the wine list, which is mainly composed of private imports and changes daily. Bottle prices start at about $40.
The service at Tuck Shop is one of the many points of pleasure a diner will encounter. Tuck Shop clients are treated royally, as the youthful team of servers ensure that their work is executed flawlessly.
Tuck Shop also has a renowned catering service in Montreal. Their catering has handled receptions ranging from a few dozen people to events of nearly 1,000 guests.
What we like best about Tuck Shop – and what makes the house a must-see restaurant – is the balance between cuisine, décor, service and atmosphere. They all go hand-in-hand, and Tuck Shop knows how the deliver!
Written by Élise Tastet
