Au Pied De Cochon - The Father Of All Foie Gras Goodness (Montreal, QC)

Au Pied de Cochon

As I conclude my tour around Toronto and Montreal (with a stop at Niagara Falls), what better way to end my meal than a dinner at Au Pied de Cochon? What's so special about Au Pied de Cochon you might ask? Loosely translated as a foot of a pig or pig's feet, there's definitely nothing light about my upcoming meal here. When Chef Martin Picard tried to "kill" Anthony Bourdain with foie gras on the Quebec episode of No Reservations seen below, I quickly made my reservation as my "last" supper in Canada.

Cromesquis de foie gras (Foie Gras Cromesquis)

What is this you might ask? How does fried foie gras sound? The foie gras, liquified in the middle and crispy on the outside. It's "obscene, in a good way," to quote Bourdain. This made the perfect mouthful, and was richly delicious we had to order a second order!

Gin Martini (Top: w/Olives, Bottom: w/Twist)

What better way to wash down the richness of the foie than with some alcohol, and in this case, gin martinis. I went with the twist, due to my dislike of olives. Ahhhhh...what a complement!

Accras de morue (Codfish Fritters)

We needed something healthy and diverse, so what's better than fried fish? I did mention we're going for healthy, right? Beautifully fried, and crunchy, I could have ate a whole basket of these things. The addition of lemon added a much needed acidity and balance for the fried cod. I wish I have some right now as I'm typing this post up.....

Langue de bison à l'estragon (Tarragon Bison Tongue)

Bison tongue? Yes please! The tongue was cooked, oh, so tender. Yet, the flavors of the tongue and the sauce meshed beautifully. I was tempted to get seconds of this as well, but sadly, we had a lot more courses coming our way.

Poutine au foie gras (Foie Gras Poutine)

I loved my meal at Animal in Los Angeles, and its poutine. I loved the poutine at La Banquise, but those were the minor league compared to the poutine served at Au Pied de Cochon. What's better than cheese curds, rich gravy, and crispy fries? Why, a large piece of foie gras of course! I don't think I need to describe this particular dish much (Good, since it's from over a year ago), but this was truly a memorable experience.

Canard en conserve (Duck In A Can)

What's better than foie gras poutine? How about duck in a can? I don't know how it's done, and I don't know how it could taste this good, but this was simply amazing. Foie gras, duck, pomme puree, and other ingredients, can it get better than this? This is not your entree for those light eaters, and I hope there was a cardiologist present when I ate it. This was a truly a fucking amazing dish!

Plogue à Champlain

Do you like breakfast? I usually don't eat it, but I could deal with this. What is Plogue à Champlain? Call it a mix of maple cured bacon, lard, potatoes, apples, and of course, a generous piece of foie gras onto of a buckwheat pancake. On top of everything it's served in a bed of maple syrup. Waking up to this daily would be heavenly, though I don't know how one could survive eating this on a daily basis.

Potée du PDC (PDC's Melting Pot)

Still not full, my buddies and I decided to add the PDC's Melting Pot through the recommendation of our waiter and it was a fantastic way to finish the savory portion of the meal. Pork hoc, sausages, boudin noir and other delicious items in one cast iron pot. Rich and delicious, what's better than that? Now, with the little space we had left, it's time for dessert!

Pouding chômeur (Pudding Chômeur)

I should have gone with my gut and ordered the creme caramel or creme brulee. The pudding chômeur was just way too sweet. We were barely able to finish this one. Definitely my least favorite thing we ordered all night.

Panna Cotta

The special dessert of the day was the panna cotta, thus we had to order it, being one of my favorite dessert options, and it did not disappoint. Simple, creamy, and the fruit on top added a nice tartness to the dish we desperately needed after this meal. I can't quite remember what the fruit was, I want to say rhubarb, but I don't think that's correct. Whatever it was, it made one helluva dessert.

Tarte au Sucre Pour 2 (Maple Syrup Pie for 2)

Finally, a nicely portioned maple syrup pie with vanilla ice cream. Since we're in Canada, we had to order this one. The ice cream was definitely a welcoming addition to this dessert. While I didn't love it, we finished every last bite.

Dining Room

Au Pied de Cochon was such a wonderful experience, I'm hoping to visit Montreal again in 2012. The food scene in this city was pretty fantastic, yet underrated. Although more people talk about the food scene (especially the Chinese food) in Vancouver, I personally don't have much of an interest in visiting, especially with the San Gabriel Valley so close to me. Montreal is definitely the star of Canada. With the abundance of people communicating in French, with its old cobblestone streets, it feels like you're in France instead of North America. This was such a great way to cap off my trip with the amount of foie gras we consumed, it was quite a challenge getting back to our hotel. The meal at Au Pied de Cochon was easily one of the top 5 meals all time for me. I can't wait to go back. Bring it on Chef Picard!

Note: If you ever decide to go, they do take reservations online via e-mail!

Final Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Au Pied de Cochon
536 Avenue Duluth Est
Montréal, Québec, Canada
(514) 281-1114
Website