Veganism 2.0

The Pitch

The name Archway has been familiar to me since its opening in 2019; but beyond name awareness, I knew nothing about it. Earlier this week, I attended the Gala des Lauriers (Quebec's culinary awards ceremony), where the Verdun restaurant was awarded a laurier.  This recognition probably brought it higher in my memory banks, and subconsciously influenced me when I suggested to meet a friend there for lunch.

The Mood

The 40-50 seater is decked out in earthy tones, white tabletops, wicker chairs and plants throughout – not to mention a few arches (wink archway).  The handful of tables were filled with a couple, a mom with her tween daughter, two pairs of parents with babies and two solo diners.

The daytime vibe is calm and serene, or it would have been were it not for the short burst of toddlers crying.  Obviously I'm not complaining or generalising, just noting; anyway I was more than absorbed in the cool 2000s indie pop tracks by the likes of Phoenix and Miike Snow.

tagged:  GROOVY TUNES TANTRUM CENTRUM

The Food

Not being one to research dining spots before setting foot in them, I only learned Archway was a vegan restaurant after picking up the menu.  Initially I felt a smidgen of trepidation; not that I have anything against veganism as a philosophy or way of life, I just rarely walk out of these places satisfied.

To this day, my review of LOV back in 2017 makes me shudder.  Most of them also lack identity or personality; their menus always revolving around the same internationally-inspired concoctions such as Korean fried cauliflower, oyster mushroom shawarma and the dreaded vegan burger.

At Archway, there is some of that but the dishes are given a haute cuisine treatment where ingredients are worked, technique is key and presentations are modern.  Think of this as a natural wine bar pushing a chef-driven vegan menu.  In the daytime, the fare is lighter but the options are endless.  Between the all-day menu, the brunch menu, the lunch table d'hôte, it took a while to make up our minds.

Drink options are even more elaborate, from cocktails, mocktails and beers to smoothies, adaptogens and coffee cocktails (not to mention the wine list); no wonder Archway won the Bourse Alternalcool at the Lauriers.  In the end, we did right by settling for a kale Caesar salad, a Greek all-in-one bowl and two smoothies.  My friend's salad was a crunchy/refreshing mix of tofu nuggets, mock bacon and greens.

My bowl centered around a delicious and spicy jackfruit/oyster mushroom gyro-of-sorts, served with pita, cashew tzatziki, veggies and turmeric basmati rice for some reason.  Our smoothies were excellent; mine was a thick and not-too-sweet blend of cocoa, hazelnut and banana, but had a tad of chalky mouth feel probably from the cauliflower or almond.

tagged:  YOU MAKE ALL THIS?

The Service

Today's lunch service was a one-woman show, at least as far as the front of the house went.  A brief exchange revealed she was at the Lauriers gala on stage to accept the award.  Questions were answered with savvy and both drinks and plates arrived on time.  The room was in good hands today.

The Verdict

When the vegetarian/vegan movement first hit the Montreal food scene, it took the form of fast/casual concepts such as La Panthère Verte, Copper Branch, Aux Vivres and the likes.  Today the caliber has gone a notch higher; with Archway you get a crossover between a modern health café like Spirulina and your favorite wine bar.

While my lunch today was tasty and satisfying, I will need to revisit at night to come up with a final verdict.  Stay tuned…

Price per person:  $36.50