Lineup Avoidance 101

The Pitch

As a (wannabe) food critic, I ascribe myself the obligation of trying as many Montreal restaurants as possible.  From the casual to the upscale, the unknown to the wildly popular, no restaurant is off limits in my books.  However, there is one aspect of a restaurant which makes me run away and avoid like the plague: the lineup!

There are a handful of eateries which do not take reservations and draw a perpetual lineup of fans.  I resigned myself to the thought of never trying Kazu, Régine Café, Kem CoBa and their likes.  I am happy for their success and curious to find out what the hype is all about, but I refuse to stand in line, not knowing when I will get my turn.

That said, there are ways to avoid the dreaded queues, such as going at an off-hour.  Such is what I did today with my wife as we were strolling along Notre-Dame Street in Saint-Henri at around noon.  When we noticed the absence of the habitual crowd of diners huddled around BarBara's entrance, we immediately went in.  While the Italian wine bar's interior was quite full, the patio outside had a few vacancies.

tagged:  CAN'T RESERVE CATCH SOME SUN

The Mood

Inside, the dining room was vibrant and boisterous; we were happy with the roadside terrace, which was quieter – car traffic is meager on Notre Dame at this time.

The crowd leaned heavily young and female as usual, with a few couples spotted here and there.  You will also always spot a few folks on their laptops here.  A well-dressed man next to our table even took a work call during his lunch – talk about multitasking!

tagged:  GET SOME WORK DONE

The Food

BarBara is yet another one of those all-day cafés/buvettes which have gained momentum of late.  Open from early in the morning to late at night, their offering adapts to the time of day, from breakfast/lunch items in the daytime to dinner and wine at night, not to mention coffee and pastry in between.

Both breakfast and lunch are served until 3PM, so one gets to choose between eggs, French toast and a breakfast sandwich or salads, pork Milanese and pasta, to name a few.  Of course, no visit here is complete without one of BarBara's signature focaccias, which are on full display at the restaurant's entrance.  Today we tried the one with salt and rosemary, which is thick, fluffy and tasty.

We followed that with a small, crunchy and fresh Caesar salad.  For mains, my wife opted for an egg-pancetta sandwich in a homemade bun, while I went for a lumache pasta dish.  The latter showcased this spot's home-style fare; simple yet well executed.  Naturally, I had to mop up my sauce with whatever was left of the focaccia.

The Service

Young, casual, friendly and chatty… these seem to be the four main characteristics of staff at restaurants the likes of BarBara; the "in", hip spots.  Congeniality aside, our waitress took good care of us, from quickly getting drinks out to properly pacing the rest of our meal.

The Verdict

Open since 2021, BarBara was one of a handful of post-pandemic restaurant success stories.  By replacing Cho in the same locale before it, this restaurant/wine bar rode the wave of Italian businesses swooping the city.

From restaurants such as Mano Cornuto and Moccione to casual eateries such as Lulu's Pasta Bar and BOSSA, without forgetting Café Olimpico's expansion, Italy is clearly having a moment in Montreal.  From my second lunch at BarBara, I can see the allure here; you can't go wrong with unpretentious, homey yet delicious food at prices that never exceed $25 for main dishes.

Would I personally line up for it?  No, but as stated before, I do not line up for anything!  I am, however, glad I came at an off-time and got to enjoy a good lunch and what may be the last al fresco meal in a while.

tagged:  SOLID

4

Price per person:  $24