Early Bird-gundy

The Pitch

Montreal sure has its fair share of breakfast-and-lunch operations, a concept which has thrived on the North American brunch explosion of the 90s.  One of the earlier players in this scene is Little Burgundy's Quoi de n'Oeuf.

Open for over twenty years now, this brunch fixture predated its neighborhood's gentrification movement.  Today I revisited the Notre-Dame West address early before heading to work, for what would be my third time here.

tagged:  EARLY BIRD

The Mood

The sundrenched space has a bare industrial feel with exposed brick walls and gray ceilings, along with hanging artwork adding a bit of color.  I recall the weekend brunch service being extremely busy; whereas the vibe was relaxed on this Friday morning.  A handful of tables were occupied by middle-aged solo diners and a few couples.

The Food

The menu is laid out like a newspaper, a fitting choice for a place named "quoi de neuf" – French for "what's new".  A prominent list of casseroles counts a dozen variations of skillets lined with a mixture of potatoes, veggies, herbs and various meats topped with eggs, hollandaise sauce and Swiss cheese.  Next up is a cheaper, early-bird lineup of breakfast classics followed by a lunchtime sandwich section.

My skillet on this morning was satisfying and hearty but contained tough strips of steak.  As for the eggs dish, I'll just borrow one of my favourite Seinfeld lines: "eggs are eggs."

$7.50

$7.50

2 Eggs + Sausage

$16.50

$16.50

The Jack Skillet

The Service

The quiet morning service allowed the pair of waiters on shift to maintain an inviting, homely feel.  There was a noticeable touch of familiarity and chumminess between staff and patrons.  Our order was taken promptly and food arrived shortly after.  Finally, to top things off: your coffee here is included.

The Verdict

Following an ownership change in 2018, Quoi de n'Oeuf now turns into a burger operation at night, conveniently named Quoi de b'Oeuf.  With the burger market already cornered and saturated, it is my opinion that Quoi's bread-and-butter will still be its déjeuner-dîner format.

On that front, the neighborhood bistro feel scores points, while the food fares slightly better than your generic Eggspectation, L'Oeufrier or Allô! Mon Coco – although the egg-centric name is just as lame…

tagged:  PLAN B.