The “new” Moishes Steakhouse has unveiled an attractive terrasse

MtlRestoRap

It has been more than a year now since the iconic Moishes Steakhouse reopened at its new Victoria Square  location. Recently, I enjoyed my first meal there coinciding with the debut of a beautiful terrasse.

The Grandio Group, which also owns Le Cage Brasserie Sportive, Gibbys and a host of other dining establishments, purchased Moishes towards the end of 2018.  Less than two years later, the doors to its fabled St. Laurent Blvd closed and many people thought this was the end of the road. This was in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, yet Grandio Group President and CEO Jean Bédard maintained that Moishes would rise again in a new location. On June 14, 2023, that did indeed occur and since that time it has been welcoming long-time clients, many new ones and a lot of tourists.

Founded in 1938 by Moishe Lighter, Moishes new home benefited from an investment of more than $5 million that has enabled it to host more than 200 diners in a 7,000-square-foot space and a team of 160 employees headed by General Manager Jean Michel Bourassa. The old Moishes was on the second floor of an old building. This still practically spanking new facility is at all ground level and I must say the winding terrasse, which can accommodate 75 people at tables and on some couches, is a beauty! The restaurant is divided into four rooms – a bar area, two distinct dining rooms and a private dining room – to recreate the warm, intimate ambience of the former space on boulevard Saint-Laurent.

As soon one arrives, customers can contemplate and view a mural by Jason Wasserman that tells the story of Moishes through the ages to the present day. The private dining room features a specially created work by internationally renowned Montreal artist André Monet.

The restaurant’s menu retains several Eastern-European-inspired dishes from the original menu, notes Director of Operations Guillaume Briere. At the same time, it has been redesigned by Murteza Talu, the executive chef for both Moishes and Gibbys. In addition to USDA Prime Beef – the highest quality of beef on the market – a variety of new dishes have been added seasonally, including fish and vegetarian dishes, among others. We were welcomed to Moishes by very familiar face in  David Zaltzman, a veteran in the restaurant business who was a mainstay at Moishes for years.

Our waiter, Louis, started us off with some drinks: a Mr. and Mrs. Tranquille for me and Le Rocket (vodka ketel one, fruits de la passion, sirop thé vert, citron and cayenne) for my dining partner.

Soon enough, the familiar Moishes rye bread with butter, coleslaw and pickles arrived at the table – always a staple.

Among the new items on the Moishes menu is a seafood tower, a genuine favorite of ours at high-end restaurants. It was absolutely outstanding, consisting of lobster, a dozen very large oysters, crab cake salad, shrimp cocktail, branzino ceviche and some of the best pieces of Arctic char I ever remember tasting. The platter came with a number of excellent sauces and some spicy mayo. Friends of mine dined here a few days later and the seafood tower was their entire meal and they had no complaints.

While the menu has so many tempting items, when you come to Moishes you order a steak. We agreed to share the 34-ounce porterhouse, prepared medium rare. On the side was another blast from the past, the monte carlo potato. The steak’s perfectly seared exterior glistened with juices, promising a tender, flavorful interior. The sight of its charred edges and reddish-pink center ignited the anticipation. Before my first bite, the aroma of sizzling meat filled the air, rich with the promise of savory goodness. The blend of caramelized crust and beefy fragrance created an irresistible invitation. Cutting into the steak revealed a tender, juicy interior, its texture offering a slight resistance followed by a succulent chew. Each bite delivered a combination of tenderness and slight firmness, showcasing the quality of the cut.

Some of the other menu items I will look at trying on future visits include the salads, BBQ chicken, smoked beef short ribs, shish kebab, rack of lamb and other cuts of steak. For dessert we shared a mouthwatering piece of lemon meringue pie.

Moishes is located at 1001 Rue du Square-Victoria. You can also log on to www.moishes.ca to reserve and to view the complete menu, including the gourmet lunch specials.

Mike Cohen can be reached at [email protected]. Follow his culinary adventures at www.mtlrestorap.com