Montreal Canadiens and Joe Beef Team Up at New Airport Restaurant

Just over a year after a convoy of new restaurants was announced for Trudeau International, the food and beverage scene at YUL is in the throes of a significant overhaul. By year's end the gateway to Montreal will have 38% more retail space than it did five years ago. That means a lot more restaurants. Here are some notable new players.

Avenue des Canadiens

Geoff Molson, Montreal Canadiens President and CEO, coaxed none other than Joe Beef to help configure the menu at Trudeau airport's new Habs-themed restaurant operated by HMSHost. "As an organization we take pride in being part of the Quebec and Canadian heritage as one of the most storied franchises in professional sports and as such we are delighted to reinforce the bond that new and existing Canadiens fans have with the club as they walk through Pierre-Elliott Trudeau Airport. Hockey plays such a large role in our lives, it’s inspiring to know that travelers will get acquainted with our game and our team," Molson remarked in a statement. Look for plenty of Habs merch alongside the likes of a foie gras parfait, rotisserie chicken and ribs, strip steak, pan seared arctic char, and a smoked meat sausage from Ils en Fument du Bon. "We tried to put some Montreal flavours on the menu," Joe Beef's Dave McMillan said at Avenue des Canadiens's opening (see below). Located in the Domestic Terminal.

QDC Burger

Enjoy steakhouse burgers from Peter Morentzos, of La Queue de Cheval fame. The restaurateur describes QDC Burger as a "love child of the sexiest beef known to mankind and the cast-iron fronted warehouses of SoHo. Think an indecent amount of premium-aged beef, veal and pork handcrafted into the world’s best burgers, and salivate." There's a vegetarian burger, and a breakfast menu too. The SSP Group operated restaurant is located in the International Terminal, Gate 52.

[Photo credit: ADM]

Trinity

Trinity, the other new restaurant from SSP and Morentzos, is a Mediterranean/Greek concept that features a gargantuan, state-of-the-art rotisserie. Look for legs of lamb, gyro, souvlaki, calamari, and traditional meze.

L’Auberge Saint-Gabriel

At the airport's version of the Old Montreal restaurant owned by Marc Bolay, rocker Garou, and Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté, look for "classic upscale casual cuisine marked by comforting touches" from chef Emilie Rizzetto. On the lunch and dinner menu: roasted Cornish game hen, pan-seared filet of trout, stout-braised pork shoulder, beef and salmon tartares, and more. Breakfast includes poached eggs on handmade Danish with hollandaise mustard sauce, mushrooms, bacon, and poached egg tarts, and French toast with stewed fruit and lemon zest mascarpone. Located in the International Terminal, Gate 52.

[Photo credit: ADM]

Montréal Cuisine de Rue

The city's street food scene may be young, but, exhorts this new restaurant, "You can’t have a full Montréal experience without a stop at a Montréal food truck." Cuisine de Rue will feature "alternating food truck brands, rotating chefs, and interchanging menus using local and regional products to create innovative and tasty, on-the-go meals." Located in the International Terminal, Gate 52.

[Photo credit: ADM]

Baéro

This new tapas-like spot serves up charcuterie, calamari, sliders, and a few riffs on tartare. For breakfast there's maple salmon gravlax blinis, omelettes, and apricot-glazed pork belly bacon. Located in the International Terminal, Gate 66.