Le Caveau was Here – Victoria Street at Avenue du Président-Kennedy, Montréal, Québec

When I visited the site in 2012, this rooster-themed weather vane was all that remained of Le Caveau, a gem of a French restaurant that was the perfect place for a McGill student on a tight budget to take a date for a bit of a splurge. Now closed, this intimate restaurant was curiously sandwiched between a series of high-rise buildings, a fact explained by history. Le Caveau had been there since 1949 serving authentic French cuisine in an Edwardian building unchanged since it was built in 1919. Everything from doorknobs to tables and tablecloths, floral design wallpapers, and wood windowsills was first generation. I fear that the space has since been levelled and turned into a parking lot.

Le Caveau offered good value for the money. Lunch hour was particularly busy as patrons from area offices rushed to partake of the table d’hôte menu. True to its southern French culinary roots, every part of the animal was served: kidneys, liver – the list of offal goes on. But an array of fresh seafood and poultry was also available. Desserts were notable as well, especially the non-French but very Québec maple sugar pie. It also featured a small but carefully selected, list of primarily French wines from major as well as lesser-known vintners.