Aux Chantignoles – Montebello, Quebec

If you’re looking for a gastronomic feast, this is a great place to start.  My significant other decided to surprise me with a weekend get-away to Chateau Montebello for my birthday.  The bonus is that we were upgraded to the George W. Bush suite the second night.  It truly is a magnificent setting and the restaurants offer creative menus with impeccable service.

The first night we went downstairs for dinner.  For appetizers we ordered the cream of white onion and smoked Gouda soup and the Chantignoles classic which is a creative twist on a Caesar salad.  I was skeptical about the soup, but it was silky and light.  You’d expect a strong onion taste, but instead the cheese elevated the flavour of the onion and added creaminess.  I loved my salad with duck bacon, polenta fries and old cheddar.  Very unique and delicious.  What a great start!

For the mains we ordered the 12 oz Roast Prime Rib and the Wild Mushroom Roasted Beef Tenderloin.  I’m without a doubt, a carnivore.  I’ll eat pretty much any kind of meat.  Never having been good at making roasts at home, I tend to gravitate toward the prime rib when out at restaurants.  I was not disappointed.  The plate arrived and there sat this huge slice of beef.  It looked amazing with a red wine sauce drizzled over it, mini roasted multi-coloured potatoes and vegetables.  I chuckled when I saw the tenderloin as it was a much smaller.  The waitress thought she had made a mistake, but no I ordered the prime rib the tenderloin was his.  All good because I he wound up eating half of my slab of beef anyways!

The prime rib was cooked a perfect medium rare.  It was so tender I could cut it with my fork.  The sauce had a slight sweetness in the background with a full bodied beef flavour that was well seasoned with a  perfect hint of wine.  It was a thicker consistency and perfectly coated the meat.  I enjoyed the potatoes.  Nothing is more appealing than seeing all these bright vibrant colours on your plate.  It makes the food all the more appetizing.  For the vegetables I would have preferred peppers or red cabbage, perhaps some zucchini.  The carrots and sugar snap peas were good, but not my first choices as accompaniments for this beautiful beef.  Not to worry, I got the bok choy and oyster mushrooms my significant other wouldn’t eat from his dish!  Lol  The tenderloin was also perfectly cooked and the sauce was excellent.  It had a rich and woodsy mushroom flavour.  We both agreed that the prime rib was by far the best choice. 

Originally we were going to partake in the table d’hôte, but we were beyond stuffed after finishing the main courses and decided we needed to go for a walk instead!

This is a high end restaurant.  When you factor in the ambiance, décor, impeccable service, unique menu and high quality ingredients, you have to expect to pay a bit more, but you definitely get your money’s worth.  Life is short and we work hard so there’s nothing wrong with splurging once in a while.

If you’re celebrating a special occasion and want a beautiful, historic and romantic setting, this is the place to go. 

Indulge, I dare you!
Carm the Foodie