In a bold effort to uncover What’s Really Good, we’re asking chefs to serve us an ideal meal. Be it one single dish or seven courses with drink pairings, leaders in the industry will tell us what we should be eating and why. The Perfect Meal aims to give readers an alternative perspective on the restaurant scene by leading them beyond their preconceived boundaries as it pertains to eating. At a time when dining extends well beyond what’s on a plate, WRG seeks to relay to our readers the raison d’être of Montreal’s finest cuisine: the fusion of food, decor and the overall feel of a restaurant as seen through the eyes of its creators.
“There’s just something about walking into a restaurant and ordering a good drink before dinner,” said Ryan Gray, the bartender and part-proprietor of Nora Gray. He reached for various shakers and glasses, moving them around to the silent beat of the Cup Game.
Liquors were selected from the vast array of bottles displayed on the wall behind him and each was carefully measured with an expert hand, the whole while he continued chatting. He mentioned New York and how Montreal had to step up its cocktail game. “You know, good house cocktails that are well crafted, in the proper glassware, served with the proper ice,” he said. His hands moved at an impressive pace, creating something magical. Dropper bottle—metal stir stick—strainer—channel knife—towel— “Negroni Sbagliato”.
According to Italian tradition it’s customary to begin a meal with an aperitivo, often an alcoholic beverage, bitters being a top choice. Ryan explains the story behind this obscure concoction, which translates literally as “incorrect Negroni”. A bartender at a famous establishment in Milan was fixing a patron a Negroni— a traditional cocktail of equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth— when he accidentally replaced the gin with spumante or Prosecco. The mistake was forgiven as it was surprisingly delicious and the rest is history, as they say. It’s hard not to love something so delicate, light and well balanced. Nora Gray’s riff off this cheeky beverage includes both Prosecco and gin, because, well, that’s how Ryan likes it. Cin cin.
Nora Gray was established just over two years ago by three alums of the Joe Beef-Liverpool House dynasty. It was there that Ryan Gray, Emma Cardarelli and Lisa McConnell learned the ropes either in the kitchen or in the front of house. Ryan is an experienced sommelier, Emma is a trained chef and Lisa is a brilliant hostess who studied design in New York City.
They knew fairly early on in their friendship that they would become partners and are grateful to Dave McMillan and Fred Morin for supporting them in reaching their goal. It was important to Emma that the new venture have a distinct style. She also wanted to address a void in Montreal’s dining scene. The concept they decided on was a modern re-invented Trattoria, serving authentic Southern Italian food. Emma has intimate ancestral ties to Southern Italy and visits family there several times a year. The cuisine of this region is unique and remarkable because showcases how uncomplicated and inexpensive ingredients— typically vegetables and fish— can be transformed into delicious feasts. It’s Italy’s equivalent of “soul food”.
The restaurant seats about 50 and operates with two seatings per evening. The room is simple: white marble floors, wood-paneled walls, low ceilings, tan banquettes, black and white photographs. From one angle it’s reminiscent of a minimalist european speak-easy. From another, it conjures a likeness to a basement rec-room without the clutter or requisite musty smell. Still, it wouldn’t be a stretch to envision four older gentlemen sitting by the window, dressed in slacks and button-down shirts, sipping on espressos and smoking cigars while playing a hand of Briscola.
There’s an effortlessness about it that dismisses distractions and invites interactions— a favourite being with the kind face behind the bar. A Nora Gray experience wouldn’t be complete without a piece of sage advice or an informative wine lesson that one would expect from a first-class bartender. It makes the evening more enjoyable and personal, it completes the ambiance.
There is only one word needed to describe Nora Gray and its approach to food: simplicity. The Southern Italian food that emerges from the kitchen is a true representation of this style of cooking. It’s a countermeasure to the bastardization of Italian food that North America has regrettably become accustomed to. Dispelling myths starts with focusing on quality over quantity, says Emma, the chef de cuisine:
“At the time, there weren’t very many authentic Italian restaurants—they were doing North American-style Italian— and we wanted to keep it as authentic as possible. Because we came from somewhere where the food is really big and imposing and the portions are big and everything is in your face, we wanted to go the opposite way: smaller portions, subtle flavours, simpler foods.”
View all imagesIn terms of structure, Nora Gray’s Perfect Meal follows the conventional Italian dinner procession: aperitivo, antipasto, primo, secondo, dolce. Each course is true to its purpose and puts the entire meal into perspective. As a whole, the menu showcases Emma’s commitment to seasonal ingredients:
“I find the most inspiring things are the ingredients. Quebec is a great place to eat locally, particularly from the end of March to mid-November. There’s new stuff coming out almost every week. And we have so many interesting options, from the seafood in the spring, to the vegetables in the summer, to the deer that comes out mid-October. Trying to keep as close to the seasons as possible is also interesting and inspirational.”
A Perfect Meal at Nora Gray is rustic and homely. As Ryan says, “it’s the type of food you wished your grandmother made”. Each dish contains classic Italian ‘peasant foods’: anchovies, risotto, tomato sauce, polenta. The idea being that even inexpensive and widely accessible foods, once eaten as mere sustenance, can become culinary delights: “they are all simple ingredients, but when properly prepared, they are exceptional.” Each bite would be incomplete without its designated drink pairing, which is an innovative and essential part of this Perfect Meal. The food is only half of the proverbial ‘party in your mouth’. Mixology and the pairings of drinks or wine are an art form that is seldom seen in Montreal and often neglected by the average diner. When orchestrated by a professional with impeccable taste and perfect timing, it’s hard to imagine a meal without it. Those provided by Ryan are so deliciously on-point that they create an additional layer of complexity that draws from and contributes to the flavours of each dish.
“That’s what a great pairing does, it doesn’t overwhelm the plate, it should compliment it, it should enhance it. You should be able to taste the food, taste the wine, taste the food again, taste the wine again, and it’s like it’s all the same, it’s one flawless thing”
Where some subtle and lesser-known flavours might get lost in the dish, the pairings draw on herbaceous or saltine notes, bringing these to the forefront. The visceral connection between food and wine is what Nora Gray’s Perfect Meal is all about.
The best way to experience Nora Gray, according to Emma herself, is to share plates with a larger party of two to six people. Considering that the menu changes every month or so, it’s the surest way to sample the most dishes that are only in season for a limited time. Industry veterans and neighborhood regulars have caught on to this tendency— on any given night Ryan, Lisa and Emma welcome old friends or acquaintances who have come by to sample the new offerings. Better yet, bring a posse of good conversationalists and leave your food-fates in the hands of Nonna Nora: sit down, ask for drinks, then say “ho fame!” and let the magic unfold.
In a bold effort to uncover What’s Really Good, we’re asking chefs to serve us an ideal meal. Be it one single dish or seven courses with drink pairings, leaders in the industry will tell us what we should be eating and why. The Perfect Meal aims to give readers an alternative perspective on the restaurant scene by leading them beyond their preconceived boundaries as it pertains to eating. At a time when dining extends well beyond what’s on a plate, WRG seeks to relay to our readers the raison d’être of Montreal’s finest cuisine: the fusion of food, decor and the overall feel of a restaurant as seen through the eyes of its creators.
“There’s just something about walking into a restaurant and ordering a good drink before dinner,” said Ryan Gray, the bartender and part-proprietor of Nora Gray. He reached for various shakers and glasses, moving them around to the silent beat of the Cup Game.
Liquors were selected from the vast array of bottles displayed on the wall behind him and each was carefully measured with an expert hand, the whole while he continued chatting. He mentioned New York and how Montreal had to step up its cocktail game. “You know, good house cocktails that are well crafted, in the proper glassware, served with the proper ice,” he said. His hands moved at an impressive pace, creating something magical. Dropper bottle—metal stir stick—strainer—channel knife—towel— “Negroni Sbagliato”.
According to Italian tradition it’s customary to begin a meal with an aperitivo, often an alcoholic beverage, bitters being a top choice. Ryan explains the story behind this obscure concoction, which translates literally as “incorrect Negroni”. A bartender at a famous establishment in Milan was fixing a patron a Negroni— a traditional cocktail of equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth— when he accidentally replaced the gin with spumante or Prosecco. The mistake was forgiven as it was surprisingly delicious and the rest is history, as they say. It’s hard not to love something so delicate, light and well balanced. Nora Gray’s riff off this cheeky beverage includes both Prosecco and gin, because, well, that’s how Ryan likes it. Cin cin.
Nora Gray was established just over two years ago by three alums of the Joe Beef-Liverpool House dynasty. It was there that Ryan Gray, Emma Cardarelli and Lisa McConnell learned the ropes either in the kitchen or in the front of house. Ryan is an experienced sommelier, Emma is a trained chef and Lisa is a brilliant hostess who studied design in New York City.
They knew fairly early on in their friendship that they would become partners and are grateful to Dave McMillan and Fred Morin for supporting them in reaching their goal. It was important to Emma that the new venture have a distinct style. She also wanted to address a void in Montreal’s dining scene. The concept they decided on was a modern re-invented Trattoria, serving authentic Southern Italian food. Emma has intimate ancestral ties to Southern Italy and visits family there several times a year. The cuisine of this region is unique and remarkable because showcases how uncomplicated and inexpensive ingredients— typically vegetables and fish— can be transformed into delicious feasts. It’s Italy’s equivalent of “soul food”.
“It’s the type of food you wished your grandmother made.”The restaurant seats about 50 and operates with two seatings per evening. The room is simple: white marble floors, wood-paneled walls, low ceilings, tan banquettes, black and white photographs. From one angle it’s reminiscent of a minimalist european speak-easy. From another, it conjures a likeness to a basement rec-room without the clutter or requisite musty smell. Still, it wouldn’t be a stretch to envision four older gentlemen sitting by the window, dressed in slacks and button-down shirts, sipping on espressos and smoking cigars while playing a hand of Briscola.
There’s an effortlessness about it that dismisses distractions and invites interactions— a favourite being with the kind face behind the bar. A Nora Gray experience wouldn’t be complete without a piece of sage advice or an informative wine lesson that one would expect from a first-class bartender. It makes the evening more enjoyable and personal, it completes the ambiance.
There is only one word needed to describe Nora Gray and its approach to food: simplicity. The Southern Italian food that emerges from the kitchen is a true representation of this style of cooking. It’s a countermeasure to the bastardization of Italian food that North America has regrettably become accustomed to. Dispelling myths starts with focusing on quality over quantity, says Emma, the chef de cuisine:
“At the time, there weren’t very many authentic Italian restaurants—they were doing North American-style Italian— and we wanted to keep it as authentic as possible. Because we came from somewhere where the food is really big and imposing and the portions are big and everything is in your face, we wanted to go the opposite way: smaller portions, subtle flavours, simpler foods.”
View all images
In terms of structure, Nora Gray’s Perfect Meal follows the conventional Italian dinner procession: aperitivo, antipasto, primo, secondo, dolce. Each course is true to its purpose and puts the entire meal into perspective. As a whole, the menu showcases Emma’s commitment to seasonal ingredients:
“I find the most inspiring things are the ingredients. Quebec is a great place to eat locally, particularly from the end of March to mid-November. There’s new stuff coming out almost every week. And we have so many interesting options, from the seafood in the spring, to the vegetables in the summer, to the deer that comes out mid-October. Trying to keep as close to the seasons as possible is also interesting and inspirational.”
“They are all simple ingredients, but when properly prepared, they are exceptional.”A Perfect Meal at Nora Gray is rustic and homely. As Ryan says, “it’s the type of food you wished your grandmother made”. Each dish contains classic Italian 'peasant foods': anchovies, risotto, tomato sauce, polenta. The idea being that even inexpensive and widely accessible foods, once eaten as mere sustenance, can become culinary delights: “they are all simple ingredients, but when properly prepared, they are exceptional.” Each bite would be incomplete without its designated drink pairing, which is an innovative and essential part of this Perfect Meal. The food is only half of the proverbial 'party in your mouth'. Mixology and the pairings of drinks or wine are an art form that is seldom seen in Montreal and often neglected by the average diner. When orchestrated by a professional with impeccable taste and perfect timing, it’s hard to imagine a meal without it. Those provided by Ryan are so deliciously on-point that they create an additional layer of complexity that draws from and contributes to the flavours of each dish.
“That’s what a great pairing does, it doesn’t overwhelm the plate, it should compliment it, it should enhance it. You should be able to taste the food, taste the wine, taste the food again, taste the wine again, and it’s like it’s all the same, it’s one flawless thing”
Where some subtle and lesser-known flavours might get lost in the dish, the pairings draw on herbaceous or saltine notes, bringing these to the forefront. The visceral connection between food and wine is what Nora Gray’s Perfect Meal is all about.
The best way to experience Nora Gray, according to Emma herself, is to share plates with a larger party of two to six people. Considering that the menu changes every month or so, it’s the surest way to sample the most dishes that are only in season for a limited time. Industry veterans and neighborhood regulars have caught on to this tendency— on any given night Ryan, Lisa and Emma welcome old friends or acquaintances who have come by to sample the new offerings. Better yet, bring a posse of good conversationalists and leave your food-fates in the hands of Nonna Nora: sit down, ask for drinks, then say “ho fame!” and let the magic unfold.