How Businesses Are Recovering in the USA and Canada

Anthony Bourdain, among others, televised and promoted the new Montreal restaurant revolution. It was covered in newly expanded food sections of newspapers on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as in Canada's isolated regions. Montreal had as strong a claim to be Canada's dining capital as it ever had. Richler, and most random Montrealers on Sherbrooke Street, would probably disagree that it has always been.The restaurants were not located downtown, but rather in residential districts that were gentrifying, such as Little Burgundy or the long-neglected Old Montreal. The food was classic, frequently appearing to have come directly from the 1938 Larousse Gastronomique. The rooms were loud and energetic; everyone ate and drank excessively. If you knew where to go, dining out in Montreal was a fantastic party. Then followed the COVID lockdowns. The party was ended, and restaurateurs, like everyone else, began the sluggish rebuilding of the hospitality industry over the previous year and a half. On my third late summer or autumn visit in as many years, I am pleased to report that the city has returned, and I had the pleasure of dining at three quite different restaurants, all of which were united by a golden thread of superb food and entertaining Montreal style.

Outside patrons at Nolan Restaurant in Montreal, Quebec. 

Photo credit: Malcolm Jolley. Nolan 1752 Notre-Dame Ouest. Nolan is the newest of the three restaurants I visited last week, having only debuted in 2022. It was a crowded Monday night, with people ranging in age from 20 to 50 and beyond. The food is faintly Italian (some spaghetti), but largely farm-to-fork seasonal, with a hint of French (a duck breast and a steak). The space is warm and inviting, as if you've arrived to a dinner party.The food is served on small and large plates, with the notion of sharing and passing them around, which works well. The youthful waitstaff were courteous and knowledgeable, especially about the carefully picked wine list. (Yes, I ask questions, too.) Nolan's easygoing charisma made it difficult to leave once the last of the pudding chomeur and digestives had been consumed. L'Express, 3927 Rue Saint-Denis.There have been times when I have been in Montreal and not visited Toujours L'Express, but these have been rare, and if I can obtain a seat at the zinc bar or on the black and white tiled floor of the dining room, I will take it. L'Express has been open since 1980, although it feels older. When I was a student in the early 1990s, it was already firmly established as an institution.

I wrote about L'Express in a Hub post about my top ten restaurants.

and my most recent visit reaffirmed my ranking. The service at L'Express is experienced and archly professional, and American tourists in T-shirts and baseball caps are treated equally with residents in suits. As long as you enjoy classic bistro fare, the meal never disappoints and caters to all tastes. Damas, 1201 Avenue Van Horne If Nolan represents the present and L'Express represents the (near) past, is Damas, a Syrian restaurant, the future of Montreal dining? That would make for an orderly column. I could frame it as Allophone Montreal taking over from Anglo and Franco, but it has been open since 2010, which is a long time in restaurant years. Damas is obviously off the main tourist trail, as it is located at the bottom of Outremont on the other side of the mountain. Nevertheless, it took three attempts over three years to secure a late Wednesday night booking. At nine o'clock, the restaurant was nearly packed of Montrealers ranging from families to first dates. Syria is a Francophone country, hence Quebec has long settled individuals from Syria and its Levantine neighbor, Lebanon, through its unique immigration scheme. Damas is a sophisticated restaurant, likely a source of pride for Montreal's Middle Eastern community and a fine dining novelty in a city dominated by French culture.

Damas delivers delicious, traditional Middle Eastern cuisine. 

produced using fresh ingredients that are clearly sourced. It boasts two spacious, ornately furnished tiled rooms and a lively atmosphere. The quantities are big, so it's best eaten in groups of four or more, unless you choose the tasting menu's long dish of dishes (which we didn't).Damas is not inexpensive, and while the staff may be tempted to suggest extravagant entrees including whole fish or racks of lamb, the restaurant imports a serious red Syrian wine, the Cabernet blend Domaine de Bargylus, whose Mediterranean earthiness goes well with everything. Unfortunately, what is the cost of having fun?Labor interruptions are on the rise.Recent strikes have forced the closure of Metro stores and British Columbia ports. Universities, Ontario construction sites, Vancouver hotels, and Canada's largest cemetery have all witnessed the same. Work stoppages at Air Canada and WestJet, which would have had a major economic impact, were narrowly avoided. Even federal employees went on strike to demand higher pay and more flexible work arrangements. These aren't isolated incidents.Last year, approximately 2.1 million work days were lost due to labor conflicts, nearly doubling the number lost in 2019 prior to the pandemic and the largest since 2009. This year, we expect even more. From January to June, we lost more than 1.6 million work days. That's the most disruption in the first half of a year since 2002.