Au Pied de Cochon, One Year Later

Almost a year after my first visit to Au Pied de Cochon, I walked back into the restaurant and somehow ended up in the exact same seat at the bar.

Even better, I had the same bartender.

He remembered me.

He also remembered the mocktail he made me the first time I visited, which honestly surprised me. This time, he made me something different: a ginger mocktail that was bright, spicy, and exactly what I wanted before an extremely rich dinner.

Last year, I wrote about going to Au Pied de Cochon twice in one week. I loved it enough that when I returned to Montreal this past May, there really wasn’t much debate about whether I was going back.

Of course I was.

Starting With Something New

I already knew I wanted the foie gras poutine again, but I also wanted to try dishes I hadn’t had on my previous visits.

The first new thing was Duck Temaki 2.0, served in a crispy seaweed cone. It was playful, rich, and very much in the spirit of Au Pied de Cochon: familiar ingredients pushed into something a little ridiculous in the best possible way.

Then came the Lobster à la Parisienne.

It was beautiful, but more importantly, it tasted as good as it looked. Lobster, vegetables, sauce, and enough richness to remind me exactly where I was eating.

There is nothing subtle about Au Pied de Cochon, and I mean that as a compliment.

‘Twas simply divine 👌 and of course I SHLAYED them ☺️

I Had to Get the Foie Gras Poutine Again

Some dishes are worth trying once.

The foie gras poutine is not one of them.

I ordered it on my first visit, wrote about it last year, and still wanted it again the second I sat down.

Fries, gravy, cheese curds, and foie gras is already an absurd combination. Somehow it still works.

It’s heavy. It’s messy. It’s excessive.

It is also one of the dishes I associate most with this restaurant, so ordering it again felt less like repeating myself and more like returning to something I already knew I loved.

And SHLAYED!

Dessert Was Also Completely Reasonable

By the time dessert came around, making responsible decisions was no longer really part of the evening.

I ordered the pouding chômeur, with extra cheddar and foie gras.

It arrived warm, sweet, rich, and completely over the top. The foie gras adds another layer of richness while the cheddar cuts through some of the sweetness.

I’m not suggesting everyone needs foie gras added to dessert.

I am suggesting that if there is ever a place where doing that makes sense, it is Au Pied de Cochon.

Properly SHLAYED

Coming Back

The food was great again, but my favorite part of this visit might have happened before most of it even arrived.

Same bar.

Same seat.

Same bartender.

And he remembered me.

There’s something special about returning to a restaurant in another city almost a year later and having that little moment of familiarity. Montreal isn’t home for me, and Au Pied de Cochon certainly isn’t my neighborhood restaurant, but sitting there again didn’t feel completely new anymore.

That’s probably why I like going back to places instead of constantly chasing something different.

The second visit can tell you something the first one can’t.

I wasn’t trying to recreate the first meal. The menu had new things to try, the bartender made me something new, and the night had its own personality.

Sometimes you realize the place wasn’t actually as good as you remembered.

And sometimes you sit back down, order another foie gras poutine, get handed a ginger mocktail by the bartender who remembers you, and realize:

Yep.

Still love this place.