You all know by now how we feel about restaurants that celebrate local products, right? One of the most notable in Montreal is DNA Restaurant, a collaborative vision between owners Derek and Alex (ahem, DNA?) and their passion for Canadian products (including Canadian wine like you’ve never seen it before) and sustainably grown and harvested produce.
If you’re looking to try food that tastes so good you can almost feel the love that went into it every step of the way, Montreal’s DNA may serve well on your wish list. Owner Derek Dammann’s entire philosophy on food is that it “tastes better when the ingredients are the product of thoughtful stewardship.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
Located near the port of Old Montreal, DNA is an establishment that claims to honour old world traditions. From regional pastas to local meat and seafood dishes, to sustainably grown and harvested produce, the menu appears rich to say the least. DNA’s commitment to featuring at least two dishes with offal (animal insides) is brave and would leave any willing young professional with something new to try.
It’s worth a visit to DNA Restaurant to sample vintages from their notably diverse Canadian Wine Program. (Between 5-7 pm bottles of Canadian wine are half price in the lounge.) Wine Director Alex Cruz remains passionate about offering the most diverse wine menu in the country and regularly visits Canadian Vineyards from which he imports in order to keep up-to-date with evolution. DNA’s International wine menu is just as impressive and it is undoubtedly this respect for culture that earned Derek and Alex the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2009. Well played.
The fact that Derek is involved with the Merchants of Deliciousness (a dynamic group of young chefs who cook to celebrate cooking) all but guarantees delicious food courtesy of this young chef. DNA proves that a commitment to local and sustainable products, done well, can blow any other restaurant out of the water. Go see for yourself. DNA Restaurant, 355 Marguerite D’Youville, Montreal, 514-287-3362.