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A fine meal on a ship . . . no, it's a store
Montreal restaurant replicates the salle a manager on the Ile-de-France
Author: By Leonard J. Panaggio, Globe Correspondent
Date: SUNDAY, October 19, 1997
Page: M13
Section: Travel
MONTREAL -- We pretended it was 1927 and my wife and I were passengers on
the first eastbound trans-Atlantic crossing to Le Havre aboard the new and
elegant French Line's mammoth ship, Ile-de-France. But we were not on board
that ship, and it was today. Actually, we were dining in Le 9e (Le Neuvieme
-- The Ninth) on the ninth floor of the Eaton department store.
The dining room is a reproduction of the first-class salle a manger on the
Ile-de-France.
Upon entering the spacious room, we were escorted to a linen-covered table
with a small vase of flowers. The classically styled upholstered chairs were
comfortable. The waitress was dressed as one would have been at in 1927 -- a
simple black frock, a white apron, and a small white cap. She presented a menu
for the day's table d'hote suggestions.
Let's go back (or forward, as the case may be) to Jan. 26, 1931. That is
when when Le 9e opened its doors to Montrealers seeking to enjoy quality
dining in a unique setting.
The restaurant had its work cut out for it. The French Line called its
chefs ``men of invention and skill, profoundly devoted to their art.'' With
85 blue ribbon chefs aboard the liner, supervising an army of cooks, as many
as 250 dishes were prepared for the daily menus. We soon found out that the
chefs of Le 9e could compete with the overwhelming offerings of the French
Line chefs.
To reproduce the salle a manger of the Ile-de-France was the idea of the
late Lady Eaton, wife of Sir John Eaton, son of the store's founder, Timothy
Eaton. She had made numerous crossings on the fabled liner. Eventually, she
challenged the store's board of directors to upgrade the restaurants found on
various floors or put the spaces to more productive use.
At precisely noon, Le 9e's doors opened. Directly opposite the reception
area is a large stainless-steel buffet. This serving unit was designed in
keeping with the era that popularized Art Deco. We learned that it cost the
then whopping sum of $30,000 to build.
The buffet is angled so that you can clearly see the offerings. There was a
wide selection of cold cuts, smoked meats and cheeses, fresh fruits and
compotes, salads from green to mixed vegetables, chicken, fish from tuna salad
to thin-sliced Norwegian salmon, and at least a dozen high-calorie desserts,
from cakes to pies to Napoleons. As for shrimp, a favorite with us, the only
other place you might see more is in a supermarket deli case.
At the buffet's center, there is a working space presided over by two
chefs. They ladle the soups and chowders, serve the hot foods (the lamb stew
was excellent), and carve roast beef and slice ham.
The table d'hote and daily specials were tempting. However, we opted for
the bounty displayed on the buffet, which was about 25 feet long! My wife and
I made our initial foray. We probably made a half-dozen trips so that we could
enjoy as many of the selections as we could. During this time, our dining room
attendant saw to it that we had enough fresh rolls, butter, and coffee.
To learn more about the dining room, we visited May Choueri, the store's
director of public relations. She told us that Jacques Carlu, a French
architect, was commissioned in 1930 to design the decor of what became Eaton's
premier restaurant. ``He came up with a style that was truly modern for the
period,'' she said. ``It was Art Deco, and the reproduction was described as
an architectural masterpiece.''
There are two murals at each end of the nave, which are the work of
Carlu's artist wife, Natacha. Fountains beneath the murals add to the decor.
Choueri called our attention to the bas-reliefs that decorate an area
below the windows, which are more than 30 feet above the floor. ``That is the
work of Denis Gelin,'' she said. ``They depict culinary themes.'' Our eyes
traveled the 150 feet or so length of the nave, noting depictions of game,
vegetables, fruits, rabbits, fish, wild ducks, and birds.
They were created in stucco and illuminated from all sides. Natural and
artificial light comes from the opal glass windows above the frieze work.
What about those two pairs of tall, urn-shaped vases that seem to guard the
murals? we asked. ``They are set on black marble pedestals and are Belgian,''
she replied. The vases were illuminated, but the lighting was soft.
Before ending our tour, we took another look at this unusual dining
facility. We again marveled at the high nave that is supported by a range of
pink and soft gray marble columns.
Such a setting could be adapted to other uses. Several motion pictures and
television productions have used Le 9e. They include ``Voices From A Locked
Room,'' a documentary; ``By Woman's Hand''; and ``Little Gloria, Happy At
Last,'' the saga of Gloria Vanderbilt.
We have dined in dozens of Montreal restaurants, but this is the one we
remember. Reverting to 1927 on our mythical voyage across the busy Atlantic,
we wondered if the passengers on the Leviathan, Olympic, Acquitania, and the
other 50 trans-Atlantic liners of that time were enjoying a lunch comparable
to ours.
SIDEBAR:
IF YOU GO . . .
Eaton's is at 677 Ste. Catherine Street West, about three blocks from
Montreal's largest hotel, the Queen Elizabeth. An express elevator takes you
to the ninth floor.
The restaurant serves lunch from noon until 2 p.m. It serves dinners on
Thursday and Friday evenings from 5 to 7 p.m. We chose the noon buffet for
about $9 US.
A table d-hote entree such as fillet of sole, assorted vegetables, coffee
or tea is about $5.75 US. A la carte selections such as chicken pot pie,
poached salmon, roast beef, chicken breast, and veal cutlets with mushrooms,
are also moderately priced. New for 1997 is a pasta table featuring a variety
of sauces.
Monetary rates and food prices are subject to change.
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