Montreal Report: DNA Restaurant

Perfect DNA  Chef Derek Dammann is a true believer in head-to-toe dining, not for the shock value a customer might get when offered Veal Heart, Kidney, and Liver Kebabs, but for the practicality of it, and as a way of going back to the way we used to eat. The first item that my eye hit on the menu was Blood Cake. As a child, I was served Jelita (Slovak), which I loved, but had I known those delicious sausages had blood as an ingredient, I would never have let it pass my lips. Derek’s version (photo) came with fried egg on top and tossed chanterelles. A true taste treat. The decor wins my top prize for design cleverness-plus-comfort of all the places we visited in Montreal. There was a subtle sense of humor to the tufted chair back, whose one button went awry, and had only one arm. The orange lounge area screamed ORANGE in the most spirited way, and was totally orange down to the glassware. My friend Bob told me of a surprise in the men’s room, which I won’t spoil for you, but it adds a wonderfully whimsical touch. See more pictures from our lunch visit here of the house-made charcuterie, boneless pig head terrine, the downstairs private dining room, shop and wine cellar/meat locker. Next time I'm in Montreal it will be dinner at DNA.