Damn do these guys know how to make a soup!
I had a band rehearsal in the Ahuntsic-Cartierville area, and since for once I woke up well in advance, I decided it would be a great opportunity to try to find a place to eat in the neighbourhood. La Bete a Pain showed up in the Yelp results list, since they serve brunch on the weekend, and off I went!
I found the staff to be very accommodating, and friendly, even to an Anglophone out of his normal environment. The bakery/restaurant is a cozy but not cramped spot, with nice design, that really makes you forget what neighbourhood you're in. Suffice it to say I never expected to find this kind of setting in this area, but it was a very pleasant surprise.
The restaurant servers a variety of dishes, and some excellent soups (sorry Kim, but this beats Soupson hands down in my opinion!). The soups are also sold to go, and I write this having just finished the second of the soups I took home. I thought it tasted good in the restaurant, but after opening the container, I drank half of it cold - trust me this is some good stuff!
Unfortunately when I went, and I don't know if this was just an unlucky day, there were no vegetarian options to eat, aside from the soup. This is the reason I'm removing a star, because it was rather disheartening. I was told they couldn't even make a plate of eggs for brunch. Hopefully this was a fluke, and I definitely plan to go back, I'll just make sure to call first and confirm what's on the menu.
For those like me who prefer to use plastique, be aware that they don't accept credit cards, just debit and cash. read more