Nora Gray was opened in September 2011 by chef Emma Cardarelli, who left the kitchens of Joe Beef and Liverpool House, together with one of her colleagues from Liverpool House, sommelier Ryan Gray and a third business partner, front of house manager Lisa McConnell.
These days Emma Cardarelli and Ryan Gray are busy with a new project, the opening of their new restaurant Elena, located at 5090 rue Notre-Dame Ouest.
We visited the Nora Gray only two nights after they changed the menu. Probably that’s why some of the dishes were not up to par with our expectations, as the chef didn’t finish tweaking the new dishes.
At Nora Gray, the ambiance is perfect for a romantic night out. It's dark, intimate and trendy. The menu offers lots of interesting plates that can be ordered as half or regular size, and they have great wines. At our visit, the downside was the poor service, but maybe it was not our lucky night to get such a disinterested waiter.
To start off the evening, we went with the waiter’s recommendation from the predominantly French and Italian wine list and ordered the La Stoppa 2005 Emilia Rosso, from North-West Emilia-Romagna. Unfortunately, it came late, after the first course was served. Probably the waiters are used that Gray’s expertise with the spirits, sodas and shaker entice patrons to a cocktail before delving into wines. So, they linger, but the water service was not prompt at all, either.
I have to say that the only points I can grant the waiter is for the wine recommendation. The wine is produced by Elena Panteoni who is a recognized mentor/leader in Italy for the artisanal production of wine, and who was also the inspiration for the name of Emma Cardarelli’s and Ryan Gray’s new restaurant pizzeria.
We started with:
Cavolfiore fritto, pecorino e pepe - Crispy cauliflower, pecorino and pepper – Chou-fleur frite avec pecorino et poivre
It came with a paste of chickpeas and pecorino and pepper. Delicious!
Fettucine ai nero di sepia con capesante radicchio alla grilia – Squid ink fettuccine with scallops, grilled radicchio and walnuts
The reason I didn't like this that much is the low quality of the scallops. Everything else was good.
Casoncelli di coniglio brasato e funghi – Braised rabbit casoncelli and mushrooms
Unfortunately, one of our companions found a bone in the dish and almost choked on it.
Gnochi ai barbarietole dorate, spinachi e gorgonzola – Golden beet gnochi, spinach and gorgonzola
My companions found the gnocchi amazing, having been cooked well with just the right amount of creaminess. At par with the roasted cauliflower they were the best dishes of the evening.
Guancia di manzo brasasto al vino rosso polenta fritti - Red-wine braised beef cheeks, friend polenta
I was tasty, and I really enjoyed the fried polenta, but I felt it lacked a bit of something. Don't get me wrong, the dish was good, just not "wow" good. It needed some zing.
Meringata di pistachio e crema d’arancia rossa - Pistachio pavlova and blood orange curd
The desert was nothing to write about. The pavlova was a regular pavlova, not made from pistachio. There was only some pistachio thrown on top.
Overall, our dishes were good, but not outstanding, considering all the hype surrounding the restaurant which is ranked 24th in Canada.
After you score that reservation, there one more thing to consider: due to the restaurant’s close proximity to the Bell Centre, parking, which is a real challenge on most nights, it is especially daunting on hockey or concert nights.
We will give Nora Gray another try, perhaps after they change the menu. Hopefully, we’ll also have a different waiter.
Dan Tomescu
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