The Bottom Line
Pros
- Great prices: as little as $15 for appetizer and (big) main dish per person.
- Some pasta is homemade (lasagna, ravioli, cannelloni, fettuccine).
- Can buy uncooked pasta to cook at home.
- Authentic homemade taste, good service and happy laughter filled vibe.
- Lots of tables and decent wine list.
Cons
- Possible lineups Thursday to Sunday.
- Background music is the radio. Eugh.
- Lights can be bright in the main dinning room.
Description
- Location: 351 Bellechasse, just west of St. Denis
- Get There: Rosemont Metro
- Phone: (514) 276-5341
- Note: Reservations recommended Thursday to Sunday evening.
Guide Review - Montreal Restaurants Review - Elio's, an Italian Restaurant in Montreal
The decor was diner kitsch-esque, complete with a MIX 96 type radio station blaring in the background and the restaurant was spread between two rooms. The first is ideal for couples, just to the left upon entrance where a dozen tables each offer enough room for two, and the main room is perfect for families and group gatherings but the lights were hospital bright.Sharing a bottle of Ruffino Chianti 2007, my dining partner started off with a chef salad (a good one, topped with mozzarella and the right balance of dressing) followed by fettucini with italian sausage and tomato sauce and I went for the tomato and cheese appetizer with a cannelloni and linguine main dish.
I sighed when I saw my appetizer served with mozarella instead of bocconcini (and those tomatoes were obviously not from the Jean-Talon Market, only a two-minute drive or 10-minute walk from there), but whatever spiced oil they topped the black-olive garnished dish with enhanced everything to satisfaction.
The fettuccine was so good. Smooth and slippery compared to mass-made strands, the house pasta was complimented by tomato sauce that exceeded what I thought a tomato sauce could be, it wasn't even my plate but I kept eating from it like it was. My linguine, topped with Gigi sauce (a rosé base with bacon, olives, onions and mushrooms) was drool and doggy bag worthy. And the cannelloni, also homemade, was the best I can recall having in a restaurant, at someone's home, anywhere.
Don't ask how, but I had room for dessert, a piece of limoncello cake Elio's buys from Lafrenaie in St. Leonard. If you like layer cakes with tang and no chocolate, you'll want a piece.
Overall, Elio's didn't just stuff me (we're talking American portions), it made me happy to just be in the thick of the belly laugh vibe of the place. And after I drop the pound I gained, I'll be back.
