Chalet BBQ in the Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal looks at Chalet BBQ and some of its competitors. I had not been aware that Laurier BBQ had been revived, although not in the same location – it’s now on St‑Viateur. Would a Montrealer put Portuguese chicken in the same mental category as the conventional BBQ places?
Joey 11:16 on 2022-01-12 Permalink
We ordered in from there the other night. The chicken was tasty and not too greasy/gross like, say, St-Hubert. The fries were great. The sauce lacked punch. It’s Laurier BBQ in name only. Doesn’t come close to CSL or Chalet (had no idea that Swiss Chalet is a descendant of Chalet) This quote is ridiculous:
“Before the original one closed, it was kind of my head office, even if the fabulous chicken and the famous ‘moka’ cake made you feel you needed to do a long workout right away,” said Daniel Fournier, a businessman. “But now that it’s back, all of Montreal no longer is in mourning.”
Ephraim 11:21 on 2022-01-12 Permalink
Chalet is what Swiss Chalet copied. But over the years they have dulled the sauce. No one’s sauce is as good as Chalet. You can taste the cardamom and spices.
jeather 11:38 on 2022-01-12 Permalink
No, I like both conventional BBQ and Portuguese chicken, but they are different. (My family is a CSL BBQ family; it’s also very well-liked among the feline members.)
Tim S. 12:33 on 2022-01-12 Permalink
So many things in my life make sense now that I learned that Swiss Chalet is a descendant of Chalet BBQ. I always wondered why Swiss chicken was such a big thing in Canada, and no where else. (Though I was relieved to come across a few rotisserie chicken stands in Switzerland, proving that we weren’t in the midst of a national delusion. They weren’t as good)