Oh, yes, it's l'Eighties Night...

...what a night!

fig. a: Frankie says...

Some of you Eighties Revivalists out there are probably too young to actually remember the 1980s, but it wasn't all oversized slogan t-shirts and Wayfarers, fluorescents and Body Glove, underwear-as-outerwear and Sperry Top-Siders.

Sure, the '80s had some of this,

fig. b: slippery people

this,

fig. c: into the groovey

and this.

fig. d: power, corruption, & lies

But that's not all there was.

They entertained like this,

fig. e: luau!

they drank like this,*

fig. f: Campari!

and they partied like this.**

fig. g: Parrrr-tyyyy!

But what about the haute cuisine of the Eighties? What was that like? Can you even imagine an era before sous-vide, before the widespread use of liquid nitrogen?

Well, if you're having a hard time visualizing such a cuisine, now's your chance to experience it firsthand.

You see, this coming Monday, May the 23rd, Restaurant Laloux will be presenting a very special occasion in celebration of their 25th anniversary: Eighties Night! They will be welcoming special guest chef Stelio Perombelon (Les Cons Servent, Pullman) to Laloux for one night only to collaborate on an Eighties-themed menu inspired by the year 1986, the year that Laloux opened for business.***

What's in store?

to begin with, three types of canapés:

-tomates cerises antiboise, sablé et crème à l'oseille (cherry tomatoes stuffed with tuna, capers, and tarragon mayonnaise and served on a sablé)

-accras d'esturgeon fumé (smoked sturgeon accras)

-tartelettes de foie de lapin, brunoise à la crème d'ail (rabbit liver tartlets served with a garlic cream-laced brunoise)

first service: salade de crevettes nordiques, mousseline d'avocat, paris crus et huile de noix (nordic shrimp salad, avocado mousseline, raw Parisian mushrooms, and walnut oil)

second service: gougeonettes de doré, flan de courgettes, abricots secs et beurre de liquoreux (pickerel gougeonettes, zucchini flan, dried apricots with Condrieu butter)

third service: pigeonneau, crème fevettes, chanterelles, tartines d'abats au vert, pommes dauphines (squab, purée of fresh peas, chanterelles, giblets-topped brioche with herbed breadcrumbs, potatoes dauphine)

and, to close, a selection of three desserts by Michelle:

-citrons givrées, salade d'agrumes, sabayon (meringue-topped lemons stuffed with lemon sorbet, cirtus fruit salad, sabayon)

-éclairs au chocoat blanc et rhubarbe (white chocolate and rhubarb éclairs)

-crêpes Suzette (um, crêpes Suzette)

All this, plus service that wouldn't be out of place in an episode of Dynasty (please! no cat fights, though!).

1980s prices, too:**** the whole extravagant affair will only set you back $65.

Intrigued? Act fast, places are limited!

fig. h: ...Laloux

Restaurant Laloux, 250 ave. des Pins, 287-9127

aj

* Yes, that is Kelly "Weird Science/The Woman in Red" LeBrock, and, yes, she is wearing Valentino.

** In fact, they're the ones that first coined the usage of "party" as a verb.

*** Chef Perombelon has a baby face, but he claims to be old enough to have been trained in the mysteries of 1980s French cuisine. He's also one of the most talented chefs in Montreal, and a good friend of Team Laloux.

**** Adjusted for inflation, of course.