2019 /CNW Telbec/ - National Bank is pleased to announce the deployment of a new experience in nearly 40 branches across Quebec The experience will be gradually rolled out to other branches in Canada in 2020 Combining advisory services and technology the new branch experience focuses on a human-centred approach by welcoming clients immediately and ensuring all their needs are met "Our clients want to access services online while having the option to go to a branch for advice That's why the Bank continues to make major investments in all of these areas Our new branch experience draws on technology and human relations We're pleased to continue rolling it out," said Paolo Pizzuto Senior Vice-President – Personal Banking at National Bank Branches offering the new experience in 2019 Stéphanie Rousseau, Senior Advisor - Public Affairs and Corporate Social Responsibility, [email protected] https://www.nbc.ca National Bank of Canada offers financial services to individuals institutional clients and governments across Canada We are one of Canada’s six systemically important banks and among the most profitable banks on a global basis by return on.. Do not sell or share my personal information: Back to hub Sign up for our newsletter to get recent publications expert advice and invitations to upcoming events Sign up for our newsletter Change of address Complaint settlement Interest rates Contact us Find a branch Make an appointment Help Centre Privacy and security Fraud prevention Privacy policy Digital data policy Identity theft and fraud prevention Report wrongdoing Lost or stolen card National Bank Investments National Bank Financial National Bank Independent Network Press releases Financial news Important notices - Personal Important notices - Business Life at National Bank All Jobs Students and Internships L'Orignal marks a fresh return this week after a makeover and menu rethink The Old Montreal restaurant on Saint-Alexis from partners Travis Champion and Monica Terlecki re-introduced itself at a media event last night and opens anew to the public tonight with a special prixe fixe at 7:00 p.m "We've been open close to seven years and felt it was time chef] and as much as we want to show off our new digs it's just as important we let everyone know what Omar is doing Our game meat heavy concept is still at the forefront to emphasize local products from the likes of Terre des Bisons · L'Orignal [Official Page]· All Opening Announcements [-EMTL-] Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardLe Bec risingThe moribund grande dame has been rescued by the excellent cooking of its new team But prices are steep and the redone decor is disappointing And it was as clear as the crystal baubles sparkling in those chandeliers Somewhere between the silver spoonfuls of tomato-brined fluke sashimi the otherworldly bowls of foraged mushrooms and the box of exquisite truffles and candied-apple macaroons we toted away from our meal had escaped its near-death to become as exciting and relevant as it has been in a decade They were also extraordinarily expensive (no surprise) the eight-course $150 dinner ending up costing $500 for two all in And new owner Nicolas Fanucci has made a potentially serious misstep by not undertaking a bolder revamp of Le Bec's classic decor - which would have been a sign that he sees a new vision for the restaurant's soul rather than a polished rendition of its past since Le Bec had slipped from its once-towering pedestal of luxury over the last 10 years to eventually be submerged beneath changing tastes and rising competition One can now eat just as well at half a dozen places wistfully recalling the year he left Georges Perrier's orbit to eventually become general manager of Napa's legendary French Laundry The freshened-up gold-and-navy dining room was not exactly dead that day But the smattering of elderly patrons at the linen tables sounded close enough muttering "Georges" every few minutes as if he were the patron saint chef Walter Abrams and his pastry chef-fiance have already gone a long way toward restoring a worthy buzz to Georges' beloved 4-decade-old palace was a crumbling ruin of its former four-bell self some of whom also came from the French Laundry eager to talk about the kitchen compressing melons for the sepia salad (a striking contrast of briny sea and summer sweet) or what coast the seaweed was foraged from for the house-blended furikake seasoning dusted over the sweet corn soup And Abrams assures that their dialogue is more than mere pretense quickly proving to be an exciting new talent with a knack for sourcing great seasonal and local ingredients then spinning them into elegant combinations Quarry Hill Farm in Harleysville has been the trove for much of the early bounty Its eggs are whipped into elfin omelet perfection rolled around Mimolette cheese with black truffle butter The farm's rabbits are simmered into rillettes or ground into spicy merguez sausage beside shaved summer plums and a mini-arepa paying corn-cake homage to Abrams' Colombian childhood The farm's goats are transformed into tiny hors d'oeuvres cubes of the most tender confit crisped on the outside but so sublimely savory I still think of them weeks later I don't know if humble goat ever made the luxury cut on previous Le Bec menus But Abrams has displayed an encouraging and contemporary spirit of adventure taking on live wild snapping turtles (for an herbal pond-green soup) ripe pawpaws (for a tart dolloped with Époisses) and all manner of curiosities unearthed by the restaurant's foragers Most memorable was my first "tooth coral" mushroom crisped in butter like some prehistoric fern and blooming over a bowl of pylon-orange chanterelles starchy cream from risotto (minus the rice There were occasional flaws - the turtle meat should have been more tender; the Époisses overpowered the pawpaw's delicate tropical notes; a sweetbread crepinette sausage was oversalted The various little breads between courses were too ordinary to be worthy of their own "tasting." But these complaints were rare in meals that showed technical prowess and creativity from the kaffir lime-infused tapioca beads set beneath a delicate oyster and seared scallop (a nod to the Laundry's "oysters and pearls"?) to the soulfully stewed boeuf bourguignon and gorgeous bouillabaisse (draped with creamy sea urchin) that anchored bistro flavors in the Chez Georges bar downstairs may be the best point of entry for those curious for a taste of what the new Le Bec is cooking I'm still savoring some of the most elegant plates from our tasting menus: the meaty chunk of grilled cobia set beside the fresh pop of baby black-eyed peas; the ethereal crimson stream of chilled borscht poured tableside over tiny Mexican gherkins and tart yogurt; the pure silk of foie gras terrine shaped like a gold brick beside fresh figs and a little baba cake dipped in coffee; the rosy glow of lamb chops with Fairytale eggplant; the juicy tenderness of St.-Canut Farms suckling pig with tart gooseberries and earthy farro I still miss the grand splendor of the old dessert cart But Smith's exceptional pastries are a worthy consolation from her vivid sorbets (foraged lemon verbena; Jupiter grape) to the Honeycrisp cider-Calvados shooter with a raw-milk ice cream float that prefaced the finale sweets - brown butter French toast with apples in salted caramel; the most delicate napoleon of cream cheese mousse and pistachio panna cotta; a jewel box of chocolates and whimsical macaroons colored with cassis With only a few months in the region under their belt this chef couple's command of ingredients and seasonal inspirations is bound to become only more refined and personal Whether they can surmount Le Bec's serious image problem as an anachronism remains to be seen Fanucci's mantra to "put Le Bec back to where it was," resulting in a disappointingly safe rehab for the space This was a rare opportunity to attempt something inspired both in concept and look - a proper nod to the past but wrapped in an inviting embrace of the future or at least a room that doesn't feel funereal when half-full By essentially preserving the room's classic decor with new colors and freshly gilded moldings this genuinely improved Le Bec still wears the old model's stodgy clothes with a capital "S." Sommelier Philippe Sauriat's substantial new wine cellar reinforces the old-school approach He's tripled the former collection to 850 labels with a luxe parade of famous bottles from Burgundy and Bordeaux But there's precious little under $80 for those without Grand Cru expense accounts and even by-the-glass pours (Gresser "Kritt" Gewurtz; Domaine du Chêne Saint-Joseph) run into the low $20s matters to those who have saved up for months simply to sit at the table It's little wonder the under-50 crowd thronging to the city's ever-growing roster of no-starch restaurants may now be reluctant to commit like that at other national icons such as Eleven Madison Park is to continue reinventing gastronomy into a compelling experience - ever mindful of the now-dynamic scene The old Le Bec tried to confront that reality In the brand new Mount Stephen Hotel — take a look inside If you buy something from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy as boutique hotel Le Mount Stephen — and right inside the heritage building is Bar George It comes from Toronto’s Oliver & Bonacini restaurant group (Canoe with much-loved Montrealer-turned-Torontonian Anthony Walsh at the helm as executive chef The re-opening of the former elite gentleman’s club has been a lengthy process: the announcement of Bar George may only have been 18 months ago but the hotel developer (Tidan) first acquired the building in 2006 In 2011 the private club was shuttered for the developer to start work on the hotel The heritage former club — considered by the feds as “the best example of a Renaissance Revival house in Canada” — is the centrepiece of the building but Tidan added a 12-level annex behind it to house both a parking lot and hotel rooms It turned out that protecting the heritage building amidst that construction was challenging, with the building’s structural issues dating back to well before Tidan took ownership of it (it didn’t help that the provincial government knew this but stayed quiet about it) it’ll be open from breakfast through late-night (including weekend brunch) The menu items that have been teased fit the British-but-not-stodgy theme neatly: Scotch eggs with St-Canut porcelet and turnip rémoulade as well as veal cheek and kidney pie with stout The hints of Britain continue on the bar side — Maxime Boivin (ex-Safehouse) and the creative Drahos Chytry (Bishop and Bagg) have new creations like a twist on a sour with gin Wines (while obviously not British) will skew European It’s a swanky space (see below) — and the prices reflect it While some small plates or snacks come in under $10 main plates go up much higher ($35 for the aforementioned pie); cocktails ring up around $13-14 here’s a look inside the hotel portion — Le Mount Stephen STATUS — Bar George is open day and night as of Tuesday May 2 at 1440 Drummond St in downtown Montreal From Toronto’s Oliver & Bonacini group the Club Mount Stephen is ready to assume a new form downtown The heritage building used to be a private club with wealthy elite comprising the membership — soon it will be a boutique hotel in the form of Le Mount Stephen a restaurant from Toronto’s Oliver & Bonacini group who own several spots in Ontario from swanky to casual Both the hotel and restaurant are set to open May 2 direction is coming from in-house: Oliver & Bonacini’s Corporate Executive Chef Anthony Walsh (whose work has received plenty of praise at the other end of the 401 although he’s originally from Montreal) will guide the culinary aspects; a two-time Daniel Boulud employee; Kevin Ramasawmy (Maison Boulud and New York’s Daniel) is chef de cuisine The Burgundy Lion’s Marco Gucciardi is on board as general manager Back in December, an Oliver & Bonacini rep told Eater that Bar George would offer “modern takes on British cuisine”; expect Scotch eggs and black pudding pasties on the lighter side of the menu and lobster shepherd’s pie and St-Canut piglet shoulder among larger dishes the vibe should match the heritage building — Montreal firm Metaphore’s approach is going in on “grandeur and opulence” All up, it’s a big operation: Bar George is a 200-seater (including the bar and terrasse) — as with most hotel restaurant operations, it’ll do long hours: breakfast, lunch, dinner, late-night, and weekend brunch. But you’ll have to wait to see what’s on the menu — Le Mount Stephen are promising a dévoilement on May 1