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The Main Media Inc. 2026

✦ Built By Field Office
    The Main

    Montreal's Cultural Directory

    Help us improve! Share your thoughts on how we can make your experience better.

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    For partnerships and collaborations:

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    Content

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    The Main Media Inc. 2026

    ✦ Built By Field Office
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      --°C|Thursday, April 16, 2026|
      Subscribe today to get 3 free articles per month.ROYALMOUNT Wants to Be Your Dining Destination for a Whole MonthGet 50% off your first 5 rides with Lyft
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      • Mile End
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      Bistrot Boisselet Skipped the Hype and Went Straight to Work
      Chef Darcy Gervais-Wood of Bistrot Boisselet mugs for the camera. | Photography by Savannah Thorpe / @savyyt and Nicole Torniero / @ntorn

      Discover the places mentioned in this story

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      Food & Drink

      Bistrot Boisselet Skipped the Hype and Went Straight to Work

      A quietly confident Little Italy bistrot from Montreal restaurant alum puts chef Darcy Gervais-Wood front and centre.

      ByJ.P. Karwacki

      March 2, 2026 · 4 min read

      Bistrot Boisselet Skipped the Hype and Went Straight to Work
      Chef Darcy Gervais-Wood of Bistrot Boisselet mugs for the camera. | Photography by Savannah Thorpe / @savyyt and Nicole Torniero / @ntorn

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      Sans Instagram countdown, soft launch announcement or carefully timed press push, Bistrot Boisselet opened its doors in Little Italy around the corner from Jean-Talon Market, and simply got to work.

      "A good friend of ours that's worked in the industry for a long time always told us: if the food's good, people will come," says Taylor D'Ottavi, who runs the front of house alongside partners John Hale and Antoine Denis of Le Plongeoir. "So we rolled with that."

      For a team with a combined résumé that includes the likes of Liverpool House, Salle Climatisée, and Maison Publique, opting out of the restaurant industry's implicit hype machine was deliberate, but it makes more sense the longer you sit with it because Boisselet, at its core, is a restaurant built on the premise that the work speaks for itself. And the work, in this case, belongs largely to chef Darcy Gervais-Wood.

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      Sans Instagram countdown, soft launch announcement or carefully timed press push, Bistrot Boisselet opened its doors in Little Italy around the corner from Jean-Talon Market, and simply got to work.

      "A good friend of ours that's worked in the industry for a long time always told us: if the food's good, people will come," says Taylor D'Ottavi, who runs the front of house alongside partners John Hale and Antoine Denis of Le Plongeoir. "So we rolled with that."

      For a team with a combined résumé that includes the likes of Liverpool House, Salle Climatisée, and Maison Publique, opting out of the restaurant industry's implicit hype machine was deliberate, but it makes more sense the longer you sit with it because Boisselet, at its core, is a restaurant built on the premise that the work speaks for itself. And the work, in this case, belongs largely to chef Darcy Gervais-Wood.

      Free account required

      For readers who care about Montreal

      Create a free account to read this story and access 3 articles per month, plus our weekly Bulletin.

      Independent. Local. Reader-supported.

      or

      Already a member? Sign in

      The Main

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