Hopleaf’s Montreal-style Brisket Platter*
Restaurant: Hopleaf
Where: 5148 N Clark St Chicago, IL 60640Call: (773) 334-9851
Periodically, we will be posting about a single food item that we think you should be putting inside your mouth. Think of these food items as a “Food of the Month” or a ” Gluttons Recommends…” or a “Foods We Find Between Our Couch Cushions” section. We encourage you to drive-don’t-walk to wherever said food item is being served, order three (one for now, one for the freezer, and one for your Mormon shelf in the basement) and return to this section of Gluttons to discuss.
To start things off, here’s a picture of the Montreal-style brisket platter at the Hopleaf. Montreal is famous for it’s smoked meats. Schwartz’s Deli in the St.-Laurent neighborhood, for example, serves a pastrami sandwich that’s so good Karen Carpenter ate there. By our estimation, the Hopleaf is the first Chicago restaurant to have a go at this style of cow. We realize the line is out the door at this joint, but this pastrami makes most smoked meats look like a bomb went off in Liza Minelli’s panties. Eat it with stone ground mustard and discuss.
Schwartz’s offers some of the best smoked meats on the continent. Can’t wait to get up to Hopleaf to try out their take on it, and get some moules frit while i’m up there.
Last week I ate Hop Leaf’s duck grilled cheese on rye or whatever the fuck it was and I must say, it was off the chain.
Nom, nom, nom. Looks like a crime scene and I think I already want seconds.
@deez pimp. you really wana try and pimp me?
This brisket is ok – when you’re drinking the DTs in anticipation of the DTs, then yeah, you can grab a holda deez. But if you want ridiculously buttery bbq brisket, Smoque is the place. I’m ashamed since it’s like such a Chipotle stepchild, but step to it child.
d-nice: while also a delicious brisket, smooque’s brisket is a bbq brisket. hopleaf’s is montreal-style, more like pastrami. two different phylums.