Joe Beef (restaurant)
History
Joe Beef was opened on September 19, 2005 by David McMillan, Frederic Morin, and Allison Cunningham with financial guidance and investment by Jeff Baikowitz and David Lisbona. The restaurant took over the location of Café Miguel.
The restaurant's name is a homage to Montreal's infamous Joe Beef, an alias for Charles McKiernan. McKiernan, who owned a tavern that served many lower-class laborers in Montreal, "died in his canteen of a heart attack at the age of 54." McKiernan's generosity and gluttony may have inspired the concept of Joe Beef restaurant, which challenges the conventions of fine French dining.
As of November 25th, 2021 co-founder David McMillan announced his retirement, citing burnout and stress after 32 years in the restaurant industry stating, "I never want to shave white truffles on to asparagus for someone from Toronto ever again in my life". McMillan has since sold his shares to fellow co-founders and co-partners Fred Morin and Allison Cunningham.
Offerings
The menu at Joe Beef changes every dinner service, usually according to the produce sourced from Atwater Market and other local suppliers.
Products
Frederic Morin and David McMillan, along with Meredith Erickson, have released two cookbooks: The Art of Living According to Joe Beef: A Cookbook of Sorts and Joe Beef: Surviving the Apocalypse: Another Cookbook of Sorts, which won Gold at the 2019 Taste Canada Awards. The cookbooks include recipes from the restaurants and homes of the Joe Beef owners.
References
- ^ Chesterman, Lesley (2011-08-31). "Fine Dining: Joe Beef". The Gazette (Montreal). Retrieved 11 April 2012.
- ^ "Excerpt from The Art of Living According to Joe Beef". Penguin Random House Canada. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
- ^ Heffez, Alanah (2010-09-26). "Joe Beef : The wickedest man in Montreal?". Spacing Montreal. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
- ^ "Brownstein: Renowned chef David McMillan throws in apron after 32 years". montrealgazette. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
- ^ kowarski (2013-08-17), Dinner at Joe Beef, retrieved 2019-11-20
- ^ Goldfield, Hannah (2019-05-20). "Joe Beef and the Excesses of Restaurant Culture". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
- ^ "Joe Beef: Surviving the Apocalypse by Frederic Morin, David McMillan, Meredith Erickson: 9781524732301 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books". PenguinRandomhouse.com. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
- ^ "The Art of Living According to Joe Beef by David McMillan, Frederic Morin and Meredith Erickson". Penguin Random House Canada. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
- ^ "Joe Beef apocalypse cookbook wins gold at 2019 Taste Canada Awards".