Pigeon Café – Jonathan Dresner’s NDG Gem
At age 40, Jonathan Dresner has established himself as a successful entrepreneur. After graduating from Concordia University with a business degree, Dresner ventured into the restaurant world, operating some Quiznos franchises in Montreal and joining the startup Kupfert & Kim. He is also a partner in Hello 123, a plant-based restaurant and bar.
His crowning achievement is Notre Boeuf De Grâce, launched in 2015 in NDG, which has grown to nine locations. Following the success of an NBG downtown, he started Pigeon Expresso Bar next door. In the summer of 2019, Dresner acquired the former St. Viateur Café property on Monkland Avenue in NDG and opened Pigeon Café last July. With seating for 60 inside and a terrasse, the café quickly became a hit—until pandemic restrictions limited operations to take-out and delivery only.
Pigeon Café offers breakfast items including steak & eggs, omelets, bagel and croissant combos, pancakes, smoked salmon avocado toast, and shakshukas, along with coffees, smoothies, and side dishes. The menu features Jewish/Israeli and Hollywood-inspired items such as Bubbie’s Matzah Ball Soup, Israeli salad, Israeli fried chicken, the Mensch panini (six-ounce NY strip steak, sautéed mushrooms, Swiss, and harissa), and the Reuben (smoked meat, sauerkraut, Swiss, and horseradish mayo). Fun tributes to HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm include the Larry David “crab salad” and The Ted Danson and Richard Lewis paninis, with a caricature of David painted by Dresner’s wife, Yana Badamshin.
The café also serves appetizers, pasta, sandwiches, and grilled paninis, with dinner offerings such as grilled Mediterranean seabass, organic salmon, pan-seared scallops, New York strip, and braised lamb shank.
Our recent lunch pick-up coordinated by manager Sean Weis-Heitner included two mimosas with orange juice; spinach artichoke dip with grilled baguette; smoked salmon avocado toast; a breakfast bagel (“Shoey’s”); the Mensch panini; breakfast potatoes; crispy waffle fries; and a piece of apple cake. It was the best lunch we’ve had since the start of the pandemic.
Contact and Ordering
Pigeon Café is located at 5625 Monkland Avenue, Montreal, QC. Phone: 514-484-0062. Visit pigeonespresso.com. Delivery is available via DoorDash and Skip The Dishes.
