Feeding the spirit and the belly
BILL BROWNSTEIN, The Gazette
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Bitoque is a popular Portuguese dish consisting of a fried steak with a fried egg on top. "Nothing fancy,
nothing pretentious," explains Rodney Alves. "It's simply an affordable dish accessible to all people."
Bitoque is also the name of the Portuguese resto/tapas bar/art gallery just opened by Rodney and his
father, Herman Alves, in St. Henri. The place was created to expound upon the same theme as the
combo steak/egg dish: an affordable spot accessible to all but also developed to give something back to
the community.
Oh yeah, Bitoque includes a version of Bitoque on its menu. Except that this one is a little more health
conscious: grilled steak, with a poached egg, surrounded by vegetables.
Five years ago, Herman Alves pledged to raise $1 million for Share the Warmth, the Point St. Charles
food bank. Alves, formerly the president of Share the Warmth and now a board director, has already
raised $375,000 and had a novel idea how to generate the balance. An idea that would serve the
interests of both father and son, not to mention Share the Warmth.
The resto/art gallery is being run by Rodney, but it will also serve as the base for a series of Share the
Warmth fundraisers orchestrated by Herman.
Herman, 50, an executive with Telus, arrived in Montreal from his native Portugal over 30 years ago with
few contacts and even less money. He lived in the Point in the late 1980s and early '90s and became
acutely aware of the needs of the community and the role of Share the Warmth.
"It is a vicious cycle," Herman says, when asked why he is so committed to Share the Warmth. "So many
people there are stuck in the poverty trap and feel they have no way out. It's an easy trap to fall into. I
understand. I was down on my luck, too. But no matter how tough it was, my family always instilled the
belief that I could make a better life for myself. It's all about hope."
Herman, who lives in Brossard with his wife and two other sons, managed to make his way out of the
trap through sheer determination and the sort of work ethic few understand, let alone adhere to. Which
is not to suggest Herman isn't an upbeat, fun-loving guy.
He subscribes to the philosophy of fellow countryman, the explorer Magellan - né Fernao de Magalhaes
- "who set sail to circle the world when most people thought that it was flat."
"Our mission at Bitoque is to let people explore culinary delights from Portugal and visual art forms from
around the world - all the while continuing my fundraising efforts," explains the forever-grinning
Herman. "My plan is to (invite) the best chefs in the city to come here and create banquets."
Proceeds from these special events as well as art auctions - set to start in the fall - will be donated to
Share the Warmth.
The art forms are the creation of his daughter-in-law and Rodney's wife, Mélissa Gervais, whose enticing
and brightly coloured abstracts are being showcased throughout the restaurant/gallery. The 70
paintings on display range in price from $500 to $1,200.
Herman and Rodney, 27, also plan to invite other emerging young artists, from all cultural backgrounds
in the city, to exhibit at Bitoque on a monthly basis. Mélissa, 23, manager of a framing shop in the city
when not painting, will help select artists who wish to have an outlet for their creations - be they
paintings, photos or sculptures.
"The goal is also to show that food is art, too," says Rodney. To that end, he conscripted an emerging
young chef, Alexandre Massé, formerly at Tapeo and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts dining room.
The menu is top heavy with Portuguese staples like fish and veggies. "Alexandre's plates are canvases in
their own right," says Rodney, who previously managed an Italian resto in Brossard. "He plays with
colours and food groups to liven up the plates. The man is a true artist."
Rodney has inherited his father's gift for backbreaking work. Prior to opening Bitoque last month, the
two laboured almost a year in gutting the interior of the edifice - located at 3706 Notre Dame St. W. then painstakingly building it up from scratch. They jackhammered. They reinforced the foundation.
They laid down cement and stone. They painted. They crafted counters. They scoured demolition sites
for objets d'art.
In the end, they spent over $300,000 in the renovation. "But it could have been worse," Herman says.
"We served as our own contractors and construction workers. We were going to hire an interior
designer, but nobody knows our design vision better than us. So we did that ourselves, too. Besides,
money saved there helps benefit the cause."
For more on the initiative, go to www.bitoque.ca or call 514-303-6402.
[email protected]
© The Gazette (Montreal) 2008
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/columnists/story.html?id=030b06c2-3d87-4bbf-bae10bf09b29c17b