here are few Montrealers, especially of the university ilk, who can turn down a good bout of garlicky shish taouk with a side of potatoes after a night of merry making (aka drinking until somone considers vomiting). It could be the simple lack of any other 24-hour food choices besides poutine in the city, or it could be a genuine love of the Lebanon import. Regardless, the 3am line-ups are impressive and undeniable, but only occur at 3am.

I wonder if any of those college kids have ever been curious about what Leb food tastes like sober (I'm certainly never going to try it). Nobody really knows because, when deciding where to go for supper in Montreal, there are so many top notch places that standing up in a scummy take-out joint for some shish is the last thing that will appeal to anyone's taste buds.

By opening of Ezo, owner and chef Elizabeth Daou may have changed the way Montrealers experience Lebanese cuisine forever. She has decked out her 80-seat dining room in fine black and white linens and fully set tables. The room is that of a fine-dining establishment – the last place you’d expect to be ordering up a falafel. Well, get used to it.

All the regular shish taouk choices grace Daou’s card. There is hummus and babaghanouj for scooping up with fresh pita to start. The yogurt, cucumber, and mint salad is a finest digestive with the tebouleh salad coming in at a close second. Juicy, marinated hunks of filet mignon make up the shish kabab main that’s on par with the boneless chicken breast shish taouk. All the mains come with a hefty helping of garlic potatoes, rice, or French fries.

The dishes that set Ezo apart from the 24-hour takeout joint are the seafood platters. Fillets of red snapper, black sea bass and salmon are available year round and the platters of grilled shrimp and octopus are perfect to share.