Joe Beef (restaurant)

Joe Beef is a restaurant in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The owners describe the cuisine as “Bocusian-Lyonnaise cuisine du marché (French market cuisine).” Its located at 2491 Notre Dame Street West in the neighbourhood of Little Burgundy, located in the borough of Le Sud Ouest.
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.
Offerings.
The menu at Joe Beef changes every dinner service, usually according to the produce sourced from Atwater Market and other local suppliers. The menu is displayed on a wall-to-wall chalkboard. The lobster spaghetti, foie gras torchon, and oysters are some of the most popular and consistent offerings.
Products.
Federic 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.
Alcohol and substance abuse.
McMillan, one of the founders and original chefs of Joe Beef, claimed in an interview with "Bon Appetit" that he and Morin were indulging in the gluttonous lifestyle they were providing for others through their restaurant, including alcohol. McMillan's peers at the restaurant staged an intervention to combat his alcoholism. Additionally, during the building of the restaurant, McMillan said that he was unable to feel joy about his new business and was not able to fulfill his role as a new restaurant owner and a father. McMillan has since tried to change his lifestyle by attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, which has influenced his partner, Morin, to do the same.