Dolly, a British tradition
We know very little today about the character of Robert Philip Isaacson. However, in his time, the man was one of the best-known figures in the world of Montreal restaurants. He was also greatly appreciated by the city’s parliamentarians, when Montreal was the capital of United Canada, between 1844 and 1849. Born in Great Britain at the turn of the 19th century, Isaacson was in Montreal from the end of the 1830s and runs an establishment on rue Saint-François-Xavier called “Dolly’s Chop House”. This name, which will become Isaacson’s nickname, comes from a restaurant of the same type established in London at the time. There are cuts of pork, beef or lamb, along with alcoholic drinks and refreshments. The establishment was already popular when the Parliament of United Canada moved to Montreal in the former Sainte-Anne market (on what is now Place d’Youville). Quickly, we feel the need to allocate a local restaurateur a concession to operate a small refreshment bar where parliamentarians would come to relax…
ACHIEVEMENTS
The parliament bar
Photo courtesy, City of Archeology and History of Montreal
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Archaeological excavations of the site of the former Sainte-Anne market have made it possible to establish the presence of a refreshment bar in the building, probably from 1846. The newspapers of the time tell that the deputies met in this small salon held by the one we already call “Dolly”, Phillip Isaacson. If Dolly is so well known, it’s not only because of the quality of the spirits in his bar… it’s also because he is a staunch supporter of the Tory faction (the Conservatives), and a point of important contact between parliamentarians and newspapers of this tendency. Gossips then say that the deputies spend more time sipping a brandy at Dolly’s than sitting in the assembly! It was perhaps to control the flow of alcohol that Dolly lost her concession in 1849 to Angélique Saint-Julien, a restaurateur and hotelier known for her sobriety. This replacement greatly shocked the conservative press. We see a favoritism towards a French-speaking woman, who would risk putting French cow’s milk in their tea! Madame Saint-Julien will only have a short time to exploit her concession: the riot of 1849 burns down the parliament, from which she will fortunately emerge unscathed.
HERITAGE
Breaking the crust in Montreal
Photo courtesy, Library and National Archives of Quebec
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The era of Dolly Isaacson allowed the Montreal restaurant community to develop. From the middle of the 19th century, Montrealers could benefit from British, American and French culinary traditions. Often attached to a hotel and located near theaters and performance halls, Montreal restaurants serve a variety of meals, depending on their style and clientele. Unpretentious hot dishes, platters of oysters accompanied by French wines, sweets and teas or English sandwiches, the dishes can be enjoyed at the bar or in the dining room while reading a book and smoking tobacco. Some establishments pride themselves on serving no alcohol, while others serve products from the many local breweries. The diversity of establishments, sometimes adjacent to billiard or bowling alleys, allows all types of entertainment! In short, the more things change, the more they stay the same…
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