Finishing the meal with a dose of sugar is a tradition that simply cannot be lost. So much so that many restaurants now have their own pastry chef, hired to wow the gallery and satisfy customers with a sweet tooth. Over the years, these chefs have taken center stage and are worth the trip alone. Restoenligne presents three of them to you today:
Éric Lessard, Saint-Amour (Quebec)
This 37-year-old artist at heart became the pastry chef of the Saint-Amour restaurant only two years after being hired as a pastry clerk. He is surrounded by a team of pastry chefs with whom he develops the menu.
Among these most recent discoveries, let us note these bites specially designed for Christmas:
- Chocolate pine cone with spruce surrounding wild berries
- Honey muslin with elderberry heart, shortbread with camelina and all covered with white chocolate (which gives a candle-like appearance!)
Lessard also revisits the institution's renowned crème brûlée in its own way and other classics such as parfaits.
In 2013, he won the title of pastry chef of the year in Quebec according to the Society of chefs, cooks and pastry chefs.
Jérémy Billy, La Tanière Group (Quebec)
The 2019 recipient of the Pastry Chef of the Year award in the Quebec City and Eastern Quebec region was presented a few weeks ago to Jérémy Billy, who works for the La Tanière Group. This group manages three restaurants (Tanière3, Légende and L’Orygine), a dessert bar (Kerrmess) as well as a "clandestine" bar, an art gallery and a coffee shop.
Billy first proved himself at Château Montebello and Manoir Richelieu before going to France and Australia. Upon his return to Quebec, he was appointed pastry chef of the Légende restaurant and now manages all of the group's pastries.
Among the decadences available at Kerrmess, there is the Piesicle, literally an iced pie on a stick, topped with your choice as well as the extravagant iced sandwich.
Patrice Demers, Patrice Pâtissier (Montreal)
Probably the most recognized of all because of his TV appearances in recent years, Patrice Demers now offers a pastry shop which also offers meals from Wednesday to Sunday noon in addition to serving you its sweet bites for weddings and other receptions . A classroom completes the whole.
Demers had worked at the restaurant 400 coups before realizing his dream of opening this pastry shop. He also aired with his show Les desserts de Patrice on Canal Vie in addition to publishing cookbooks regularly.
Visitors to his shop will be able to sweeten their beaks with some creations of their own:
- The plum and pistachio financier
- Santa's favorite chocolate cookies
