In this new edition of Fast delivery, we will talk about the Canadian culinary championship and the participation of a Quebecer, we will reveal the names of the Quebec restaurants that are in Air Canada's Top 10 and we will discuss the new café-bistro, The escape, opened by a sister-brother duo.
First, chef Thomas Deschamps, owner of Têtes Brûlées in Mascouche, won the regional qualifications for the Canadian Culinary Championship, thus becoming the representative of Montreal and Quebec at the pan-Canadian final. The qualifications, which took place at the ITHQ Restaurant in Montreal, brought together five chefs with diverse backgrounds. Among the dishes presented, the seal from the Îles de la Madeleine prepared by chef Maxime Lizotte was particularly appreciated for its homage to a meat that is often underestimated. The big winner, Thomas Deschamps, impressed the jury with his pork cheek braised in a well of puff pastry during this ambitious edition which is preparing for the final in Ottawa in February 2024, where ten chefs from across the country will participate.
Then, we have the pleasure of finding three Quebec restaurants in the top 10 of “Best new Canadian restaurants for 2023”, which was unveiled at the beginning of November by Air Canada. These restaurants are respectively in 6th, 8th and 9th position.
Bonheur d'occasion (Montreal, Quebec), 6th place: Chef-owner Philippe Gauthier offers one of the most generous meals of the year, coupled with a warm welcome. One of the most coveted dishes is pastry chef Victor Adnet's millefeuille, made with phyllo dough richly caramelized with maple sugar and topped with lightly whipped clover cream.
Le Molière by Mousso (Montreal, Quebec), 8th place: Chefs Antonin Mousseau-Rivard, Daniel Vézina and Samuel Sauvé-Lamothe are reviving the classic brasserie in a brand new space in the Latin Quarter. Stay for dessert and order the golden meunière which, while it is usually sautéed in toasted butter with almonds and lemon, is instead enhanced here with siphon sauce.
Espace Old Mill (Stanbridge East, Quebec), 9th place: Jean-Martin Fortier's inn and restaurant, in the Eastern Townships, Quebec, offers visitors a most pleasant country experience. Guests will delight in Chef Éric Gendron's Legacy Speckle Park beef, hand-ground and accompanied by peppers and nasturtiums from the garden right under the establishment's windows.
Finally, Anabel and Samuel De Guise made their dream of opening a restaurant come true with the inauguration of L’Escapatoire Café-Bistro in Quebec City, two weeks ago. The two entrepreneurs, brother and sister, worked in tandem for a year and a half to create a place escaping routine, offering coffee, meals, relaxation, studies, discussions and free board games. The menu offers a variety of coffees, specialty drinks, soups, salads, sandwiches, pastries and pastries, with an emphasis on the use of local ingredients and efforts towards "zero waste" with eco-friendly products.
