We are going to take advantage of this new Quick Delivery publication to take a step back in time as we discuss the return of “diners” and supperclubs to Quebec in addition to talking about the rebirth of the Soupe & Cie restaurant. Finally, we will summarize the issue of Quebec seaweed which could very well end up on your plates soon.
As promised, let's go with a return to the future while a recent file of the newspaper Le Soleil presented us with some irreducible "diners" in Quebec. Coming mainly from an American inspiration, while adding touches of Quebec in the ingredients, these restaurants are 100% retro and hold their own against the big fast food chains or more gourmet and modern restaurants. These "diners" remain in the culture of the 50s and 60s with a decor that is an integral part of the experience. Of course, the menu also plays into nostalgia with burgers, fries and milkshakes galore. For the purposes of the article, the Sun has listed nearly a dozen in operation in Quebec, including the most recent located in Sherbrooke, the opening of which we highlighted a few months ago.
Also, another concept borrowed from the past is slowly resurfacing in Quebec: the supperclub trend. A place where it is possible to eat well at the beginning of the evening to end it, in the same place, swaying to wild rhythms! Yes, like in the 80s and 90s, a restaurant that turns into a nightclub around 10:30 p.m. This time, it is the newspaper Le Devoir that highlights this transformation among at least five Montreal restaurateurs.
Then, it was with pleasure that we learned of the reopening of the Soupe & Cie restaurant in Limoilou, more than a year after a fire. The place was finally completely razed and the reconstruction of the kitchen and the dining room is barely finished. For regulars of the restaurant specializing in soup meals, don't worry: you will find the same concept and practically the same decor. And true fanatics know that their soups can now be found in the frozen food aisle of around 25 outlets in the region.
Finally, remember that several experts, for several years, have mentioned that our maritime products are under-exploited in Quebec and add that most of the harvests go to other countries instead of being consumed here. It is now the turn of the Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods at Laval University to look into the question and more specifically into the possible gastronomic potential of the exploitation of Quebec seaweed. Of the 346 species of algae found in the St. Lawrence River, 15 are already certified Fourchette bleue. Because they are attractive from a nutritional point of view by their different levels of taste and serve to prevent certain diseases such as obesity, thanks to their fibers, their proteins, their vitamins and their minerals, the researchers are unanimous: we must encourage their consumption!