The Toqué! Creators of a new Quebec gastronomy story starts with the dream team of chef owner Normand Laprise, co-owner Christine Lamarche and chef de cuisine Charles-Antoine Crête. The three work in perfect harmony to bring us the uniquely creative and elegant cuisine we have come to love. Chef Laprise was a proponent of using local ingredients unique to the land before it was fashionable to do so. He has built special relationships with his purveyors and they have all been key components in propelling Toqué! to the top.

Although both Laprise and Crête don’t seem to think so, some of the book’s recipes might be too complex for the amateur home cook. However, this is so much more than a cookbook. It is a voyage from the Toqué! kitchen in Old Montreal to the fields, forests, lakes and shores across this great province of ours. We are led on a discovery of some of Toqué!’s favourite producers who are beautifully portrayed throughout the 450-page volume. Each one of these unique individuals, from deer breeders to artisanal fishermen to foragers, has a special connection to the restaurant and its team.

I asked chef Laprise what his favourite recipe in the book was, the one he would recommend to someone if they could only make one thing. He turned to a recipe that started with “Kill the pig and wait a few minutes to make sure it’s dead”. I don’t think I’ll be trying that one anytime soon but it all goes back to Laprise’s philosophy of knowing where your food comes from and the journey it makes before it gets to your plate.

It would be a shame to talk about the book without mentioning Dominique Malaterre’s breathtaking photos, whether on site at the restaurant or criss-crossing the province in search of the perfect shot. She has managed to beautifully capture the Toqué! spirit. For a behind-the-scenes, sneak peak of this stunning book, take a look at this video:

THE DETAILS

Toqué! Creators of a new Quebec gastronomy, is available in all good bookstores as of November 28, 2012

Restaurant Toqué!, 900 Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle, (514) 499-2084

The post NEW TOQUÉ! COOKBOOK CHRONICLES QUEBEC GASTRONOMY appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

It seems to be the thing, these days, to see celebrities flying in, making a splash, and flying out. Jean Paul Gaultier, überchef Gordon Ramsay – who’s opening a restaurant in town in February! – and also…. Charlie Trotter, who’s a veritable culinary legend in Chicago, where his restaurant Charlie Trotter’s has been among the highest-rated for as long as there have been reputable restaurant guides.

And yes, we spoke to him, too.

The acclaimed American chef was in town for little more than one day, to headline a posh benefit dinner in honour of local star chef Normand Laprise, chef-owner of Toqué restaurant, of whom he says: “He’s not only a great chef, but a great guy”.

Trotter  found time in his tight schedule to sit down with this Montreal Buzz correspondent and share his thoughts on the Montreal food scene.

Although he’s not in Montreal often, chef Laprise is someone he knows well and has amired for a long time. It was at restaurant Toqué!, in fact, that Trotter cooked back in 2001 when he presided over the gastronomic portion of the Highlights Festival – a whirlwind feast of cultural and foodie events that takes place here every winter. Laprise has also returned the favour and cooked at Charlie Trotter’s in recent years.

Trotter had little time to enjoy the city. He flew in from Chicago and was whisked away to Toqué!, where he had the tasting dinner, then had only the following day to prepare for the guests-only dinner and get ready to go home.

Staying at the fashionable Le Germain hotel in Downtown, he sat down for an interview. He talked about his views on seasonal cooking (there aren’t just four seasons, but actually 52, did you know?), what it’s like to run a famous restaurant (“I’d never allow my son to do this) and the great Quebec products that he’s tasted and given his stamp of approval: scallops, game, artisanal cheeses, etc.

The post CHICAGO’S TOP CHEF CHARLIE TROTTER IN MONTREAL TO HONOUR NORMAND LAPRISE appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Montreal may not be New York, with dozens of media-crazed chefs and restaurateurs, but it has a vibrant yet easy-to-grasp restaurant scene, with a handful of true restaurant-world stars. Locals know them on a one-name basis: Picard. McMillan. Chuck. Ferreira. Laprise. These are some of the biggies. But more on this later…

Chef Normand Laprise

It turns out that the last two – restaurateur Carlos Ferreira and chef Normand Laprise, owners, respectively, of famed Ferreira Café and Toqué! – just opened, this summer, side-by-side restaurants. Not only that, but they’re identical on the outside and have similar names: Ferreira’s F Bar is a mere stone’s throw from Laprise’s Brasserie T!, and both resemble rectangular aquariums that dramatically jut out of the sidewalk.

The London equivalent of this would be if, for example, celeb-chef Gordon Ramsay cut the ribbon of a new “Bistro R” right beside Jamie Oliver’s “Trattoria O”. Ain’t going to happen, right?

Well, in Montreal, it did happen! And not just anywhere, but right smack-dab on the main esplanade of the city’s new Quartier des Spectacles (a large public open space buillt to host most of the city’s countless festivals which officially opened last year, although its grand début actually happened with the start of the Jazz Fest, in July).

This means that come festival time the F Bar and Brasserie T! offer those lucky enough to snag a terrasse table the chance to eat and drink while catching a show…. for free! When there aren’t any shows on the schedule, a seat facing the urban plaza is still highly entertaining, not only because of the great people-watching but also because of the funky fountains that spurt water out of tiny holes on the ground in a sort of coreographed ballet, while coloured lights tinge the jets with everchanging hues of blues, reds and yellows.

But back to the two seemingly identical restos owned by the big-name restaurateurs… how does one choose between them?

As someone who’s eaten at both a few times (can you tell I’m a fan?), I think I can help… All you have to do is figure out what matters to you most.

FOOD

As both F Bar and Brasserie T! are owned by guys that really know their stuff and have a name to uphold, it goes without saying that you’ll eat very well regardless of which one you choose.

At F, Ferreira has put Frenchman Gilles Herzog in charge of the kitchen and gave him free reign, which explains why the menu isn’t nearly as Portuguese as at his flagship Ferreira Café. Dishes are modern French, with a Portuguese ingredient here or there, and the odd nod to the head-to-tail and haute charcuterie trends.

There’s even an homage to New York’s chef Daniel Boulud and his infamous burger (with foie gras in the middle of the beef patty), which in F’s case combines baby arugula, grilled mushroom, aïoli and melted cheese.

I see a clear difference between the lunch menu – much more casual – and the dinner menu, where dishes have rather elaborate presentations. For example, chef Herzog slices pig’s trotters as thinly as paper, and pairs that with   spicy shrimp coated with a red pepper rub. A tiny, elegant side salad, sits to the left, completing the compositon.

You won’t find something that complicated or elaborately presented at T!

True to the brasserie norm, lunch and dinner are the same: super casually presented (and super delicious, too). The big items on the menu are the meat-centric: an addictive and smokey “Montreal Sausage”, a beautifully made charcuterie platter with toasted brioche slices, etc.

Yet there’s much on the menu to please the light-eating ladies, including simple side dishes of seasonal veggies that are a locavore’s dream and big enough to share. Take their beets, for instance. They’re just that. Roasted, a bit of parsley sprinkled on top. But…. what amazing quality!

Don’t be fooled by the hum-drum descriptions: “salmon and dill” is actually so much more than just a piece of fish. Slowly cooked at a very low temperature, it has the texture of great sashimi, almost, and its buttery texture matches perfectly with the thin, crunchy slices of fennel.

Perhaps the coolest idea, food-wise, is the dessert and cheese cart which sits in the center of the room, fully loaded with artisanal goats and triple-crèmes oozing their creamy goodness, and jars holding freshly-baked cookies that would put any corner coffee shop to shame.

On a late summer visit, I shared a dessert with my friend M: a chocolate éclair with a side of ruby red  strawberries that were intensely flavourful. So very far from your standard supermarket strawberry – that’s clear.

In fact, I think that’s precisely what makes the place: awesome ingredients, barely messed with.

DRINK

Both restaurants have very knowledgeable staff, but I am particularly impressed by T!’s barman Alexis Morrisseau, who sources his cocktail ingredients at their seasonal prime and seems incredibly creative and passionate.

PRICE

I haven’t exactly sat down to do exact calculations, but I always spend less at T! Laprise’s Brasserie is a steal.

VIEW

Ferreira lucked out: his restaurant is practically next to the main stage, while Laprise’s T! is further back. Come Jazz Fest time, those who dine at one of F’s terrasse tables (pictured below) have, quite simply, the best seats in the house!

Carlos Ferreira with his daughter Sandra at F Bar

F Bar at night

LOOK

F Bar’s interior is slightly more upscale, with high-backed chairs, while I prefer T!’s bar area, which seems cozier: plush leather stools, a wall pained the colour of plums, etc.

If after reading all this you’re still undecided, I’ll give you the short version: go for F on a date night, or if you want to catch a show while enjoying a candle-lit dinner. If you’re hitting town with hungry friends who want to drink and eat like kings without breaking the bank, T! is the spot for you.

DETAILS

F Bar
1458 rue Jeanne-Mance,
tel. (514) 289-4558

Brasserie T!
1425 rue Jeanne-Mance
tel. (514) 282-0808

The post F BAR AND BRASSERIE T!: THE TWO HOTTEST NEW RESTOS IN TOWN appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Good news for the business crowd: Under the masterful eye of culinary star chef Normand Laprise, Toqué’s posh dining room in the International Quarter is now open for lunch. Local nine-to-five folk – and savvy out-of-towners – can now enjoy haute cuisine midday, between 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., in a relaxed yet refined atmosphere.

Lunchers will enjoy Laprise’s fine-tuned, local produce vision; plus wines by the glass, conveniently available in full or half servings, respectively 4 oz or 2 oz. This means having, let’s say, a demi-verre of Vermentino 2009 Alta Mesa with your beet salad (as I did) and switching it up with a Douro 2006 Muxagat for your beef bourguignon – and not going back to your desk on wobbly feet.

Here I am with Toqué’s sommelier Samuel Chevalier-Savaria. Lunchtime guests can now order wines by the glass (4 oz) or half glass (2 oz).

The restaurant has also remodelled their bar. It now seats up to 15 people in a dynamic U-shaping setting: perfect for less formal rapid-fire meals. (Come Dec. 1^st, Toqué will also introduce a special bar menu for evening bites – a good spot for a first date, in case you’re worried about committing to a full-on, sit down meal with a total stranger.)

Just to be fair, I’ve also listed three more restaurants that offer, fast and classy midday meals. If you have an important client to wine and dine for a working lunch, or you just want out of the daily cafeteria grind, each one is definitely an address to impress.

TOQUÉ

Chef: Normand Laprise

Cuisine: Market

Prix fixe: From $25

Menu includes: 4 starters + 4 mains + regular coffee or tea, cheese and dessert are extra.

Time: Tuesday to Friday, 11:30 to 2 p.m.

Address: 900 Jean-Paul-Riopelle Place

Ambience: An elegant and contemporary space in warm hues

Neighbourhood: International Quarter

Call to reserve: (514) 499-2084

Nearby hotel: InterContinental, 360 St-Antoine St. W.

Business brief: The restaurant faces the Convention Centre (Palais des congrès), making it super simple to walk across the street for lunch.

GRAZIELLA

Chef: Graziella Battista

Cuisine: Italian

Prix fixe: $25

Menu includes: 4 starters + 5 mains, coffee and dessert are extra.

Time: Monday to Friday, 12 p.m to 2:30 p.m.

Address: 116 McGill St.

Ambience: Modern, bright interior in natural tones with an impressive 20-foot ceiling

Neighbourhood: Old Montreal

Call to reserve: (514) 876-0116

Nearby hotel: St-Paul, 355 McGill Ave.

Business brief: Private rooms are available for working lunches; they can accommodate 6 to 25 people with access to a projection screen and WiFi.

MILOS

Chef: Costas Spiladis

Cuisine: Greek, seafood

Prix fixe: From $20.10 (to honour the current year)

Menu includes: 8 starters + 6 main + dessert, the menu is online.

Time: Monday to Friday, 12 p.m to 3 p.m.

Address: 5357 Parc Ave.

Ambience: Open concept market kitchen and white spacious dining room

Neighbourhood: Mile End

Call to reserve: (514) 272-3522

Nearby hotel: Le Germain, 2050 Mansfield St.

Business brief: A little bit uptown but definitely worth the drive if you love seafood.

EUROPEA

Chef: Jérôme Ferrer

Cuisine: Market with French influence

Prix fixe: $23.50 to $29.50

Menu includes: An amuse-bouche, 5 to 6 starters + 9 mains, cheese or dessert is extra.

Time: Tuesday to Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Address: 1227 de la Montagne St.

Ambience: Victorian mansion with contemporary décor

Neighbourhood: Downtown

Call to reserve: (514) 398-9229

Nearby hotel: Vogue, 1425 de la Montagne St.

Business brief: Private room is available for 25 -30 people with projection screen.

The post BUSINESS BLACKBOOK: WHERE TO EAT YOUR NEXT POWER LUNCH appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.