To recap, Marc André-Jetté and Patrice Demers left Laloux in May 2009 to relaunch Newtown, and Eric Gonzalez moved over to Laloux from XO. Both moves resulted in good reviews for Newtown and Laloux. We ate at Newtown and Laloux on December 19th and 20th 2009, respectively, and we loved both restaurants, giving a slight edge to Gonzalez’s stellar performance at Laloux.

Even as we dined there, Gonzalez had already announced he was leaving for a new project, which we now know is Auberge Saint-Gabriel in the Old City.

Well, that was long. So, here we are today, with Seth Gabrielse at the helm of Laloux. It’s his first time in charge of a kitchen but he’s had excellent training at the side of Racha Bassoul, who ran the long-closed, long-lamented Anise. (Bassoul joined Gabrielse at Laloux in February for a special dinner.)

Voir has published what looks to be the first major review of Laloux in its new, Middle Eastern-flavored version, and overall, it’s quite positive. The kitchen is “less spectacular” than it was under Gonzalez, writes the reviewer, but there’s praise for the subtle spicing of the new dishes, and there are still a few Laloux and bistro classics on the menu. Special notes for Michelle Marek, Laloux’s incomparable pastry chef, and well as the assistant sommelier Theo Diamantis. We met him in December and greatly enjoyed him. (Sommelier David Vincent is also brilliant.) The Voir assessment: This is the kitchen of a promising young chef, who will only get better.

photo credit: Christine Bourgier

Mari-Claude Lortie of La Presse blogs that Éric Gonzalez will be the new chef at Laloux, replacing Marc André Jetté, who has departed for Newtown with Patrice Demers, as we’ve already noted.

We’re familiar with Gonzalez from his time at Cube until late 2006 (we ate there the final night); he went to XO at the Hotel St James after that.

In the meantime, over at Newtown, Lortie reports that there’s no decision yet on changing the name of the restaurant, but it will be closed for about a week for some redecorating. It re-opens on May 26th with Jetté and Demers at the helm.

Cube was open for private parties and events a few months after closing, while its former chef, Eric Gonzalez, left for XO, the concept at the St James Hotel, a few blocks away.

Now, a new restaurant is on the way – Vauvert. My information about Vauvert, so far, is limited to the French language page posted at the old Cube web site. One learns little from the description beyond the desire to offer Montreal diners something different, something that respects the tradition of Cube, a menu that is accessible, etc.

Chef Pascal LeBlond is a Cube veteran. To quote the web site:

Il a reinvente des classiques de la cuisine Francaise Meridionale en leur donnant une tournure resolument Quebecoise.

We’ll keep an eye on it, and check it out in September if it’s up and running by then. In the meantime, we’ll watch the Vauvert web site; at present, it’s closed to public access.

To that end, a couple notes from Chowhound:

The old Les Chevres space looks to morph into Le Joli Moulin, opening soon and specializing in steaks and seafood. This may well be an existing restaurant finding a new location.

Eric Gonzalez left Cube after it closed on December 23rd (we were there for the final night, quite coincidentally) is now at XO in the Hotel St. James.