Tag Archives: marc-andre jette

Montreal 2012-06

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Since 2006, my trips to Montréal have limited to an annual vacation for the Christmas holiday. It’s grown from three days to as many as ten days, so I’ve had a lot of time to absorb the vibes of my favorite city. But distance and cost reduced my options the rest of the year.

Seven weeks ago, I moved to Boston. For the first time, I’m within easy driving distance and airfares are around $200 less roundtrip, compared to my previous location.

And so, I’ll be spending a long weekend in Montréal on June 15-18! The annual holiday trips traditionally get a version number (2011 was v.8) but trips inside the year will officially be designated as yyyy-mm. Errr… so…

As is my wont, I’ve spent some time thinking over the restaurant choices. Here’s our plan:

For such a short trip, by comparison, the plan was easy: pick a restaurant we’ve been to before, and add two new ones to the mix.

400: I’ve written more about Marc-André Jetté, Patrice Demers and Marie-Josée Beaudoin and their restaurant homes, than any other chefs on my blog. These three (Beaudoin oversees the wine program) have created an exceptional restaurant and it continues at the highest level. It’s one of a tiny number of Montréal restaurants that are Michelin caliber.
Comptoir: People in the service industry consistently list this restaurant among their favorites, if you ask them. That’s a good sign. I’ve had this buried in my list for a couple years, and it rises to the top for 2012-06.
Chronique: Similar story… this restaurant has been on the list for probably 3-4 years, always hovering in the wings, never called upon. So it gets a spot in the dining list.
Activities: besides the obligatory daily workouts at Nautilus Plus, I think we’ll check out the McCord Museum. And as much as I love Montreal in winter, I’ll be excited to see the city in summer for the first time since 2005.
Looking ahead to Montréal v. 9.0 in December: still in the early planning stages, but for meals, I’m thinking of an homage to the chefs who have played a role in making Montréal in the modern era. Normand Laprise, Graziella Battista, Martin Picard, David McMillan and Federic Morin, Derek Damman, Marc-André Jetté and Patrice Demers, among others.
I think it will be fun!

Photo: The kitchen, as seen from the bar: Le Chien Fumant

The NKOTB: Les 400 Coups

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I’ve been looking for early mentions of the new Les 400 Coups and this is one of the first, from AJ Kinik at …an endless banquet.

Now I’m not sure that you’ll ever find the level of irreverence that made Au Pied de Cochon an international sensation at Les 400 coups, but I do know that its two chefs, Patrice Demers and Marc-André Jetté, are exceedingly talented and have more than a few tricks up their sleeves. We can’t wait to give them a chance to perform, and we look forward to sampling all their latest bêtises. We were lucky enough to get a sneak peek on Monday, but it only served to whet our appetites and confirm that this is a restaurant that’s been eagerly anticipated.

Well said, and we’ll be there to sample the newest venue for Jetté and Demers (and Marie-Joseé Beaudoin) on Tuesday, December 21st! Watch for a full report here.

Planning for Montréal at the Holidays, v 7.0: Dinner

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photo: braised veal with polenta, Restaurant DNA, 2010-12-22

With 92 days remaining before the annual Christmas trip to Montréal, here’s the dinner plan:

2010 Working Restaurant List

There are a number of other restaurant possibilities waiting in the wings, among them Mas, 3 Petit Bouchons, Brasserie t!, La Fabrique, le Saint-Gabriel.

The usual holiday placeholders are present: Otto and Bonaparte… both of which are perfectly good choices for dining on Christmas eve and Christmas night. Making a first time appearance: Le Chien Fumant and les 400 coups, the new restaurant opened by Marc-André Jetté and Patrice Demers.

This list will change over the coming three months, and as we navigate restaurant holiday schedules. But this is where we start.

Jetté and Demers: les 400 coups

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It’s official: Marc-André Jetté and Patrice Demers will open les 400 coups at 400 Notre-Dame Est in Old Montréal. This is the old space for Le Resident, which lasted only about a year.

Look for les 400 coups in October! (or thereabouts) And join the new 400 coups group on Facebook.

(photo is the space in the age of Le Resident)

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Restaurant News: A New Home for Demers and Jetté in October

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I’ve held off for a few days to try to discover some more information, but in the absence of any, here’s the word from Patrice Demers‘ twitter on July 3rd:

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And since then, two other pieces of information: Marc-André Jetté and Demers will leave Newtown in August, and their sommelier at Newtown, Marie-Josée Beaudoin, will join them in the new venture, to open in Old Montréal.

I don’t know the circumstances, but watching their careers from a distance, it’s seemed clear that they seize new opportunities and they don’t allow the dust to settle. We chatted with Jetté and Demers briefly when we were at Newtown in December 2009, and while they were highly positive about the size of the kitchen, the venue felt somewhat foreign when juxtaposed with their style of cooking. Even then, it felt like a resting place before a move somewhere else. And it looks like that move is approaching swiftly.

I’ve written a lot about these guys – they’re young, smart and they cook great food. I’m excited to see what’s coming next.

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Chatting with Jetté and Demers at Newtown in December 2009.

A good review for Newtown

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Marie-Claude Lortie, in La Presse this week, writes that, while the ambience of Newtown is nothing like their old digs at Laloux, Patrice Demers and Marc-André Jetté are back in the business of creating really beautiful and good tasting food.

This follows a somewhat lukewarm review from Lesley Chesterman in the Montreal Gazette – albeit just a few weeks after the restaurant had reopened. Perhaps a few hiccups at the outset, but they now seem to be firing on all cylinders. Friends of mine confirm this from their recent visit to Newtown, and we’ll be there in a few months to see for ourself.

New Reviews of Laloux and Newtown

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Let me pass on a couple reviews of note about two restaurants we’ve been watching closely over the past several months.

Laloux

In the Montreal Gazette, Lesley Chesterman visits and finds much to praise in the cooking of Eric Gonzalez and pastry chef Michelle Marek. First the setting, which hasn’t changed a bit and that makes her happy (and us, too). Next, the food and wine, both of which meet her high expectations. We saw Gonzalez in action in 2006 at Cube, just before it closed, and we’re pleased that he continues to dazzle. If you’re thinking about restaurant choices for your next trip to Montreal, or you’ve been to Laloux in the past and want to make sure its reputation is untarnished, this review should help you arrive at a decision.

Newtown

Next, Chesterman’s review of Newtown, under Marc André Jetté and Patrice Demers, both recently departed from Laloux. Chesterman’s visits occurred only about 6 weeks into their tenure there, and the results are mixed. With Jetté, her issue seems to be with execution rather than vision, and she has quibbles with Demers’ approach to portion sizes for desserts. Her biggest problem seems to be with the venue, which despite a few touchups here and there is still basically the same space it was in 2001. Time for a change, and Chesterman suggests it’s worth considering a name change – something we thought might happen back when the Chef Musical Chairs got underway.

Our Plans

We ate at Laloux twice on our last trip. It was a brilliant dining experience both times. We plan to return, to discover firsthand what Gonzalez and Marek are up to. And despite the less stellar beginning for Newtown, we’ll be there in a few months, too, because Jetté and Demers are remarkably talented and we expect them to be into the swing of things, and producing great meals.

Demers and Jetté leave Laloux

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Patrice Demers and Marc-André Jetté put Laloux back on the map of great Montreal restaurants, and now comes news of their imminent departure.

Demers and Jetté will move to the kitchen at Newtown on May 17th. We don’t know a lot about Newtown, but its reputation (if you read the Chowhound boards) seems to stand on its current bar/club/dining atmosphere, more so than the food.

Whatever the case, it looks like we can wipe the slate clean because there are likely to be some cosmetic changes to the restaurant, perhaps a name change, and most important, Demers and Jetté will overhaul the menu.

This brings upheaval to Laloux, which has a long history in the neighborhood. The restaurant languished a few years before the arrival of the duo in 2007. Demers and Jetté are young, but have a list of accomplishments that belies their age, and we look forward to what they plan for Newtown.

Actually, it’s worth mentioning a few other shifts because they impact another restaurant we’ve blogged about here.

Le Local is losing Alexandre Gosselin and Éric Dupuis. Gosselin is moving to the new Bar et Bouef, soon to open in Old Montreal. Dupuis is going to Leméac. Charles-Antoine Pariseau of Leméac? He’s going to Le Local.

Got that? Bottom line, everything we’ve said about Le Local and Laloux is no longer applicable.

One final note about Laloux: a restaurant is an experience that includes more than just the chefs and the meals. It’s the ambience, the waitstaff, the sommelier David Vincent, too, and all were exceptional at Laloux. We’re also looking forward to what happens there.