This text is part of the special book Plaisirs
Brunches are back! We have missed this weekend gourmet tradition, whether rustic or refined, over the past two years. Which is not to say that the creativity of our chefs and entrepreneurs has wavered during this period, since now brunch is more diverse and more vibrant than ever. Here is the testimony of three women from different worlds, but who have a common passion for this brunch that we love so much.
Whether we are Quebecers by birth or by adoption, brunch is of particular importance to many. It is synonymous with meeting, pleasure, ritual or discovery. For Sandra Ferreira, who holds the reins of the Ferreira Group (Ferreira Café, Campo, Vasco da Gama), it breaks with its Portuguese roots, which rather want us to meet around a classic meal on Sundays. “But I love brunch,” she says. It’s one of my Quebec sides that I assume perfectly! And, of course, the entrepreneur has her favorite addresses, like most of us.
For her part, chef Marie-Fleur St-Pierre, co-owner of the Montreal restaurant Mesón and the Kamouraskois grocery store Le Jardin du beadeau, remembers her regular visits to the Reservoir with her colleagues for brunch when she was in her early twenties. However, the chef likes to cook brunches even better. So much so that when she worked full-time in the Tapeo kitchens, she was already dreaming of opening her own breakfast and brunch restaurant. “And I believe that the best services that I have prepared in my life are those of the Mesón”, confides the one who also devoted to this formula the book Marie-Fleur’s brunches.
What is his vision of brunch? “I don’t like brunches that are too traditional or overflowing with fruit that mixes with hot ingredients. For me, brunch is a beautiful plate, simple and tasty, containing few elements and presented as a dish. It doesn’t necessarily contain eggs or bread, but it is well thought out and self-sufficient. A bit like Tapeo tapas, in a way. »
While the Mesón’s Spanish-style brunches again attract a very compact crowd on Saturdays and Sundays, the chef is already thinking of original menus of her own, such as a “Spanish sugar shack brunch”, scheduled for March 26 and 27. next. “I already have some ideas for ingredients and dishes in mind,” she says. Of course there will be baked beans, eggs and pancakes On the menu. And why not with Spanish cheeses and Serrano ham? I’m also thinking of trout gravlax served with maple jelly, of a “mille-crêpes” maple cake. Without forgetting whole tortillas and cassoulet. There will be fun! »
Gift brunches
The pandemic has seen the emergence of new formulas, to deliver or take away, of a great variety of brunches. Even the sugar shacks have taken part in this phenomenon since last year through Operation My Cabin at Home. Yet this concept has long existed elsewhere. In Argentina, for example, gift lunches and brunches, known as desayunos a domicilioare a very popular tradition to celebrate a birth, a birthday or any other occasion.
It was because she was bored of this practice that Gabriela Tulian created in 2008 My Gourmet Basket, a very first offer in Quebec for the ordering and delivery of breakfasts and brunches. “MPG has had a big boom during the pandemic, she agrees. People discovered us all of a sudden! »
My gourmet basket is based on the online offer of formulas for one to six people including fresh products (pastries, breads, cakes) accompanied by juices, compotes, jams, spreads and other small pleasures from Quebec. “These are all super quality products, I’m very attentive to that,” says the entrepreneur, citing some of her suppliers, such as Arhoma bakery, Allô Simone, Minettes, Miels d’Anicet and La wood gatherer. The initial spirit of the Argentinian “gift brunch” has also remained intact, since each order contains a small bouquet of dried flowers from Septembre atelier, as well as a pretty card on which appears a small message from the person who spent the command.
As original as it is, will this concept survive the reopening of restaurants? That’s what Gabriela Tulian believes. “Consumers have now adopted the habit of ordering online. A gift brunch avoids traveling and is a pleasure. It is a different experience from the one we live in person. »
Brunches of the world
A different experience is also what the Time Out Market Montreal has recently offered. The 11 food counters and 3 bars in the gastronomic hall have actually designed dishes and drinks for a different brunch. “It’s a way of adding diversity and making sure that everyone finds something to benefit from it,” explains Sandra Ferreira, who has a Campo counter on site. Plus, there’s a great atmosphere with live music every weekend. »
You can now enjoy colorful brunches at the Time Out Market, such as a breakfast pizza with Mornay sauce (Moleskine), a jerk chicken sandwich with plantain fries (Paul Toussaint), Lebanese beans with spiced eggs (Mezzmiz) , or a surprising Japanese inari with salmon, tamago, avocado and sweet potato (Le Blossom).
For her part, Sandra Ferreira presents a poutine brunch with bifana at the Campo counter. Originally, the bifana is a typical Portuguese sandwich made with potato flake bread that contains pork cutlets. However, in the brunch version of the Campo, the pork is cut into pieces, then tossed with fries, two kinds of cheese, including São Jorge, brown sauce reduced with port and pickled vegetables, which bring a touch of acidity. “An egg also tops the plate as a reminder of lunch here,” adds the entrepreneur. It is definitely decadent! We bet that many hearty brunch enthusiasts will agree.