It was when they both worked for the A5 group in Montreal that Dominic Tougas and Jason Thivierge became friends. Already, they had begun to dream of one day opening their pizzeria.
Posted yesterday at 12:00 p.m.
Then, Dominic returned to his native Laurentians and opened, with his wife Marie-Michèle Desmarchais and other partners, the restaurant L’Épicurieux, in Val-David. Jason, he walked in several kitchens in Montreal to finally end up on Anticosti Island, where he met Ève Lapierre – the couple are now expecting their first child.
During all this time, Dominic had not forgotten his pizzas. “After two years, L’Épicurieux was rolling, it was stable, I wanted to launch another project…. one of the 28 projects I have in mind! “laughs the father of two children. But searches in the area are fruitless. Until, on a fine October day, the restaurateur walks past a place to rent in the charming village of Saint-Adolph-d’Howard, which previously housed Gios – the only restaurant in the village, which had closed his doors. This time was the right one.
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PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
A few starters are on the menu, including the Lupi Salad with Roasted Vegetables, Walnuts and Reggiano and the Meat Polpettes.
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PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
The mini cannolis will satisfy the sweet tooth!
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PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
The team behind Pizzéria Lupi: Dominic Tougas and his partner Marie-Michèle Desmarchais (L’Épicurieux), chef Jason Thivierge and Ève Lapierre
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PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Jason Thivierge has several years of cooking experience. He had long dreamed of opening a pizzeria.
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PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
The team has completely revamped this premises which once housed the Gios restaurant.
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PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
The name of the pizzeria means “wolf” in Italian.
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After three intensive months of renovations, and a lot of arm juice, the premises were ready to welcome a very enthusiastic clientele in mid-February. “The first evening, we were sold out in an hour and a half. We made 70 pizzas. The next day, we increased to 85, then 150 at the end of the week! says Jason. Inspired by the Neapolitan tradition, the pizzas are offered in various varieties: marguerita, pepperoni, roasted vegetables, then Hawaii and funghi (our favourites). To complete, we order polpettes or the very successful salad of roasted vegetables, full of texture and contrasting flavors. In the sweet finish, a “Tira Mitsou” in a pot (you have to laugh a little) or crispy mini cannolis, which are immediately swallowed up. The menu will be enhanced over time, with no doubt an ice cream component for the summer season.
The drinking menu (to come once the liquor license has been obtained, in a few weeks) will be short, but tempting: beers from the region (including Camp de Base, also located in Saint-Adolph) as well as wines nature and thirst at reasonable prices, so that all local residents can enjoy their village restaurant, regardless of their budget. Village which is booming, with the recent reopening of the primary school and the upcoming construction of a library and a cultural center, just next to Lupi.
And this pretty name, by the way, where does it come from? “We’re opening an Italian-style pizzeria, but we’re not Italian! We were a little uncomfortable using an emblematic Italian name, we wanted it to remain simple, convivial, fun. Our son, we call him “our little wolf”. We realized that the emblematic animal of Italy was the wolf,” explains Marie-Michèle. And wolves, in Italian, is written “lupi”. A beautiful pack to discover in the heart of the Laurentians!
1985 Village Road, Saint-Adolphe d’Howard