The Lauriers reveal their finalists

The Lauriers de la gastronomie are back in full force and in great shape for a 2022 edition where the best talents of the Quebec culinary and food scene will be celebrated. The 95 finalists in the 16 categories were announced on Monday, May 2 during an event hosted by Christian Bégin at Time Out Market Montreal.

“I’m going to ask you something that’s practically impossible for you, restaurant and gastronomy people,” says Christian Bégin, to open the press conference. This impossible thing: silence! Especially in a room full of chefs, sommeliers, agricultural producers of all kinds who gather for the first time in such large numbers in more than two years. Recall that in 2021, the Laurels took place virtually, after being canceled outright in 2020.

La Capitale stands out

In the illustrious Restaurant of the Year category, the Capital is heating up the metropolis, with four nominations for Quebec City (Arvi, Battuto, Le Clan, Restaurant La Légende) against five for Montreal (Beba, Candide, Mastard, Monarque , Mui Mui). The restaurant Les Faux-Bergers, in Baie-Saint-Paul, acts as the only regional representative.

The work of 10 chefs is highlighted in the prestigious Chef.fe.s of the year category. There are several chefs from Montreal: Jérémie Bastien (Monarque), Luciano D’Orazio (Luciano Trattoria), Simon Mathys (Mastard), Junichi Ikematsu (Jun I), Sean Murray Smith (Floating Island) and John Winter Russel (Candide) . Kim Côté (East side in Kamouraska), Fisun Ercan (Bika Ferme & Cuisine in Saint-Blaise-sur-Richelieu), François-Emmanuel Nicol (Restaurant La Tanière, Quebec) and Stéphane Modat (Le Clan, Quebec), complete the list .

Opened in the fall of 2021 in Old Quebec, Le Clan is well represented this year, with its sommelier Pier-Alexis Soulière also named in the Sommelier.e category of the year, alongside Lindsay Brennan (Alma), Vanya Filipovic (Vin Mon Lapin), Joris Gutierrez Garcia (The Hunting and Fishing Club) and Guillaume Plante (Maison Boulud).

The art of cocktails shines far beyond the island of Montreal, of which Gilbert Lemieux (H3) is the sole representative in the Mixologist or Bartender of the Year category. Quebec shines with three nominations: Simon Faucher (Restaurant La Tanière), Samuel Tremblay (Chez Rioux & Pettigrew) and Julien Vézina (Hono Izayaka). Claudia Doyon, from the Distillerie de la Chaufferie, in Granby, completes the selection.

A high-flying gourmet restaurant in Quebec, La Tanière also stands out for the Best Service Award with the presence of Roxan Bourdelais. Élyse Garand (Noren), Pierre Jullien (Graziella), Perle Morency (Côté Est) and William Saulnier (Beau Temps) complete this category.

The Revelation.s of the Year category offers an overview of people who have made their mark in the world of Quebec gastronomy with new projects and initiatives. For the 2022 edition, Louie Deliglianis and Renée Deschesnes (La Franquette), Matthew Shefler and Vincent Lévesque Lepage (Knuckles Cantine & Vins), Harrison Swewchuk and Darcy Gervais-Wood (Salle Climatisée), all in Montreal, rub shoulders there, as well as Dominic Labelle for the Parcelles country table in Austin, and Emmy Plante with the Mexican bar Maria Maria in Chicoutimi.

Honored artisans and producers

The Lauriers also highlight the work of bakers, pastry chefs, brewers, winegrowers, producers and artisans from across Quebec.

Victor Maupoux (Place Carmin), Gabrielle Rivard-Hiller (La Cabane sur le roc), Gaël Vidricaire (Gaël Vidricaire pastries), Lisa Yu (Monarque) and Chloé Migneault-Levacalier (Lecavalier Petrone) are finalists in the Pastry Chef category. .e of the year.

Lecavalier Petrone, a fine creative Montreal chocolate maker, is also named in the Artisan.es of the Year category along with veteran Anicet Desrochers (Miels D’Anicet), Chloé Gervais-Fredette (Les Chocolats de Chloé), Pascal Hudon (Pascal the butcher) and Carl Pelletier (Couleur Chocolat).

For the Baker.s of the Year category, Fabien Demandolx (Racines boulangerie fermière, L’Isle-Verte) and Charles Létang (Du pain… C’est tout!, Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies) are competing with Montrealers Thea Bryson (Miette Boulangerie), Jeffrey Finkelstein (Hof Kelsten) as well as regulars Seth Gabrielse and Julien Roy (Automne Boulangerie), for whom this is the third nomination in this category.

For the category highlighting the work of brewers, winegrowers or beverage producers, there are companies from all over Quebec: Domaine du Nival (Saint-Louis), Menaud (Clermont), Lieux Communs (Oka), Vignoble de la Bauge (Brigham ) and Cidrerie Chemin des Septs (Saint-Jean-Baptiste).

The work of Christian Lefebvre and Carole Marcoux (Le Porc de Beaurivage), David Robert (La Jardinière), Alexandre Faille (Chez Muffy), Mathieu Roy and Catherine Baltazar (La Récolte de la Rouge) as well as Louis-Charles and John-William Faille (La Ferme aux Mille Cailloux) is recognized in the category of Producer of the Year.

The Gastronomy Tourism Award highlights companies that promote their region. This year, Bleuetière Marland (Saint-Marie-de-Beauce), Fromagerie Le Détour (Témiscouata-sur-le-lac), Gourmet Sauvage (Mont-Blanc), Hydromel Charlevoix (Baie-Saint-Paul) and Le Ruisseau vineyard, in Dunham.

Chasse-Marée, La Transformerie, Les Filles Fattoush, Manger Notre Saint-Laurent and Sel Saint Laurent are the finalists in the Business or Initiative of the Year category, while Cuisine, Cinéma & Confidences, Kamouraska Forest Mushroom Festival, Les First Fridays, Montréal en Lumière and MYCO: Forest gastronomy rendezvous are nominated for the event of the year.

Host of the Lauriers de la gastronomie québécoise since the very first edition in 2018, Christian Bégin is once again nominated for the Prize for the influence of culinary culture, alongside chefs Normand Laprise and Stéphane Modat, Caribou magazine and the Mordu platform. .

From bridle to gala

It is the Brigade des Lauriers, made up of more than 5,000 industry professionals, who vote to determine the finalists and winners awarded each year. To this vote, which counts for 50% of the final result, is added that of the jury. This year, it is chaired by chef Marc-André Jetté and brings together Anita Feng, Alexandre Taillefer, Lesley Chesterman, Paul Toussaint, Marie-Fleur St-Pierre and Colombe Saint-Pierre. Note that the members of the jury withdraw their establishments from the race.

The only category that escapes this rule, that of the Public Prize. Once again this year, the public can vote for their favorite personality between Bob le Chef, Soeur Angèle, Stefano Faita, Josée di Stasio, Normand Laprise, Marilou, Martin Picard, Colombe St-Pierre, Daniel Vézina and Ricardo, undisputed king of this category, which has won this award in the last three editions.

The winners will be announced at the gala, which resumes face-to-face for the first time in two years and which will take place on June 20 at the Center des Sciences de Montréal. “We keep it as affordable as possible, with tickets at $95. It includes a meal, drinks and a show. Looks like it’s worth it! says Christine Plante, founder of the Lauriers.

More than a prize-giving evening, the event is also presented as a great celebration of gastronomy. Guests will be able to taste a real feast, the collective work of former winners of the competition including Stéphane Modat, Anita Feng, Marc-André Jetté, Antonin Mousseau-Rivard and Bejamin Oddo. Wine and cocktail lovers will not be left out with a menu signed jointly by Véronique Dalle (Foxy), Sophie Allaire (La Belle Histoire) and Kate Boushel (Atwater Cocktail Club). Tickets are on sale today.