Everyone to the market! | New at the Grand Marché de Québec

Four years after moving to the Limoilou district, the Grand Marché de Québec is a mandatory stop for foodies visiting the nation’s capital. Four new kiosks have just been set up there.

Macarons de Sophie: refinement on the menu

Sophie Bourlard’s macaron counter is reminiscent of chic Parisian boutiques with its pastel colors, mounted pieces and pedestal trays. But beyond the decoration, the Belgian-born pastry chef wanted the taste and texture of her round desserts to be as refined as those found in Europe. “Everything is made with natural ingredients,” she explains. I don’t use any artificial coloring. I cook them like for my family. Self-taught, Sophie Bourlard was obsessed with macaroons. She left her job as an administrative assistant and started her business at home in 2016. The entrepreneur was part of the first cohort of MYCÉLIUM, the food business incubator located at the Grand Marché. This training gave him the tools to open his first store in Charlesbourg and a second in Sillery. With its counter, inaugurated in February, it is making a comeback through the front door. A word of advice: don’t miss the fleur de sel caramel macaroon. He is so popular that his caramel is also sold in pots.

So Dominike Gourmandises: this is decadence!

Decadent biscuits, giant galettes and small cakes, impossible for lovers of sweets not to succumb to the desserts of Dominike Audet. The former Quebec radio host converted to baking during the pandemic. She has been present at the Grand Marché for a few months and, seeing the queue forming every day in front of her stall, her delicacies are all the rage. “My boyfriend comes in at 6 a.m. every morning to bake the cookies,” she says. It’s always fresh! Of the nine varieties on offer, her Red Velvet cookie is a favorite. Since the victory of the Remparts, she has been selling the sandwich cookie topped with white cake icing, in the official colors of the hockey team. “We called it So-Gros,” adds the pastry chef. It’s the dirtiest. Dominike Audet made herself known to gourmets during her time at The Great Canadian Baking Show airing on CBC in 2021. Behind his counter, his zest for life is contagious.

The Dinette by Laiterie Charlevoix: 100% cheese

Cheeses from Laiterie Charlevoix come into the kitchen in the new space called La Dinette. “Customers wanted to see the finished product,” explains manager Sandy Walker. We’re going to show them what we can do with our cheeses! In the central aisle of the market, just opposite the dairy shop, there is a 100% cheese menu. This is made up of several grilled cheeses, an onion soup, cheese platters and, for breakfast, jersey cow’s milk yogurt parfaits. All the dishes can be taken “to take away”, but it is more pleasant to taste them at the bar, with a glass of wine in addition.

Joe Smoked Meat: finally within your reach!

No need to travel to Charlevoix to savor José Poulin’s famous smoked meat. The chef, who has been running a boutique in Baie-Saint-Paul for more than 20 years, now runs a counter at the Grand Marché. The entrepreneur wanted to get closer to some of his customers, because it is not uncommon for his customers to come and go from Montreal to get his products, he says. “The cooking and the cut are perfect, that’s why my smoked meat is the best,” assures the chef. In addition to its vacuum-packed meat, its counter contains a host of dishes prepared with its smoked meat, including sausage, gratin and lasagna.