After boreal cuisine and the promotion of vegetables, chef Arnaud Marchand is opening a new restaurant on rue Saint-Jean, in Quebec, Le Bedeau. At this address, wine and food go hand in hand.
Posted at 11:00 a.m.
Since his notable appearance on the show The Chiefs !, in 2010, Arnaud Marchand combines the projects: restaurants, counter, ready-to-eat and books. However, one idea had not yet come to fruition: opening a wine bar.
“Wine has real power over the dish,” he says. When the deal is successful, the experience is unparalleled. »
Before settling in Quebec, the chef worked several seasons at Les Airelles, a starred restaurant in the French Alps. He remembered the grandiose pairings between wine and food. This is why Le Bedeau is not a bar, but rather a restaurant where wine is the star.
Arnaud Marchand has teamed up with Pierre Gagnon, executive chef, who has been with him for a long time at the restaurant Chez Boulay, his other establishment located a few doors down rue Saint-Jean.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, THE PRESS
Pierre Gagnon, executive chef of the restaurant Le Bedeau, which will soon open rue Saint-Jean, in Quebec.
As for the card, it was designed by Kim Colonna. The sommelier-consultant selected around thirty “atypical” cuvées, then worked with the chef to find combinations worthy of seventh heaven.
Brilliant and explosive!
Among them, the Coteau Bourguignon, from Domaine Henri Richard, a blend of ten grape varieties, was paired with a fillet of mackerel, romesco sauce and chorizo. “You don’t expect this pairing with a fish, it’s just awesome!” says Mr. Colonna.
The sommelier was also won over by the dessert served with a Greek orange wine from the Kamara estate. The Assyrtiko cuvée was vinified with pine resin, as is the tradition in Greece with retsina. The marriage with the cake with olives and pine flavored ice cream at Le Bedeau is, according to him, memorable. “You find yourself with a freshness, as if you were in a forest of conifers, he adds. It explodes in the mouth! »
Arnaud Marchand dreams of taking a sommelier course, but between cooking, restaurant management and his three children, he lacks time.
With Le Bedeau, Arnaud Marchand wants to popularize wine. Whether by creating the perfect pairing or simply by accompanying a plate of charcuterie with a good drink.
Unsurprisingly, the Bedeau menu contains Quebec wines, including those from Domaine de l’Espiègle and Clos Sainte-Thècle. A barrel from the Réserve du bout de l’île, a white from Domaine Sainte-Pétronille, has been set aside especially for a pairing with corn that will be in the spotlight later this summer.
Tribute to tradition
The opening of Le Beadeau, scheduled for the week of July 24, coincides with the Pope’s visit to Canada. Pure coincidence! Although the name of Arnaud Marchand’s new restaurant evokes the attendant who takes care of mass wine in the Catholic Church, there is nothing religious about the establishment…apart from a few references.
“I found on Marketplace a giant church piece of furniture, no, huge, he says. I didn’t know what to do with it, but I fell in love. »
The old furniture is now in the new premises on rue Saint-Jean and it inspired the decoration, without going overboard, says Mr. Marchand. For example, 14 tables are in preparation. They will evoke a “wine way of the cross”. The toilets have also been decorated according to the theme of the confessional.
“It’s a tribute to tradition,” adds the chef.
Le Bedeau will be open four nights a week, Wednesday through Saturday.