Saint-Laurent Banquet: celebrating the pleasures of the table

Three young leaders in good drinking and eating well combine their motivation and talent to offer you a large December table, called Banquet Saint-Laurent, in an old restaurant on the boulevard which bears the same name. It’s time to celebrate, whether with colleagues, friends or family.

Clément Boivin, winner of the third season of Wood heads, a former member of the Au Pied de Cochon family, is a regular at these ephemeral “restaurants” since he launched his business Cusine libre!, more than a year ago. For this project, he shares the stove with Alexandre Halle Quinlan. The latter held several positions in the restaurant industry, notably at Bremner and Majestique, then on the island of Dominica, in the Caribbean, where he participated in the opening of Lacou. Cooking is his new passion.

The third headliner, François Séguin-Letendre, worked as a scaler at Majestique before leaving for China in 2018. Quite unusual, he opened a restaurant and a wine bar in Shanghai during the pandemic.

Other collaborators participate in this wonderful collective adventure, including Gia Bach Nguyen, who takes care of quenching the guests’ thirst upon their arrival with one of her delicious alcoholic (or not) concoctions.

It was America’s first social and gastronomic club, L’Ordre de Bon Temps, that inspired the trio. Founded by Samuel de Champlain during the winter of 1606-1607, the group aimed to break the isolation brought by winter and to breathe life into the Habitation of Port-Royal, in Nova Scotia.

The pleasures of the table were at the center of the concept and they are the beating heart of Banquet Saint-Laurent, which wishes to highlight Quebec products that are consumed less, such as certain lake fish, well-known queen quails. in the meat of Kégo Quails, frog legs, farmed game (since wild game cannot still be served legally in restaurants), etc. The repertoire is tinged with a certain gourmet nostalgia, as a few lucky people were able to see during a “general” this week.

The first bites arrive while the guests, invited to arrive at 6 p.m., socialize around the bar. Follows, at 7 p.m., a full meal served at the long communal table. It includes an assortment of starters, sharing dishes and a dessert. A superb assortment of cheeses, seafood and other small dishes can be ordered at an additional cost. The base, which in itself constitutes a hearty meal, is priced at $75 before tax, service and beverage. This is a low price in these times!

Month of December and parties Christmas requires, Banquet Saint-Laurent can accommodate groups of around 24 people who want to celebrate together. Other evenings will be reserved for individuals. These can reserve up to four guests (or more). The dinners take place between December 7 and 30, at the corner of Saint-Laurent Boulevard and Maguire Street.