Take away | Celebrate winter at Robin des Bois

Last summer, Robin des Bois’ local burned down, leaving only ashes and desolation behind. The very existence of this restaurant with a social vocation, housed on Saint-Laurent Boulevard for 15 years, was threatened. However, the City of Montreal had the good idea to offer the Robin des Bois to settle in the chalet-restaurant of the park La Fontaine, then unoccupied.

Iris Gagnon Paradise
The Press

But this “trauma” – because it was one, underlines director Judy Servay – also left a wasteland to cultivate, an opportunity to reflect on how the non-profit organization wanted to honor its mission.

“It is important for us that everything that is done here is social, community or cultural. We took the opportunity to tighten our mission, to get back to basics. For 15 years, we found ourselves keeping a restaurant alive and putting a lot of energy into it. It seems to me that we can help even more, go even further. It’s a perfect place here,” says Ms.^me Servay.

Thus, Robin des Bois offers here a “canteen” formula – dining rooms open or not: you order at the counter and then sit down (when the rules allow it) or to take away. The winter menu, by chef Amélie Acloque, has been designed to warm up during the walk or after a few laps on the park’s frozen pond: vegan tartiflette or cassoulet in a bowl, cup of hot broth with pork meatballs, grilled cheese, biscuits, brownies, hot chocolate or apple juice for the little ones, coffee or chai tea for the adults…

But there is more, then. In December, the restaurant launched its “Cooking to the next” project, which welcomes groups (company employees or others) in the dining room transformed for the occasion into a kitchen. “People come to cook for two hours. We give them aprons, recipes, food, we plan and take care of everything! Afterwards, we bring out a country buffet, alcohol, and people can celebrate. ” A kind of party private, in short, but which gives back to people in need — to Accueil Bonneau in this case.

This idea, which she intends to relaunch when she can, Judy Servay brought it out of her memories. Before founding Robin des Bois, she had a production house. Among his great friends, Jean-Marc Vallée. “During our parties Christmas, we packed the tables, the computers, we brought in the ovens, and we cooked! We made about 400 meals for the Accueil Bonneau. We called it the only party Christmas where you feel better the next day! The idea for Robin came from there: to create a place where people can do volunteer work in a fun, light environment,” she recalls with emotion, still shaken by the loss of her friend, whom we see among the mosaic of archive photos of the restaurant, while the director had come to give a lecture on site.

There are other projects. In addition to the day camp in the kitchen for young people, which should no doubt return next summer, Robin des Bois would also like to host cultural or community events: shows, meetings, conferences, yoga or meditation classes… whether for the community. It’s really important and I think it’s even more true with what we’re going through at the moment, putting people and the community back at the center of it all,” concludes Ms.^me Servay.

Robin des Bois is open every day, from noon to 6 p.m., Monday to Thursday, and until 8 p.m., Friday to Sunday.

3933 Parc-La Fontaine Avenue, Montreal