There are the well-kept secrets, the obligatory stops and those that are worth the detour. There are above all essentials of all kinds that are good to share. For the pleasure of your palates, The duty therefore imagined an appointment in the form of a gourmet notebook, one theme at a time. The perfect place to share, if ever there was one, the country table highlights the culinary influences of a chef, products from his gardens, his farm and the favorite ingredients of his region. It’s the very embodiment of the concept of land to table, and sitting down here is a real journey. In view of the sweet season, here are 10 tasty destinations.
MONTEREGIE
The Manger
The idea of a return to the land had been floating around in chef Guillaume Asselin’s head for a while, when — stroke of luck! — the ideal property appeared at the same time as a certain virus… With the key under the door of his restaurant-caterer Les Affamés, he got busy with his wife, Marie Daudelin, to start their gîte and country table Le Mangeoire . “The goal is to receive people as friends,” emphasizes the chef. Offering a personal cuisine inspired by his travels, Guillaume Asselin relies heavily on self-sufficiency in the creation of his dishes.
With its large gardens, its eight oxen, three dairy cows, 60 goats and 300 hens, 90% of what is prepared grows and grazes a step away. Also advocating proximity to customers, he arranges the plates in front of them, explaining each of the dishes on the five-course menu. Good to know: a visit of the premises is offered on arrival, you can bring your alcoholic drinks if you wish, and the four-bedroom gîte is available, whether you eat at the country table or not.
6004 Ridge Road, Saint-Anicet
Bika
In the midst of a pandemic, Fisun Ercan, chef at the renowned restaurant Su, turns off the ovens for good and leaves the city to finally realize her dream: to open a country table. Located in Saint-Blaise-sur-Richelieu, Bika Ferme et Cuisine is a place of delight. The large windows of the establishment, annexed to the century-old family home, overlook the surrounding gardens and fields. As soon as they arrive, guests are also invited to take a tour of the grounds before taking their place inside. On the plates, the harvests of the day are in the spotlight of the tasting menu, in addition to local meats and fish. Everything is sublimated by the aromas, the know-how and the love of Fisun Ercan for the cuisine of her native Turkey – a cuisine that she makes known during culinary workshops during the low season. Nota bene: formula bring your own wine.
980 Grand Bernier Road, Saint-Blaise-sur-Richelieu
La Rabouillere
In 1992, Pierre Pilon, a professional veterinarian, started his country table to promote agrotourism as it exists in Europe. After many years of work and awards of excellence, it was his son, Jérémie, a graduate in the kitchen, who took over the reins in 2020 with his spouse, Marie-Claude Bouchard, trained in sommelier service. The new face of La Rabouillère is marked by the family legacy and the desire to have fun. First with the gardens and the farm, which provide Jérémie Pilon with very fresh ingredients, especially meat, vegetables and edible flowers. Then, the house of the patriarch was renovated to make it a lodge that could accommodate a dozen people. At the table, in a rustic setting, seasonal cuisine now winks at different cuisines from around the world. Here too, the bring your own wine concept is in order. And if you feel like just visiting the farm, know that several animals are waiting for you in the pasture. Picnic baskets can be prepared for those who would like to eat outside.
1073, row of Egypt, Saint-Valérien-de-Milton
CENTER OF QUEBEC
At the Pasture
“Why shouldn’t we take gastronomy out of the big centres? It is with this question that chef Chloé Ouellet started her country table in the village of Sainte-Perpétue. After having worked for several good restaurants in the Quebec region, including Chez Boulay, bistro boreal, she decided to think outside the box and offer what excites her in a living environment that makes her vibrate. “Moving here is not a strategic choice, it’s a valuable choice. I always believed that one day people would be ready to go out and have an experience. Her five- to seven-course tasting menu is created weekly based on production from the three acres of gardens where she grows vegetables, fruits and edible flowers. After four years of activity, the 2023 season is placed under the sign of research and development, Chloé Ouellet wishing to harvest more new varieties or other unknown ones. The chef and her team also offer brunches on weekends. Service takes place on a pretty 55-seat terrace in summer.
2581, rang Saint-Joseph, Sainte-Perpétue
ESTRIE
plots
Chef Dominic Labelle’s offer exudes summer: a pizza oven, vegetable dishes from the garden and natural wines, all tasted without flafla, like a picnic, on a large plot of land overlooking the Estrie hills and the orchard. Noon to sunset, rain or shine — thanks to the shelters! —, the menu is user-friendly and changes according to the harvest. It should be mentioned in passing that the vegetable gardens abound with often rare crops that are also found in about fifteen restaurants in Montreal. A great place to learn about the concept of the country table or to go out to eat with the children.
21 Taylor Road, Austin
Old Mill space
It was written in the sky that the popular market gardener Jean-Martin Fortier would sooner rather than later open his own country restaurant. Inaugurated last February in a vast building dating from 1849, Espace Old Mill is first and foremost a farm table where, every Saturday, chef Éric Gendron showcases farm vegetables and products from artisan farmers in the Brome-Missisquoi in an eight-course gastronomic formula. You can also eat à la carte from Wednesday to Friday, choosing from the dishes of the moment which also give pride of place to vegetables. The estate being installed on one hectare of market gardening land, the goal is to participate in the influence of the term “eating in season”. Starting in June, picnic baskets can be reserved for those who want to have a bite to eat around the gardens or around the Eastern Townships. Tours of the estate are also in the plans. As a bonus: Espace Old Mill also offers accommodation. The Cecil House hostel has four rooms and a suite to extend the stay.
7 Caleb Tree Road, Stanbridge East
BAS-SAINT-LAURENT
40 Arpents
A less and less well-kept secret, the 40 Arpents farm, specializing in the breeding and artisanal processing of Berkshire pigs and calves, offers aperitifs every Thursday. The whole of Bas-Saint-Laurent rushes at the end of the day to the ancestral land of Patrick Lavoie and Isabelle Vaillancourt in order to have a place in what is appropriate to call a country refreshment bar. The formula is simple and festive: we share plates of homemade charcuterie, pizzas, grilled meats and other snacks. We chat outside around the fire if the weather is nice, we take shelter if it’s cool. And who says aperitif, says drink. The 40 Arpents cellar is constantly replenished with fine bottles, including those from Pinard et filles, Les Pervenches, La Bauge and Auval. Of course, non-alcoholic options are also available. Promoting both the benefits of healthy agriculture and the vitality of the villages, the Lavoie-Vaillancourt couple also enlivens the township by becoming a local market on Sundays.
49.4e Row West, Saint-Onésime
CHARLEVOIX
False Shepherds
Since 2017, Emile Tremblay, Sylvain Dervieux and Andréanne Guay offer a unique and 100% locavore experience; a delicious postcard of what grows and is transformed in Charlevoix. As the name suggests, Faux Bergers is a hybrid between a country table and a gourmet restaurant. Here, there is no garden or laying hens nearby, but a vast region rich in food and agricultural trades. Each service also begins with an aperitif on the terrace which offers a wide view of the nourishing region. A unique tasting menu follows for the 42 guests, detailed by one or other of the hosts, who do not skimp on the anecdotes and stories surrounding each of the ingredients. The cuisine, very simple at first glance, reveals a thousand and one inspirations and techniques drawn from encounters and travels — including a recent stay in Japan. Note: Andréanne Guay, in charge of the wine cellar, offers food and wine pairings and non-alcoholic options.
1339, boulevard Monseigneur-De Laval, Baie-Saint-Paul
LAURENTIANS
The cabin next door
The little sister of the Cabane Au pied de poche, the rustic restaurant La Cabane d’à Côté, under the aegis of chef Vincent Dion-Lavallée, is located in the neighboring orchard, in Mirabel. Its concept makes everyone happy: picnic baskets filled with food to share and eaten in the orchard, where tables, benches and logs are arranged. In said basket, everything is in keeping with the season and the discoveries in the gardens. Rolls, salads, grilled meats, spreads, sweets, each meal can be accompanied by a drink of your choice, including the very successful signature ciders. New this year: a bar will be set up under a marquee. “We want people to hang on to their feet and enjoy the summer with us,” enthuses Vincent Dion-Lavallée. In addition to the Cabane’s ready-to-drink and spirits, slushies with flavors as unusual as they are summery will be featured. An oyster counter will also be on hand so that “people can stop and take the time to get together”. Tip: book the big top for a private group. In addition to having a dedicated cook and server, you will be seated directly on the edge of the orchard with the best view of the estate.
3595, Montée Robillard, Mirabel
LANAUDIERE
Wild Gardens
Founded in 1986 by François Brouillard, a professional picker for several restaurants and passionate about this family knowledge that has been passed down for four generations, Les Jardins Sauvages also became a forest table in 2001 with the arrival of guest chefs. The arrival of chef Nancy Hinton creates the perfect union. Located in François Brouillard’s childhood chalet, a stone’s throw from the Saint-Esprit river, the couple welcomes guests for five or seven-course tasting menus following a seasonal theme, where mushrooms, roots and sprouts of all kinds accompany Quebec meats, fish and cheeses. Influenced by wild ingredients, Nancy Hinton concocts gourmet dishes that demonstrate the richness of the boreal terroir and the importance of traditional knowledge. Good to know: Bring your own wine, if you want. Pickings from François Brouillard and processed products from Nancy Hinton are available at Jean-Talon Market (kiosk 87-88).
17 Martin Road, Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan