This is hearty Québécois cuisine, perhaps so hearty it's exactly what the pioneers needed to…read moresurvive the early harsh Montréal winters! Indeed the signature move of the chef, Martin Picard, is to elevate traditional, rustic Québécois "peasant food" into world-class fine dining. With the philosophy of unapologetic excess in every dish comes a line up of starters and mains packed with foie gras, butters, and oils in every corner. While the flavors in each dish by themselves are delicious, the onslaught of richness may not be for everybody, and it seemed deliberately without a palate cleanser or lighter counterbalance. In fact, knowing what we were getting into, we ordered an accompanying green salad, and the wait staff forgot to bring it out! We were outright denied anything but sheer gluttony.
Our meal consisted of the foie gras poutine, duck in a can, and green tagliatelle. The mantra of excess here meant foie gras melding with cheese curds and gravy on the poutine. Their unique "duck in a can" involved packing quite literally a can with fatty duck breast, foie gras, buttered cabbage, herbs, and gravy, and blasting it all together with heat for 27 minutes. The result is a delicious stew of decadence, for which I wish I had more bread to dip and devour. Even the tagliatelle was bathing in a rich, oily pesto that provided no reprieve from the onslaught.
We didn't try the namesake dish of the restaurant, the stuffed pig's foot (le pied de cochon), but seeing it served was an experience and nicely highlighted the elevated "peasant food" aspect of the entire affair. Very unique!
Overall I had an excellent experience trying the local cuisine and this more decadent approach to dining. While it's fun sometimes to break culinary rules, I did overall find myself missing a more balanced meal that could feel more sustainable and less coronary artery disease-inducing. I think as long as you know what you're getting into, it's worth a visit, but probably not several!