Two Restaurants to Recommend

One four months old, the other just a year. Both excellent.

The release of the Quebec Michelin results has had me thinking about restaurants and dining out more than ever. When working as a critic, it was my job to not only review the restaurant of the week but also give an overview of the scene, point out trends, discuss the evolution of fine dining, and do my best to discover new talent.

I could always appreciate creativity, but had a tough time with chefs who pushed the creative envelope to the point of performance art. I recall a meal from a young chef who began his menu with a plate that looked like a moonscape, with at its center an oyster enveloped in a cocoa butter shell and rolled in gold dust, alongside slow-poached eggs showered with shaved truffles and also garnished with gold. Not my thing, I thought, wishing that oyster had been served naked instead of having its texture and flavour masked. And with cocoa butter, of all things!

That said, I'm not headed to a restaurant for a ham sandwich either. Dining out has always been about enjoying food you don't necessarily eat at home. I love slurping back oysters but we rarely eat them at home because, despite what some people in my house may believe, no one under this roof can properly shuck an oyster. I like to eat french fries when dining out because I rarely make them at home, and I often opt for fish in a restaurant because I'm not accustomed to cooking it and I always assume restaurants receive the best specimens.

So this week I wanted to recommend two restaurants I've enjoyed lately that are not only superb, but suitable for different occasions.

Here we go!