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CANADA’S BEST NEW RESTAURANTS 2004 (p. 2 of 5)
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | The Foodies | Nov '04
2 RESTAURANT L’UTOPIE
226 1/2, rue Saint-Joseph E., Québec, 418-523-7878
Quebec City’s Saint-Roch neighbourhood is a budding SoHo. Rents are affordable, and the streets are filled with the young artists and quirky denizens that give such a quarter its flair. So it makes sense that when a group of cutting-edge, first-time restaurateurs – Rémi Tremblait, chef Stéphane Modat, sommeliers Bruno Bernier and Frédéric Simon – launched their dream restaurant, they would choose this location.
The room, designed by architect Pierre Bouvier, is a riot of geometry that plays organic materials off metal and glass. Thick birch trunks line up across the room, stretching into the black ceiling. The massive, angular wine cellar juts out, growing wider the higher it climbs.
The prix fixe Quest for Harmony menu is a sublime collaboration: Bernier and Simon choose the wines, and Modat creates a complementary menu. A rich, copper-coloured Macvin du Jura is paired with a creamy torchon of foie gras in which all of the elements – vanilla-scented pear purée, peppery slaw, two acidic cubes of balsamic jelly and homemade orange-flower brioche – combine in myriad ways to make something greater than the sum of its parts. The subtle flavour of Quebec lamb roasted in hay evolves with each bite so that the final mouthful is the best. Monarque cheese is fried into a savoury doughnut and served with apple salad and soft candied lemon. The grand finale features the jammiest, most syrupy confit of fig imaginable, served with a scoop of ridiculously good verbena ice cream.
L’Utopie succeeds on many levels: The service is flawless, the cooking sublime and the atmosphere intoxicating.
3 CRU RESTAURANT
1459 W. Broadway, Vancouver, 604-677-4111 www.cru.ca
When a restaurant works, there is a harmonious marriage between the front of house and the kitchen. The owners of this adorable wine bistro understand this concept well; sommelier Mark Taylor and chef Dana Reinhardt are, after all, husband and wife.
The room is as plush and intimate as a honeymoon suite and boasts a brilliant and innovative wine program. Say you want to try the crispy duck leg confit with warm bacon dressing, seared organic potatoes and frisée salad. Beside it on the menu, you’ll find two coloured squares: a red one corresponding to “smooth” medium-bodied reds on the wine list; and an orange square representing “luscious” full-bodied whites. Choose a bottle from one of these sections or one of several wines offered by the glass, and you can’t go wrong.
Other wine-friendly dishes include grilled local asparagus with lemon mascarpone cream and vino cotto; and syrah-braised beef short ribs with a tiny ramekin of the best macaroni and cheese of all time. Do I love coriander-poached plums and kumquats with chocolate crème fraîche mousse and Thai basil oil? I do.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | The Foodies | Nov '04
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