L'ÉPICURIEUX RESTAURANT - Laurentides

Restaurants

May 2

At the threshold of the picturesque rue de l'Église in Val-David, a jewel of the Laurentians, nestles the Restaurant l'Épicurieux, housed in a charming building typical of the far North. Our visit, coinciding with a weekend of cross-country skiing, was an opportunity to discover this unique place. The restaurant offers two distinct services, the first around 6 p.m. and the second around 8:30 p.m., offering an exclusive five-step tasting menu at $75 per person, with the option of adding a wine pairing for an additional $55 . The wine selection is particularly notable, as is the limited but captivating offering of cocktails, among which the one with sea buckthorn and balsam fir particularly appealed to us.

Upon entering, you are immediately immersed in the intimate atmosphere of the restaurant, thanks to its open kitchen. The atmosphere, both cozy and warm, was ideal for our pre-Valentine's Day evening. We opted for a place at the chef's counter, allowing us to be at the heart of the culinary action, to the point of almost being able to intervene in the preparation of the dishes.

The philosophy of the menu is to celebrate local cuisine, highlighting local producers from the Laurentians. It would be nice to see these mentioned directly on the menu, an increasingly popular trend that would be worth adopting here. The executive chef, Fanny Ducharme, who cut her teeth in the kitchen of Cabane au Pied de Cochon, offers a radically different approach, focused on finesse and precision. The menu, renewed every week, began with a remarkable dish of braised and fried leeks, topped with a tasty mackerel roe and lemon garnish, followed by a delicate milk-fed veal tartare decorated with blond grapes and sumac, accompanied by perfectly toasted bread. The lamb pasta, enriched with butter and sprinkled with shavings of 1608 cheese, then the giant scallops on their bed of Jerusalem artichoke puree with pecans and eggs, confirmed our delight, the cooking of the scallops being absolutely divine.

The meal ended on a sweet note with a deconstructed honey baba, accompanied by chamomile and ginger ice cream, combining sweetness and freshness. There was a time when you couldn't find such inventive cuisine outside of Montreal, but fortunately, things are changing, to our great pleasure.

This restaurant is definitely a favorite; we can't wait to come back to discover the flavors of the next seasons. We highly recommend it to those looking to treat themselves to a moment of tranquility and gastronomic delight.