soupnancy

Festival Highlights

The Gazette festival food diary for numerous reviews of dinner events

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/story.html?id=bd588cef-c163-4c14-94bb-abeeba7f5396&k=97279

Montreal is surprised that TO might have something to offer (from La Presse) http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20080223/CPACTUEL/802230953/5050/CPPRESSE

Mathilde Singer at Le Voir on the Renaud Cyr dinner at Toqué, Thierry Marx at the Beaver Club, and the Quebec city chef event among others..  http://www.voir.ca/blogs/mathilde_singer

Quebec cheese at the festival by Catherine McPherson (The Hour)  http://www.hour.ca/food/food.aspx?iIDArticle=14094

La Grande Bouffe An overview of the festival by Heather Sokoloff at the Globe and Mail http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080227.wxlhighlights27/BNStory/lifeFoodWine/home

My notes:  Two dinners, two hits

Perigee (Christopher Brown) at Vertige, Monday Feb. 25

A surprise menu with wine pairing

Roasted almond gelée with white chocolate foam, Abitibi sturgeon caviar (Prosecco, our choice)

Testina (Italian head cheese), seared with poached egg, truffle sauce, frisée (Sancerre rouge)

Arctic char, radish consommé, cabbage, orange confit (Cotes du Rhone blanc)

Foie gras, chestnut purée, fig compote, espresso froth (Juraçon)

Seville orange sorbet, lime, green olive

Smoked venison filet, rapini, gnocchi poached and fried, jus with balsamic (Chateauneuf du Pape)

Steamed chocolate cake with coconut sorbet, meringue, coconut water, pineapple (Pineau de Charentes)

Very nice and definitely interesting. Tasty, clean, carefully crafted food, with a few surprises here and there.. The wines worked, nothing more. The main could have been hotter, and I always want more sauce than most modern chefs like to give, but these are minor quibbles.  Although I never fell off my chair, I loved it all. I have to say, it was pretty flawless.  It was playful and daring without being out there, and precise.  Maybe I would have been more liable to swoon at this beautiful food if I hadn’t been scrapping with my boyfriend (sacrilege I know). My favourite was the sea trout (char I think) in a succulent (but no meat!) radish broth with cabbage and orange. This dish was absolutely stunning, both deeply savoury and delicate at once, truly outstanding. Next best, I loved the Seville orange-olive entremets and the pig, egg and truffle entrée.. I am dying to visit his restaurant in TO for the full on experience, perhaps with a different date.

Jamie Kennedy at Jolifou, Thursday Feb. 28

Ontario on the menu

Mixed hors d’oeuvres: Niagara Proscuitto, fresh sheep’s milk cheese, smoked duck, a trio of smoked and cured fish canapés, chicken liver mousse, assorted garden pickles and condiments (Henry of Pelham Brut rosé)

Oyster chowder (Charles Baker Riesling)

Splake poached in Pristine soya oil, soubise, beet reduction (Cave Spring cellars CSV chardonnay)

Ontario cheese platter: Thunder oak gouda , Highland Blue, 5 yr cheddar, Tosano

(Chateau des Charmes Late harvest Riesling)

Crepe with sour cherries, maple walnut ice cream

(Pilliterri Cabernet franc icewine)

I am naturally drawn to Jamie Kennedy’s style given that he is a long time proponent of local foods, and happily, the meal at Jolifou did not disappoint. His food is product driven, straight forward, flavourful, more rustic than fussy, more fun than serious. The only showing off going on here was with respect to the many special Ontario ingredients he brought with him. I especially loved the Proscuitto (Mario Pingue), although all of the little bites on the starter plate were bright, the pickerel gravelax,  all his house pickled vegetables. The New Brunswick oyster soup was the unanimous winner of the night, like a refined version of the best New England clam chowder, as was the accompanying Riesling from Vinemount Ridge. The wine pairing was very good across the board, all the wines were from Niagara and the sommelier (another Jamie) was charming and funny (I’m not accustomed to Scottish sommeliers). I also enjoyed the fish main (Splake? A Georgian Bay variety of lake trout according to the waiter), reminiscent of our doré, which was meltingly soft from the confit treatment in a cold pressed Ontario soy oil, alongside the savoury, comforting winter flavours of caramelized onion and beet. I was happy to be introduced to some new Ontario cheeses too.. The mood was relaxed and they seemed to be having fun in the kitchen which translated into a feel-good dinner overall, not to mention that it was all at a very reasonable price.