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Irish Daily Mirror
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Celebrate Father's Day with 'Quite The Find', a Redbreast Irish whiskey dining experience at Pichet
This Father's Day, treat Dad to something truly special - an evening of exceptional whiskey and fine dining that's 'Quite the Find'. Join the table at Pichet on the 6th of July at 3:30 PM for an exclusive Redbreast Irish Whiskey tasting event. Guided by Andrew Dickey the Brand Engagement and Advocacy Team Manager for Redbreast and Irish Distillers, you'll explore the award-winning range, from the iconic 12 Year Old to the luxurious 27 Year Old. Enjoy a carefully curated 5-course tasting menu, with each dish thoughtfully paired to complement the distinct character of each whiskey. An unforgettable experience of flavour, storytelling and craftsmanship awaits - all of it set in the elegant ambiance of Pichet. The perfect gift for whiskey-loving dads and an unforgettable way to spend time with a loved one. Tickets are limited. €95 per person and can be purchased here. Pichet is a modern take on a classic bistro. Combining both French influence and modern Irish cuisine, it has been on the receiving end of numerous awards and Bib Gourmands since its inception in 2009. This year Pichet celebrated 16 consecutive years of holding the prestigious Michelin Bib Gourmand. Harry Quinn, Head chef at Pichet shared, 'I've always had a passion for working with the highest quality Irish ingredients. Creating a menu that brings the rich characteristics of Irish whiskey into each course has been a real privilege. The team here are excited to be part of something that brings people together to celebrate Irish skill and craft with friends and family, especially around Father's Day." Built on a loyal following of "those in the know", the Redbreast Family Collection is the No.1 premium Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey in the world. It offers a rich diversity of expressions, making it the definitive choice for those who appreciate the craftsmanship behind this traditional Irish spirit. Emma Waldron, Brand Manager of Redbreast Irish Whiskey adds, "I can think of no better way to celebrate the full complexity of flavour that the Redbreast collection is renowned for, than this remarkable five course whiskey pairing event. Pichet is one of Dublin's most celebrated city centre restaurants, we're honoured to be collaborating with them on this excellent dining experience where each dish is made to be enjoyed alongside a different Redbreast Irish Whiskey." COURSE 1 Croquette of Pig's Head and Black Pudding, Smoked Celeriac, Date Pureé, Whiskey Buttermilk Sauce Paired with Redbreast 12 COURSE 2 Chicken Liver Parfait, Whiskey Honey Gel, Poached Peach, Toasted House Brioche, Walnut Paired with Redbreast Lustau COURSE 3 Treacle & Whiskey Cured Salmon, Crab, Horseradish Cream, Beetroot, Granny Smith Apple, Lovage Paired with Redbreast 15 COURSE 4 John Stone Fillet of Beef, Glazed Beef Cheek, Charred Grelot Onion, Pomme Dauphine, Lindl Pepper Whiskey Sauce Paired with Redbreast 18 COURSE 5 Apple Tart Fine, Whiskey Caramel Sauce, Vanilla Ice Cream Closing Whiskey Redbreast 27 Note: Due to the nature of this event, Pichet is unable to cater for allergies as well as vegetarian and vegan options on this tasting menu. Ticket holders will be asked to confirm their booking over phone or call +353 1 677 1060 or email bookings@
Ottawa Citizen
16-05-2025
- Ottawa Citizen
Which Ottawa restaurants are Michelin Guide-worthy? Peter Hum weighs in
The Michelin Guide, which handed out stars and kudos Thursday to Quebec restaurants, may well never get around to surveying Ottawa's dining-out scene. But, if it did, the restaurants below are the ones that I think should make the cut. Article content Article content Some are obvious picks, given, for starters, their regular appearances on the annual Canada's 100 Best Restaurants list, the closest thing the country has to a nationwide appraisal of its eateries. Article content Article content My choices are also based on having eaten at Michelin-starred and -recognized restaurants in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, Amsterdam, Hong Kong and Vancouver. While the food that Michelin smiles on varies from market to market, its inspectors are always seeking the food that truly stands out and even gives a city or region its culinary identity — think one-star barbecue joints in Texas or one-star roast goose in Hong Kong. Article content Article content In Michelin's shorthand, a restaurant with three stars is said to offer 'exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.' A two-star restaurant offers 'excellent cooking, worth a detour.' A restaurant with a single star is distinguished by 'high-quality cooking, worth a stop.' Article content More common are so-called Bib Gourmand restaurants, established only in 1997 to laud 'friendly establishments that serve good food at moderate prices.' Article content Most recently, Michelin launched its 'green star' designation in 2020, an accolade going to restaurants that 'prioritize sustainable practices, ethical standards, and environmental considerations in their operations.' Article content Article content Michelin also has one other category — 'selected restaurants' — which can include restaurants of all price ranges as long as they have 'good cooking.' Article content Article content Michelin's anonymous inspectors are said to arrive at their rankings according to five criteria: quality of ingredients; mastery of culinary techniques; harmony of flavours; the personality and emotion that the chef conveys in the dishes; and consistency throughout the entire menu and across different visits. Factors such as service, tableware or the atmosphere at a restaurant are noted by inspectors, but are not supposed to be part of the decision to award a star. Article content If Michelin came to Ottawa, here are the kudos I would want it to award. I've stopped at three one-star recommendations, one green-star recommendation, six Bib Gourmands and seven selected restaurants. If that list feels short to you, add your suggestion via the comments. Article content Antheia: This pick is abnormally far-sighted because Antheia, the upcoming restaurant by chef-owner Briana Kim, is not likely to open until late summer of 2025 at the earliest. But Kim, the winner of the 2023 Canadian Culinary Championship, is a haute cuisine force to be reckoned with who may well be Canada's premier expert on fermentation in a culinary context. The follow-up to her acclaimed restaurant Alice, Antheia will be a 'fermentation R&D lab and a chef's counter experience.' If that's not catnip to Michelin inspectors, I don't know what is.
Montreal Gazette
16-05-2025
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
Michelin Guide: Montreal's affordable Bib Gourmands may be the real winners
Much fuss has been made about who did and didn't get a Michelin star since the world-famous restaurant guide announced the selections for its Quebec edition on Thursday, but the real winners may be the Bib Gourmands: 17 restaurants around the province, and seven in Montreal, celebrated for offering 'good quality, good value cooking.' In Canada, Bib Gourmands must be able to offer a two-course meal with either dessert or a glass of wine for under $60. West-enders will have to travel cross-town to dine in a Bib Gourmand eatery, as all the Montreal selections are located east of St-Urbain St. 'For us, it means quality that is accessible,' said Mila Rishkova, co-owner with her life partner, chef Marc-Antoine Jetté, of Annette bar à vin, opened in 2023 on Molson St. in the Angus Yards development. 'I hope people will come and discover and enjoy. We have a beautiful wine list — it's a wine bar, so it's more casual.' In giving Annette a Bib Gourmand, Michelin commended Jetté's 'generous and precise' seasonal dishes, 'designed for sharing, tapas style: mussels in escabèche sauce, bavette steak with maitake mushrooms, pork ribs on the bone, and crispy-soft pudding croquettes.' The guide also singled out sommelier Hugo Duchesne's 'brilliant wine list.' Rushkova and Jetté were doubly honoured by Michelin as their fancier restaurant Hoogan et Beaufort, across the street (which recently closed for renovations), received a Recommended rating from Michelin. 'It feels great,' Rushkova said of the accolades. 'It's a door-opener. It's great for the city, good for tourism and opening us up to a clientele that is more worldwide.' Tania Frangié was driving to New York City with her daughters on Thursday when she discovered Le Petit Alep, the Syrian-Armenian restaurant on Jean-Talon St. she runs with her sister Chahla, had received a Bib Gourmand. Michelin highlighted the menu's 'authentic and opulent flavours,' featuring 'mezze for sharing,' as well as the extensive wine list. 'We are so very happy,' Frangié said, reached Friday while walking around Times Square. 'It was very surprising. We have received love and warmth and congratulations from so many customers and friends. It's really heartwarming and nice.' The recognition is especially meaningful to the sisters as their mother, Jacqueline, who ran the kitchen at the more traditional Alep, next door, for nearly 45 years, died in March at the age of 81. Their father, Georges (who died in 2005), opened Alep in 1976, a year after the family arrived from Syria by way of Lebanon. The sisters grew up in the restaurant. In 1995, Chahla and her partner, architect Jean-François Potvin, opened Le Petit Alep next door; Tania joined them soon after. 'We wanted to create a second-generation restaurant that represents the integration of Syrians and Armenians in Montreal, adapted to the North American way of life,' Frangié said. 'And we wanted to have something that was accessible to families and artists ... to give people a chance to eat and drink well at a good price.' Perhaps the highest-profile dining option on the Bib Gourmand list is Rôtisserie La Lune. It's the new venture from the team behind Vin Mon Lapin, which received a Recommended rating from Michelin. Co-owner Vanya Filipovic has three reasons to celebrate as she also received the Michelin Sommelier Award. Just down the street from Mon Lapin, La Lune is described by Michelin as 'a lively brasserie' offering 'traditional rôtisserie cooking,' including 'free-range poultry, slowly spit-roasted and served with crispy fries or chicken soup with raviolini, on par with the best Italian brodi.' Montreal's other Bib Gourmands are famed French bistro L'Express (closed for renovations until June 2), Parapluie, Casavant and Cadet. This story was originally published
Montreal Gazette
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Montreal Gazette
Montreal nabs 3 one-stars as Michelin Guide debuts in Quebec
Inspectors for the inaugural Michelin Guide Quebec were clearly taken by the province's cuisine scene, doling out props to 102 restaurants. But breaking down the numbers on a city-to-city basis, it's obvious that Michelin's inspectors — all anonymous — were clearly more bedazzled by the food offerings emanating from our provincial capital than those from Montreal. While more attention was given to Montreal and Quebec City, the guide's mandate was the entire province. In the categories that matter most to restauranteurs and foodies — the two-star and one-star Michelin categories — the provincial capital dominated. Quebec City's legendary Tanière 3 snagged the only two-star awarded in the province, and of the eight one-stars given, four came from the aforementioned burgh. Michelin also awards the highly coveted but extremely rare three-star citation, but none yet have come to this country. According to Michelin, those awarded two stars dispense 'excellent cuisine worth a detour,' while one-star recipients denote 'high quality cooking — worth a stop.' In the minds of many gourmets, Michelin is considered to be the benchmark for what constitutes fine dining around much of the world. So in what will come as quite the shock to Montrealers — myself included — who hold our haute cuisine in such high esteem, the city only earned three one-stars in the Michelin guide: Jérôme Ferrer – Europea, Mastard and Saboyan. The eighth Michelin one-star went to Rimouski's Narval. Such local favourites like Mon Lapin — which copped the top spot on Canada's top 100 list in 2023 and 2024 and came second this year — as well as Beba, Le Violon, Montréal Plaza, Joe Beef, Au Pied du Cochon, Damas, Monarque and many more had to settle for just Michelin's Recommended list. Also among the 76 Recommends in this grouping were eateries as diverse as the high-end Toqué! and the lower-end Schwartz's. For the record, Mastard finished 40th and Saboyan, 48th and Jérôme Ferrer – Europea didn't make it at all on the recently released 11th annual Canada's 100 Best Restaurants 2025. Between the starred restos and the Recommended ones on the Michelin scale are the Bib Gourmands, which recognize spots 'for great food at great value.' On its list of 17 Bibs are seven from Montreal: Annette bar à vin, Cadet, Casavant, Le Petit Alep, L'Express, Parapluie and Rôtisserie La Lune. The latter eatery is the newly minted BBQ creation of Mon Lapin's Vanya Filipovic and Marc-Olivier Frappier. Michelin judges doled out eight Bibs to Quebec City. 'Our anonymous Inspectors were thoroughly impressed with their dining experiences across the entire province of Quebec,' said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guide, in a press release. 'The selection boasts a wide array of distinctions and cuisine types — from Stars to Bib Gourmands to Recommended restaurants — all highlighting unique regional ingredients and extraordinary techniques.' The Michelin selections were officially announced Thursday at a small reception at Casavant, a Bib Gourmand recipient. In addition to Poullennec, also attending were Geneviève Cantin, CEO of Alliance de l'industrie touristique du Québec, Manuela Goya, vice-president of Tourisme Montréal and Sebastien Benedict, vice-president of the Alliance. Their presence was no accident as these provincial tourism associations among others were involved in ponying up an 'estimated $1 million' — according to one inside source choosing to remain anonymous — to bring the Michelin judging team around the province. 'But that's a small price to pay for what it will likely bring to the province and its restaurants by tourists and locals alike,' the source said. On the surface, it appears the province did quite well with its 102 Michelin mentions. But it seems clear here that Montreal restaurants have no bragging rights over their counterparts in Toronto and Vancouver, bearing in mind that the Quebec guide covers the province while the latter cities are largely city-based. In the debut Michelin Guide Toronto released in 2022, the city netted one two-star and 12 one-star notices plus 17 Bibs and 45 Recommends for a total of 74 citations. As of 2024, Toronto has 15 one-star and still only one two-star mentions for a total of 100 when Bibs and Recommends are added in. In the initial Michelin Guide Vancouver also released in 2022, the city fared better than ours with eight spots receiving one star (and none receiving two) plus 12 Bibs and 40 Recommends for a total of 60. Last year's guide included 10 one-star citations and a total of 76 when its 16 Bibs and 50 Recommends were factored in. Though not part of the 102 honourees, the Michelin Guide Quebec has saluted three Green-Starred restaurants for their sustainability and culinary prowess: Quebec City's Alentours, St-Mathieu-du-Parc's Auberge Saint-Mathieu and Stanbridge East's Espace Old Mill. In addition, the guide announced four special prizes: the Michelin Sommelier Award to Mon Lapin/Rôtisserie La Lune's Vanya Filipovic; Michelin Exceptional Cocktails Award to fellow Montrealer, Foxy's Véronique Dalle; Michelin Outstanding Service Award to Tanière 3's Roxan Bourdelais; and Michelin Young Chef Award to Kebec Club Privé's Cassandre Osterroth and Pierre-Olivier Pelletier. **** Where did the stars go? These are the Michelin Guide Quebec's assessments of the one Quebec City restaurant awarded two stars and three Montreal spots given one star: TWO STARS Tanière 3: 'This 'den' (tanière) has, beneath its ancestral vaults, a series of four rooms, one of which affords views of the brigade at work, plus a counter surrounding the open kitchen. In what might be described as his gastronomic research laboratory, avant-garde chef François-Emmanuel Nicol explores all the nuances to be derived from the immense terroir of Quebec's boreal zone. Sophisticated cooking methods, succulent sauces and a rigorous balance of flavours make this cuisine a resounding triumph.' ONE STAR Jérôme Ferrer – Europea: 'Housed in an ultra-modern architectural setting, this restaurant offers diners a wonderful view of the team at work in the glass-paned kitchen. The chef has stylishly carved out his niche in the Belle Province. Fusing French culinary traditions with the riches of Quebec's terroir, his menu celebrates local ingredients.' Mastard: 'Quite a way off the beaten track, Mastard is led by chef-owner Simon Mathys. The contemporary space, designed for around 50 diners, is organized around a bar-counter. The chef devises a resolutely original carte blanche menu centred on local ingredients. Every dish is made with quality produce and executed in a modern and trendy style that won't fail to make an impression.' Saboyan: 'The chef has taken an atypical route to this kitchen, having trained in pâtisserie before turning his hand to cooking. Patrice Demers creates vivid, accessible and unpretentious dishes that allow the Quebec terroir to shine … Add to that the smooth and elegant service orchestrated by Marie-Josée Beaudoin but bear in mind that getting a table here is no mean feat!' This story was originally published
Montreal Gazette
15-05-2025
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
Michelin comes to Quebec, but who's footing the bill?
By The Michelin Guide has landed in Quebec for the first time, awarding stars to restaurants across the province and putting its chefs on the global culinary map. Unveiled Thursday, the Michelin Guide Québec marks the third Canadian edition after Toronto and Vancouver and the first to cover an entire province. The guide, known for its anonymous inspections and tiered star system, also hands out Bib Gourmands for good value and Green Stars for sustainable gastronomy. But while the inspectors operate in secrecy, so too do many of the financial details behind the guide's arrival. Who's funding the guide? In its initial announcement, Michelin named the Alliance de l'industrie touristique du Québec as its official destination partner, a non-profit organization largely funded by the Quebec and federal governments. The Alliance operates under the public-facing Bonjour Québec brand. Around the world, governments and tourism boards will often contribute funding to bring the Michelin Guide to new regions. According to the Alliance, six additional organizations are financially supporting the guide's marketing over the next three years: Tourisme Montréal, the City of Montreal, Montréal Centre-Ville, Destination Québec cité, the City of Quebec, and Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED). The total value of the partnership has not been disclosed. Sébastian Benedict, vice-president of public communications at the Alliance, said confidentiality clauses in its contract with Michelin prevent full disclosure. That approach mirrors what happened in other Canadian cities. The cost of bringing Michelin to both Toronto and Vancouver also remains undisclosed. One rumour reported by the Vancouver Sun suggested Vancouver's deal cost $5 million, but this has been denied by officials. However, some figures have been made public in Quebec. The City of Montreal told The Gazette it is contributing $300,000, while CED is providing $450,000 to the Alliance. The Alliance said the funds will be used to promote Quebec's culinary scene internationally. Will stars fuel tourism? A 2024 survey by Quebec's tourism ministry found that 70 per cent of prospective summer visitors were interested in the Michelin Guide. Michelin's international director, Gwendal Poullennec, said the guide would 'shine a light' on Quebec's culinary heritage, calling the province a 'rich multicultural mosaic.' This story was originally published May 15, 2025 at 2:00 PM.
