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Calgary Herald

Chorney-Booth: Seeing stars! Canada's Michelin options expand with new guide for Quebec

Article content Two weeks ago, I found myself sitting in the back room of a restaurant in Quebec City as chefs Daniel and Raphael Vézina popped a bottle of champagne for a jubilant toast. Just the day before, their restaurant, Laurie Raphael, founded in 1991 by Daniel and named after his two children who took over the business several years ago, was awarded a Michelin star in the famed restaurant guide's inaugural assessment of the province of Quebec. After putting decades of work into their food and hospitality, the father-son team were feeling justifiably validated. Article content Article content Article content Article content Of course, not every restaurateur in the province was as chuffed. Quebec – the third region in Canada to receive a Michelin Guide after the Greater Toronto Area and the city of Vancouver – saw nine of its restaurants receive Michelin stars. Five restaurants in Quebec City, including Laurie Raphael, made the cut alongside only three in Montreal, and a lone spot in Rimouski. Three restaurants in the province also earned the prestigious green star, awarded for sustainability practices. Article content The May 15 announcement created a wave of shock amongst Montreal restaurant insiders. The city is widely regarded as one of the best food destinations in North America, and many were expecting it to match or even outshine the 16 starred restaurants in Toronto or the 10 in Vancouver. Article content Article content 'Today was a tough day,' chef Antonin Mousseau-Rivard admitted the evening of the announcement after dinner service at his excellent but star-free Le Mousso. 'But I'm feeling better now,' he added, surveying a sold-out room of satisfied customers having just feasted on his deeply imaginative, multi-course tasting menu. Article content The general chatter online and on the street seems to be that while the Michelin inspectors – a small army of anonymous critics – appreciated the fine dining-style restaurants in Quebec City, they just didn't 'get' the more casual bon vivant energy of Montreal's best restaurants. Which is not to say Montreal came out of its first Michelin experience empty-handed: most of its best restaurants were recognized on Michelin's 'recommended' list (just one step below a star), and the city also received a good share of Bib Gourmand awards, Michelin's cheap and cheerful designation.