When chef Jean-Sébastien Sicard and his partner Mireille Perron opened their restaurant in Tadoussac, they set a direction for themselves: "to use North Shore products and highlight them. And the method had to be artistic."
Since 2007, they have stayed true to their course even as the restaurant and its menus have evolved. They work directly with artisans: livestock breeders, farmers, fishermen, and gatherers from the entire region to cook with as many fresh local products as possible. Creativity emanates from the plates. Art is expressed in the cooking, in the transformation of products, and in the development of recipes. "The North Shore land is full of beautiful resources," emphasizes Jean-Sébastien Sicard. He passionately lists roots, herbs, wild mushrooms, game, fish, sea urchins, and Stimpson's mactra caught near the coast, as well as northern berries. And even watermelon cultivated in Tadoussac.
A symphony of life and passion
Jean-Sébastien Sicard fell in love with the village, discovered in 1995 during the Tadoussac Song Festival. Since then, the professional Montreal musician and his band have included this destination in each of their tours. When the group stops performing in 1999, Jean-Sébastien continues to spend summers in Tadoussac and works as a waiter... a curious waiter who rummages through kitchens, questions chefs, and reproduces their recipes for foie gras, duck, and fine dishes. Very quickly, he decides with Mireille, a native of Tadoussac, to open a restaurant. They first see themselves working together on the service, as Jean-Sébastien specializes in food and wine pairings.
A second encounter will mark a turning point for Jean-Sébastien Sicard during a stay in the Magdalen Islands. Johanne Vigneault, a renowned chef and owner of La Table des Roy, fascinated by his passion and fervor, convinces him to enter the kitchen for her restaurant project. She even gives him carte blanche to concoct his first recipe ideas at her stoves. Back in Tadoussac, the Chez Mathilde project evolves: Jean-Sébastien will compose in the kitchen and Mireille will work in the dining room to welcome and serve the gourmets.
Push open the door of the restaurant and the workshop
The harmonious and friendly atmosphere envelops the guests, as if they were entering a good household, at someone's home. This is what the owners want, who appreciate their clientele of curious and epicurean people. The beautiful tables and service are well cared for, but above all, "nothing stiff." Guests dine with the musical accompaniment of local artists, on the piano, saxophone, or bass.
While Chez Mathilde only opens during the summer season, Jean-Sébastien Sicard continues to innovate, seek, and test during the winter. "We want to develop another horizon, a new world of textures and flavors," he explains. In the workshop adjacent to the restaurant, the restaurateur himself develops charcuterie. Vegetables, pollen, and garum ferment. Pears, peaches, plums, berries, cranberries, and gadelles turn into vinegar. As for the new ice cream and sorbet recipes, always with North Shore flavors and products, they head to the Gelateria opened by Jean-Sébastien and Mireille a few meters away. In perfect harmony with those of the restaurant.
Written by: Christine Gilliet (Mots et marées)
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