Prix restaurateur : Le Cuisinomane visits Mange-Grenouille, Chez Mathilde, Le Baumier, Le Coureur des Bois and Bistro Cerf-Cuit-Court

Bas-Saint-Laurent

148 de Sainte-Cécile-Du-Bic, Rimouski (QC), G0L 1B0

Nestled along the majestic St. Lawrence River, the picturesque village of Le Bic is captivating in its own right. Then comes the charm of the inn and its restaurant, Le Mange-Grenouille, housed in a beautifully preserved home dating back to 1843. And finally, you're won over by the remarkable talent and enthusiasm of the young team, both in the dining room and the kitchen.

Chef Antoine Landry's cuisine strikes a perfect balance between originality, modernity, and youthful creativity—an inspiring contrast to the century-old setting. The attentive service pays tribute to the building's rich heritage while showcasing each dish with care and professionalism.

Highlights included the freshness of Nordic shrimp surrounding a sun-ripened tomato gazpacho, as well as a memorable scallop dish featuring chanterelle mushrooms, yellow pea panisse topped with oyster mushrooms, crabapple gel infused with fir vinegar, and a creamy chaga mushroom sauce. Every bite was a delight.

Montérégie

1810 rue Richelieu, Beloeil (QC), J3G 4S4

At Le Coureur des Bois, the focus is clear: showcasing the flavours of the region through a concise and carefully curated menu. Guests can choose from five starters, five main courses, and three desserts, as well as two tasting menus (four or six courses). As a diner, I have to admit that this kind of focused menu always inspires confidence—so I naturally opted for the full tasting experience.

Working alongside Executive Chef Jean-Sébastien Giguère, Chef de Cuisine Éric Fortin and his talented young brigade make excellent use of seasonal Québec ingredients. One standout was the beautiful wild sea bass, served with perfectly crisp skin and accompanied by a Québec seaweed beurre blanc, along with coastal plants and herbs such as sandwort, samphire, and sea parsley.

What impressed me most was the balance each dish achieved between refinement and pure enjoyment. The cuisine is confident, approachable, and deeply rooted in its terroir—a style that proudly lets Québec ingredients take centre stage.

Gaspésie

474 boulevard Perron, Carleton-sur-Mer (QC), GOC 2E0

Sea urchin, serviceberries, wakame, halibut, tuna—how do you say “Gaspésie on a plate” without actually saying it? A visit to Bistro Cerf-Cuit-Court makes it clear. Chef Philippe Allaire is committed to sourcing ingredients locally, working year-round with some thirty producers and artisans located within a 200-kilometre radius of the restaurant.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the oysters—harvested just a few hundred metres from the restaurant and served with seaweed kimchi, salmon roe, and herbs from the garden—my true favourite was the regional tasting board. It featured beautifully seared scallops with aronia berry confit, beet-cured trout gravlax with apple garnish, smoked salmon, a sea snail and seaweed salad, and beef tartare.

It was a remarkable showcase of the region’s bounty and a delicious reminder of the richness and diversity of Gaspésie’s terroir.