Behind the scenes at the Festival d’été de Québec, many artists enjoyed the meals prepared by four Quebec restaurants, with many saying they had never eaten so well at a festival.
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The varied menu, which includes sushi, wraps and healthy salads, as well as ramen noodles, Putin and poke bowls, was enjoyed by the singers of Weezer and The Smile, as well as Green Day group members Lana Del Rey and Robert Charlebois, to name a few.
Thomas Casault, co-owner of behind-the-scenes restaurants Hono Izakaya, Hono Ramen, Colibri and Sushibox, said he was proud to have received so many glowing comments about the quality and variety of his menu.
Ditto for the festival’s director of programming, Louis Bellavance, who at the time of his report on Monday said he’d received “a lot of praise” from the headliners in that regard. “You come here and eat sushi soup. Everything is done to create good feelings,” he said.
Thom Yorke wants more
He particularly highlighted the appreciation of The Smile singer Thom Yorke, former leader of the band Radiohead, who described his meal as “amazing”.
“Tom [Yorke] He ate his hummingbird salad, all alone at a table, and then went to chat with Thomas Casault. Stumbling over his salad, he said to him: “We never eat the same well at festivals,” said Mr. Bellavance, noting that the singer had also picked up a couple of wraps for on-the-go before he left.
The Smile singer Thom Yorke left with some wraps after his show at Parc de la Francophonie.
Thomas Casault, a great admirer of Radiohead, assures that this “very brief” meeting remains his highlight of the festival. “I was impressed [impressionné par une de ses idoles]he agrees.
“It’s really a source of pride for us to meet someone we admire very much and serve them one of our dishes,” he adds.
Thom Yorke Photo Cédric Belanger
The Foo Fighters Band eat healthy
While groups like Foo Fighters and The Smile were happy to have access to healthy alternatives, Green Day members instead succumbed to the Putin offered by restaurant Colibri.
The California group’s team also said they were “impressed” with the quality of the food backstage, according to Mr. Bellavance, who ordered a “Putin bar” at the end of their show.
“When the artists sampled the menu, we sometimes had special requests like lunch or meals after the shows. We have done our utmost to respond to the requests,” underlines Mr. Casault.
Putin for the cowboys
To keep their evening full of emotion, the Cowboys Fringants, who were happy to be able to enjoy their favorite dishes not once but twice due to the cancellation of their show on Thursday, were also treated to Putin after their historic performance on Monday.
“The atmosphere was very emotional [en coulisse]It was festive and emotional at the same time. People socialized and it was really nice,” says Mr. Casault.
Nearly thirty restaurant staff worked from morning to early evening during the 12 days of the summer festival, feeding the artists and musicians at dinner during sound testing and at dinner before their show. Some also expanded the sauce by making a few late night special requests.