Working in the catering industry for 20, 40 or even 50 years is an exception. While the average lifespan of a restaurant is three to five years, several Quebec institutions impress with their longevity. I discovered three that challenge families to understand the secret to their success.
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Tuscans
This restaurant, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, owes its sustainability to its loyal customers and the passion of its owner Demetre Triantafyllou. “You have to love the customers. I like to welcome them as if I were at home,” he tells me, greeting a regular who puts his hand on his shoulder before leaving.
The friendly owner Demetre Triantafyllou Photo Marjorie Roy, Optical Photo, provided by Tuscanos
At 76 years old, the businessman is still present at the reception six days a week and he enjoys it. This is reflected in the warm, family atmosphere that prevails there. Some customers swear by their breakfast, which the restaurateur had praised to me. And I have to say I wasn’t disappointed.
Tuscano’s Eggs Benedict. Photo Marianne White
The Eggs Benedict lives up to expectations and we immediately recognize that the sauce is made locally. The potatoes, hand-cut daily, are crispy and flavorful. At lunchtime and in the evening the restaurant offers varied Italian cuisine. The sauces and pizza dough are homemade, emphasizes Mr. Triantafyllou, a lover of this culinary art. “It is the most popular cuisine in the world and one that invites sharing,” he emphasizes. House specialties? Lasagna, Gigi pasta (rosé sauce with mushrooms, spring onions, prosciutto and white wine) and veal schnitzel.
1445, Avenue Jules Verne
Entrecôte Saint-Jean
I’ve always loved the combination of steak and fries and I find it difficult to explain how I could have ignored the Entrecôte Saint-Jean for so many years. Celebrating its 40th anniversary this month, the friendly Rue Saint-Jean eatery honors the Parisian bistros that made this dish a classic. The main course of the menu has not changed since opening and that’s a good thing: a perfectly grilled quality steak, the secret sauce of cream and mustard and matchstick fries with potatoes from the Isle of Orleans.
The recipe for Entrecôte Saint-Jean has not changed in 40 years. Photo Marianne White
This delicious combination is still the restaurant’s best-selling dish, Jean-François Poliquin, co-owner of Eric Schwaar, tells me. “In the summer we can sell 2,000 a week,” he says, noting that the restaurant benefits from its convenient location within the walls of Old Quebec. Local customers meet tourists in a warm atmosphere.
1080, rue Saint-Jean
With parmesan
Housed in a century-old building, this celebratory brand on Rue Saint-Louis will pass the 50-year mark next year and yet hasn’t aged a bit. When I entered the restaurant I felt transported to another time with the woodwork, the beige tablecloths, the hanging soccer balls and the bust of Gilles Villeneuve, not to mention the accordion player.
It might be cheesy, but authenticity and charm prevail. While tourists fill the restaurant to almost 75% in summer, the opposite is true in winter when locals are much more numerous. “What makes us successful are the original recipes,” tells me Stéphane Roveredo, majority shareholder since the “retirement” of founder Luigi Leoni, and who still enjoys going there. Specialties include hand-prepared Parma ham, house-smoked salmon and the fabulous 12-year-aged balsamic vinegar. This gives it just enough of a syrupy and sweet side that enhances the salad beautifully.
The aged balsamic parmesan salad is worth a detour. Photo Marianne White
“There is no vinegar on the market that compares to what we have in the restaurant,” the owner rightly boasts. The restaurant focuses on many comforting Italian classics, from pasta bolognese to veal schnitzel parmigiana to osso buco.
Veal schnitzel Parmigiana, a Parmesan classic Photo Marianne White
38, rue Saint-Louis, Quebec