Updated yesterday at 11:00am.
(Brooklyn) Several hours that passed in a flash, followed one another in perfect order by seven dishes. Some featured local ingredients such as wild Gaspésie produce, Anicet honey, raw spices and, of course, maple in many forms. Others let us bite into the spring vegetables that finally came out of the ground: asparagus, wild garlic, rhubarb.
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The starter consisted of a very thin slice of turnip greens stuffed with mackerel rillettes and a small choux pastry donut with cheese dipped in a cream enriched with the same local cheddar cheese. This first service was accompanied by the excellent on-call service from Pinard et filles.
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Scallops in brine were layered on a citrus cream, topped with marinated carrots and trout roe. The pairing with the lively Chardonnay from Domaine L’Espiègle was successful.
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The secret of the softness of this char was revealed to Patrice by chef de cuisine Simon Mathys. The fish was topped with wild garlic in a creamy mussel sauce.
1/3
And no, of course it wasn’t seven sweet services. After years of supplying high-end sweets to its (now closed) location in Little Burgundy, chef Patrice Demers is making a comeback with savory cooking.
While Marie-Josée Beaudoin spent months helping to open the Annette wine bar in Rosemont, Patrice Demers was testing in his kitchen. “In winter we invited many friends to dinner,” says the sommelier. Our dinners were much fancier than usual! In April there was even a kind of dress rehearsal at the Candide in Montreal.
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sweet salty
Nevertheless, on Tuesday evening you could feel the touch of master confectioners everywhere, for example with the divine cheese donuts for the starter.
The highlight of the meal was undoubtedly the deft transition to dessert, with a dish of maitake mushroom on a sweet mashed onion, topped with a crispy arlette (sheet of puff pastry) sprinkled with wild Gaspésie umami mixture. If this creation isn’t a new signature dish…
The suite, consisting of haskap puree, beetroot ice cream and goat cheese mousse, was a surprising pre-dessert whose ingredients are usually treated as hearty. Dessert was an exceptional glazed pistachio nougat layered over braised rhubarb with a final touch of fresh herb cream. As a treat, a mini version of the famous buckwheat and maple financier by Patrice Pâtissier.
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The photo of this favorite dish does not do it justice. Beneath the crispy arlette are delicious maitake mushrooms and sweet onion puree.
The wine list at Fulgurances Laundromat is extensive. Marie-Josée Beaudoin started her studies a few weeks ago but still has to memorize some references. That didn’t stop her from dreaming up some really great things to drink. We started on familiar ground, with a sprinkling of Pinard et Filles and invigorating Chardonnay from L’Espiègle, two wineries in the Eastern Townships.
The sommelier is amazed at the ease with which a restaurant can access wine in this free market. “You just have to consult the portfolios and if you order your wine before 2pm, you will have it delivered the next day. It doesn’t even have to be a lot of boxes. »
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The New York branch of the Fulgurances Laundromat in Brooklyn
You have no regrets!
Since the closure of their pastry shop at the end of last summer, Patrice Demers and Marie-Josée Beaudoin have been using their freedom to fulfill a number of dreams, including catering in New York.
It took almost a year for the project to come to fruition. In June, Patrice and Marie-Josée booked incognito with Fulgurances for a meal hosted by Basque chef Inaki Bolumburu. “After 10 minutes we knew that we wanted to contact them to offer them an apartment,” says Marie-Josée as we spend some time together on Monday afternoon.
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Patrice Demers set up Monday afternoon after arriving at 2am due to a flight cancellation!
Patrice prepares for the big day. He chats while beating a buckwheat-based concoction, “hazelnut” butter, and infusing a cream of fragrant fresh herbs.
“The way it works is that you come to a pop-up party and when it clicks there’s a sequel,” explains Patrice. On November 14, 2022, Montreal native and Fulgurance’s resident chef Francisco Pedemonte hit it off. “As we left the restaurant, I said, ‘I’m about to scream,'” Marie-Josée recalls. My friend asked me to wait until I was around the corner! »
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Fulgurances now consists of three restaurants, a wine bar, a magazine and an agency.
Hugo Hivernat, co-founder of Fulgurances in Paris and head of the New York office, explains the concept. “It’s not an Airbnb here, where the bosses-in-residence have to fend for themselves. We have a kitchen and service team. We like to say that everything is always stable and the same with us… except the kitchen! »
We want chefs to be able to live an experience, to evolve and not just be in survival mode. And vice versa, those who work here learn a great deal from every visitor.
Hugo Hivernat, co-founder of Fulgurances
Fulgurances began in Paris in 2010 with events entitled “The Seconds are the First” where the sous-chefs of the big European tables such as Noma, Maison Troisgrois, In de Wulf, Osteria Francescana, Mugaritz etc. took center stage for a meal . The concept quickly grew into three restaurants, a wine bar, a magazine and an agency!
A welcome financial help
We know that independent catering is not rich. And although the conditions offered by Fulgurances – apartment provided, competent and organized team, etc. – are very good, a stay like Patrice and Marie-Josée’s in Brooklyn can still incur costs for the participants. The travel, the many recipe tests in Montreal and many other costs add up in the end.
Therefore, the couple did not hesitate to ask for help from the Montreal Office of Gastronomy (OMG), which published calls for projects last summer. He supported her at the “audition” dinner in November 2022 and again this spring. One of the office’s missions is to promote Montreal gastronomy abroad.
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Patrice and Marie-Josée were able to enlist the help of the Montreal Gastronomy Office.
“I think it’s great that OMG is more interested in cool little projects than big commercial stuff,” says Patrice Demers. Her “cool little project” for his wife and him is also an evolving affair. In two months, the kitchen will see many seasonal ingredients and Marie-Josée can happily draw from the cellar. The Quebec couple’s know-how will have time to express themselves.
But what excites the sommelier most at the moment is much more prosaic: “I can’t wait to do my first grocery shopping like I’ll live here forever! But fear not, metropolitan darlings are returning to Montreal. They will not open a new pastry shop, but a different, “less permanent” facility that will allow them to maintain the freedom they so enjoy today.
Price: $89 for the seven-course meal, plus $60 for the pairing.
Who are Patrice Demers and Marie-Josée Beaudoin?
- Patrice Demers made a name for himself as a pastry chef at his restaurants Les Chèvres and Le Chou, then at 400 Coups where he met his wife, sommelier Marie-Josée Beaudoin.
- Patrice Demers has published several cookbooks including La carte des desserts, Les desserts de Patrice and Parcours sucre.
- The pair had a resounding success with Patrice Pâtissier, which opened in Little Burgundy in 2014. At the end of the summer of 2022, the couple decided to close their shop to pursue new gourmet adventures.
Gourmet New York
Patrice Demers and Marie-Josée Beaudoin have always made gourmet breaks in the Big Apple to recharge their batteries. Here are some of their favorite addresses.
perish
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“Asparagus salad” dish with Atomix
“If you really want to spoil yourself, Atomix is our favorite NYC restaurant,” reveals Patrice. We were there three times. It is of course very expensive but they manage to exceed our expectations every time. The place is great, the service is exceptional and the contemporary cuisine with strong Korean influences is stunning. They have another ready made restaurant, Atoboy, that we plan to try this spring. It’s way cheaper and it seems great. The group also opened Naro, in Rockefeller Center, where Patrice and Marie-Josée enjoyed the food, but less the ambiance reminiscent of a “mall”! Expect $375 per person before wine at the Atomix.
italian style
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Melting aubergines from the Via Carota
“Our favorite Italian in New York is Via Carota,” says Patrice. It’s difficult to get a reservation. Few tables are offered on Resy to save seats without a reservation. Lunch is less crazy, but other than that, you’ll have to get there early in the evening, leave your name and phone number for the waiting list, and go elsewhere for an aperitif, like at their super-ready bar, the Pisellino. »
New
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Winter plate at Ernesto
Whoever says New York says discoveries. The latest of the couple is Ernesto’s. “Last month we loved this restaurant which offers Basque country cuisine and a great wine selection. It’s a place with a lot of atmosphere. We chose the kitchen counter, a small dining room at the back with a view of the kitchen,” Patrice recalls.
A good burger
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Superiority Burger Classic
“I can’t wait to get back to Superiority Burger since they moved,” notes the chef. I was a big fan of Chef Brooks Headley’s desserts when he was pastry chef at Del Posto. His veggie burger was already great and his gelati pretty amazing. »
For the view
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The Manhattan: Visit for the view, at appetizer time
“Manhatta is hard to beat for a great aperitif and incredible views of the city. The restaurant is on the 60th floor and you can stay at the bar,” suggests Patrice.
sweet tooth
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La Cabra is a Danish coffee and pastry roaster.
Apparently the duo’s address book ends with a sweet address! “For coffee and pastries, I really like La Cabra, which comes from Denmark,” says Patrice. We also tested Librae last time and we really liked it. “The pain au chocolat at Lodi in Rockefeller Center is one of the best we’ve had,” adds Marie-Josée, “but you have to be willing to pay for it: $9!” »