What's cooking.
An open letter from the taverne: the season's menu, what Mike is testing in the kitchen, which farms came by, bottles we're opening, sometimes a recipe.
Keep scrolling. The further you go, the more personal it gets: the stories behind the dishes, and the people who make them possible.
Winter in Val-David: snowshoes, cross-country skis and a pub night that runs long
Mike and I grew up coming up to the Laurentians. Here's what we love doing up here in winter, and what we love eating after.
A restaurant near Sainte-Agathe? We're ten minutes away
I'll be honest, we're not in Sainte-Agathe. We're in Val-David, about ten minutes away. But our bread comes from your town.
It started at home: the family behind MacTaverne
Parents who moved up to retire, kids with their feet in the mud, Christmas dinners. Where MacTaverne comes from, and why there's a bit of family in every plate.
A little pub in Val-David among Air Canada's Best New Restaurants
Thirty restaurants across the country, and ours is on the list. How we found out, why we're proud, and why this is your news as much as ours.
Auberge in Val-David, staying above the pub this fall
Summer left with the terrasse. What's left is the good part: fall colours on the trail, a warm pint, and a room just up the stairs.
The best fish and chips in the Laurentians? Here's our case.
The batter stays secret. The rest of the plate, the fries, the tartar, the mushy peas, we'll happily tell you about.
A fall weekend at our Val-David auberge, dinner downstairs
The colours are coming. Dinner downstairs, bed upstairs: how fall works at the auberge.
Why MacTaverne Is Closing Wednesdays and Thursdays
Starting September 9, MacTaverne closes Wednesdays and Thursdays, pub and auberge. Good news from the family, and what stays exactly the same the rest of the week.
The potters went home
1001 Pots closed Sunday and the village can breathe again. A note from behind the bar on the quiet coming back, and everything left before summer ends.
Where to Eat in Val-David
People ask me this every week, so here's my honest answer, bias and all.
This week in the village, the potters are here
Come up this week, I mean it. 1001 Pots has taken over the village and it's one of the best weeks of our year. A quick note from behind the bar.
The best terrasses in the Laurentians, and what makes you stop
There are plenty of good terrasses in the Laurentians. What makes you stop at one is the view, the access, a real kitchen, and a room not far away.
A weekend in Val-David, when dinner is downstairs
Friday, dinner downstairs. Saturday, the trail at the door and the village a short walk away. Sunday, one last meal by the river. And through all of it, a room just upstairs.
Where to stay in Val-David, a room above the pub
You roll in at dusk. Tired legs, just off Le P'tit Train du Nord. Your table is waiting downstairs, your bed is upstairs. That's our kind of luxury.
Pub food isn't grey
In May, La Presse wrote that Quebec is falling for British food, and we were in it. Mike's line stuck with us: pub food doesn't have to be grey.
Where to eat on the P'tit Train du Nord, Val-David
You've been pedalling since Saint-Jérôme. Somewhere around kilometre forty the real question shows up: where are we eating tonight? If you're in Val-David, you're already in front of us.
The terrasse is open, and the river is running
The Rivière du Nord is high this year. We can hear it from the bar tonight, even with the door closed. The terrasse is open, our first real season outside.
The burger: beef from Mirabel, a bun from Sainte-Agathe
Everyone makes a smash burger. We wanted a thick patty, cooked rosé like a steak. Boeuf Local from Mirabel, a Graintitude bun, nothing more complicated than that.
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