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. We always loved the feeling of this place, and we wanted our kids to grow up in it. (The rest of that story is here, if you're curious.)

When we opened MacTaverne, we felt something was missing up here. There are good places around. But somewhere the food is taken seriously and you can still walk in wearing a toque and winter boots, that's what we were looking for. So we set ourselves a simple, slightly crazy goal: become the restaurant in the Laurentians for eating well without the ceremony. We're still working on it, every night.

This winter, my dad, Craig, has one thing on his mind: skiing with his grandkids.

This is our Val-David in winter: what we love doing outside, and what we eat after.

Cross-country skiing on Le P'tit Train du Nord. In winter, the trail becomes a cross-country ski trail, and it runs right past our door. A few kilometres in, fish and chips (haddock, always) and a pint of Guinness is the right reward.

Snowshoeing at the Parc régional Val-David-Val-Morin, Dufresne sector, on chemin du Condor. Snowshoe trails, cross-country, even a sledding hill. On the way back, a Scotch egg and a Welsh rarebit by the fireplace.

Downhill at Vallée Bleue, Val-David's family ski hill. A day on the slopes with the kids, then cheeseburgers, fries and crispy wings for the whole table.

For après-ski, wherever you're coming from: this winter, Mike and my mom, Lynne, are baking pies every morning for whoever comes in off the trails or the hill. And Jennifer's sticky toffee pudding stays on the menu.

For a romantic weekend in the Laurentians, it's the steak of the moment (the cut changes with what Mike finds from our farms and suppliers), a good bottle, then the room upstairs. Nobody's driving.

Speaking of bottles, the wine list is getting bigger. Still private imports, still bottles we actually like drinking, just more of them for the long nights.

Mike and I wait all year for terrasse season. But I'll admit something: something almost magical happens when you get caught in the pub on a cold day. You come in for one pint. The fireplace is going, it's snowing outside, someone orders another bottle, and the night slips away without anyone checking the time.

That's what we want to serve this winter. Big, honest comfort food, done right. No fuss.

A quick practical note: we're taking a short break from November 1 to 26 and reopening Friday, November 27 for dinner. After that we're here all winter, Friday to Tuesday, from noon on Saturdays and Sundays. And if the night runs long, the rooms are upstairs.

Come see us on your way back from the trails, or book a table. We're here.