Monday, June 15, 2009

ChangesOne, rev. ed.

fig. a: wry smile

Why the wry smile?

First there was pastry school. Then there was Les Chèvres & Le Chou. Then there was Laloux. And now there's, well, Laloux.

There were also some important stages and a whole lot of silly blog business along the way, but for years now Michelle was always careful to correct people when they referred to her as a "pastry chef." "Pastry assistant," she'd tell them.

Until now, that is. You see, for about a month now, Michelle has actually been a full-fledged pastry chef. Her longtime chef and mentor, Patrice Demers, decided to pursue an opportunity across town, and suddenly, and quite unexpectedly, Michelle found herself promoted to head pastry chef. It's been a hectic few weeks, with her fair share of twelve-hour days, but Michelle's happy to report that things are going very well, indeed, her new desserts have been a hit, and an entirely new slate of desserts is just weeks away. Meanwhile, the savoury side of the kitchen also has a new chef: Eric "Cube" Gonzalez. And Pop!, Laloux's bar à vin has enlisted the formidable talents of James MacGuire as creative director. Talk about a Dream Team.







fig. b: rhubarb special


Michelle's menu:

far breton with candied walnuts and Armagnac ice cream

buttermilk panna cotta with rhubarb soup, rosemary flowers, ginger shortcakes, and rhubarb compote

orange spice cake with dark chocolate cremeux, caramelized hazelnuts, candied orange, and hazelnut mayonnaise

and, as of today,

pain de Gênes, kirsch-soaked cherries, chamomile cream, almond granita, and cherry sorbet


But, look out! Summer fruits are just beginning (hence her new cherry dessert), and Michelle's got big plans!!

As per usual, Laloux's desserts are available both at Laloux and at Pop!, the bar à vin next door.

aj

13 comments:

Matthew said...

Congratulations to Michelle! I'll be sure to drop by next time I'm in Montreal.

The Caretakers said...

We send love and sweet congratulations from New York!

KitteeBee said...

Nicely played, Michelle! Congrats on your promotion.

xo
kittee

Anonymous said...

I know where I'm going next! Thanks for the heads-up.

kelli ann & lorie said...

woo hoo michelle! congratulations from Sutton!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations and Yum!

asta

lpovitz said...

Congratulations! Those things look so delicious. I hope Laloux doesn't stop with the housemade marshmellows though - they were the best I've ever had.

Unknown said...

yay Michelle!

michelle said...

Dear lpovitz, it must be said that the marshmallows have been tweaked. To say the least!
Thanks for the kind words, everyone. More updates coming soon.

Al in Vancouver said...

Brilliant!

Bob Gandhi said...

I've been a reader of your blog for a few years and I've always enjoyed your recommendations. I've been to Laloux before and I've wanted to try Pop! for a while. This news finally gave me a good excuse and I went this week.

I had the chance to have the cherry dessert with sorbet and almond granité. I don't know if it's one of yours but it was a real success.

PS: my girlfriend was also relieved to see that the famous pot de crème was still on the menu ;-)

Margaux said...

Congratualtions, Michelle! Next time I'm back in Montreal I know where to go for dessert!

Ernest McLeod said...

We had the opportunity to sample 3 desserts when we visited Laloux last week. They were splendid: elegant without being fussy, beautiful and delicious all. And we even got warm greetings--and a homemade souvenir--from Michelle. :-) Thanks, and congratulations on the good work.