New Montreal Restaurant Candide Takes Shape in Little Burgundy

Construction on Candide, the new restaurant project from chef John Winter Russell (pop-up maestro, late of Van Horne) and Danielle Bitton (of event company S.E.A.L. Productions), is well underway in Little Burgundy's Salon 1861 devlopment. The business has a presence on Facebook now, a new website, and today divulged the involvement of Emily Campeau, of New York wine bar Racines.

To be specific, Campeau herself made the announcement, and calls her appointment as Candide's wine director a "fantastic new adventure to start the new year." The Sainte-Thècle, Quebec chef and passionate wine enthusiast told Eater in a July 2014 interview that a return to Montreal was not in her forseeable future, but later hinted that she could be persuaded to move back if a suitable, oenophilic opportunity presented itself. Clearly, Candide is that opportunity. "I'm very excited to finally open the [wine] dialogue in any small way I can!," Campeau confirmed today. "Excited to pour, teach, reach people, and be a part of a project that is highlighting Quebec."

Emily Campeau at Racines NY | Photo: Ian Harrison

Campeau's wines will accompany a menu Winter Russell called "simple at its base" in an interview last August. "We're going to have a four course table d'hôte with very few choices, probably a few set entrées, and then a choice for a main, then dessert or cheese, at a fixed price—$40 to $45 per person. As far as actual food, it will be regional, seasonal, with huge amonts of plants, garnished with meat, fish, and so on. Probably 80% plants to 20% meats for starters. Then, for mains, larger pieces of meat and fish roasted with the traditional setup with garnishes, and a few other ingredients."