MONTREAL, SOMEWHERE? — A year after casual soup-and-coffee chain Soupesoup vanished from the Montreal food scene due to bankruptcy, it seems that its owner may be planning some kind of comeback. Owner Hervé Gévaudan told French publication L’Express that his ambition is to reopen the company’s restaurants — and while it doesn’t look like a return is imminent, Gévaudan does seem pretty firm on that particular goal.
To be clear, Soupesoup never totally died: the company was effectively carved in two, and only the restaurant arm filed for bankruptcy in February 2019, while a separate branch that produced soups for sale in grocery stores stayed afloat. Presumably, any return to the restaurant biz would stem from that company. Soupesoup founder and local personality Caroline Dumas won’t have anything to do with any type of comeback: she departed the company long before the bankruptcy. Somewhat ironically, she opened a restaurant, Caroline, in the former Soupesoup headquarters just months after (and probably got a great deal on their equipment).
THE MEDIA — Top Chef Canada is returning for its eighth season, and two Montreal chefs are hoping to be the first Quebecers to win the reality competition. On the docket is Francis Blais, chef de cuisine at supremely creative Ontario Street resto Le Mousso, as well as Jo Notkin, who founded her own catering company, Zoe Ford Catering. There’s one more Montreal connection — chef Dominique Dufour cut her teeth at now-closed St-Henri restaurant Ludger, although she now heads up her own Ottawa restaurant, Grey Jay. The show kicks off April 13 on Food Network Canada.
POINTE-CALUMET — A Régie des alcools, des courses, et des jeux hearing against raucous summer venue Beachclub has wrapped up. The massive venue near Oka won’t be shut down for an array of safety issues, police complaints, and the presence of biker gangs on its premises. However, it will face a 40-day suspension of its alcohol permit, which will presumably take place during Beachclub’s summer opening season.
Il y a quelques semaines, un ou des individus ont volé des toiles de l’artiste-peintre Etienne Martin exposées sur nos...
Posted by l'Escogriffe Bar Spectacle on Sunday, March 1, 2020
PLATEAU/VILLERAY — Nuit Blanche last weekend apparently brought the vandals out to one city bars: during an event at Bar Le Ritz PDB, several people destroyed part of the venue’s colourful wooden wall. But thankfully, after a post from owner Meyer Billurcu, the culprits came forward. Over on the Plateau, bar L’Escogriffe also noted that somebody stole various artworks from the venue in recent weeks. People: don’t do this!
ALL OVER — It may not be to everybody’s taste, but SealFest is returning from March 19 to 29. An array of local restaurants will put on special dishes featuring seal (which, yes, is legal to consume in certain circumstances) — find the details online.
THE AUTOROUTE — You knew somebody would do it: a personalized license plate that says “poutine”.
- Un Français relance SoupeSoup, une marque emblématique de Montréal [L’Express]
- Soupesoup Files For Bankruptcy, Presumably Won’t Reopen [EMTL]
- Suburban Montreal Party Hub Beachclub Might Be About to Lose Its Alcohol License [EMTL]
- 40 jours de suspension réclamés contre le Beach Club [Journal de Montréal]
- 2 populaires bars à Montréal subissent les foudres de fauteurs de trouble [Petit Petit Gamin]