Chartier has been on my radar ever since the beginning of their successful Kickstarter campaign. Rustic, French-Canadian food in Edmonton, er, Beaumount is a pretty hard thing to find in this neck of the woods. I can’t recall ever coming to Beaumont but it’s a cute little town and surprisingly not too far of a drive from the “city”.
They have a beautiful patio outside with five long tables but no one was sitting outside when we arrived. If the weather was a little better, I’m sure it would have been full.
L and J came with me for a Wednesday evening dinner and lucky we had the foresight to make a reservation! The place was packed for a freaking Wednesday which I took as a very good sign. From the moment you walk in, you can tell everyone loves being here. Real genuine, kind and compassionate service that’s a rarity these days.
Seriously, everyone from the hostess to our waitress were fantastic. We even got to chat with Sylvia near the end of our meal – interesting that her take on the restaurant is that they want customers leaving feeling stuffed silly. Reminds me of the glutinous visions/visionaries of Au Pied du Cochon and Joe Beef.
The inside is absolutely gorgeous with a great eye for detail: the lighting is lovely, the blue, hand painted bar area is charming and the assortment of mismatching chairs pairs perfectly with the fancy plating.
Inspirational quote wedged in between their charcuterie and daily special.
My one friend would love this place based on the plates alone. Endearing would be a good way to describe Chartier.
Menu is split into small and larger plates.
Short, sweet dessert menu.
Bread & butter ($5.00)
Freshly baked Chartier sourdough with butter and salted herbs. The sourdough bread is excellent. Great chew, airy and the addition of the salt was brilliant. There was even a smear of balsamic vinagrette hidden underneath the bread. Little details like this elevated their bread to next level. Now if only I could get my butt out here for their bread window (available 12pm to whenever they sell out, Wednesday thru Sunday).
Wasn’t surprised to read that they consulted with Yvan Chartrand from Boulangerie Bonjour on their bread.
Haricots vert ($9.00)
Tempura fried green beans with smoked maple mayonnaise. Cute presentation with the Quebec maple syrup cans that you find everywhere in Quebec (legit!).
This was excellent. Perfectly fried, not greasy with a great bite to each green bean. The sauce though was off the charts! Smoked maple mayonnaise and hot chili oil? Brilliant!
Poutine ($10.00)
Triple cooked handcut french fries, cheese curds, and Montreal gravy. I haven’t had a poutine in ages (my last one was in Montreal) as I always find it to be too heavy and gut busting. How was this one? Pretty good – they use a gluten free (!) gravy that was just what I wanted. The fries I wasn’t a big fan of. Triple cooked? Sure didn’t taste like it. Lacked some serious bite to them. The cheese curds weren’t squeaky but hey, this ain’t Quebec. All being said, it was the perfect amount for sharing.
Fish and chips ($20.00)
Chartier’s Wednesday special. Gluten free Daura Damm beer battered fish with tripled cooked hand cut fries, side of coleslaw and tarter sauce. Again, the fries left me unsatisfied but the fish was good. Two pieces that were crunchy on the outside and light, flaky on the inside. Nice touch with the coleslaw having green apple slices in it. Thought it was a bit of overpriced at $20.00. At that price, you’d expect another piece.
Duck grunt ($26.00)
Pan roasted duck breast with a savoury blueberry grunt, spiced maple syrup, and seasonal vegetables. The sauce was unlike anything I’ve ever had – savoury, sweet, salty, tangy. I was in l-o-v-e. It almost had an Asian twist to it but I can’t quite put my finger on what it was. The duck was perfectly cooked but there was quite a bit of fat on some of the slices. The mushrooms were absolutely delicious! Left me wanting more.
Salmon pea-gnocchi-o ($25.00)
Baked Atlantic salmon, pea gnocchi, nettle pesto, brussel sprouts, and truffle chili vinaigrette. The salmon was cooked perfectly but the side vegetables of brussel sprouts and nettle pesto might have stole the show. Give me moooreeeeee!
Beaumont Betty ($9.00)
Strawberry rhubarb crisp served with house made caramelized white chocolate ice cream. This one was my favourite out of the two desserts. Not too sweet and mixed with the ice cream was the perfect combination.
Pouding chômeur ($7.00)
Molasses, maple and caramel “poor-man’s pudding” with whipped cream and sponge sugar. There’s no whipped cream in the pic because we requested it on the side but it was excellent. Freshly whipped! This one oozes butter – you’ll notice it with your first bite. Rich, maple-ly, sugary indulgence.
Is it worth the drive to little ol Beaumount? Absolutely. Great food, ambiance and service. The perfect place to go for a date or with friends and family. Can’t wait to come back to try their brunch and hopefully bread window!
Chartier
http://www.dinechartier.com/
5012 – 50 Street
Beaumont, AB
(780) 737-3633
CHERRY BOB-OMBS 