A PASSIONATE CHOICE

Like all food lovers, I can't recall a day when I didn't love to eat, cook, drink and socialize around a kitchen counter or dining room table.

I grew up in Quebec's Eastern Townships where my parents used to take me to local producers in order to buy our weekly groceries. The conversations we would have with the growers, the cheese makers or cattle breeders were just as important as the freshness of the ingredients they would offer. Later in life, I worked in the restaurant industry and would often question food sourcing, menu choices, "conceptual dining" and the star system that exists around certain chefs. More often than not, I didn't see myself as part of this wave of dining experience...
Ever since I moved close to Jean-Talon market (the larges outdoor market in North America) this idea of eating, buying and thinking locally has only grown. Every day I'm inspired by the foods that surround me and the abundance and quality of Quebec grown and locally produced foods. The weekly menus I build for Hidden Market are a direct result of this inspiration. I don't like to be called a chef, I'm simply passionate about food and love to share this passion.

Hidden Market saw the day after spending more than 15 years in restaurants, being formally trained as a sommelier and feeling a profound calling to go back to basics. I needed to rediscover the pleasures of eating, cooking and living a balanced life. The restaurant industry is merciless, it demands long hours of physical labour and many personal sacrifices: forget weekends with loved ones, forget evenings lounging on the couch, forget family gatherings... I had donated enough time to the cause and was due to rethink my priorities: my wife and our quality time together.

In the Spring of 2009, we headed off for a food-filled journey to Buenos Aires where "puertas cerradas" are a 100 year tradition. The unforgettable evenings we spent in chefs' homes where we met people rom all over the world are my most cherished memories of this trip. The experience of sneaking off to a secret location to share a meal with strangers, who in the space of a few courses, become friends was truly invaluable. Upon our return there was no doubt in my mind that I had to start Hidden Market. Two weeks later, our little puerta cerrada was open and every week since I have never looked back and am as thrilled as the first time we hosted a dinner.

I remain anonymous and prefer to put the accent on the ingredients, the food preparation, the wine selection and the guests who willingly play the game and follow our lead. Never could I have experienced anything of the sort in a traditional restaurant setting.
 
I have a hard time summing up what is a Hidden Market evening. Our guests have succeeded, each in their own fashion, to put into words their version of an evening. I encourage you to browse through our guestbook by clicking here, it's sort of become our little story since May 2009. I also encourage you to come for dinner some Thursday or Friday evening, at my place.