It only opened 6 weeks ago and being a faithful fan of the PDC restaurants this of course is a must stop when we come up from from Brooklyn making our bi-annual food pilgrimage. We had a 12 noon reservation, we didn't know if we could eat anymore after one night at the PDC then the next day at the Sugar Shack and now the last day on their new restaurant. Of course we didn't know what to expect since it is so new and there were only a few reviews of this place. We knew we wouldn't be disappointed since it is PDC.
First the arrival was a bit confusing because the entrance from the GPS and the actual shack is about 1000 ft away. There were not a large area for parking and when we were there the ground was still wet from the snow so it was muddy. We managed no big deal but just writing this so people are aware.
The setting is a small house like and it seats only 38 people and we had a party of 6 and lucky to be seated at the chef's table right inside the kitchen. Upon arrival inside it was very quaint, the set up, decor was very "Canadian", speaking from an American point of view lol. While we were waiting we had a maple syrup champagne and my kid had a maple syrup soda. Yum.
As we waited in the "mud room" inside we saw the owner/chef Martin Picard checking on the staff and tasting the food. We were like teenagers and wanted to take photo with him. Well we basically drive up from Brooklyn twice a year just to go to his restaurants so I think it is only fair to do so.
Now the food, it is not like the Sugar Shack, it is more of the comfort food style but the pace is slower and not as crazy portion like the Sugar Shack but it was good enough for us.
We enjoyed the freshly baked bread, the pate, the soup, the meat pie and the maple syrup on a stick desert. It is very traditional Canadian which is nice, Sugar Shack has a theme every year that's very international but this is not and I like it. What I also like is that the playlist for the restaurant is so awesome we were able to enjoy the meal and relax and not feel rushed. Not that they rush us at the Sugar Shack but they give you 2.5 hours to finish 12 courses. We were able to go out for some fresh air while waited for the next course.
Overall I like it a lot and it is different from the flagship restaurant and the Sugar Shack but it stands on its own. Can't wait to see what every year brings.