By William Crooks
Today I will break the fourth wall and reflect on a tension within my food criticism. Regular readers of this series may have noticed certain idiosyncrasies in my evaluations of the restaurants I have visited. For instance, I am a big fan of potatoes, and am quite disappointed when I find their serving size not up to snuff. But my large appetite is not the norm, so, while these comments are honest appraisals of my particular taste, they are not necessarily reflective of the kinds of things your average diner will find unsatisfactory. Furthermore, I simply do not have the refined gustatory acumen to really delve into and critique any food at a high level. I can merely state my likes and dislikes, hopefully in an entertaining and informative way. Everything contained in these pieces should be taken with a grain of salt. Have I talked about salt yet? I rarely use salt on anything for breakfast, but I have been known to douse my potatoes, especially when I get them ‘poutiné’, with white vinegar, when it’s available! Yum…
It was a dreary and cool (13 degrees) day and I was flying solo. For various reasons the regular crew couldn’t get together, but the show had to go on. I hopped in my car and headed south to North Hatley (at 7 a.m.!) to eat a little breakfast at Auberge La Chocolatière. The place has a patio with an excellent view of Massawippi Lake, but I decided to dine inside. Its interior is classy; they have clearly put effort into creating a particular cohesive style. The furniture is all brown and a stack of real firewood sits beside a nice-looking fireplace. It has hardwood ceilings and pictures of delicious-looking desserts line its walls. Modern-looking appliances line its bar along the back wall and a large television teased displaying tropical scenes. A small group of men discussed business in French nearby, but we were the only ones there in a room that could fit about 50 people. The building contains a small gift shop with a selection of baked delights on offer.
