Asking top Canadian sommelier Véronique Rivest to pick a favourite bottle at her new wine bar feels like asking her to pick a favourite child.
“There will be nothing on the wine list that I don’t really, really like,” she says about Gatineau, Que.-based Soif (soifbaravin.ca). “You’re not going to have wines here that you will find in every other restaurant.”
In 2013, Rivest became the first woman to reach the podium at the World’s Best Sommelier competition in Tokyo (she placed second). Soon after, she decided to open Soif in her hometown of Gatineau, a spread-out city that’s often overshadowed because of its across-the-bridge proximity to Ottawa. But that’s changing as a growing number of affordable locavore restaurants and boutiques are attracting visitors to explore Gatineau and its nearby scenic villages.
Here are Rivest’s favourite spots to seek out.
Chez Edgar
“It’s run by this amazing woman, Marysol Foucault. It’s open on Saturday and Sunday for brunch. There’s always a lineup. It’s tiny, but it has amazing food. It’s not your basic two eggs with bacon, it’s dishes like confit of duck with eggs. It’s pretty elaborate, very tasty, very filling. A great thing for after you’ve been skiing – or before.” 60 rue Bégin, Gatineau, chezedgar.ca
Gatineau Park
“Gatineau Park is a national treasure. You can leave your house with your cross-country skis or snowshoes and from the park entrance go for hours and hours. It’s pristine nature and clean lakes and rivers.” 33 Scott Rd., Chelsea, ncc-ccn.gc.ca
Le Nordik
“Spa Nordik is up in the hills of Chelsea. You’re two minutes from highway, but it feels very isolated. The grounds are beautiful. You can enjoy all the different baths – hot baths, cold baths, steam baths, the whole gamut. It’s fun to go in the winter and sit by the bonfire.” 16, chemin Nordik, Chelsea, lenordik.com
Les Fougères
“It’s fine dining Canadian cuisine. They work mostly with local, regional ingredients. It’s a beautiful setting, kind of elegant country charm with the most beautiful verandah in the summertime. You sit on the terrace in August and you feel like you’re hours away from civilization. It’s just so calming. I worked there quite a few years and I love that place. The food is amazing. They have huge gardens – flower gardens and they grow a lot of their own herbs, vegetables and edible flowers.” 783 Route 105, Chelsea, fougeres.com
Black Sheep Inn
“It’s an old tavern inn. The guy who started it, Paul Symes, is an amazing music fanatic. It’s definitely one of the best music venues in the country for small bands. It’s a very small stage. There’s rock and blues and folk. It scans pretty wide. Arcade Fire played there before they became big.” 753 Riverside Dr., Wakefield, theblacksheepinn.com
This interview has been edited and condensed.