Casavant

Generally, when a restaurant is awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand designation, it indicates well-prepared food at a moderate price.  Now that is all fine and dandy, but in reality, some of these restaurants are actually still pretty pricey.  So to find a legitimate Bib Gourmand spot is genuinely difficult.  However, we were pretty excited about dining at Casavant.  Named after the grandmother of co-owner Matisse Deslauriers, it features head chef Charles-Tristan Prévost's precise execution of composed dishes for "good quality, good value cooking" as per Michelin.

We made it out for lunch and it was immediately apparent that the menu was reasonably priced.  Case in point, the Beef Tartare was only $17.00.  Now this was no ordinary beef tartare as it had a secret weapon.  That would be the smoked mackerel, which added a noticeable smokiness and that unmistakable fishiness (in a good way) of mackerel.  In addition to that, the base product was solid too with tender nuggets of beef dressed with the usual condiments including a mustard tang, silkiness of egg yolk and aromatic shallots.  This was topped with watercress, which provided some bitter brightness.

A bit more pricey, but still not expensive, the Pan-Seared Scallops were nicely prepared being properly salted and exhibiting caramelization.  They were still rare in the middle being buttery soft while also its briny sweet self.  All of these sat in a watercress emulsion which was slightly bitter, a touch sweet and bright.  I considered this to be only a complimentary flavour as it let the natural flavours of the scallop to shine.  We also found slices of apples, watercress and almonds in completing the dish.  Not sure, if the raw watercress was the best addition, but the vinaigrette helped take away some of the bitterness.

To completely illustrate the good value at Casavant, the Kenauk Trout was only $24.00!  Such a composed dish for the price of a burger at a chain restaurant (maybe you can't even get a burger for that price).  It featured crispy, well-salted skin which gave way to tender flakes of trout.  It was a bit rare in the middle, which was perfect.  With a buttery sauce, it sure seemed like a beurre blanc, but there was no white wine flavour, so maybe it was just a butter sauce?  There was a fennel puree, herb oil and sorrel to finish.

For myself, I had the Casavant Burger for $23.00.  Yes, for less than a chain restaurant!  This burger was excellent with a medium-rare well-charred patty.  Hence it was juicy, plenty fatty and super tender.  Great flavours with the meat, but the cheese and pickles, there was definitely complimentary hits of tang and cheesiness.  All of it sat within a soft brioche bun with plenty of aioli.  A very good burger at a great price.  A few salted potato wedges were included as well.

For dessert, we had the Coffee Cream Puff filled with ricotta and topped with candied orange rinds.  This was super light with a crispy coffee topping.  Inside, the ricotta was creamy and lightly sweet while spiked with coffee.  I thought the orange rinds on top provided a sweet bitterness that helped cut the coffee flavours.  As you can tell, we were rather impressed with the food at Casavant, especially for the price.  It truly embodies what a Bib Gourmand designated restaurant should be.

The Good:
- Excellent food
- Inexpensive for what you get
- Great service

The Bad:
- Small place, so be prepared to be friends with table neighbours