Restaurant Review: Chartier

CHARTIER 5012 50th Street, Beaumont | dinechartier.com Instagram: @dinechartier Co-Diners: The E.A.T Crew + Grandma & Grandpa

Dear sweet Chartier, the rustic yet refined French-Canadian jewel of the Alberta prairie. Opening in 2016 in the French farming community of Beaumont (a town about half an hour south of Edmonton), this restaurant has become a fast and enduring favourite. They're the only restaurant that I can think of in the province serving French Canadian cuisine at this level and with service for brunch, lunch, dinner, and an insane bakery program you will easily be able to find a million reasons to love this restaurant. Voted as #1 Best Bread 2018 in VUE Weekly, chosen as a Canada's Best New Restaurants nominee in 2017 in enRoute magazine, featured on the second season of Big Food Bucket List, and named Best Brunch 2022 in EDify Magazine... There are no shortage of accolades for Chartier. It's not a secret that this restaurant is beloved by many. Reservations are practically required and I made the journey out to Beaumont like I have many times before on a Sunday evening for dinner, my mind dancing with thoughts of the feast to come. Taking up a large portion of the block, you can't miss this adorable restaurant with it's stylish patio with turquoise accents, stacks of logs, and stylized fleur-de-lis logo that incorporates the image of a fork. The inside is stunning, a space that encompasses various dining rooms and an entire bakery section. There's even a little "general store" area where you can buy goods to take home. It's like walking into a cabane à sucre except gorgeously decorated. Endless amounts of rustic barnwood, beautiful floral wallpaper in different patterns, mis-matched chairs with faux furs strewn overtop, gallery walls filled with frames... You can almost picture it and it's even more beautiful in real life. The entire restaurant is welcoming, cozy, and full of atmosphere. It feels well-broken in. And it's all very special. Somehow I always end up seated in "Alice's Room," no matter how many times I visit. It's an absolutely adorable space, however it doesn't have any windows. It would be nice to see other areas of the restaurant sometime! Our server was prompt, friendly and on top of things. Chartier has a great cocktail program (and they make wonderful non-alcoholic drinks too). I wanted something fun and unique which had to be The GST ($14.00) - that's gin, sorbet, and tonic.

This beverage was exactly what I was looking for. The sorbet made the drink a lot like a fancy alcoholic float and I really enjoyed it. Full of fresh blueberry flavour, I found that the combination of mint and cucumber also really created something refreshing. This was like having a beverage and a palate cleanser all in one. Excellent! And then. There are the beans. There are other small plates & sharables on the menu but do they really count when the beans exist? They might be the very best thing on the whole menu. I'd always heard people talk about them but they certainly must be experienced for one's self. Always order the Haricots Verts ($19.87).

Served in a classic maple syrup tin can, the magic here is the way that this dish showcases the perfect balance of spicy and sweet - one of the hottest (literally and figuratively) flavour combinations right now. You dunk these beautifully golden tempura green beans into a smoked maple mayonnaise dotted with Mexican mole chili oil... And all bets are off. It's the best party of all-time and it's happening right there in your mouth. These are an absolute must. As much as I could go on about the beans (I'll stop) there is also a pretty impressive Charcuterie Nouveau on the menu that sounds completely epic. I haven't ordered it yet but I did have something similar once, when they did their Mother’s Day Brunch Charcuterie. It was one of the best boards filled with everything that I'd ever tried. So I expect that their "regular" charcuterie is just as wonderful. For the main course it was going to be a "go big or go home situation." Especially with the Poutine de la Mer Rosenau ($93.17) as an option. But there are other really amazing sounding items on the menu and I only wish that I had enough stomachs to try them all! For example, I have major regrets about not yet trying the Sugar Shack Fried Chicken Sandwich - whenever I'd see one go by they looked SO GOOD. But it had to be that insane, almost $100 poutine, if you ask me.

I've had some pretty epic poutines in my day, smothered in luxury ingredients, and this is certainly Chartier's version of that. Made with treasures from Effing Seafood, Edmonton’s local Maritimer with the good seafood hookups, this is just one example of how well Chartier utilizes producers, farmers, and vendors from right here at home. This poutine is hefty. It can easily be shared among multiple people! After placing the huge plate on the table our server proceeded to pour the steaming hot chowder right on top. (I've heard that in a previous iteration of this poutine, it used to be made with lobster bisque, which sounds pretty incredible.) The fries themselves, maybe the most key component, are done extremely well. So crispy, flavourful, golden, and salty. I loved how the gravy (sauce brune), chowder, and abundant melty cheese curds became a big mélange of delicious flavours that worked together in harmony. And the lobster and mussels? Just yes! Any Québécois would be proud. As an entry in the luxury poutine game, this one delivers. Not wanting to miss out on dessert, the Strawberry Key Lime Mousse Bomb ($12.59) sounded interesting and fun.

This seasonal plate of sweetness seemed like the perfect end-of-summer treat. I loved seeing the use of Lakeside Farmstead products - my favourite cheesemaker in Alberta! And of course Steve & Dan's BC Fruit is my go-to at the farmers' market for the best fruit available. It's like Chartier knows all of the good food things that I know, and I love that. This dessert was light, with a playful cake interior. Lots of strawberry flavour kept things fresh. After a big meal, sharing a couple bites of this dessert was honestly all I could want at this point. Now it's time to talk about the bakery... Which may be the very best part about Chartier??? When you walk in the door you will see the pastry case immediately on your right. Is everything sold out already? Yeah. That happens often. Because it's that good. With daily offerings from; housemade sourdough bread, cookies, cakes, croissants, scones, and much more, it doesn't take long to learn that the bakery is something extra special. It became so huge and sought after that Chartier has moved their bakery operation offsite to a kitchen dedicated to creating all of their dreamy breads and pastries. It even got it's own name; Mother, a nod to their sourdough starter. The very best part of all of this is that previously if I wanted some of their incredible baking I would have to drive the half hour to the restaurant in Beaumont - which I did do on several occasions. But now Mother not only supplies the restaurant but they also have pickup points in various locations around Edmonton. The closest one to me is at Modest Meats, a modest 5 minute drive from my house. My time spent acquiring the best donuts in Canada has greatly reduced - and this only means that I'll be able to enjoy them even more frequently! So the donuts. I'm not joking when I say that I believe them to be the best in the country. Bakery features change with the month and there are always new things to try. But the donuts are consistently solid. Not only are they delicious but they're gorgeously artistic. A Mixed Donut 4 Pack ($25.00) is worth every penny and then you get to try all of their current amazing flavours.

The dough is magic. It's impossibly light and fluffy which makes all the difference. Oftentimes, I find that donuts are much too dense and heavy, which is not the case at Chartier/Mother. Put one of these heavenly pillows into your mouth and you'll never trust another donut in your life ever again. Every month there are two special, seasonal flavours that run for that month only. They're always mind-blowingly gorgeous and innovative in design. For September it was French Canadian Coffee Brûlée (Alternate Route espresso, Sortilege Maple Whiskey pastry cream filling, maple glaze, chantilly, edible gold, torched sugar exterior) and Pistachio Blueberry Sage (wild blueberry and sage compote filling, pistachio cream glaze, sweet fried sage leaf, smashed pistachios, fresh blueberry). Every four pack also comes with one Sweet & Salty Maple Glaze, which is like their "basic" donut. And finally, the fourth one is a "mystery donut" that rotates and you never know exactly what it will be. It's a surprise! However, their most famous donut is absolutely the Black Forest (chocolate kirsch glaze, Lakeside chantilly filled, vanilla namelaka rosette, spiced cherries, dark chocolate shards, snow sugar dusting), which they always make on Fridays. I picked up my order on a Friday, so I knew that I'd be the lucky recipient of one of these legends. I've never had a Chartier/Mother donut that I didn't like. The French Canadian Coffee Brûlée might have been my favourite of the four because the maple-coffee flavour was so well realized and the brûléed shell was satisfying with it's burnt-caramelized deliciousness. Plus gold! I loved the Pistachio Blueberry Sage because it was the most artistic and beautiful. The flavour felt very seasonal and it tasted very fresh. I enjoyed the Sweet & Salty Maple Glaze A LOT and I can see why they keep it as a standard. You really get to taste their incredible dough and they've captured the ideal salty-sweet profile. It's addictive. And lastly, the Black Forest, a flavour combo that I grew up with and hold close to my heart. This donut interpretation is bang-on and the chocolate, cherries and impossibly fluffy cream is perfection. I love these donuts so much and there isn't anything else to say about it! Guess what? There's more! Chartier might be even more famous for their brunches and I felt that I would be amiss to write a review based on their dinner alone. So I returned a week later, on a Sunday morning, and this time it was to brunch my heart out. And you wouldn't believe it, but this time, for the first time in forever, I was seated in a different part of the restaurant!! I loved our table next to the window in a room full of natural light so much! The one thing that you must drink at Chartier for brunch is their French-Canadian Coffee ($10.00). It's the perfect liquid accompaniment to all of the food.

This can also be served without alcohol, which is a great alternative. However, somehow boozy brunches are acceptable and I wanted the full experience! Served hot, I loved the way that each sip gets a bit of each component. It's not too strong and the coffee and maple sings. This beverage feels special enough for brunch but also coffee enough for the sake of wanting to drink a coffee. It's a Chartier classic for a reason because they've totally nailed it. I'd heard amazing things about the Giant Cinnamon Bun ($8.25) but it was pretty challenging for me not to order the Haricots Verts again, because they're also on the brunch menu. I forced myself to branch out, somewhat begrudgingly. Chartier also has their own housemade pork creton (a spread usually served on toast as part of a traditional Québec breakfast), another authentic staple.

They weren't lying when they called the cinnamon bun "giant." It's really big and great to share as a brunch appetizer. They also sell out! I was lucky enough to nab the second last one on my visit! I loved how the icing on top almost looked like a campfire-toasted marshmallow. Ultra soft, melt-in-your-mouth, and gooey with layers of cinnamon folded within, this certainly was an excellent cinnamon bun. One of the best. I wasn't entirely angry that I skipped the beans. There was no question that I had to try the Fèves au Lard Sugar Shack Benny ($21.85). This one just seemed to encapsulate the overall Chartier experience so well, all in one dish.

You only get one eggs benny with your order and trust me when I say that it's plenty. This dish is heavy and rich but it's also delectable and delicious with each and every bite. The egg was cooked to an ideal medium, with just enough runny yolk to mix in with the buttery hollandaise. I loved the use of Irvings Farm bacon - it's the best bacon ever and I buy it regularly. I'm glad that everyone else seems to know this as well. (But of course Chartier knows!) The classic cabane beans are such a perfect addition to this benny, however I did find a few of the beans to be a bit too al dente. The tender potatoes were amply coated in a paprika blend that created bold little flavour bombs. The greens were a great way to cut though some of the weight. Overall, I found this dish to be a huge success because of how well it truly captured the cabane à sucre experience in one plate. It's really well executed and shows how clearly Chartier understands what French Canadian cuisine is all about. I also believe that Chartier has one of the best kids menus available. For a reasonable price, kids get to choose from four great dishes - and none of them are chicken fingers, thank goodness. (My son is obsessed with the kids poutine and would eat it for every meal.) A drink is included and one of the choices is bartender's fancy choice lemonade - how fun! And they get a scoop of artisanal gelato in a flavour of their choice at the end. It's wonderful.

You probably heard recently that Chartier went through a pretty big scare. On August 21st they announced that they would be closing their doors, with their last day of operation being on September 30th. There was a collective gasp in the Edmonton area when this news dropped. I booked two reservations; one for dinner and one for brunch, which I wrote about here. There seemed to be glimmers of hope and everyone waited with bated breath... Until on September 25th when the news came that Chartier would live on. They were able to secure an investor and keep the doors open. The food community willfully rallied and refused for this beloved restaurant to disappear. It was such a relief! Our culinary scene cannot afford to lose them! Chartier is a destination restaurant and well worth traveling a short (or long) distance to get there. I look forward to many more visits in my future. I am definitely going to get to try the Sugar Shack Fried Chicken Sandwich, I plan to share more special occasions within their walls, and I will continue to consume an unhealthy amount of donuts. Merci beaucoup Chartier et j'ai hâte de vous voir bientôt!