Unhurried guests here are invited to freely wander the paths around the sugar shack, orchard and gardens, located in a small sugar bush with 2,000 taps — an idyllic 165-acre oasis. Partners Martin Picard and Vincent Dion Lavallée have created a place of unusually strong local identity and, with it, a transporting culinary experience. The cooking — executed by Dion Lavallée and Matthew Babin — is a celebratory showcase for Quebec terroir, evidenced in 15- to 20-course parties at the wood-fire-heated cabin, available for groups of eight or 16 lucky diners. When, in late winter, the sap starts to flow, Quebec oysters, scallops and snow crab appear on the menu. Expect confit trout with pastis, duck with blackcurrant sauce and beets, crêpes au calvados (with foie gras, of course), all of it cooked on a wood-fired syrup-evaporation table. To finish, opt for Quebec cheeses and an indulgent pavlova with maple syrup and citrus. In the summer picnic season, dishes move into lighter, simpler territory — tomato and Quebec sea urchin; little gem BLTs; chicken on the grill; and artful fruit tarts, designed to be happily devoured underneath umbrellas or on a bring-your-own-blanket. Groups of up to 18 can reserve the beautiful canvas chapiteaux tents for feasts à table, complemented by Quebec whites, rosés and reds, and Cabane’s 15 ciders — always available to purchase or to taste at their annual fall open house.
An extraordinary TASTING MENU in an ENCHANTING setting. Elise Tastet
Trout, white beans, bitter greens, maple vinaigrette.
Chef Dion Lavallée.
Pea soup, wild mushrooms, mouillette of Bête-à-Séguin and ham.
Trout, white beans, bitter greens, maple vinaigrette.
Chef Dion Lavallée.
Pea soup, wild mushrooms, mouillette of Bête-à-Séguin and ham.
