Groupe Grandio made its biggest headlines in recent years with the acquisition of iconic steakhouses Moishes and Gibbys. But the highly successful culinary operation has a host of other dining establishments in its stable and that includes the French brasserie Chez Lionel, which presently has five locations and a sixth on the way this spring.
While in Ottawa, we enjoyed our first experience in Kanata near the home of the NHL Senators, the Canadian Tire Centre. Chez Lionel was purchased by Groupe Grandio in 2022 and this locale marks its first outside of Quebec. The intention is to expand across the country. The others are in Boucherville, Brossard, Sainte-Therese and Laval (presently being renovated after flooding last summer). In March the sixth Chez Lionel will debut in downtown Montreal at 1259 Rene-Levesque Ouest.
The Kanata location has 96 seats in the dining room, 25 more at the bar and a seasonal patio that can accommodate 58, notes General Manager James Denis.
Chez Lionel made its debut in Boucherville in 2013. The name was inspired by the street Lionel-Daunais. “At the beginning, the concept of the name was to be part of the community/neighbourhood, and we liked the name Lionel as it had a traditional French sound,” explained Denis. “After a bit of research, we found that Lionel Daunais was an opera singer – baritone which we found interesting being part of the entertainment district in Boucherville.
Frédéric Dufort has been the executive chef for Chez Lionel since it first opened. He rose to fame after appearing on the TV show Les Chefs! Initially specializing in market cuisine, his talent and creativity led him to familiarize himself with different techniques through internships, notably at Benu, the three-star Michelin restaurant in San Francisco, and then in Brooklyn. At the helm of Chez Lionel, he reinvents the classics of French brasserie-style cuisine.
It is located directly off Highway 417 at the ground level of a Holiday Inn. There is ample free parking. The interior is very attractive, with large chandeliers and mirrors.
Our server Rebecca made several menu recommendations. We started with some drinks, two Seville in blooms and one Lady Marmalade mocktail.
There is a nice array of appetizers. While I enjoyed a piping hot and absolutely delicious cream of butternut squash soup, with an “L” appearing in the broth, the other two members of our party shared the bluefin tataki, prepped with a wild caraway crust, pickled carrots, orange supreme, sesame carrot purée and carrot chips and the duck confit arancini, served with black garlic aioli, pickled mushrooms, grana padano, parmesan and watercress). I happily split the 12 oysters with them.
For the main course, I jumped at the opportunity to have the duck breast a l’orange. It cut like butter and had a pink peppercorn crust, coming with butternut squash purée, kumquat, marmalade, grand Marnier gastrique and puffed wild rice. The others shared the seafood risotto and the braised beef cheek. The former contained lobster bisque, Argentine shrimps, bay scallops, green peas, garlic bread croutons and saffron mayonnaise; the former was prepared with red wine sauce, roasted Nantes carrots, confit cipollini onions, chanterelles and truffled celeriac purée
For dessert, we shared the tarte tatin, a pastry in which apples are caramelized in butter and sugar before being baked and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and an irresistible macaron platter of six.
Other popular items on the menu include the ricotta ravioli with duck confit and truffles, tomahawk steaks, salmon and beef tartare, pan-seared Icelandic cod and butternut squash gnocchi. I can hardly wait to go back to one of the Montreal-area locations closer to home.
The restaurant entrance and that of the hotel is completely wheelchair accessible and so is the entire dining room. Washrooms are in the hotel lobby and they too are handicapped accessible.
Chez Lionel is located at 101 Kanata Ave. suite 100. For reservations call 613 518-2113, e-mail kanata@chezlionel.ca, or log on to www.chezlionel.ca
Mike Cohen, born and raised in Côte Saint-Luc, has long been active in the community as a volunteer, journalist, and consultant. He profiles restaurants in Montreal and beyond.
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