Benny & Co. is the triumph of generations of hard-working Quebecers. The seeds of this local franchise were first planted back in the 1940s where the Benny family would raise chicken on their family farm where they began making their renowned rotisserie chicken. Using their own family recipe, their delectable chicken was then shared with the public when they opened their first restaurant in 1960. Since then, generations of Benny’s have taken up the helm and now have expanded the farm into a 68-branch franchise, with the newest location in Montreal’s Old Port.
By Mike Cohen
Le Burger Week in Montreal will have a cheesy twist when it takes place from September 1 to 7 across the city. You might want to call it “Le Cheeseburger Week!” That’s right, the annual fall foodie festival has a new look, and this year, it’s all about the cheese! This year’s edition of the festival is made possible thanks to Saputo and Lightspeed.
Provinces participating this year include; Manitoba, Quebec, Ontario, British Colombia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. Heading into its ninth year, Le Burger Week has become an annual autumn foodie tradition to look forward to. Restaurants across the nation are asked to think outside the bun and create a unique burger reflective of their overall concept, style, and cuisine. The 2020 edition will replace the traditional call to vote for the best burgers with a call to help through charity partnerships. Both Lightspeed and Saputo will be awarding the “Lightspeed Choice” & “Saputo Choice” awards to their favourite burgers!
Furthermore, this year, a proceed of select burgers sold in Canada will be going toCentraide and United Way; philanthropic organizations that collect donations to support a vast network of community agencies that help individuals and families.
Bravo to Le Cheeseburger Week’s founders, Na’eem Adam and Thierry Rassam. It is such a breath of fresh air to see a program like this taking place and providing vital economic benefits during COVID-19.
All you need to do is go to their website at www.leburgerweek.com and choose some restaurants to go to- eat in, delivery or takeout.
For me, the fun thing about a promotion like Le Burger Week is to try something new. When I came across a 2019 winner of the Saputo’s Choice Award I was intrigued to learn more about Brasserie Les Enfants Terribles (https://www.jesuisunenfantterrible.com). How could it be possible that I did not know about this successful chain of six locales? There is the original in Outremont as well as Nuns Island, Centropolis Laval, Place Ville Marie, Magog, and a cafeteria-style locale on Sherbrooke Street West downtown.
In the fall of 2007, during a family dinner, Francine Brûlé mused aloud about taking on a new challenge. For this mother of three grown boys, veteran businesswoman and charismatic leader, a restaurant seemed a natural choice. In the following days, she found the perfect site at the corner of Bernard and Champagneur in Outremont. On February 1, 2008, she took over the space.
Artistic director Alexandre Brûlé Brosseau and architect-designer Louis-Joseph Papineau renovated the space from top to bottom. They installed glass doors at the front and added features such as rustic wood, chalkboards, an open kitchen, murals by Tim Barnard, long wooden tables and a magnificent central bar. Inspired design and a clever layout helped create an inviting and cozy atmosphere. On April 14, 2008, the new eatery welcomed its first customers. During lunchtime and weekend brunch, the space is awash in natural light. In the evening, any reason is good to drop by and say hello to Francine and partner Serge Bruneau, himself a seasoned restaurateur. During the first summer, the patio became one of the city’s most popular, and the restaurant was an immediate hit with foodies of all ages.
Les Enfants Terribles revisits the classics and also crafts innovative and simple dishes with a festive, flavourful and unorthodox touch. Francine Brûlé has managed to recreate the homey atmosphere of a somewhat chaotic household where the fare is comforting, original and refined.
In advance of Le Burger Week I dropped by last week for a curbside pickup. Their special for September was not quite ready yet, but I was so happy to sample their Classic Burger with some delicious crispy fries. I added to my order for my next days’s lunch by also ordering an outstanding dish of macaroni and cheese gratiné with bacon. It was too delicious for words. I also had some mini-pogos at home that night. All they needed were eight minutes in the oven at 350 degrees. Their signature Caesar salad went to my secretary at work who gave it a huge thumbs up!
This section of Bernard Street has been closed off to traffic and turned into a giant terrasse. It was only lunchtime and the place was packed.
For Le Burger Week , Marketing Director Lélia Vincent says that five of the restaurants (the cafeteria is not open as of this writing) will be serving The Goody-Two-Shoes / Sainte-Nitouche burger containing AAA beef, Sainte-Nitouche cheese from Noyan, Quebec), crispy shallots, melted leeks and fresh herb mayonnaise. There is also a vegan option, with mane mushroom , vegan cheese, crispy shallots, melted leeks and fresh herb lion’s vegannaise
For Adam and Rassam, the idea for Le Burger Week was born in 2013 out of their shared love of burgers and an understanding that their fellow Canadians shared that same love. Adam and Rassam wanted to create a fun and exciting way for burger lovers to interact and support their favourite restaurants, while, at the same time, providing restaurants with the chance to build greater public awareness through their participation. As Adam explains, “Le Burger Week began as a fun local food project to celebrate our city’s (Montreal) love for burgers. Over the years, we have grown into a national festival that continuously helps to stimulate businesses across the nation.”
The company will deliver prepared meals to the locations of their choice across Quebec
MONTREAL, March 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WeCook Meals, the Quebec leader in fresh, home-delivered, ready-to-eat meals, has announced that it is offering four weeks of free meals to 300 health-care employees across Quebec, namely beneficiary attendants, nurses and doctors. WeCook Meals, which already has a solid delivery network across Quebec, is using its online platform for this initiative.
“Given the unprecedented situation, we wanted to support health-care workers across Quebec in our own way. Giving them more than 7,200 nutritious and complete meals that are ready to eat in two minutes is our way of expressing our utmost respect and offering them a big thank-you,” said Étienne Plourde, Founder and CEO of WeCook Meals.
“I welcome this initiative, which will undoubtedly help many employees in the health-care system eat healthily and quickly at a time when we are all facing extremely busy work weeks,” said Dr. Pascal Laferrière-Langlois, Anesthesiologist at Hôtel-Dieu d’Arthabaska in Victoriaville.
“In the current environment, employees in the health-care sector need to maintain their energy and concentration levels more than ever, which means high-quality food. I heartily congratulate WeCook Meals for providing them with nutritious, complete meals when they need them most,” said Catherine Naulleau, Dietitian and Sports Nutritionist.
Ordering details
Doctors, nurses and beneficiary attendants who wish to receive free meals for four weeks must submit proof of employment in the Guardian Angels Program section at the bottom of the WeCook Meals homepage at https://www.wecookmeals.ca. A unique coupon code will be sent to them so that they can place their orders online.
The first 300 people will be able to take advantage of the offer, and the meals will be delivered to the locations of their choice throughout Quebec.
About WeCook Meals
Founded in 2013, WeCook Meals (formerly Nutrition Fit Plus) is the Quebec leader in fresh, home-delivered, ready-to-eat meals. The Company’s delivery network extends across Quebec and Ontario and includes about 100 pick-up locations. With more than 150 employees working at its food production facilities in Saint-Hyacinthe and Dorval, WeCook Meals serves close to 20,000 customers through its online sales platform and prepares nearly 670,000 meals a year. WeCook Meals has 65,000 followers on Facebook and 26,000 on Instagram.
