Food For Thought

I have time for serious people who know how to execute, unencumbered by doubt. I love an emotional cocktail of boldness and irreverence, and I was unexpectedly treated to one last weekend. For my husband’s surprise 70th birthday trip, riding the backroads of Quebec’s Haut-Saint-François (Eastern Townships), I discovered a gem of a restaurant that jumpstarted some deep well of creativity inside of me and I’ve been dining out on it ever since.

July 10, 2026  Les Mal-Amiés (The Unloved)   

Welcome to Les Mal-Amiés (The Unloved) best nerd-dinner ever!

I know I am in for something magical the moment I step foot onto the fairy-lit garden boardwalk this summer evening. Lush produce drapes off of frames and formations guiding us towards a rustic barn where an exuberant Chef gleefully whacks the head off a bottle of sparkling cider with an ax. ‘Sante!’ he shouts inviting us into the gathering of twenty-five guests. We don’t speak French, but it doesn’t matter, the welcome and joy are palpable, and the stage is set for a bacchanalia.

Set deep in the countryside of Cookshire-Eaton, this vibrant farm is the brainchild of Gardener Yannick Côté and Chef Daniel Charbonneau. The restaurant is built from local wood and furnished with repurposed materials. The restaurant’s point of pride is a 7-course meal featuring unknown or unloved heritage and indigenous products, bringing them to life with creativity and knowledge. Open May–October, sixty percent of the ingredients come from their farm, with the remainder sourced from Québec, including  eighty different fruits, vegetables, seasonings, and herbs. Garden produce, foraging, local craftsmanship, and local wines are the highlights—furniture, tableware, and napkins are made by local artisans. There is a reverence for everything, no waste: meat on the carcass, preservation techniques, and even the leftover bread is turned into flour for pasta. And they use beautiful glassware—my personal passion—for every course!

The dining room is a delicious combination of rustic, elegant, and comfortable.

While this was an exceptional dining experience, I am not going to take you through the courses. What I want to talk about is what I witnessed: the manifestation of creatives living in total alignment. I can’t stop thinking about this group of talented, passionate rebels who have turned the traditional restaurant model upside down and are doing things their way, aligning their superpowers to complement their everyday responsibilities and desires to create an authenticity you can taste.

Gardner Yannick and Chef Daniel savor their Michelin nod.

There is an esoteric and emotional momentum at work here. During the day the Gardener gardens and the Chef cooks; all day long they experiment, visit, forage, and immerse themselves in new and ancient ideas, products, and techniques. When dinner is prepped, they rest and partake of the Eden-like environment they have created. When guests arrive, they become the happiest of hosts, interacting with everyone—pouring wine, serving courses, explaining their creations, and learning from guests in an exchange I have never experienced in a restaurant. It’s not pedantic or scripted, more like a combustion of energy among friends, a dance in the dining room. What I was witnessing was two pros taking the cons out of their day: they decided upon what they like (cooking and gardening) but also what they need (human connection and to be seen—not stuck in the hot kitchen or smelly barn). In their restaurant model they said ‘Non’ to the status quo, placing themselves smack into a more fortifying formula, and the result is magical and sustaining. It is strong because it is process AND product combined. From where I sat, these folks live nutrient dense lives intentionally integrated to satisfy their souls. The Michelin Guide agrees.  

This is my food for thought: why do we do the things we do month after month and year after year without inviting fresh thinking? If something feels out of alignment, isn’t it braver to address it early on, instead of letting it calcify? Are our superpowers truly matched to our responsibilities and what we desire for satisfaction in our lives? How do we create new momentum for ourselves? What cultural models or old thinking can we refresh to bring more joy into our every days?  

I ask myself a crib question coined several decades ago to keep me on track: ‘Right ladder, right wall?’ The gist being are my actions in any given situation aligned with my intentions? Do I have the right tools needed to complete the project? Do I even know what the project is? Food for thought, indeed.

I’d love to hear from you—feel free to send your comments to me. Please share this post with a friend :) and thank you for reading!