Restaurant Planète Terroir Opens for the Season
Last May, Restaurant Planète Terroir opened its breezy, backyard terrace for the fifth spring-to-fall season.
Located on Chemin Fairview in Dewittville, chef Robert Anderson and his wife Sarah Dawbarn run this gastronomic hideaway where customers can sip on a local wine amid country gardens, dine on homemade contemporary Scots - Quebec cuisine, and watch the cyclists on the Circuit du paysan roll by. For its second year, Planète Terroir is now serving a weekend lunch menu with offerings like house maple smoked trout and slow roasted aromatic pork rolls. Walk-ins are welcome.
Robert, whose parents hail from Herdman and Huntingdon, and Sarah (British-born) had been coming to the Chateauguay Valley long before the idea for Planète Terroir originated. Years ago, on a leisurely drive up Montée Rockburn they spotted the back of an attractive two-storey home. “That’s a really pretty house,” they both remarked. When they reached the front, there was a for sale sign where, unbeknownst to them at the time, the sign for their table gourmand, Planète Terroir would one day reside.
Becoming a chef was Robert’s second career. His first, designing exhibits for museums in Montreal, had long sustained him when he decided he wanted to try his hand at something more creatively challenging. He enrolled at the Pearson Culinary Institute where he completed a diploma and advanced course. He competed in the Quebec Culinary Olympics—think Top Chef style pressure—and surprised himself by winning second place in the spirited challenge within a cooking scene, which he describes as “a young person’s game.”
His first restaurant foray was as co-owner of The Riverain in Ormstown. After two years there, he decided he wanted to focus on a smaller operation that allowed him to hone in on what he loves best—preparing food. He explains how an intimate setting allows him to conceptualize each dish from start to finish, which means everything from sourcing naturally farmed produce from local vendors, down to plating each meal for his customers. “There’s a give and take relationship when you are working with small producers,” he says. “And not too many jobs allow you the gratification of seeing people happy. I enjoy all those relationships.”
What exactly is contemporary Scots - Quebec cuisine? “In a sense, the food in Scotland and Quebec have many similarities; we’re at similar latitudes and many of the same smoking and curing techniques are used,” Robert says. He draws inspiration from chefs such as Britain’s Fergus Henderson who is known for using the whole animal in “nose to tail” eating and from Au Pied de Cochon’s Martin Picard. Robert’s personal philosophy is to serve up “real country food” where every element is excellent.
Lunch is served Saturdays and Sundays, walk-ins welcome. Dinner service by reservation is offered Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Catering and weekend dinner for parties of six and more are offered year round. For all other information see www.planeteterroir.com