Patente et Machin — Restaurant in Quebec

You’re destined for a flavorful journey at Patente et Machin. So don’t be deterred by the large yellow backhoe parked at the door. Rue Saint-Joseph West is being repaved, and the construction crew hasn’t realized they are blocking a portal of culinary delights.

Walking in was like stepping into another era, with tunes from the 70s playing and nostalgic nicknacks adorning the walls. Apparently, the decor features remnants of its first cook’s bachelor apartment—including a ship steering wheel and a shelf of old cassette tapes.

It felt like entering a private dinner party. Sous chef Jordan was hovering over three steaming plates at the open kitchen table which doubles as a bar, carefully placing colorful greens. He looked up and smiled, asking if my husband and I would like the window seat. Why yes!

We sat under a rough-edged chalkboard with cryptic menu clues — “Tartare | Céviche | Tomates | Poireau Vinaigrette | Viande | Pétoncles | Canard | Saucisse | Flétan”

Simon*—a friend standing in as a waiter that night—elaborated on the offerings in delicious detail. We swilled a Prosecco recommended by Chef Jeremie to pair with our starters, braised leeks and cauliflower cooked three ways, each with edible flowers and intricate sauces applied in cheerful round dollops. Then grilled scallops wrapped in bacon and plump sausages on a bed of white beans, both made with meats from the neighborhood butcher.

Jordan brought wines to match the 2nd course and entertained us with stories of the restaurant’s history. Anthony Bourdain reviewed sister restaurant L’Affaire est Ketchup, in his series Parts Unknown. The name comes from an old French-Canadian saying translating “put ketchup on it; it will be fine” or “everything’s cool.” The chef prepared everything on an ancient electric stove, creating magic in his unglamorous open kitchen. When demand for tables outstripped his space, he launched a new offshoot a few blocks down. Patente et Machin, another Québecois slang-derived moniker, roughly translates as “serious stuff and thingies.” These creators don’t take themselves too seriously, but their artistry is worth witnessing.

Jordan heard me mention my husband’s birthday and whisked out a scrumptious buckwheat cake with mint and strawberries topped by a candle. Then he ran into the kitchen and retrieved a festive balloon and a bottle and joined us in a complimentary shot of something scrumptious.

Construction obstacles notwithstanding, I highly recommend dining at Patente et Machin!

*Simon’s mother Josée Rousseau is an artist who sells copper plate etchings of Québec City. You can find her on Artisans’ Street near the Fairmont Chateau Frontenac. We took home one of her exquisite impressions of...

My wife and I have been coming to this restaurant for years (I'm an English immigrant and she's a local French Canadian). It has always been one of absolute favorite places to eat in the whole of Quebec City (and we've tried a lot!). Sadly tonight was so utterly disappointing?! We took our 2 children with us, they both had steak and fries, my wife and I starters and a main. After ordering we waited for almost 1hr and 20mins, bad enough for us let alone the children. Our starters arrived and were very underwhelming, and it goes without saying that the food we received in no way took over an hour to prepare. Mine was cold and the meat was full of fat. My wife's while a litte better was still very much below the usual standard. Our mains arrived and while being a little better than the starters, the damage was already done. The final nail in the coffin was the $250 bill (and thats before the %15 tip i currently really regret adding!), i mean really guys, what's going on? It pains me to write this, it really does. I've always been such a huge fan of this restaurant and have recommended it to loads of friends and colleagues over the years. The terrible wait and shocking drop in quality of food was beyond jarring. Perhaps the kitchen team are new? Regardless, we won't be going back in a very very long time and certainly not with our kids.

Come on guys, we know you can do so so much better than this. I really hope that in time your usual high quality...

We ate dinner here this past Saturday night. Best dining experience of our vacation. I think 3 guys basically do everything there. Seat you, take your order, make your drinks, cook, serve. We loved how they ran the place. We loved the concept of them explaining the menu to a group of tables at the same time. Fantastic. Food was killer. There was a lot going on in each plate. Scallops were delicious, with the celery root puree, along with a blood pudding croquette which was exceptional. Duck breast spectacular, with a cherry foie gras sauce. Tomatoes, with basil pesto. My Old Fashioned's were delicious. The music/playlist was varied and well thought out, clearly coming from guys who showed care in assembling it. I run a small business myself, and also take pride in making playlists for it, and so when I hear a good one, I notice. More than anything, the guys treated us like good friends. Put it this way, I got back to my hotel and was thinking that if I switched careers and opened a little restaurant with a few other friends, I'd want it to be like Patente et Machin. Job well done, guys. You made our last...