For an American who has no idea what Canadian cuisine is (do Canadians really know what Canadian cuisine is?), Vallier did a nice job explaining it to me. Apparently, it consists of similar things as American comfort food (your meatloaf, your mac and cheese, etc), but with a northern twist.\n\nFor example, I had the meatloaf (or pain viande, if you must), but it was made of game. It was like eating a really big, juicy hamburger patty that happened to be spiced and had delicious pieces of bacon peppered within. Oh yes, and it was topped with a sliver of foie gras. Not exactly for the faint of artery or the humane. The side of vegetables was perfectly roasted. The carrots were so carrot-y! The asparagus asparagus-y! The tomatoes were sundried, yet somehow incredibly tender!\n\nFor dessert, my server Pascal (what a wonderful French name!) recommended the maple pudding, but fearing it might be Canadian overkill, I chose the cr\u00e8me br\u00fbl\u00e9e. It was not maple-flavored, but coffee-infused, and was topped with some round yellow thing that I thought was a tomato but wasn't a tomato at all. The mind boggles.\n\nAnyway, for an out-of-towner, Vallier was a great choice because the food seemed pretty authentic (rather than cheesily catering to poutine-craving tourists), and the price wasn't bad. Attentive service, too. The wine list could be a little more comprehensive (or more carefully selected) for the type of gastronomic experience the place strives to be; nevertheless, a fantastic find!
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