It’s rare to see a chef featured on Top Chef Canada with a skill set as versatile and expansive as Ottawa’s Dominique Dufour. So when we found out that chef Dufour was personally recruited by the acclaimed cooking competition’s showrunners, we weren’t exactly surprised.
Known for her technical prowess and commitment to Canadian cuisine, the chef-owner of Gray Jay Hospitality infuses passion and fervor into every aspect of her culinary outlook.
In addition to championing local producers and sourcing exclusively Canadian ingredients, chef Dufour is also an adamant ambassador for equality in the kitchen. In 2017, the Montréal-born chef founded Les Femme Chefs De Montréal--a recurring event where female chefs cook for, support, and empower one another.
We recently had the chance to catch up with chef Dufour, who shared some of her favourite places to eat and drink in and around her homebase of Ottawa.
Breakfast
I love Chez Edgar in Gatineau, just across the bridge. The food is always bright and cheerful, made with local ingredients, and the owner even grows some stuff on-site. You can't get any fresher than them, and the Dutch baby--it’s a personal favourite.
Lunch
Corner Peach is absolutely fantastic. They have a lovely selection of sandwiches and goods that change seasonally. The beer list is exhaustive and delicious, and the service and atmosphere are incredible.
Dinner
Les Fougères Restaurant is a tried and true classic. Chef Yannick Lasalle is decisively inventive while staying grounded in classic techniques. They have a huge garden which serves as their resource for fresh garnish and ingredients.
Drinks
Quintana Taylor makes some of the best drinks in the city. She currently heads the bar program at Bar Laurel in Hintonburg. Go and let her work her magic.
