Chez Adrien....
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We are in 2025, I have just spent an hour with my dad on the phone remembering my grand-father Adrien Pelland for the purpose of paying him a tribute on Le Petit's website.
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Sadly, I never had the chance to meet my grand-pa, as he passed away few weeks before my arrival in this world, THE MAN was a legend. Hearing of him resonated with whom I am and my chore nature. Adrien was a jack of all trade, a born entertainer who loved people and who lived for his restaurant. Christmas was for him the sadest day of the year because his restaurant was closed....
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First worker in a Papermill, he was not the kind of guy who could have a boss, he was best as being The Boss. He was physically strong like a bull, a fisty determine spirit, a colorful communicator and a story teller.
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His restaurant, started in the basement of a triplex, close to an arena, they lived right over the restaurant. People from Montreal and Quebec city drove 2 hours to come to his place for his hot dog, hamburgers but mainly for him and his famous Spruce Beer.
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On one side he had candies, on the next chocolat bars and chips, he also had a rack with "aspirin" for the late nights when man came and gathered after hockey or baseball games and celebated all night.
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Beside is glowing personality he had his trade secrets, the burnt onions in the very old pan in which he was grilling his burger, the stone grill from England on which he was toasting his buns.
The main ingredient to his success is that people simply felt loved...
Chez Adrien.
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His place was a meeting point in the community, where laughters, and heighten conversations where taking place.
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His colourful soul and his energy inhabited his restaurant, he could not live without it and vice versa. He never held me in his arms, but I know that for all those years he has been sheltering me with his love. on my rainy days.
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My personal journey
Born in a small town in Quebec, Canada, I found my passion for the kitchen at a very young age. Signs of entrepreneurship were evident as I made crafts and sold them to the neighborhood. Serving and loving people has been my life's journey. For twenty-four years, I have called the Bahamas my homeland.
The desire to operate a café was once a romantic vision that became a reality in 2004. Starting as a humble cottage business on Buen Retiro Street and a market venture on Dowdswell Street, Le Petit Gourmet quickly grew into a catering service and full restaurant operation. Anchored in my heart is the vision to make a difference in our community. Cooking and serving is a calling.
Join us at Le Petit Gourmet, where every dish tells a story of love, community, and culinary excellence.
The Page of Tributes and many more to come...
