Chez Edgar, a food blogger's restaurant in Gatineau

Marysol, author of food blog She Eats Bears, has recently opened her own restaurant called Edgar in Gatineau, Que. It's a sweet little place where you can sit down for a coffee, and buy sandwiches and innumerable baked goods, all made fresh daily. You can also get garden-fresh soups and dips and pasta dinners to go.

S and I took some friends there recently and we all tucked into some wonderful paninis: big, toasted sandwiches full of quality ingredients like spicy eggplant, apples, cheddar and homemade aioli. They're delicious and an incredible value at less than six dollars!



Edgar's treat counter is a feast for the eyes as well as the tastebuds. A popular item is the brioche, which comes in unique flavour combinations, such as dates and bacon topped with an orange glaze. There's row upon row of apple and chocolate/walnut tarts, yummy muffins of the day, big sugar cookies and Edgar's signature bars.

Marysol has a lot of experience cooking and baking in various kitchens. Before she opened Edgar, she used to work at the The Urban Element where she would help local chefs test their recipes and make them user-friendly for cooking classes.

Today, she oversees all the cooking and baking at Edgar. In fact, she does most of it herself with the help of a few volunteers, an incredible feat given how hard it is to run a kitchen. For paying customers, her attention to detail is worth it. You can taste the love and tenderness that has gone into her food in every bite.



When Edgar was only a few weeks old, Rachelle gathered a few of us Ottawa-area food bloggers together to visit Marysol after-hours. We helped her prep for the next day and brought her some much-needed food. Rachelle put together a sumptuous cheese and cracker spread, and Lynne, who volunteers at Edgar and is also an accomplished baker, made a delectable sugar pie. (You can see Marysol making the first cut in the photo at the top of this post.) I brought some shrimp with a chili-lime drizzle, a tried and true party recipe. I had such a great time getting to know everyone and helping out! Thanks for a wonderful evening ladies!

Edgar
60, rue Bégin
Gatineau, Que.
819·205·1110

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