If you've been to Quattro and Caramba before, you know what the Paré Restaurant Group (PRG) can bring to the table—pun intended. Now, they're launching what for them is a real passion project: Lorette Brasserie.
Uncle and nephew duo Jay and James Paré know what it takes to get a restaurant off the ground, and they are excited for what lies ahead.
Having opened on April 26, Lorette is named after co-owner Jay Paré’s mom (James’ grandmother), as well as James’ own mom. It offers a hearty array of traditional French and Québécois cuisine in Whistler Village: from Croque Madame (toasted sourdough, country ham, gruyere, Dijon bechamel, fried free range egg) and four kinds of eggs benedicts for breakfast to Onion Tarte Tatin (foie gras torchon, Oka cheese, veal jus) and Salmon Rillettes (cured salmon, crostini, Gribiche) for dinner.
"[Lorette] is something that we've been wanting to do for a little while now," James revealed. "For us, it was something we thought Whistler could do with: something a little bit different but very approachable. This latest venture is a labour of love that honours our forebears and will add a refined take on French cuisine to Whistler that artfully marries Québécois traditions with exceptional ingredients from the Pacific Northwest."
Jay added in a press release: "We look forward to welcoming locals and visitors to the new space this spring to join us for what has been a unique and inspirational project for myself and James."
Born-and-raised French Canadian Shane Sluchinski helms Lorette's kitchen. He grew up watching his grandmother prepare dishes from scratch before spending a decade as a line cook in Quebec. Sluchinski told reporters the Lorette menu invokes "a deep sense of nostalgia" for him and that he looks forward to continuing his family legacy.
"Shane came out here and started working for us at Caramba. He's just shown that he's got great talent and he's got great passion, which we are obviously all very much about," said Jay.
Meanwhile, Brad Bilick manages front-of-house happenings as director of operations. The Windsor, Ont. native began his career at home before assuming various jobs at hotels and restaurants in Chicago, Boston, Vancouver and Calgary. He joined PRG as the general manager of Quattro and Caramba in 2020.
"From the kitchen to the bar team to the servers, we’ve assembled a talented team that is truly excited to celebrate the quintessential aspects of French and Québécois cuisine, set a new standard of service and provide unforgettable dining experiences for locals and visitors alike," Bilick said in a release.
"Brad brought a whole different way of thinking to how we operate," remarked James. "It was an easy decision to put him in that director of ops position."
Filling a niche
Lorette occupies the place in Whistler once held by Elements, a breakfast joint of local renown. Jay and James reached out to owner Kathi Jazic about a sale in early 2023, and they intend to pick up the slack when it comes to morning cuisine.
"We feel there's a niche for that in Whistler, to have a great breakfast spot," Jay said. "We did start that at Caramba about a year and a half ago: we were doing Lorette by Caramba breakfast, so that's now going to move full time to Lorette. Then the nighttime French brasserie was what we've always wanted to do."
With 90 seats, Lorette is more than capable of hosting a good-sized crowd. James described French food as "unique" and "indulgent" while pointing out Sluchinski's team wants to think outside the box. For example, they offer a Suckling Pig Tourtière (pig, confit duck, grandma’s ketchup, optional add pan-seared foie gras) instead of a traditional tourtière that might feature veal, beef and potatoes.
Visitors would be remiss to forget about their beverage choices. A focused cocktail list encompasses the signature Frozen Vesper (Citadelle Jardin d’Ete, Grey Goose, Lillet blanc, lemon caviar), Sazeracs on tap (Courvoisier VSOP, Lot 40, anise fennel demerara, Peychaud’s bitters, Absinthe spritz, lemon) Montreal Margarita (Altos Plata tequila, china china, lemon lime, sea buckthorn cordial), and Lorette Fizz (Citadelle Jardin d’Ete, Lillet Blanc, Lime, honey’d riesling, elderflower orange blossom foam), as well as local craft and import beer.
"All three of our restaurants have a different style of wine list complementing each style of food," said Jay. "Quattro has got quite a list. With Lorette, we wanted to be a little more compact, stay true to French food with French wine … but covering all the palettes."
Find out more about Lorette and reserve your spot at lorettebrasserie.com.
