663972 Sun Nov 01 17:17:50 -0800 2009 6 22 Quebec (including Montreal) 0 5147811 Sorry to hear this one, which is in my Q C top-4 (L'Initiale, Panache, L'U, and with reservations Laurie Raphael) is off-line. Anyone know the story? Coming back? Sun Nov 01 17:17:50 -0800 2009 15406 bsilver111 1 5147835 Their website says that they're rethinking their concept and will be reopening soon. Hope that happens. They're a positive force for food and wine in all of Quebec, not just Quebec City. www.restaurant-utopie.com Sun Nov 01 17:29:23 -0800 2009 5147811 10520 carswell 2 5148076 The neighbourhood is one of the factor but for as for many restaurants there is up and down! There little brother le Cercle will survive and the chef Stéphane will open another restaurant but not in St-Roch. Initiale and Laurie Raphael are not at their peak and some new are coming. Matto, SSS, Savini, will open from now to end of january. Auberge du Trésor have hired Lemay Michaud, a great architect firm to redo hotel and restaurant and hired a new chef. Pain Beni burned a week ago but have already annouced reopening with a completely different restaurant. Many changes in Quebec. Sun Nov 01 19:37:54 -0800 2009 5147835 264210 phyero 3 5148641 Phyero, why do you say l'Initiale is not at its peak? Have things changed there in the last year? We go there each year around Christmas and last year found the cuisine up to their standards of the last 4-5 years. Just wondering if we should be considering a different place this year. It is nice to hear of some new places coming though. Mon Nov 02 07:05:04 -0800 2009 5148076 263879 maxwellsmart 4 5149258 Wow - I also found that surprising. We did the tasting menu at L'Initiale in late August and it was transcendent! Mon Nov 02 10:04:08 -0800 2009 5148641 15406 bsilver111 1 5151353 Bsilver, you really should add Toast to your top pick list. In the last couple of years, Toast has really come to the fore and now equals or surpasses the spots you mention (in fairness I've never eaten at L'Utopie although that seems moot now). Tue Nov 03 04:32:16 -0800 2009 5147811 263879 maxwellsmart 1 5151605 There's an article today in Le Soleil and on Cyberpresse about the closing. http://bit.ly/3qB0iC Tue Nov 03 06:46:40 -0800 2009 5147811 18488 SnackHappy