enRoute magazine’s Canada’s Best New Restaurants issue is on way to press this morning. The results are the findings of Sarah Musgrave, who flies around Canada sussing out the recommendations of a select group of advisors from coast to coast (in BC, that’s chef/winemaker Heidi Noble of JoieFarm, writer and photographer Chris Mason Stearns, and Scout editor Andrew Morrison). Here’s the enRoute feature in pdf with some gorgeous art, but without further adieu…

The Score

1. Raymond’s | St. John’s

2. Hawksworth | Vancouver

3. L’Abattoir | Vancouver

4. Les 400 Coups | Montreal

5. Ici Toronto | Toronto

6. Van Horne | Montreal

7. Campagnolo | Toronto (unrelated to the Vancouver restaurant)

8. Le Comptoir | Montreal

9. Ulla | Victoria

10. Corsa 32 | Edmonton

Big congratulations are in order to all. I’m a huge fan of Jeremy Charles’ cooking, and the recognition for his Nfld restaurant, Raymond, is very much deserved. Big ups go without saying to worthy Hawksworth and L’Abattoir here in Vancouver, and to wee, well served Ulla in Victoria’s Chinatown, which supplied me with one of the best meals I’ve had so far this year. Each needs to prepare for the bumrush that is about to ensue.

The Pullquotes

On Hawksworth:

“Having spent a decade in Michelin-starred kitchens in Europe, David Hawksworth is aiming to bring one home here. Equal parts romance and risk, this gambit is an ambitious chef’s love letter to a city that has grown up alongside him. This could be Paris or London, yes, but the point is this is Vancouver right now.”

On L’Abattoir:

“For all the kitchen’s derring-do, GM Paul Grunberg sets a high standard for service: It’s girl-next-door sweet but ultra-smart, ready to make suggestions or send over the sommelier. It may be barman Shaun Layton you want, though, whose exceptional cocktail program includes the namesake Slaughterhouse, a take on the Sazerac that’s delicately misted with green Chartreuse. They kill you softly here.”

On Ulla:

“On the Island, where healthy eating doesn’t always come with a catch and talking about “ethically raised proteins” (also a mandate of Ulla’s menu) can be pleasurable as well as political, Left Coast cuisine has a new home.”

The Trends

As per usual, the enRoute issue also singles out other new restaurants that are doing it right in one way or another. Miradoro gets kudos for its view; Meat & Bread is lauded for its porchetta; Save On Meats gets a nod for the best dessert name (“Chocolate Chocolate Awful Awful”); Ensemble is celebrated for its bread; and so on.