In the late nineteenth century, French novelist Marcel Proust participated in an exercise which could be thought of as the Facebook of its era—he answered a questionnaire about himself in a friend’s Confession Album.
Proust’s answers have been published, in one form or another, for more than a century. Many have used the questionnaire for their own devices, the most notable being Vanity Fair’s Proust Questionnaire featuring celebrities. The Tomato gives it a culinary twist.
Eleanor et Laurent (the name an homage to the Garneau family, namesake of the neighbourhood) opened in the middle of the shut-down, a time when restaurants were closed to help inhibit the spread of Covid-19. They did what they could with two people in the kitchen; trays of delectable croissant and baguette which sold out in hours. People waited, mostly patiently, outside on the street for a cup of coffee, a pastry or perhaps a sandwich. It’s hard enough to open a restaurant at any time, but miraculous under these circumstances. Abel handled it all with his usual aplomb, shrugging his shoulders when people got too cranky about the wait. What could he do? While Abel has been behind some of our most memorable places, like the Savoy on Whyte Avenue, a project with Ed Donszelmann (Otto) and Brad Lazarenko (Culina), his most enduring is the Sugarbowl, the place for coffee, cask beer, an incredible cinnamon bun or lamb burger for over two decades. At Eleanor et Laurent you can expect patisserie, charcuterie and a coffee house on the main floor, kitchen on the second and, on the top floor, La Petite Iza (named for his daughter’s childhood nickname, the little one) an intimate French bistro with a stunning patio overlooking the rooftops and the river to downtown. We can’t wait.
Eleanor et Laurent, 10926 88 Avenue.
Illustration by Gerry Rasmussen
Hometown?
Edmonton is where I feel at home.
Years as a restaurant impresario?
24
Where would you like to live?
Edmonton and Paris. My heart feels at home in both places.
Your favourite food and drink?
Wine definitely. I’m all about the classics, comfort food in the winter and French bistro fare, pâté and terrines.
What would you be doing if you weren’t cooking?
I would have followed my dad’s footsteps; he was an architect.
What do you most appreciate in your friends?
Loyalty. Unconditional love and acceptance.
Your favourite qualities in a dish?
Leave it to the ingredients; let the ingredients and the freshness appeal.
A cook?
Unassuming and unpretentious. A chef who is passionate.
A wine?
Terroir.
Who would be at your dream dinner table (dead or alive)?
Anthony Bourdain—he’s my hero—Paul Bocuse and a loved one.
Who would cook?
We’d all cook. We would be at the kitchen table or the garden in a vineyard in Provence.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Yes, of course.
Current culinary obsession/exploration?
My bistro upstairs. That is my obsession right now. Maybe we can open in the summer? The patio in the fall? It all depends on Covid.
Meaningful/crazy cooking experience?
You Gotta Eat Here did an episode at the Sugarbowl. One of the dishes we featured was the chicken and waffles. It was mayhem. We couldn’t keep up—people were driving from Winnipeg to try the chicken and waffles. The service was terrible. Kitchen staff walked out. We stopped counting after we hit 300 chicken and waffles one day.
Best (cooking) thing that ever happened to you?
A developer wanted to buy the building (High Level Diner and the Sugarbowl) and build a high rise. We approached our landlord Patrick Turner, and, long story short, we ended up buying it at a price we could afford. It was the first property he ever sold. ‘If it means a lot to you guys,’ he said. Also, Savoy in its heyday.
Mentors?
My parents, and Kim Franklin (High Level Diner). I learned a lot of managerial and organizational skills from Kim.
Favourite casual cheap and cheerful/afterwork food?
I love greasy spoon Chinese-type places and Bistro Praha!
Philosophy?
I am in love with hope.
What’s next?
Coffee is my other passion. When I decided to have the three places (Sugarbowl, Eleanor et Laurent and La Petite Iza) I thought why not roast my own coffee too? It’s called Kaffa and there will be a studio space for artists too, right above Red Bike.
I have this dream that someday I will be living on a vineyard. Working in wine in some capacity in the hot Mediterranean sun in Provence.