Tucked inside a converted church, Candide serves a dynamic, farm-to-table tasting menu bursting with fresh, local ingredients and a stellar wine selection.
"John Winter Russell’s food is best described as having a “meat on the side” attitude, but the lack of extra protein doesn’t go amiss. Vegetables are a star here, which means they have to be good to start, and they certainly are. Candide is a prime example of how working closely with local producers pays off in the prepared final dishes — and it gets historical points for its location in a converted church." - Holly Tousignant, Ashley Joseph, Eater Staff
"Come summer, diners can enjoy Chef John Winter Russell’s sleek and seasonal tasting menus just outside the old Little Burgundy church his restaurant Candide calls home. During May, dishes on offer include lobster with fiddleheads; little gem lettuce, ramps, and bottarga; and a dessert that pairs buttermilk, apple, and sunflower seeds. (The terrasse is opening by the end of the month.)" - Valerie Silva, Tim Forster
"Candide's prix fixé menu changes monthly, a reflection of chef John Winter-Russell's love of local, seasonal, and temporal cooking at his restaurant on the south side of St. Joseph's Church. Every meal follows the same format: two fixed starters, a choice between two mains, and a choice between two desserts. In summer, Winter-Russell's delicate menu, which is mostly plant-based, might include ingredients like asparagus, radishes, peas, lovage, zucchini flowers, mussels, sturgeon, and pork. The Zen atmosphere and quiet conversations are a natural byproduct of the restrained, elegant food." - Todd Plummer, Isa Tousignant
"It’s easy to focus on the person sitting across the table when the service is as finessed as it is at Candide. After all, nothing sets the mood quite like some pretty plates made up of ultra-local, ultra-seasonal Quebec produce, along with a swish wine selection to match." - Eater Staff
