It has taken me 6 visits to Odile to figure out that I go when I am missing my honey. Another habit of mine is to roll into Marysol's kitchen just before closing time.
Today they served 90+ covers and I was the last of the day. That seems like not a bad start to the new year on their first weekend open for 2013.
The twenty-seater is cozy and not too loud when it is full. I slide into the only empty table. Sitting alone I just soak it all in. A multi-generational family, good friends catching up, lovestruck couples whiling away their Sunday hours. Even on a grey, drizzly day (which I happen to love), the small eatery has a sunny brightness to it, with the big windows, light wood tables and white walls.
Brunch is usually a 3 choice offering. The duck was a hit and when it sold out, owner/chef Marysol Foucault and her trusty kitchen partner, Justin Tse, developed the dish that I would come to select. Fingerling potatoes, smoked salmon, poached eggs, capers, Brussels sprouts and fennel ($14). My honey probably would have picked the same.
Sometimes I get lucky for being a lingerer and Marysol has a moment for a hello. I wow at all the attention she and Odile have been receiving in the local papers and city magazines, cookbooks and gal chef cook-ups, 'best of' and 'top 10' lists. She's cheffing February 8 for Takeover Weekend at Oz Kafe. We chat about the 'old' days.
I like the front ....? We don't know what to call it. Even in French. A portico? No that's not quite right. I guess it's a vestibule. It smells of cedar. And even on the inside, it has style with its bows of green. She confirms the Christmas lights adorning the side windows will stay a bit longer. They must.
It's habit to pitch in. I bring my plate to the back and help tidy the tables. Then bucket brigade dirty dishes across the small space. A mom thing perhaps, we wonder. Kindly, Marysol tells me I'm too young to be House Mom at Odile. It's closing time. The visit was short but restful.
Steely and determined in the kitchen, Marysol's tender-hearted self asks after the honey. How is he? Is he okay? I breathe a sigh of relief and say yes, yes he's fine.
Sitting outside for a bit, I reflect. It really is good food. Always so pretty. Perfectly plated. Flavours delicately balanced. It comforts. The way 'you can count on me' does when you seek out that strength.
No surprise, I suppose, that I go to Odile when I am missing my honey.
ODILE
47 rue Montclair (at the corner of Berri)
Hull, Quebec
819.205.4425
Facebook: Odile
Twitter: chezodile
Wed to Fri: 5:30 - 9:30 pm
Sat: 9:30 am - 2 pm; 5:30 - 9:30 pm
Sun: 9:30 am - 2 pm
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