While Foucault joked that he would retire at 45, he said he hasn’t ruled out returning to cooking for clients at some point.
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Gatineau’s acclaimed chef, Marysol Foucault, is hanging up her apron, at least temporarily.
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Foucault announced on social media this week that his beloved Edgar restaurant will close on August 15, prompting an outpouring of warm wishes from colleagues and surprised customers.
In an interview Wednesday, Foucault said he is putting his business and building up for sale to spend more time with family, particularly his four-year-old son and his ailing mother.
“I still love food,” he said. “I just need a break. It will be a well-deserved break.”
Although Edgar, which opened in 2010 in the Hull section of Gatineau, only serves lunch and brunches, it garnered a huge following thanks to Foucault’s foodie sensibilities and heartfelt cooking.
Despite the pandemic, Edgar has done well in recent years, Foucault said, pivoting to offering takeout-only food and wine before reopening his dining room. On Wednesday morning, a queue of customers instantly formed as soon as Edgar opened at 11 a.m.
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Although Foucault, who grew up in Vanier and Hull, is a self-taught chef who began working in Hull restaurants as a teenager, she did represent the Ottawa area at the 2014 Canadian Culinary Championships.
Edgar has appeared on several Canadian culinary television series and Foucault’s signature dish, a fluffy, deluxe “Dutch Baby” pancake topped with apples, aged cheddar, maple syrup and pork belly, has become famous beyond the Ottawa area.
Additionally, Foucault was among the list of Canadian celebrity chefs who appeared in two seasons of Food Network Canada’s television show Wall of Chefs.
Foucault also briefly owned a second small restaurant in Gatineau called Odile. But Ella Foucault closed it in the summer of 2013, 15 months after it opened, because she was overworked and wouldn’t compromise on the quality of food at both restaurants.
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On Wednesday, he said he now feels the same way with Edgar about to close.
“I feel overwhelmed,” she said. “I am a perfectionist and I want to do things well.”
At one point on tripadvisor.com, Edgar was ranked first and Odile was ranked second among Gatineau’s 200+ restaurants.
When Edgar opened, it only had 13 seats, and Foucault rented his space. After a dozen years, he bought the property and expanded Edgar to 35 seats inside by taking over the adjoining space. Last year he expanded Edgar’s patio to 40 seats, bringing the total to 75 seats.
She said she hopes “something good” will take Edgar’s place, for the good of the surrounding Val-Tétreau neighborhood.
If Edgar’s successor wants to copy Foucault’s formula and even his dishes, that would be fine, he added. “Recipes are recipes, but it’s the person who cooks them that makes the difference,” he said.
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Edgar employs more than 20 people, and Foucault said that after he came up with the idea of closing a month ago, his biggest concern was the prospects for his staff. But Foucault, aware of the current labor shortage in the restaurant industry, said he has already received emails from restaurants looking to hire their workers.
Among the foodies with Dutch baby-sized holes in their hearts is Ottawa restaurateur Steve Beckta, who responded on Instagram to the Foucault news: “This is so sad, but so inspiring… taking the time and the space you need for yourself right now. You have been a great force in our industry, Marysol, and Edgar and Odile hold such an important place in so many hearts.”
Also among the dozens of supporters was Dominique Dufour, chef and owner of Gray Jay Hospitality in Ottawa, who wrote: “What bittersweet news. We’re happy for you, but there’s a big void in the Ottawa/Gatineau food scene right now. You are a legend, thanks for inspiring you.”
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While Foucault joked that she would retire at 45, she said she hasn’t ruled out returning to cooking for clients at some point, perhaps at pop-up events that she’s been too busy to do so far.
She also noted that over the years she has been asked to write a cookbook and that she enjoyed being on television.
She said her boyfriend has told her, “Who are you kidding? You won’t be able to stay home and do nothing.”
“But he will close the door”, said Foucault.
Edgar isn’t the only highly regarded restaurant in the Ottawa area closing this summer.
Somerset Street West dim sum restaurant Hung Sum closed last weekend, after five years at the location. In Riverside South, Zizis Kitchen, a Mediterranean restaurant opened more than eight years ago by chef Ferdi Ozkul, will close on August 21.
