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The Main Media Inc. 2026

✦ Built By Field Office

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    The Main

    Montreal's Cultural Directory

    Help us improve! Share your thoughts on how we can make your experience better.

    Leave feedback

    For partnerships and collaborations:

    partnerships@themain.com

    Content

    • Articles
    • Food & Drink
    • Arts & Culture
    • History Lesson
    • Bulletin
    • Events

    Guides

    • All Guides
    • Best Restaurants
    • Best Cafés
    • Best Bars
    • Best Brunch
    • Best Bakeries

    Explore Montreal

    • Browse Directory
    • Restaurants
    • Bars
    • Cafés
    • Bookstores
    • Leaderboard
    • Editor's Picks
    • New Places

    About

    • About us
    • Subscribe
    • Shop
    • Advertise
    • Pitch us
    • RSS Feed

    Legal

    • Terms of service
    • Membership Terms
    • Privacy Policy
    Follow us
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    The Main Media Inc. 2026

    ✦ Built By Field Office

      Your cart

      Your cart is empty.

      --°C|Tuesday, May 19, 2026|
      Subscribe today to get 3 free articles per month.Get 50% off your first 5 rides with Lyft
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      --°C|Tuesday, May 19, 2026|
      Subscribe today to get 3 free articles per month.Get 50% off your first 5 rides with Lyft
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      EN/FR
      The Main Logo
      Magazine
      Sections
      • Arts & Culture
      • Beyond Montreal
      • Design
      • Food & Drink
      • History Lessons
      • The Bulletin
      Explore
      Popular Guides
      • The Best Restaurants in Montreal
      • Best new Restaurants
      • Best Cafés
      • Unique Boutiques
      • Romantic Restaurants
      • Best Bookstores
      • See all Guides
      Neighbourhood
      • Downtown
      • Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
      • Mile End
      • Mile-Ex
      • Saint-Henri
      • See All
      Business Type
      • Restaurant
      • Café
      • Boutique / Store
      • Bar
      • Bakery
      • See All
      Near the Metro
      • Peel
      • Mont-Royal
      • Place-Saint-Henri
      • Place-d'Armes
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      • View all
      ShopWeather
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      The Main is reader-supported. Subscriptions are what keep us independent. Five dollars a month — the restaurants, the guides, the weekly bulletin, and what to do each weekend. Support us today.

      Discover the places mentioned in this story

      Restaurant Chez Jean-PaulInstitut de tourisme et d'hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ)

      Isaël Gadoua took the scenic route to restaurant ownership. At 30, when many chefs are already running kitchens, he was just entering cooking school, having abandoned a mediocre jazz career and a string of retail jobs he wasn't fond of.

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      The Main is reader-supported. Subscriptions are what keep us independent. Five dollars a month — the restaurants, the guides, the weekly bulletin, and what to do each weekend. Support us today.

      Discover the places mentioned in this story

      Restaurant Chez Jean-PaulInstitut de tourisme et d'hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ)

      Isaël Gadoua took the scenic route to restaurant ownership. At 30, when many chefs are already running kitchens, he was just entering cooking school, having abandoned a mediocre jazz career and a string of retail jobs he wasn't fond of.

      "I have no idea why I went back to cooking, to be honest," Gadoua explains from behind the counter of his 35-seat restaurant, Chez Jean-Paul. "I always liked it, but for 13 years I didn't work in restaurants."

      A decade later, he's become one of Montreal's more distinctive culinary voices in recent years thanks to dishes that defy categorization but command devotion from a growing crowd of industry insiders and diners that lean adventurous.

      Free account required

      For readers who care about Montreal

      Create a free account to read this story and access 3 articles per month, plus our weekly Bulletin.

      Independent. Local. Reader-supported.

      or

      Already a member? Sign in

      The Main

      Comments

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      Share your thoughts and join the conversation. Please be respectful and constructive.

      No comments yet. Be the first!

      Latest from The Main

      Arts & CultureHere's Why Some Strippers Are Refusing to Strike During Grand Prix WeekendArts & CultureThe SAT Turns 30 With a Full-Building Celebration of Music and Digital CultureArts & CultureA Local's Guide to Little ItalyNewsletterThe Bulletin: Porchside Music Crawls, Springtime Dancing, and Soju at the Bookstore [Issue #181]OpinionTim Hortons Lost Canada Long Before Dunkin’ Arrived
      Follow on Google
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