La Retenue

Were blown away by the chefs at La Retenue this weekend!
The ambiance was very relaxed, the décor rustic, perfect for a romantic dinner!
Appetizers: My husband had the risolé de champignons, which was so good I kept eating off his plate! The mushrooms were perfectly cooked, so tender, and a marvelous balance of sweet and salty! I chose to start with the potage, which was equally good. A creamy mix of roasted bell peppers and other vegetables, served with a delicious slice of home made bread!
Mains: My husband had the tuna, seared to perfection with a slightly pink center, on a bed of Asian noodles. The star of the night, however, was my dish: osso bucco de cerf. The meat was so tender it melted in my mouth. The mixed root vegetables were a smart compliment to the dish.
Overall, we were extremely impressed by the quality of the food and service.
You should definitely go to La Retenue if you want to eat well in Magog!

My wife had the risotto and I had the ris de veau. It was fantastic. Even the bread they got us before. Very fresh and heathy bite.

I asked the amazing cook at Quai 456 in Magog if he had a suggestion for dinner, and we thought and chatted a bit about the different options — we had seen the places on rue Principale and none of them really jumped out at us, they kind of looked a little cookie cutter and touristy, and the local loving careful chef and Quai politely agreed that might kind of be the case, and then suggested La Retenue. He said the owner liked to work with local product and it was a smart spot tucked a block off the main street and kind of romantic and he thought we’d like it. He was right.
The cocktail menu is cool and I loved the bright balanced grapefruit and local gin and campari mixture I started with. We were served hot fresh bread right away, and then our apps came, a big pile of local mushrooms in goats cheese and honey that was crazy tasty if a little oversweet; and some nicely smoked delicate trout wrapped around cheese and crispy basil that my date liked more than I did, though each component was quite great.
The mains were truly amazing. I had a risotto thick with amazing organic mushrooms and perfectly cooked fat tasty scallops. Perfect rice, amazing texture, not too creamy or heavy but so comforting and crazy good flavour. I could eat this every day. My date loved his carrots and wild-​tasting boar-​like chop too, and we were so happy with the wine.
The service was super friendly and helpful, and the room is that nice smart mix of stylish and romantic but also open kitchen where you can see everything and easy going touches of design like coat hooks made of forks and spoons, and tennis balls on the legs of the comfortable chairs keeping the room smooth and quite.
Definitely recommend this creative, smart, delicious place if you’re looking for a farm to table, not so touristy or cutesy spot in Magog.