“Ordering! …one Terrine de Lapin…one Calamare Nero…two Foie Gras… one Sweetbreads…one Bouillabaise…”
Obviously we’re in some classy, fast-paced French restaurant...perhaps in Manhattan, Amsterdam or Paris…they’ve all got smart eateries that go by the name Fleur de Sel. Alas, no…this is just the first order off the line on a busy Thursday evening in the kitchen of Chef Martin Ruiz Salvador’s Fleur de Sel Restaurant in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. That’s right…Lunenburg!
Lunenburg had a couple centuries’ run at being the Nova Scotian capital of cod, and in the last decade the old town has been born again as an exciting tourist destination, proudly bearing the UNESCO World Heritage Site designation. But now, with the immediate success of this small restaurant in the heart of the historic district, Lunenburg may well become known for the impeccable presentation and exacting execution of French cuisine by Fleur de Sel.
Lunenburg grub has certainly come a long way from Nellie’s Fish & Chip Wagon. And Martin Ruiz Salvador has come a long way to get to Lunenburg. The journey began in the two-year Le Cordon Bleu Program at the Scottsdale Culinary Institute in Arizona; then a year apprenticing in Dublin’s Michelin-starred Commons Restaurant. With a desire to hone his skills and mastery of French cooking, Martin then moved on to the source…the culinary Mecca of Lyon…where he did back-to back stints at Michelin 2 starred Restaurant Lyon de Lyon with Chef Jean-Paul LaCombe, followed by an inspiring term at Caro de Lyon under the tutelage of renowned Chef Frédérick Côte. Before returning home to Canada, Martin explored the culture and culinary traditions of Marseilles and Corsica, experiences that have influenced his own cooking style.
In Lunenburg, Martin and fiancé Sylvie MacDonald hit the ground running, buying the heritage property that is now home to Fleur de Sel, completing major renovations, catering their own wedding, and setting their first table…all in just seven weeks. Initially there were some concerns that Martin’s cooking style and menu choices might be intimidating in a town like Lunenburg, where most menus are dominated by a safer, tourist fare. But by the end of their first season (2004) Lunenburgers had embraced the newcomers. Even at the height of the season, the majority of diners in the packed dining room are either locals or long-time summer residents.
Fleur de Sel seats 30 in three small and cozy dining rooms graced with original artwork by Spanish artists, alluding to Martin’s heritage. Additional al fresco seating for 20 is available in the sheltered and peaceful garden patio at the rear of the building – the perfect environment to enjoy Martin’s Mediterranean influenced French cuisine. Sylvie manages the front of house, melding Nova Scotian charm with international experience and sophistication.
Martin has harmoniously melded his classical French training with his own Nova Scotian roots and locale – French standards like Veal Sweetbreads share the menu with quintessentially maritime fare like Cod Tongues and Cheeks. Likewise, the wine list is appropriately anchored with French wines like Sancerre from Gitton Pere & Fils, Chablis from J. Drouhin, and Muscadet from Domaine de Landreau-Village; while honouring local Nova Scotian vineyards with selections from Domaine de Grand Pre.
Integral to any restaurant of this calibre is a wine program to match the quality of the food. And wine plays a major role at Fleur de Sel. Certified Sommelier, Karl Keene, oversees a modest but thoughtfully selected list of upwards of 50 wines (including a nice selection of wines by the glass). Karl has created a list that shows a definite disposition for Mediterranean offerings. The creative interaction of chef and sommelier is also evident in the spring and fall wine dinners hosted by Fleur de Sel…mark the third week of November in your calendar for a Beaujolais Nouveau evening.
For the autumn season, restaurant patrons can expect to see Martin employ fall flavours with more hearty game items finding their way onto the menu -- quail, squab, venison, and wild boar from Martock Glen Farm outside of Windsor, are just a few highlights. In-house smoked products like cold smoked Foie Gras, will be introduced along with warming French Onion Soup, and Venison Osso Buco.
Fleur de Sel is open from May thru New Years, with limited hours after Thanksgiving. Lunenburg is just an hour’s drive from Halifax, which probably makes this Fleur de Sel more accessible than the ones in Manhattan, Amsterdam or Paris. Still, if the return trip is not your idea of the perfect night cap, then all the better reason to go all out and treat yourself to a night’s stay in one of the many exquisite inns and B&B’s in this seaside gem of a town. If you’re lucky, you might even be able to book Fleur de Sel’s luxurious guest suite.
