1. How did your career path bring you to the great RICARDO family?
“I studied food service and restaurant management and I’m a trained pastry chef. I worked for the 47e Parallèle restaurant in Quebec City, and for the Musée de la Civilisation as a pastry chef. Later on, I went to France to complete my apprenticeship with chef Arnaud Gauthier. Ten years ago, I was also one of the contestants on Les Chefs!, the television show, and now I’m one of the judges.”
“Even before I became a chef, I used to cook RICARDO recipes. I had a recipe book that belonged to my mother. It was full of handwritten notes as well as magazine and newspaper clippings. On one of the recipes, she had written: ‘Ricardo, a new young chef!’ I met him for the first time through director Erick Tessier on the set of Les Chefs!, who was also directing the RICARDO show. Later on, we ran into each other again on Un chef à l’oreille, another show that he hosted and produced. He came to see me and said: ‘Isabelle, I’d love for you to come work with me. You’re going to sell your house in Quebec City and open a restaurant!’ I was really surprised by this unlikely proposal.”
2. What happened after that?
“He repeated these words to me a little later on. He contacted me again to reiterate his desire to work with me. We made an appointment and he asked me to bring my boyfriend, Sébastien, who is also a chef. He immediately jumped on board! We started with the Café RICARDO in Saint-Lambert. At the opening, there were lines that went all the way to the building next door, and it lasted for months! It really was a great success. Then we opened our restaurants in Laval, at Centropolis, and in Quebec City, at the Galeries de la Capitale.”
3. What were your first duties at the company?
“At the beginning, I focused mainly on the menu of the three restaurants as well as cooking on the premises and occasionally taking part in photo sessions and recipe testing in the kitchen. With the pandemic, the company decided to diversify the responsibilities of the chefs in order to retain its staff. At the time, I widened my range of responsibilities to include contributions to developing recipes for the magazine. I also took part in developing food products, such as the Red Velvet cake we serve at the restaurant, which we adapted for sale on a larger scale through the IGA chain of grocery stores.”
4. We see you more often on television, including on the RICARDO show. What motivates you in this kind of work?
“I love it. Ricardo is like a mentor and he’s giving me all his tips! He’s teaching me the job, how to host a TV show and how to run it. I’ve had to work hard, but I find it very fulfilling. It’s creative work and it touches on a lot of different things, such as food service, food styling and aesthetics. At the beginning, it was difficult for me to go on television, but it’s a side of the job that I’m starting to like more and more. I’ve developed my own style and I’m learning to master the art of it.”
“I love taking charge of developing a recipe and bringing it to life throughout the RICARDO ecosystem, from the restaurants to the magazine and the TV show. Working on a TV set and working in the kitchen have a lot in common: teamwork, long hours and the feeling of belonging to a small family.”
5. What are your sources of inspiration when the time comes to create a new recipe?
“I’m curious by nature and I’m constantly looking for inspiration. When on vacation, I spend all my time trying out new restaurants or new products at the grocery store. I get tons of ideas from watching television, going out, reading recipe books or using social media. When I’m developing new recipes, I always ask myself whether I’d be happy to entertain my friends with these dishes at my house. When the answer is no, I refine them. I work until each recipe is colourful, feminine and seasonal, because that’s when ingredients are at their peak in terms of flavour.”
Isabelle obtained a bachelor’s degree in primary school education after completing her cooking diploma. Sharing knowledge is one of the aspects of her work that she values the most, both with her colleagues and the café’s clients. She likes a democratic kitchen, to show how easy it can all be.
6. What do the Café RICARDO restaurants represent for you?
“It’s a great achievement that I’m extremely proud of. Brigitte and Ricardo really trusted me with this important project. Opening three restaurants was a lot of work and, above all, required extreme levels of endurance. I’m proud of offering people recipes that have my personal touch. And I’m grateful and very lucky to now have almost complete carte blanche in all creative aspects. I love my teams and I love watching them evolve.”
7. Who are the women who inspired your career path?
“I was very lucky because I had great mentors. The first one is my mother! She’s the one responsible for getting me cooking. She was also a strong, resilient woman who was easy to live with, and I inherited her character traits. I also think of Sylvie, who was the sous-chef at an inn on Île d’Orléans where I had my first job when I was still a student. To this day, I still use techniques she showed me 20 years ago. I also fell in love with Colombe Saint-Pierre, from Chez St-Pierre restaurant, who is also a mentor on Les Chefs! I admire her for her passion, her commitment to raise awareness about local producers and her determination in running her restaurant while raising three children. She’s one of the great chefs.”
The strength of RICARDO Media comes from people, like Isabelle, who bring their passion and their experience to the company. Thanks to her ideas, and those of all the employees, we are able to offer delicious and innovative products. To know more about work opportunities and job offers with the company, please click here.