A new restaurant in Renfrew, Ont. is getting great reviews.
The Manitou Bistro is serving up traditional First Nations dishes with a twist. On the menu is buffalo poutine, wild rice tacos and bannock pizza.
According to Suzette Foucault, the owner and chef, there’s already some favourites.
“Our top three sellers is the pow wow taco, which is bannock and chili – you know, the classic that we find at the pow wows, and we have our bison burger. It’s a 50 per cent bison, 50 per cent ground beef, on a nice pretzel bun with maple bacon and provolone cheese,” said Foucault.
Foucault’s father is French, and her mother is Algonquin with roots from both Pikwakanagan and Kitigan Zibi First Nations.
It’s the first time she’s taken on a business venture like this, but she said sharing First Nations cuisine is an opportunity to educate.
“It’s more for like, to represent the Indigenous community and for us to be able to be seen and heard,” she said. “I feel like we’ve been in the shadows for so long and we have a chance to really stand proud, to be who we are.”
Renfrew is located in the Ottawa Valley, just an hour drive west from Ottawa with a population of just over 8,000.
Foucault said it is the perfect spot for her bistro.
“I wanted to be close to Ottawa but not be in Ottawa,” she said. “I tried a few different spots and this was just the perfect location. I felt it, the minute I walked in.”
The grand opening was on June 21, Indigenous Peoples Day and it’s been busy ever since.
Ian Juby is from the Toronto region and came to Renfrew to visit his grandmother and stopped in for lunch. It was a hit.
“This is going be like the go-to place when we’re here now,” he said.
Although it’s only been open for a few months, Foucault is already dreaming up some future plans.
“I would love to increase my menu and bring in more original Indigenous, based foods with events. So, my events I’m trying to create is storytelling, with, you know singing, native singing,” she said.
“A little bit of a history on who we are and a nice four-course meal.”
