Meet the Anishinaabe chef infusing his life experience into this Haileybury restaurant
"It's everything I've ever done," says Gerry Brandon of the food at L'Autochtone
After a career working in some of Canada's best restaurants, Gerry Brandon returned to northeastern Ontario shortly before the pandemic to open an upscale restaurant quite unlike any other in the region.
L'Autochtone Taverne Américaine (Indigenous American Tavern) opened in 2019 in Haileybury, a community of Temiskaming Shores, Ont.
When asked to describe the food, Brandon — who is from Dokis First Nation but grew up as a child of the Sixties Scoop with his adopted family in New Liskeard — describes it as a reflection of his life experience.
"It's me. It's my personality. It's my travels. It's everything I've ever done," he explained.
Tap on the player to hear more of our conversation.
L'Autochtone Taverne Américaine is located at 484 Ferguson Ave. in Haileybury. During the pandemic, he expanded operations into the nearby Buster's Mini Mart, a former convenience store at 361 Main St. that functions as a hybrid cafe and gourmet grocer.
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