Lodge in village of Val David turns hospitality into an art

11-11-2001

VAL DAVID, Quebec -- In 1936, Leonidis Dufresne, a grandson of early Laurentian settlers, decided to build a guest lodge by a small lake on the edge of the village Val David, of which he was the first elected mayor.

Dufresne called his lodge La Sapiniere, after the pine forests covering the slopes that defined his village. Running his mini-resort more like a private home hosting friends than a hotel, Dufresne instilled a tradition of rustic elegance, accompanied by gastronomic dining and a well-stocked wine cellar. Eventually, Dufresne's eldest son, Jean-Louis, and his wife took over the running of the inn.

La Sapiniere, with some 70 rooms, is still owned and operated by the Dufresne family. In fact, Jean-Louis, who lives just across a tiny footbridge from the hotel, still checks in daily to make sure everything is run to impeccable standards.

The accommodations are not palatial, but each of the guest rooms in the main lodge is unique in size, shape and furnishing.

La Sapiniere's range of room options includes a pair of tiny cottages and four small stone buildings that offer more motel-like rooms. Several small meeting rooms offer a place for business meetings, and over the years, La Sapiniere has hosted a number of international political conferences as well as a steady stream of notable Gallic guests.

From May through September, La Sapiniere's lawns are manicured, and numerous gardens brim with bright profusions of flowers. There are tennis courts, a pool, a putting green and a lake with canoes and paddle boats.

During our visit, however, all that was buried by a three-foot blanket of magnificent snow, perfect for our intentions. In fact, the snow fell throughout our four-day visit, and we awoke each morning to several more inches of fresh accumulation.

La Sapiniere's large L-shaped dining room opens onto a broad sweep of the lake, and during breakfast each day, we could watch cross-country skiers thread their way over its snow-covered surface, unwitting participants in a striking winter tableau.

Our last-morning tour of the kitchen revealed that the food preparation area was twice as large as the dining room. In addition to a full bakery and pastry corner, the kitchen included a smoking room. La Sapiniere's wine cellar has some 10,000 bottles and 350 different labels.

We were on a Modified American Plan, which included breakfast and dinner. Rather than simple meals, however, each dining opportunity at La Sapiniere proved to be an occasion, a gastronomic experience presented by waitstaff who were friendly and hospitable.

The pride the staff took in the quality of preparation and presentation was obvious. From fresh croissants and house-smoked salmon in the morning to the creamy flan that followed the five-course dinner, the cuisine was superb.

This was true both during the week, when only one corner of the dining room was being used, or on the weekend, when every seat was taken by guests up from Montreal (about 60 miles to the southeast), who were clearly expecting fine dining.

They were not disappointed. Believe me, nothing hits the spot after a long day on the slopes or trails than a carre d'agneau de l'Australie a la persillade et moutarde de Dijon -- Australian roast rack of lamb with parsley and Dijon mustard.

All in all, La Sapiniere is as elegant a base of operations as any cross-country connoisseur could ask for.

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