It’s not surprising that many Québec City chefs have been trained in classic French cooking. But a number of them are taking those skills in unexpected directions, incorporating unusual ingredients and devising their own signature preparations. One admired member of this new generation is Christian Lemelin, the innovative chef and owner of Restaurant Toast! at Hôtel Le Priori. Bison, blueberries and other regional ingredients make appearances in his haute-cuisine dishes. Besides Toast!, Lemelin has a more casual restaurant called Simple Snack Sympathique, on Rue Saint-Paul.