Laurent Dagenais fires one up the kitchen for the KIND annual Food, Joy & Drinks Guide.
The buzziest chef in Canada is Laurent Dagenais, a restaurateur, influencer and weed-smoker who makes addictive culinary how-to videos and represents food with the love and flare of the Montreal maniac the world knows and loves. Building upon his success at Limousine, easily one of the biggest restaurant openings to date on Saint-Lambert in Quebec, Dagenais approaches food with a joint and a smile and wants his guests—whether they’re diners in his restaurant or friends at one of his legendary house parties—to feel welcomed and warm.
“I love little touches, the ones that people might not notice, but show that you care,” says Dagenais, home in Montreal for a brief spell before heading back out to Costa Rica, Miami’s Art Basel and hosting a pop-up in New York. “Don’t fuck with the dishes if you have guests—if you’re the host, stay in the party: it’s the feeling of the night, even more than the food, that will remain in people’s memories long after the hangover is cleared.”
As the holiday season approaches, KIND wants our readers to welcome guests into their homes and to celebrate with family and friends, spreading good cheer and, above everything, vibes. Dagenais, perhaps more than any Canadian at the moment, is a hospitality expert. Here, he gives us three recipes and six tips for making a night to remember (which, sure, some bits you might forget, but it’s the feeling that lingers for years).
“When you walk into my home, I’ll give you a beautiful martini or negroni. I don’t do crazy infusions, I don’t have any of that stuff, but a proper dry martini (or a dirty one), but with a nice martini, you’re off to a good start.”
“Prep your meal in advance and only do the final touches when the guests arrive. Don’t have a crazy mission that takes hours—you don’t want to be in the kitchen the whole time and get stressed, people feel that. Just reheat the final touches when it’s go-time.”
“When you think about your menu, always think: “What can I do in advance?”
“I never put weed in the food. If you want to smoke, smoke up. I’ll be smoking for sure, but if you don’t smoke, have a negroni or have water, I don’t fucking care! But no surprises! Let everyone find their own tempo, their own rhythm.”
“Please—no hospital lighting! Especially in the wintertime when everyone looks pasty and sick, nice lighting is so important. Think flowers, candles, lights turned dim. Make the place look different—cool.”
“The music shouldn’t be too loud, not at the start of the night. Vibey.”
“Baked anything is a crowd-pleaser.”
“I always try to match the music with the food, create a theme. Like, Sopranos Night, play opera, make baked ziti and have everyone come in a suit. Some nice Tuscan wine or a Barolo. Go full-out on a concept, don’t half ass it. It makes the whole thing seem special.”
“Aupale Vodka. From Montreal.”
“I hate going somewhere you’re invited to. You have to go in your car, and the people you’ve invited over might not want to go to your place, so if you’re the host, don’t fuck with the dishes, unless it’s family—a cousin, “Come here!”—but if you’re the host, take care of everything, no complaints. It’s the price you pay for not having to leave home.”
“Make sure everyone always has everything—a full drink, a full glass.”
“I serve vodka. I like a dry martini with vodka and a peel of lemon, a twist. And I learned this from a friend of mine: a martini should always be finished in two gulps. One massive gulp, and one tiny sip—if a martini takes you longer than two gulps, you’re a loser. Drink responsibly. But also take a martini down in two gulps.”
“It’s OK to make an affordable version of any recipe. Ground beef, potatoes, cheese—you don’t need your ingredients to be crazy expensive to be fucking delicious. You’re just going for, when your guests arrive, ‘This guy woke up this morning and ran errands to do this.’ Everything here has been made with love.”
“Sometimes I’m like, ‘Why don’t I buy CBD?’ Like, we have to shoot a scene four times because I’m fucked up and had too many puffs. But I’m always able to manage because I’m an expert, but you guys? Know what you’re smoking before you’re hosting. I always smoke the same thing so I know my limits. If I was smoking Cali Kush with Snoop Dogg, it would be different, but I can function on weed—at least look like I’m functioning—because I know my limits. Know your limits before the guests arrive.”
“Some butter, some bread, some fresh herbs, some pasta, some little gherkin pickles, some vodka—this is what I have at my home. If your friends come over after the bar is closed, nothing’s a crowd-pleaser like a nice little grilled cheese.”
“You have to feel your fit, if you have doubts, you should change. If you think your pants are too tight, change—make sure you’re comfy. When you look in the mirror and have a little smile, that’s a fire fit. You want to leave the house with full confidence. Before leaving the house, I FaceTime my good friend. When in doubt, I’ll send a picture for approval. If you don’t have taste in fashion, find a friend who does—ask them.”
“Not every job in the world or everyday are we able to make people feel some kind of way— feel better—so it’s a responsibility when hosting to give people our best. That’s the only thing: spread love.”
