John Mahoney

His previous columns are archived HERE.

JOHN MAHONEY

The Sunset Dinner Train

I begin this report in a tree house. Well, not a real tree house but a tent platform in a stand of trees on a rock ledge overlooking Lake MacGregor in Val des Monts, Quebec.

It feels like I'm in a tree house, what with the large tree trunks and the breeze dancing through the branches. Some twenty feet below the small, sun-kissed chop on the lake breaks against the ledge.

I move to the gazebo, a few dozen yards down the ledge. It is crafted of cedar logs, and is twelve feet on a side. Some of the furniture is handcrafted in the bent-sapling tradition.

This is the view at 8 o'clock in the evening from the gazebo, on the evening following our fabulous Sunset Dinner Train Trip.

Come, join us. First, you must go to Hull. All Aboard...

We are on a steam train, in the Aylmer car, seated at a table for four. Son Keith and spouse Andrea are treating the Silver Fox and Old Grumbles to a night out. Jane and I are train freaks so this a double delight.

This is the Sunset Dinner Train, steaming from Hull to Wakefield, Quebec, up the Gatineau River and back. Total time: about four hours with a stretch break in Wakefield while they turn the steam engine around before heading back to Hull.

The food is catered by Café Henry Burger, a heavy hitter in the haute cuisine galaxy.

We order drinks (under $7 Cdn) and chat and ogle as the train moves along the river in a slow and stately manner. The river is wide and slow and there are many lovely homes and cottages along its banks, nestled in the sumac, poplar, and birch.

Salad -- fresh greens, honey-mustard dressing -- is deftly served by cheerful young people in white shirts and black trousers, along with a hefty slice of chicken-liver paté. Now, I don't like eating liver no matter how it's disguised, but this was good stuff.

Next, the soup. Reader, smack your virtual lips over this:

A cold summer soup of puréed honeydew melon upon which floats several generous pinches of chipped prosciutto. Oh, yum...

A fruity French red ($37 Cdn) that was lovely with Jane's duck and our salmon.

The veggies -- baby carrot, tiny patty pan squash, turnip, zucchini -- were country-simple and well prepared. The potato dish was very interesting: sliced paper thin, layered, scalloped, baked in a pan, then served as a thick wedge. Splendid dish.

We de-train at Wakefield, watch the musicians -- ah yes, we had live music up and back -- push the steam engine around on the turntable so it could huff and puff us back to Hull.

There were five youthful musicians -- two pairs of violinists and guitarists and a lone accordian player -- who wandered from car to car. The music ranged from classical to pop to folk to golden oldies.

After the musicians pushed the steam engine around, we moseyed across the street to the Wakefield bakery and loaded up on goodies, only a small amount of which Paws, that sly puppy, snatched while not being watched the next morning.

On the return journey, dessert and coffee: a substantial crème brû:lée topped with a raspberry coulis, a thin coin of kiwi fruit, and a mint leaf.

Andrea ate about one-third of hers, and looked out the window.

"Ummmm," I said, "are you going to finish that?"

She quickly coiled a protective arm around her dessert and picked up her spoon…

The Sunset Dinner Train runs every Friday and Saturday June through August. There are four runs in September, the last on the 14th. Reservations are necessary.

Basic trip and 4-course meal: $79 Cdn. Drinks extra.

Club Riviera Class: $119 Cdn. 5-course meal and wine.

Full details: www.steamtrain.ca.