Dieppe restaurant offers a taste of the Titanic

The ten course menu is officially designed, printed and fit for the upper class at Atelier Tony in Dieppe, N.B.

The local restaurant is hosting a lavish four day event from April 12 to 15.

It is designed to give dinner guests a taste of the famous first class menu from the Titanic, but executive chef, Jordan Holden says there will be some Atelier Tony surprises.

“We are sticking to the classics from the menu and the time period, however, we are going to put our own little spin on it, some more modern techniques, but still going to stick to the menu itself,” said Holden.

“With the first class menu, it’s really focused on decadents and richness so we’re going to see things like fillet mignon, foie gras, all kinds of stuff that’s really healthy for you.”

The restaurant originally announced its event on social media and tickets were 80 per cent sold out in just 24 hours, encouraging them to add two extra days.

General Manager Chris Holden says they are turning it into an entire experience and not just a normal dinner reservation.

“Of course everyone knows it’s a tragedy, but we want to recreate sort of what happened before that tragedy,” he said.

“The Titanic itself was a slice of life. There was everyone from the poorest of the poor to the richest of the rich and they were all having a grand time in their own way, and we feel that we’re in a position to sort of recreate the higher end of that.”

On top of recreating the menu, he says staff will be dressed for the occasion and guests are invited to do the same. There will also be live music from the era to really help set the mood.

“I hope I bring the regalness to the event,” said local violinist Christine Melanson, “the extra little pinch of special to the event.”

She will be playing alongside a local pianist. The pair have been doing a lot of research ahead of the event and she says preparations are still underway.

“It is kind of like ambiance type music, so there will be some improvisation and spur of the moment things on the day of the event, but I feel like it was all kind of jaunty and jolly,” she said.

The idea is to provide an entire historical recreation and a night to remember for those who attend.

“We’re really spending time on the details,” said Chris Holden. “The music from the period, the costuming to a degree, some special surprises in the dinner itself, the drinks menu, the cocktail menu, the wine… we’re really doing a deep dive on all that.”

He’s also been in communication with the Resurgo Place in Moncton and the Maritime Museum in Halifax.

“In Atlantic Canada, there’s actually a lot of connections to the Titanic,” he said. “In an apartment I lived in, we found in one of the walls a letter from someone who was embarking on the Titanic, so there’s a lot of local history around here.”

The idea came to life from menus that sit on display at Atelier Tony’s sister restaurant, Tony’s Bistro.

With ten courses to try, there promises to be something for everyone to enjoy.

“We don’t want to just create the exact same thing. We want to put our own Atelier Tony flare on it,” said Jordan Holden.

Tickets are $125 per person, and while the event is in high demand, there are a few reservations still available