The Epicurean Bistro & Wine Bar is a fine dining restaurant where you will enjoy an experience that mirrors the Pogue’s dinner table; a nightly ritual that brings family and friends together over food and wine to savor, not only what is on the plate, but the personalities, the stories, shared the experiences, and the memories created that linger long after a bottle of Chateau Lafite.
CLAIRE LUSSIER-POGUE
Founding Partner, Chef-Owner
Life is a journey…Recently when I visited my mother in Montreal and she asked me to cook one of our favorite family dishes passed down through generations, I decided to capture it on a video for my brothers, sisters, as well as our nieces, nephews, and their children. As a Chef it was easy for me to cook the elaborate recipe of “Tourtière du lac St-Jean” from memory as I had helped my mother and grandmother cook it year after year when I was a little girl. When I was cooking with my mother that day, I realized how much I missed teaching and coaching young chefs on cooking techniques, the chemistry of food, mis-en-place, as well as the outlet of creativity that comes with being a Chef.
As the founding partner and Chef-Owner, I have been in and out of the Epicurean kitchen for 11 years, 9 of which were right along our French born executive chef, playing an instrumental role in the development of our monthly food and wine pairing events. It wasn’t just serendipity that led me to open the first Epicurean in a small plaza east of Troy, and eventually moving to the current location in Latham Farms, it was a deep rooted love for cooking that was awaken while I met Canada’s premier TV chef in the late 80’s – French born Pol Martin.
As the NYC publisher for Pol Martin, I spent a great deal of time traveling throughout the U.S. with him and he ignited my passion for cooking from the heart. He taught me about the chemistry of food. He challenged me to be creative and follow my instincts. At the eve of moving to Vail from NYC, I decided to pursue my training as a Professional Chef. Following Pol’s advice, I joined one of the best caterers of NYC owned and headed by French born Chef Jean-Paul Nédélec. Pol Martin told me that with my culinary knowledge working along great chefs would be a much better way to hone my skills than culinary school. Glorious Foods was a tremendous experience as it provided repetitive training on all the French cooking techniques, as well as an understanding of the processes involved with a high production top notch commercial kitchen.
A year later, I landed as the Day Chef at The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera voted among the “Top 10 Spas in America” by Condé Nast Reader’s Poll Gold List. There, I worked alongside my good friend Belgian Master Chef Daniel Joly, owner of the now acclaimed Mirabelle Restaurant in Beaver Creek, Colorado. While I live in Colorado, I also was the restaurant manager for Saddleridge, a food consultant for Vail Associates – developing the theme and menu for their Piney Lake Ranch venue, and the Food & Beverage Director of the Beaver Creek Lodge.
As a graduate of McGill University with a Business Degree in Marketing and International business, I have also worked in the corporate world for more than a decade traveling the globe for International Thomson. Today, I love to marry the flavors I have discovered around the world with the French cooking techniques so I can surprise and delight my guests. With the departure of our French Executive Chef in July 2015, I am looking forward to heading the Epicurean Culinary Journey again on a daily basis.
SANDY A. G. POGUE
Partner, Wine Director
Wine Director, Sandy Pogue, joined his wife, Claire, two years after she initially started the original Epicurean just to the east of Troy. After Sandy’s involvement with the cookbook publishing business among other ventures, he and Claire moved to Vail, Colorado where Sandy bought into a food & beverage distribution business. Besides the Coca Cola distribution, the business expanded into craft beers, water, coffee, cheese, game meat and wine. Having come from big store merchandising, international sporting apparel and accessories, this was his first foray in the world of food and beverage. Years later when Claire started the Epicurean, all of this experience would become very helpful to growing her business. Since purchasing the Epicurean at Latham Farms, five years ago, Sandy has created one of the top wine cellars in the Capital Region with a specific emphasis on French and West Coast USA wines. The 2200 bottles selection is the strongest representation of French wine in the Capital Region.
