Rachel Patenaude
New to Hemmingford, Isma Bounila has opened D’Ici et d’Ailleurs, a café and specialty grocer on Frontière Street. She and her partner moved to the area last year after visiting on a day trip and falling in love with the village. As they were starting a family, a slower-paced country life seemed like the perfect fit. Now a month into operations, and with a second baby on the way, Bounila is taking this new adventure one step at a time.
The inspiration for the shop came to Bounila in a few ways. She spoke about having a difficult time finding specialty grocery items that she was used to having in Montreal, especially the products used in the Mediterranean dishes she grew up with.
“We love quality products, and being [from France], an ‘épicerie fine’ is important to me,” she says. “When I was living in Montreal, I loved going to these café/épicerie shops, where you can get a nice coffee, some fresh-made food, and also some specialty ingredients.”
For groceries, D’Ici et d’Ailleurs currently stocks a variety of oils and vinegars, many imported from Greece, Italy, and France, as well as sauces, spices, spreads, pastas, grains, and marinated vegetables. While there are items imported from the Mediterranean, Bounila stressed that she doesn’t want to be importing things “for no reason,” and instead would rather highlight Quebec-made products. She mentions that at its core, the shop is about local, organic, and fair-trade products.
The regional abundance of quality produce is exciting to Bounila, and will be featured in the shop, as well as in the dishes she will be serving daily at the café. The latter will offer fair trade coffee, baked goods, and daily soups, salads, and sandwiches made fresh with seasonal ingredients.
“It’s important to me to offer fresh-made products. We don’t have a set menu, we want to make things fresh, and we want to work with the natural fruit and vegetable seasons, and really let the flavours shine,” says Bounila. She hopes to begin introducing more Algerian and Mediterranean dishes to the rotation, like Chorba and Dolma, dishes she grew up with. “I want people to discover new foods and flavours,” she says.
The most notable thing about D’Ici et d’Ailleurs is the owner’s desire to listen and adapt to the needs of her clientele. Bounila heard from Hemmingford residents that it was difficult to find gluten-free bread options in town, so she decided to start keeping some in stock. She got a request for some couscous dishes and has begun experimenting with recipes. One of her staff used to work in a sushi restaurant, so they decided to offer sushi which has become very popular. “The community seems supportive, and we’re open to suggestions on products people would like to see in the store; were happy to collaborate with the community,” she says.
It’s been a good but unpredictable first month of operation for D’Ici et d’Ailleurs. Bounila had to delay the opening of the shop after finding out she was pregnant with her second child. “I’m lucky though, I’ve found a clientele who are very understanding, patient, and have given me grace throughout the process,” she says. “This means a lot, especially since this is my first time running this kind of business, but I love an adventure.”
As for the future of the shop, Bounila has a clear vision. She is planning to set up an indoor dining area where people can come eat, hang out, bring their laptops if they’d like to work, and just enjoy the ambience. She also hopes to eventually get a liquor licence and stock specialty wines that may be harder to find at the SAQ. Once those plans come to fruition, she even imagines hosting evening events with homecooked meals, maybe a theme and some entertainment – like dinner parties, but for the community.
For the moment, Bounila is focusing on the things they do offer, and building connections in the community. “I’d love to collaborate with more businesses and producers from Hemmingford and the surrounding area,” she says. “It’s been difficult to get out there at the moment, with the baby and the pregnancy, but I’m excited to get to know my neighbours, make connections, and hopefully collaborate with them.”
For information and updates on all that D’Ici et d’Ailleurs has to offer, check out the Facebook page, D’Ici et d’Ailleurs Épicerie fine Traiteur.