Toya

After earning his culinary stripes under the tutelage of Michelin starred chefs, Loïc Villemin returned to his native Faulquemont in 2010 to transform a family restaurant into a fine dining establishment. Inspired by Michel Bras, a local legend in the Aveyron region in southern France, Villemin’s primary objective is to pay his respects to regional producers. “I don’t come to our suppliers with a list of demands,” says Villemin. “Rather, my thinking is that they are the ones doing us a favor by supplying us with such quality products. I prefer to ask, ‘What can we do for you?’” For the chef, this means buying “misfit” produce and culinary byproducts like whey, which he uses as a liquid cooking medium or to make homemade ricotta. The restaurant’s menu changes weekly, according to availability of ingredients, always fresh and in season. “It is important to respect the seasons,” says Villemin, who only uses in season herbs. “The scarcity of the colder months will always give way to the excitement of the spring.”