Au Lutin Qui Bouffe

In 1966, several directors of CGA Ontario travelled to Montreal, Quebec for the annual general meeting of the board of directors of CGA Canada (then officially known as the General Accountants Association). Their dinner was held at a celebrated restaurant on rue Saint-Grégoire called “Au Lutin Qui Bouffe.”

Au Lutin Qui Bouffe is loosely translated as “The Greedy Imp,” or sometimes “The Gobbling Imp,” a reference to a fairy tale of French origin. The restaurant was co-owned by Herbert and Mac Radler, two brothers from New York City with track records as successful restaurateurs. The restaurant had two claims to fame: apple pie that arrived flaming in rum at the tables, and a litter of piglets that ran loose in the restaurant, nuzzling the legs of diners. As an added bonus: customers could have their pictures taken while feeding a piglet from a bottle of milk.

Au Lutin Qui Bouffe was a tourist hotspot of harmless fun. Montreal in the 1950s and 1960s was a Vegas-like destination not only for Canadians but for Americans, who were attracted by the low prices and the loose, indulgent flavour of the city. In a competitive restaurant market, Au Lutin Qui Bouffe was a success.

The restaurant also courted the political elite. Herbert Radler was a supporter of the Union Nationale Party, and his restaurant was a favourite meeting place for party activists. Herbert’s son, David, worked in his father and uncle’s restaurant: "I spoke French,” he has explained, “so I could be the maitre d'."

Together, the restaurant and its patrons served David Radler in making powerful connections that helped to establish his career. One of those connections was with a young Conrad Black. Today, David Radler is best known as the former president and chief operating officer of Hollinger International, and the chief witness for the prosecution in the United States vs. Conrad Black.

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