New eatery brings net-to-plate dining to Stony Mountain
A new local restaurant is stirring up interest in the community by specializing in homecooked fish from net to plate along with other comfort-style cuisine.
Christine Allard and James Leclair, owners of Faamii Café, operate the Stony Mountain restaurant as a family affair alongside their children
Faamii Café opened up at Mountain Motor Inn in Stony Mountain on Feb. 2 — and many diners were already familiar with the business from its food truck that was set up in St. Laurent from September to November 2025.
Partners Christine Allard and James Leclair launched the restaurant to share their love of food and family.
“Faamii Café started with a love for food, a passion for fishing and a dream to be able to stay close to home and work with our family. We bought a food truck the spring of 2025, and after gutting it and renovating, we were able to open it last summer. It was a wild ride from Day 1 with people lining up to try our fish and smash burgers,” Allard said.
“It was a learning curve and we navigated the ups and downs of opening a small business. Our customers were very patient and understanding while we ironed out the kinks, and we are beyond grateful for each and every one of them.”
When the weather started to turn, they packed up their food truck for the winter since they couldn’t keep the water lines and propane lines thawed. Then over the winter months, they tried to secure a permanent location to open a restaurant. Despite their efforts, they weren’t having much luck — until they reached out to the owners of Mountain Motor Inn.
“Once things fell into place, we were able to put in the work to get the space renovated quickly for our tight timeline. We opened the doors of our first restaurant on Feb. 2,” Allard said.
“Some of our food truck staff came with us and we were fortunate to find some new local team members. We currently employ 20 staff, including several students. We love watching everyone grow into their roles and strive to keep the energy positive and cheerful. Every time you walk through our door, we want you to feel like part of our Faamii.”
“Faamii” is the Michif word for “family,” she added.
“At our establishments, this is our company culture,” she said. “We work together as a family and enjoy feeding our family.”
The eatery’s main staple is pickerel, and they also offer smash burgers, breakfasts, breakfast sandwiches, chicken wings, pickerel wings, salads, soups, poutines and various appetizers.
For Allard, her favourite menu item is their pickerel burger featuring a huge fillet dipped in beer batter, fried to perfection, topped with a mountain of shredded iceburg lettuce and smothered in their homemade dill tartar sauce on a toasted brioche bun.
And for Leclair, it’s tricky to narrow down his top pick among all their flavourful foods. But if he had to choose, he’d stick with the unparalleled pickerel poutine, which features homemade fries topped with pickerel bites, cheese curds and gravy.
Along with savouring the flavours of their culinary creations, the duo can revel in the knowledge that they caught the fish themselves. It’s truly a family effort since their children help in the restaurant while their extended family helps with the fishing and fileting in St. Laurent.
“We are a Métis and First Nation business that harvests our fish from the net to the plate using over 70 per cent of the fish in our menu. We also have our fish dealer licence and sell fresh pickerel fillets if you’d prefer to bring some home for your own creations.”
The restaurant is a welcome addition to Stony Mountain, where the community has embraced the new eatery with gusto.
“They have been great, plenty of enthusiasm and support, although we did face doubt on the longevity of the venture due to the residents’ past experiences with restaurants in our location or in the town. We addressed those concerns early and ensured the people that we were here for the long run,” he said.
“Once the people tried our foods, I think they could see that we weren’t the generic brand with food that comes off the back of a truck. Each and every item we have has been tested and tweaked in our kitchen, with the exception of a few items. We are foodies and our passion is the palate.”
Faamii Café is located in the middle of the Mountain Motor Inn (9152 Road 73N in Stony Mountain). It’s closed on Tuesdays and currently open the rest of the week from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Once the summer starts, the hours will be extended to 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
All are welcome to join Allard and Leclair at a grand opening event at Faamii Café on April 3. Pre-sale tickets cost $10, or they can be purchased for $15 at the door. Only 280 tickets will be available. When you buy an event ticket, you’ll also receive a free entry into a grand prize draw at midnight.
“We will be drawing every hour from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. for fresh fish, pickerel cheeks, wings, burgers and so much more. Come join us at 10 p.m. to listen to live local Métis band Les Barn Boys. Drink specials start at 8 p.m.,” Allard said.
“Come celebrate with us. See you soon at Faamii Café.”
Learn more about Faamii Café on their website at faamiicafe.ca or check out their Facebook page for updates.
