When you think of Canada, Montreal and Vancouver are usually the darlings for the Great White North but Quebec City also has gotten some buzz with its quaint European charm and winter wonderland feel during Christmas time. There's been no better time to visit Canada than in the last few years with the US dollar doing really well, so when my friend Holly expressed interest in checking out Quebec, I was on board with that even though it was in the summer time.
In term of Canada, I've only been to Montreal before and while I would still say that Montreal is more hip and happening, Quebec City has it's own appeal too. It's only a 1.5 hour plane ride away from NYC but quite a world of difference. It's predominantly a French speaking city but everyone also speak English. But it's that French sensibility that makes it so adorable. In the center of town is the touristy but super cute Petite Champlain area which is their Old Town section. It's a small section of the city that's got cobblestone streets and adorable flower boxes outside each of the buildings - adorable. It kind of make you feel like you're in Europe. The city is a decent size that I think 48 hours is plenty of time to hit the highlights and then some. The only big bummer is that I didn't think the food scene was all that. Of course poutine is everywhere and because it's so far up North there is a lot of heavy meats like bison but it wasn't really a go-to food destination for me. That's where it's neighbor Montreal has it beat. It's possible that I didn't go to the right places but nothing during the whole weekend felt like a home run to me. Our meal at Le Lapin Saute - while in the most touristy part of town was probably the most satisfying for me.
It's in the heart of the Petite Champlain and it surrounded by cute stores. If it's nice outside, I'd recommend getting a table outside so that you can people watch. If you know any French, you know that the star of the menu is le lapin, or rabbit. While they have several non-rabbit dishes, it is the focus on the menu and rabbit comes in many forms here: poutine, rillettes, confit, braised, or in a puff pastry. It's kind of sad to think about but I tried to block it out of my mind. We came for a light lunch since we had dinner reservations at 8pm, so we didn't go totally nuts. We started with an appetizer of smoked duck breast ($8 CAD) and I got the half size portion of rabbit poutine ($9 CAD) and Holly got the grilled cheese ($17 CAD). The smoked duck breast was served cold and sliced thinly, almost like a charcuterie plate. It came on soft pieces of toast and sour but tasty cornichons. It was a simple but solid way to start the meal. Since I was in Canada, I had to get the poutine. It felt wrong not to get it at least once on the trip. For those of you who don't know what it is, it's basically fries covered in cheese curds and gravy. It's the most perfect drunk food but it's not something I would necessarily endorse eating regularly. But it's a Qubecois specialty and I figured why not get it with rabbit? The rabbit was light and almost shredded in texture and was actually a nice touch. What I liked about this dish was that it wasn't drowning in gravy so it kept the fries a bit crispy. I'm really glad I got a half size because that was the right amount of food.
Our waiter was this adorable French speaking guy who looked like he couldn't have been older than college age. He was super sweet and recommended a delicious local rose where I could have had an entire bottle but settled for 2 delicious glasses instead. The place was packed the whole time we were there and since it's right on the main strip of the busy street, it's a prime place to sit down for a snack and people watch. I'd definitely recommend this place even if you don't like or want rabbit but don't knock it til you try it! Total bill: $33/pp with tax, tip and drinks
Photo Credit: Yelp
L'Affaire Est Ketchup 46 Rue Saint-Joseph E, Quebec City, QC G1K 3A7, Canada 3.5 Forks
This was my eagerly awaited dinner reservation of the trip - mostly because it was on Anthony Bourdain's show and he really liked what was going on with it. It's in the hipster part of town that's called Saint Roch - it's a bit away from the touristy center which is always a good sign in my book. Basically it's their version of Brooklyn. The name of the restaurant translates into a local saying of essentially, "everything is ok!"
When you walk in, I could tell this was a unique "restaurant". I use restaurant in quotes because it's run by basically 4 guys and the kitchen is essentially like a kitchen you'd find in someone's home. It's by no means a full service facility that's got a host, waiter, bus boy, runner, sous chef, chef, etc. It's 4 guys doing everything - so I admire them for that. But with that comes a lot of operational challenges even though they did everything with a smile. The decor is super dark and cozy. The menu is on a chalkboard (that seems to be a bit theme with restaurants in Quebec City) and rotates everyday depending on what they have and want to cook. Unfortunately since it was so dim, the poor waiter came around and read out loud the entire menu to each and every table - sometimes in both French and English. Holly and I tried to listen to what he was telling other tables so that he didn't have to repeat himself but inevitably we needed him to review some of the dishes. We settled for the scallop ceviche ($16 CAD) and mushroom with goat ($15 CAD) to start and we each got the bison steak for our entree ($28 CAD) - I mean when in Rome or in this case Quebec City.
Their wine system is a bit unique - they have a giant bookcase stacked with different wine and you can review them and then point to the bottle you want. It's a bit confusing and as someone who isn't an expert in wine, not helpful because you still end up having to ask for help.
The scallop dish came out first and it was less of a ceviche and more of a carpaccio. It was several thinly sliced pieces of raw scallops which were nice and refreshing. The mushrooms on the other hand, were not as refreshing. It was a bunch of sauteed mushrooms with diced goat meat in it and it was overly salted and the goat meat overcooked. It tasted like something I could have made at home by throwing some mushrooms in a pain and heating them over a hot flame.
After this we waited quite a while for our entree. It'll give them a pass since it was 4 guys working the whole restaurant but it makes you realize how painfully slow it can be without a full service staff. At first glance, the bison steak was beautiful - it looked juicy and meaty. To be fair, the waiter warned us that there was a nerve that ran down the middle of the piece of bison, so we should cut with caution. I really did try my best to cut around it but the nerve made it really hard to cut and maneuver around. The meat around it was tender and cooked medium rare but the immediate area around the nerve was super chewy and very difficult to eat. It came with your standard offering of roasted vegetables and potatoes, which I could take or leave but I guess you have to have something besides just a piece of meat on a plate.
We were pretty full by this point and should have stopped there but I'm a sucker for a good cheese plate (especially after my trip to France) and Quebec City supposedly has a good cheese scene too, so we ended the night with a cheese plate. It was a pretty solid cheese plate with a stinky but yummy blue cheese, a triple cream cheese, mild goat cheese and another kind of mild hard cheese.
Overall, I liked the vibe of this place and I respect and appreciate any kind of small business trying to make it on their own. The staff was super friendly and you could tell very crazed. I can't say it was a meal that was worthy of 4 forks but you could tell they cooked with heart and for that I'm a fan, I just wished the food was a bit more solid. Total bill: $78/pp with tax, tip and wine
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