Voyage a'Quebec

[Innkeeper]

This is a great time to visit our North American neighbors. There are $1.45 Canadian to $1.00 U.S. That means for each $1.00 Canadian you spend, it costs $.69 U.S. For B&B accommodations in Montreal and Quebec recommend Bed & Breakfast a Montreal, www.bbmontreal.com or info@, and phone 800-738-4338. This is the second time we've used them and have been quite happy.

On the way up we spent a night in Montpelier, VT. This is the home of the New England Culinary Institute, and they run several wonderful restaurants with their students in town and now in Burlington and Exxex as well. We ate at the Main Street Grill, a bistro, 118 Main Street. Our main course was goat cheese ravioli with smoked salmon, garlic pasta, and a jazzed up bechamel sauce. A mound of hot corn relish with tomatillos and cherry tomatoes was in the middle. Washed it down with a nice C-D-R. The next morning we went to their bakery called La Brioche, 89 Main Street, and completely busted our diets. That night we visited my lovely sister in Canton, NY and the place was awash with vino.

Spent Monday thru Wednesday in Montreal and Thursday thru Saturday in Quebec City, hereafter simply referred to as Quebec. The first night we beat feet out to the Greek seafood restaurant on upper Parc that we posted about here before and last visited seven years ago. The Psarataverna du Symposium, 5334A Avenue de Parc, was still great but a tad more organized and expensive. For example they now have a menu and a wine list. After sopping up nicely seasoned Greek OO with garlic bread, we enjoyed spinach and cheese stuffed phyllo appetizer, followed by crispy fried eggplant and zucchini. We had selected an Arctic Char from the basket of iced fish they passed around, and they grilled it with OO and capers. Served with a huge Greek salad. Washed it all down with a lusty bottle of Naoussa. For dessert we had the best Baklava we've ever had. She one with almonds and mine with pistachios. This was a bigger meal than the one we had for $45.00 seven years ago, and ran up to $93.25 Canadian; still a great deal.

The next night we went to the Modavie Restaurant in Old Montreal, 1 Rue de Saint Paul West, looking for good food and Tilak's friend Annika. Turns out she wasn't working that night, but the waitress we had was terrific as was the rest of staff we contacted, so Annika is in good hands. We both had a nicely garnished rack of lamb with goat cheese and basil for our main course, washed down with Angove's '97 Mondiale Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon, Southeast Australia. The wine list was very extensive going all the way up to vintage Bordeaux and California Cabs. The only Canadian wine was Ontarian Ice Wine. No Ontario Riesling or anything from B.C. Advised them to look into same. Splurged a little and had an nice Porto with dessert. This was one of our two best meals of the trip and ran $150.00 C. The next day at noon we went back looking for Annika, but she was not due in till Thursday when we would be gone, so we left a note.

Spent that whole day in Old Montreal avec umbrellas. After sipping a couple of nice Pinot Grigios at Modavie we opted for a less expensive lunch at a creperie. There are a zillion restaurants in Old Montreal. Despite that we chose for dinner a local cafe in the neighborhood of our inn on lower Rue de Saint Hubert. The Cafe le Pelerin, 330 Rue Ontario East, was a terrific surprise. We had the Tables d'hotes (complete dinners) with a main course of nicely garnished veal cutlet covered with shrimp, mushrooms, and Bordelaise sauce. Surprisingly they had a vibrantly fresh Cahors available by the glass. Desserts included a blueberry creme brulee; ummmm. The tab came to $63.15 C. Then it was off to Quebec.

The first night we ate in a restaurant near our inn in Saint Foy called Chez Lorenzo, 1217 Route de l'Eglise. On Friday while touring, we ate at Mimosa, Promenades Ste Anne, in Saint Anne de Beaupre. Both of these restaurants were first class with good wine selections, and recommended if you end up in those neighborhoods. Saturday was the best day of our trip. We spend the whole day in the Old City of Quebec. The sun was high, the temperature warm, and the legs were out. We started out with the morning walking tour which was terrific. Then we charged up to the restaurant that was one of main objectives of the trip and got the last reservation for the evening. Then we went next door for lunch at Restaurant au Parmesan, 38 Rue Saint Louis. It was an upscale Italian Restaurant with an excellent wine list, especially Italian Wine. We had an assorted antipasto platter for two for lunch. Of course it was accompanied with crusty Italian bread. It was wonderful. After lunch we went on a horse drawn buggy ride around the old city that had very little overlap with the walking tour. Also terrific.

That evening we exercised our reservation at Restaurant Aux Anciens Canadiens, 34 Rue Saint Louis, www.auxancienscanadiens.qc.ca. It is housed in the oldest building in Canada, and one of the oldest in North America. The decor is in accordance with the age of the house, and the ambiance could be cut with the proverbial knife. The waitstaff was dressed in period attire that was appropriate and not at all Disneyesque. We both ordered a Tables d'hotes. It started with a whole tureen of vegetable soup accompanied with garlic toast and fresh homemade bread. The she had a slice of meat pie for her appetizer, and moi had escargots aux champignons. The she had a country meat stew for her main course, and moi had a country platter. This consisted of a slice of meat pie, provincial meat balls, beans in crust, lardons, potato, and veggies. Washed it all down with a nice C-D-R. Would have liked to seen more syrah/shiraz selections on the wine card, but that's the only complaint. With dessert and cafe it all came to $103.00 C. The total experience of this place is well worth a trip to Quebec.

The trip home on Sunday took five hours, coming through Jackman, ME and some of our most beautiful mountains. What a way to spend a week.



[This message has been edited by Innkeeper (edited 05-30-2001).]