My husband and I spend the last two weeks in Quebec. It was the first time in 8 years I was there for the Christmas break. Of course, I had to catch up on the latest food items as well as remember some old classics. So here are 11 days of Quebec adventures, summarized through food.
The trip started extremely well as we were upgraded to first class on Delta. During the flight, we were offered this tasty breakfast.
I moved from Quebec in 2006. Every time I’ve visited since, my first meal is always poutine. To continue this tradition, I stopped by Chez Auger to pick up my dinner, where you will, arguably, find the best poutine in the province.
The following day, we went to the Salon de Noël de Shawinigan to see what local products they had to offer. Silly pictures were taken in Santa’s sleigh and goodies were bought. I came back with maple jelly (to serve on warm Brie) and a brick of maple sugar to put on crêpes. My mom also bought us a bag (yes, a bag!) of fresh chocolate croissants to eat at home.
That night, we finally had enough snow to shovel for the first time. My dad and I had a date night planned at Café Hong-Kong, our favorite Chinese buffet. Unfortunately, when we arrived, the nice lady told us they didn’t have the buffet because no one was coming to the restaurant due to the snow. We decided to get a take-out order and eat at home. Since Jeff and my mom didn’t expect us so early, they had used the entire kitchen table to play “Mexican Train” so my dad set us up in the living room. A folding table and tablecloth later, we had a nice little evening, eating our favorite dishes and watching TV. Of course, this meal was followed by more shoveling.
On Tuesday, Jeff and I went shopping. We both found each other’s Christmas gifts as well as random goodies (unfortunately, I wasn’t allowed to buy the giant Lindt chocolate…) Later, I went to the Shawinigan city market (an old marketplace that was revamped this year) with my mom. I wanted all the cheese curds. I ended with one big bag to share with Jeff. That evening, we enjoyed Chinese fondue with my parents and my best friend.
On Wednesday, we were off to Quebec City. We had dinner at my aunt’s, starting with a tasty cheese plate, of course. I saw my grandma who might not have recognized me but was still in a great mood.
Christmas Eve was eventful. We met two friends from Atlanta visiting the area and checked out Old Quebec together. Lunch at Cochon Dingue was great, one might even say a bit too much. As pictured, dessert sure wasn’t bad. Our friends later joined us for the Christmas Eve party at my godparents’ house.
On Christmas day, we started strong with a homemade breakfast of champions. The croissants rocked my world. On our way back to my parents’ house, the poutine-flavored chips caught my eye. For dinner, my best friend came back and we prepared a spaghetti and garlic bread dinner. Good times, good food, good company.
The following day, my best friend, Catherine, was having us over for dinner. She was disappointed when she asked what we wanted for dinner and we answered: meat pie, mashed potatoes and broccoli. She had grander ideas, we wanted comfort. She absolutely delivered. No pictures of the food as I was too busy devouring it to photograph it.
On December 27, we had to prepare for the Christmas party with my dad’s side of the family. We made Jeff’s baked ziti, my sweet potato pie, my mom’s Russian Bread (which likely has nothing to do with Russia), my childhood favorite, salade de tourelles (pasta salad), and a few other fun dishes like the snowman cheeseball and roll-up sandwiches.
On December 29, there was enough snow to go sledding! Jeff and I went up and down the hills a few times and decided we “worked out” enough to deserve a treat from Tim Hortons. As we couldn’t make up our mind, we came back with 20 timbits and 6 donuts.
Other places where we ate and what I tried:
- Rôtisserie St-Hubert: creamy chicken soup, coleslaw, chicken tenders
- Stratos Pizzeria: pepperoni pizza, onion rings, Parmesan fondue
- Bistro Le P’tit Canot: Fried mac ‘n cheese bites, creamy Thai soup, chicken burger, poutine and raspberry cake.
I’m ending this post with a few more pictures from the trip. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season!
The Hungry Quebbie 