A Holiday Visit to Quebec City - Part 2

I highlighted the fun things to do in a winter visit to magical Quebec City in my last post. Today I'll cover the food and drink we enjoyed, including the unique maple syrup on a stick, while visiting Old Quebec. Let's get started!

Pub L' Oncle Antoine - French Onion Soup

We loved this intimate tavern housed in a 17th century brick cellar. (In fact, we liked it so much we went there twice) This stone building in the historic district, just behind Place Royale, is known for their french onion soup. So that's what I had - as one does. It was delicious and warming on a cold winter day. Add a cozy fireplace and friendly staff and it's just about perfect. I highly recommend visiting here.

Resto-Pub L'O2 L'Ile - Poutine

We spent a dreary and rainy day exploring the Il de Orleans and its wineries. I absolutely loved it here, despite the weather, and the icing on the cake was having poutine. If you've not eaten poutine before, book your flight or train ticket immediately! 

Poutine is cheese curds and french fries covered in brown gravy and was discovered in Quebec in the 1950's. There are even annual  Poutine festivals in Montreal, Quebec City and Drummondville. 

I enjoyed poutine at Resto-Pub L'O2 L'Ile which was one of the few restaurants we found open on the island. I'm not sure but I think it was kind of a fast food/Denny's kind of place. But no matter, it was a perfect for me!

Restaurant Le Petit Chateau - Crepes

I had several food goals on my visit to Quebec City and one was to have crepes. I managed to squeeze that in on our last day there with crepes for breakfast. This cute little restaurant is on  the first floor of the Chateau Frontenac. Of course, crepes come in savory or sweet and no surprise here, I chose sweet. Very yummy and I'm so glad we found this cute little place.

Il d' Orleans - Black Current Wine

Creme de Cassis is a sweet red liqueur made from black currents. Popular in Europe for use in cocktails, it's also very popular in Quebec. Creme de Cassis and Black Current Wines are produced in the Il d' Orleans, the island in the middle of the St. Lawrence River that is just a few minutes from Quebec City. (The black currents do well in the damp soil and withstand Quebec's harsh winters.)

On our visit to the Il d' Orleans I tried both Creme de Cassis and Black Current Wine. (There are also jelly, jam, mustard and syrup made using the black currents.) Creme de Cassis, with it's deep red color, can be poured over cheesecake and ice cream but its most famous use is in a Kir Royal, a cocktail made with Creme de Cassis and Champagne.

The wines made with black currents can be sweet and fruity, ideally served over ice, or a port style served after dinner with dark chocolate. It's a sweet and unique flavor that I enjoyed trying - something very different than the norm at wine tastings in the US.

Old Town - Maple Syrup on a Stick

Maple Syrup on a Stick, or Maple Syrup Taffy, is made when warm maple syrup is poured over snow or ice creating a sticky taffy. It is usually served in the spring at Sugar Shacks and is a French-Canadien tradition. So we had to give it a try! We tried ours at an establishment on the Breakneck Stairs where an employee was creating maple syrup on a stick outside. I believe a stick cost around $2 and it reminded me of - and I'm really showing my age here - of a Sugar Daddy on a stick. (Anybody else remember those?) So you'll really like this treat if you liked Sugar Daddy's or taffy.

One of my favorite parts of travel is seeing somewhere I've never been and trying unique local products. I enjoyed all of these "tastings" and I would have all of them again on a return visit!

How about you? Have you tried any of these?

 Linking up with: My Corner of the World at Photographing New Zealand!