I’m reminiscing about our summer trip to Quebec!

If you want to catch up, here are my previous posts:

• Our First Look
• The First Bites
• Exploring
• Outside the Walls

One thing I read and we quickly learned is that the Quebecois love their terrasses (patios)! That is, in the summertime. Quebec has a whole different feel in the winter, of course. I had no intentions of making our trek to Quebec in winter. We get enough winter in Minnesota, thank you very much.

In fact, Minnesotans are quite fond of their patios, too. When the trees start to bloom and you no longer need to wear a winter coat, I’ve even read in marketing emails and magazines, “It’s patio season!”

On our day out exploring the Rue Saint-Jean, outside the walls of the Old Town, we came across Bar le Sacrilège, written on my recommended list as known for “local brews”. It was a beautiful summer day – warm, but not too hot; no humidity and a slight breeze. As long as there were seats {most seats on the terrasse are almost always taken}, it was the perfect day to enjoy a Quebecois terrasse.

Keep in mind, many establishments’ terrasses are located in a courtyard out back, which can be much nicer and more peaceful than facing the street. This was the case for Bar le Sacrilège. We walked through the door and asked to sit “au terrasses s’il vous plaît.” 

We hadn’t considered the fact that it was Thursday, around lunchtime and there would only be a few people out on the terrasse! It was a beautiful, tree-covered oasis.

I can imagine this terrasse packed and animated on a Friday night, with those lights twinkling down.

I don’t believe they had a beer list, because we chatted with our server. We told him we were looking for an IPA and a stout and he gave us some excellent recommendations. Since we were there around lunchtime, he also explained that they are a beer bar and do not serve food, well not a traditional menu. They just had a handful of snacks like chips, something else and salty cheese.

“Salty cheese!” Rob said emphatically. He thought it was funny that cheese would be described as such.

The server smiled and went off to fill our order.

I will tell you that the Boréale Stout was quite nice. And the Boréale IPA became one of Rob’s go-tos when he feared another beer was made with Belgian yeast. {The Quebecois love their Belgian-style beers and Rob does not!}

And that cheese really was salty! But very good. Here I was learning new vocabulary again: effiloché = shredded. Yes, this was shredded cheese! How strange to eat as a snack. They were big shreds, but shreds nonetheless. And made in Quebec!

Check them out:

Speaking of French vocabulary, I was learning more and more words that I may not have learned in France otherwise.

For example, this:

Rob asked, other than the Smoked Meat, what the other paninis were on Bar La Ninkasi’s menu on the wall. Dinde Chutney = Turkey Chutney. But I didn’t know the word cerf. I had to look it up. Cerf = deer! Venison! This was a venison chipotle panini. Only in Canada! Sure, venison is common in the midwest, but not often in restaurants, nor on a panini, nor combined with chipotle. I had to photograph it because this is exactly what my dad would order if he were sitting beside me. We were there during the daytime. But Bar La Ninkasi is known for live music and karaoke if you are looking for some evening fun!

There were several other little establishments that we had listed as recommendations on Rue Saint-Jean. But we never got to those because either the timing wasn’t right or we weren’t in the mood. I’m listing them here purely for my Next Time notes, or in case you’d like to give them a try if you are ever in Quebec City!

• Fou-Bar (literally meaning “crazy bar”) – This was not on our recommended list. But I see it now on Google maps and the interior looks interesting!
• Le Moine Échanson – wine bar
• Erico – chocolatier
• Bistro Hobbit – also wasn’t on our recommended list, but the menu looks good!

How do you search for places to dine or go out while on vacation?

Cheers~
Carrie