Dining in Puerto Rico

As most of you well know, I love to travel. I try to get away as often as possible. And now that I'm getting older, my vacation locales are getting ever more exotic. Well, exotic for a kid from the south anyway. Last year, I found myself on a long weekend trip with my friend Connie to Puerto Rico.

We stayed at a very nice resort and spent one whole day lounging about the beach. But by the end of the day, we realized we were getting bored. So being adventurous girls, we decided to brave the hazardous local driving conditions and rent a car. Thankfully, Connie, having grown up in Mexico, was very adept at maneuvering the tricky Puerto Rican locals on their less than stellar roads.

Luquillo Kiosks
Interstate PR-3, just west of Luquillo, Puerto Rico

We befriended our cleaning lady (who brought us unopened bottles of beer champagne, God bless her), told us we absolutely had to go to Los Kioskos for lunch. Los what? We spent a good 10 minutes on the drive over asking ourselves what a kiosko was. Until we saw it.

These are Los Kioskos. The Kiosks. Duh. Little strip mall store fronts entirely dedicated to food. I was in heaven! And this is only a quarter the strip mall. There are literally 30+ little restaurants in this place. Also note the teal Monster Truck. Only in Puerto Rico..

We soon realized that every Kiosko offered some variation of the same. Deep fried Latin goodness. Like Empanadas (Puerto Rican style)



Or Mofongo, a traditional Puerto Rican dish of smashed plantains and garlic, formed into a bowl, deep fried, and topped with shrimp.



We even stopped for a DELICIOUS Batida de Fruta, sort of like a creamy fruit smoothie. It came fully decorated with 3 different kinds of sauce drizzled over the top, 2 different kinds of fresh fruit and a big pink umbrella.


Los Kioskos are actually on the way to El Yunque, the only US tropical rainforest National Forest (apparently there are National Parks and National Forests). There is only one road in and out of El Yunque. The road climbs quickly in elevation from sea level up into the mountains in the middle of Puerto Rico. As you ascend, the temperature drops, and it starts to rain (it IS a rainforest). There are vines, waterfalls, chirping animals and everything else to make you feel like you're in the tropics.

One of the few eating establishments in El Yunque is El Bosque Encantado. If you make it to El Yunque, you should make sure you stop. They have the most amazing deep fried corn cakes, called sorullos, and fresh coconut milk. There even keep a pile of fresh green coconuts and mean looking machete just for your sipping pleasure.



Later that evening, we decided to venture out to the east side of the island to check out one of the natural wonders of the world, a bioluminescent lake. There are only a half dozen or so in the world and Puerto Rico happens to have two. To get to them, you have to kayak from the ocean, through a channel of mangrove trees into the lake. You have to snake your way through the channel in the pitch black with only a glow stick on the boat in front of you to guide your way. But when you emerge into the lake, it a glorious site. Every time your oar touches the water, the movement jostles tiny micro-organisms who emit a glowing compound to protect themselves. As you paddle through the lake, your boat leaves a ghostly glowing trail that is unlike anything I've ever seen before.

When we get back on land, we were Hungry (with a capital H). But unfortunately, we finished too late to catch dinner at any of the traditional dinner spots around Las Croabas. We asked some of the locals and we were directed to a trailer down the road. It looked a little suspect from the road, but we were famished, and it did seem pretty popular. I am SO glad we stopped. Connie and I still talk about this place. It is legendary to us.

Behold! The best restaurant in Puerto Rico, hands down (on PR-987 on the way to Las Croabas and the bioluminescent lake, sorry, those are the best directions I can give you, its Puerto Rico, nothing has an actual address there)



And what made it so wonderful? These:


Shrimp Arepas. They were fresh shrimp, onions, green onions and parsley in a thin but creamy tomato-vinegar sauce. They are seriously one of THE best things I have EVER put in my mouth. I still dream about them. In fact, they are the one recipe I have endeavored to re-create at home with smashing success (recipe to follow in a future blog, sorry!)

So if you come to Puerto Rico, stay off the beaten path and you'll find some real gems.

Dining in Seattle

I had a friend, that up until recently, lived in Seattle. I would go up once or twice a year to escape the heat and pretend to be one of the granola eating, Chaco wearing hippies of the great northwest. Whenever I go, I make sure to do 3 things 1) eat as much seafood as I can stomach 2) drink as much wine as possible 3) eat a giant brunch on Sunday.

14 Carrot Cafe
2305 Eastlake Avenue East
Seattle, WA 98102-3305
(206) 324-1442

Our first stop on Saturday morning is usually always to a delicious place for breakfast so I can begin to satisfy Seattle Food Rule #1, eat as much seafood as possible. It changes every time I go, but my friend Kasie always knows how to pick out a good place for breakfast. She believes eating eggs and seafood for breakfast is the best way to start off your day. And you know, I'm beginning to think she's right. Just check out the delicious Seafood Benedict I had:



Creamy hollandaise, big lumps of salmon, crab and shrimp all on a perfectly toasted english muffin. Perfection. 14 Carrot cafe also happens to have another treat particular to the Pacific Northwest, freezer jam. I had never encountered freezer jam until I started visiting Kasie in Seattle. Basically, freezer jam is jam that's not cooked, its frozen to kill any germs that might infect an improperly prepared jar of jam. When you want to eat it, you just thaw and enjoy. Now, it won't last very long, not longer than few weeks, since its made from fresh fruit, but good luck if you can get a jar to last that long in your house. They last about 2 days in my house.



Just north of Seattle proper, is a small town called Woodinville. For whatever reason, it has become the wine tasting capital of Washington. In a two square mile radius, you can taste wine from about 50 different vineyards from all over Washington State.  All the little small volume mom and pop wineries rent spaces in several industrial strip malls all over Woodinville for your tasting convenience. Hence satisfying Seattle Food Rule #2, drink as much wine as possible.

There are several wine-o strip malls, but there is one in particular that I always head to. It's on 144th Ave NE. It doesn't even have a name, its just a strip mall, but there are literally 20 delicious wineries in one convenient strip mall. Just make sure you come with a designated driver. Trust me.

Salty's on Alki
1936 Harbor Avenue Southwest
Seattle, WA
(206) 937-1085

Sundays are generally travel days when I take weekend trips, but I always make sure to catch an afternoon flight so I can have brunch in Seattle. We always go to Salty's on Alki (don't go to the other Salty's, just the one on Alki). It's expensive, at $45 per person, but it's well worth it. First, you get to enjoy THE best view of Seattle from across the sound.



Second, you get to pig out on over 30 delectable dishes. This is half the buffet.. Really.



Did I mention they have THE best smoked salmon on the planet (check out the block of artisan cream cheese).



And if you thought the last seafood benedict looked good, check out this one:



Did I mention there's a French Toast Station (along with the waffle, omelet, pancake, and meat carving stations)

Probably the single best part of the brunch at Salty's is the Dessert Bar. The dessert bar was so big I couldn't get it all in one shot. This is HALF the dessert bar. ZOMG, death by sugar. But it would be a sweet death. Do you see now why Seattle Food Rule #3 is eat a giant brunch??

And finally when I'm all full and happy with a (checked) suitcase full of wine, I head home with fond memories of cool afternoons and nippy evenings; of salmon and cupcakes; and little jars full of freezer jam.

Dining in NYC - Day 2

So I am going through my backlog of old blogs I never got around to finishing and realize I never posted the blogs I wrote on some of my fabulous vacations last year! Whoops. I guess I was so busy vacationing that I forgot to post! Some of you may remember an older post Dining in New York - Day 1, which detailed some of the culinary adventures my friend Sarah and I had on our last girls trip New York. Well we did so much and ate so much delicious food, that I had intended to break the post up (hence the Day 1). Well here is the second half.. Day 2!

Ess-A Bagel
831 3rd Avenue, New York
(212) 980-1010

On Day 1 in NYC, we stuffed ourselves with an everything bagel with Nova from H and H bagel. On Day 2 of our NYC bagel challenge, we decided to try the #2 bagelry in NYC, Ess-A. The nova from H and H was so fresh and delicious and while the bagel was doughy, I felt like they had cheated me a little by not including as much of "everything" on my everything bagel as I would h ave liked. The everything bagel at Ess-A was much more up to par. Thick and bready, the toasted crust on the outside gave a satisfying crunch. We opted for garden spread this time instead of nova. What can I say, I love a savory bagel in the morning (surprising since i had such a horrible sweet tooth). I have to say, when I compared H and H to Ess-a, it was a draw. H and H's bagel was so doughy and delicious, but I like the crust on the Ess-a bagel better.

As an FYI, did you know you can get H and H bagels from Manny's Uptown Kitchen? They fly them in every day.


Ippudo
65 4th Avenue
New York, NY 10003-5220
(212) 388-0088

After our delicious bagel breakfast, we met up with some of Sarah's friends who now live in NYC for a quick tour of the Modern Art Museum. They happened to have an.. interesting... human art exhibit feature naked people doing odd tasks. Like riding bikes and running into walls. Leave it to the New Yorkers to be so bored with normal art they invent crazy new art.

After lunch, Sarah's friend insisted we go to lunch at Ippudo, a Japanese ramen house down by NYU. There was a horribly long line, but the friend was adamant that we had to try this while we were there. I am SO glad we stayed. The ramen soup I ate at that place was so wonderful and delicious that it will forever be the best bowl of soup I have ever had, from now until the end of my days. It was THAT good.



Now for those of you who may not know, ramen is a cuisine and an art form in Japan. Its not just the crappy packs of noodles and packets of dried spice that we all lived off of in college. In Japan it is treated as a revered cuisine that people spend years learning to master (you can get a good idea of it in the movie Ramen Girl with Britney Murphy - don't laugh, its a good movie). I haven't come across a ramen-ya, a restaurant specializing in ramen, in Texas yet. A shame really.

But at Ippudo, the Ramen is really the star of the show. I ordered the Akamaru Modern ramen soup with miso paste, garlic oil, pork chashu, bean sprouts, kikurage and scallions. The soup that came to me, was nothing less than perfection. The broth was perfect and velvety, a complete emulsification of fat and liquid. The pork chashu was a delicate, fall-apart soft pork belly that blended perfectly with the broth. The oils and miso added a delightful thickness to the broth. This isn't a soup. It's a meal!



Crumbs Bakery
37 East 8th Street, New York
(212) 673-1500

After our delictable soup lunch, we continued our quest for the perfect NYC cupcake and stopped at Crumbs. We had been seeing their ads everywhere so when we happened to walk past one, we decided to pick ourselves up a cupcake sampler. They let us pick 4 of any of their 20 or so flavor varieties. They were all so beautiful that we didn't quite know which to pick. We opted for chocolate cupcake with cream filling, margarita cupcake, vanilla with M and Ms, vanilla with chocolate frosting. We stole them back to our hotel room (and we had to fight off several people on the subway who were eyeing them in a predatory way) and dug in. Ugh, we were so disappointed. Despite how lovely they looked, they were just gross. The cake was dry and unappetizing and the the cupcakes as a whole were so over-sweet, that we literally took 2 bites of each and then threw out the rest.



Momofuku Ssam Bar
207 2nd Avenue
New York, NY 10003
(212) 254-3500

After our horribly unsatisfying cupcake debacle, we decided to head out for dinner. I've been hearing for years about how great the Momofuku restaurants in NYC are, so I couldn't take a try there now not try one. After looking over the menus, we opted for the Ssam Bar, which also happens to be one of the 50 best restaurants in the world (I'm not sure by what authority, but its still nice to say I've been to at least one restaurant on that list).

We started out with the cured hamachi with edamame, horseradish, and pea leaves. The hamachi was tender and paired nicely with the accompanying spring-y pea puree. The pea leaves added a nice delicate flavor (and also visual interest light green and dark green are so nice together).



Next, we ordered the Hawthorn Valley Buttermilk Soup with fuji apple dashi, market herbs and pine nuts. I ordered it specifically because it looked pretty and sounded interesting. The thick congealed buttermilk dollops (I don't know a better way to describe it) paired well with the savory broth. And the flowers added a bitterness that couperbalanced the soft fuji apple pieces. The texture, though, did leave a bit to be desired, Sarah didn't like it, but I happily took one for the team and finished it off.



Probably the best dish we had were the Steamed Buns with Pork Belly, hoisin, cucumbers, scallions. I love m some pork buns, and these were delicious. More of an asian pork bun taco than a traditional bun. But boy were they delicious. We liked them so much we ordered a second plate.


All in all, Momofuku Ssam was a great experience. It was alive and humming with New York's trendiest. However, after teating there, I have to say that Austin's own Uchi and Uchiko are every bit as delicious and innovative as Momofuku. They could really be one in the same restaurant.
Alice's Tea Cup
220 East 81st Street, New York
(212) 734-4832

The next morning, we met up with Sarah's friends again for a lovely breakfast at Alice's Tea Cup. It's a cute little breakfast and lunch restaurant that really caters to little girls. Every little girl gets a pair of sparkly fair wings to wear while she eats there (where are the adult fairy wings, I ask). The inside is covered in pastel murals of Alice in Wonderland. The food is served on antique, mismatched china and every tea pot has a cozy.

I had Alice's Curious French Toast, french toast bites infused with apricot brandy tea with fruit coulis and vanilla creme anglaise. It was an interesting french toast. It was baked bread pudding style. It was very sweet and wonderfully warm, the perfect complement to a hot cup of tea. We also ordered a plate of scones for the table. The scones at Alice's Tea Cup are amazing. Well worth a stop if your in the NYC area.



After we had breakfast Sarah and I headed to JFK airport. This should have been a simple $40 cab fare, but it turned into the trip from hell. While we were eating breakfast Sarah's friend mentioned there was a subway only 2 blocks away that went straight to JFK for only $5. So we though, hell why not, we've got plenty of time, lets save a little money. So we drag our luggage down road 2 blocks, but don't see a subway, so we keep walking, maybe its really 3 blocks.

While we're walking, this crazed tweeker starting following us a half block behind us. We got a little nervous so we ducked into a 7-11 and got a bottle of water. When we emerged, the tweeker had passed, so we continued on. Before I know it, the tweeker spins around, runs towards us and hawks a giant lugie and spits on me. It was probably the single most disgusting thing that's ever happened to me. We hurry up and run past all while concerned New Yorkers turned to ask if I was ok (yes, apparently, there are concerned New Yorkers still). I doused myself in hand sanitizer and we continued on our way to the subway station... Which turned out to be *10* blocks away not 2. But whatever, we were there.

We get on the appropriate train which says its going to JFK. While we're on the train, though, we start hearing unintelligible announcements. "(crackle) mrah muh mrah mah JFK mrah ma muh mra mra (crackle)." Well shit, the conductor was trying to tell us something about JFK. But what was it. All the other passengers looked confused and a few started to become outwardly agitated. Once we were in Queens, it started to become very apparent that the train wasn't going to JFK. One lady on the train started yelling and a little old Japanese man started rocking back and forth. That's when I got really nervous. A creepy looking gentleman on the train offered to go get his car and drive us to the airport. We said thanks but no, I don't want to get raped today, thank you very much.

When we get to the last stop, Sarah and I had already decided we were going to call yellow cab and have them come pick us up. But, no, our Queens adventure was just beginning. At that last stop, a very large woman with the MTA walked through the train car telling us all to get out, you didn't have to tell me twice. When we got to the street level, we discovered there were buses, lots and lots of buses and they all had JFK on their marquis. Sarah and I had a brief pow wow. We could get on the bus that says JFK or we could wait for a cab. As we looked around and the urban squalor around us, we opted to follow the stream of people getting onto the buses.

Our bus wound its way through Queens stopping randomly to let people off. I followed our progress on my iPhone and noticed we were headed in the general direction of the JFK station. The bus trip wouldn't have been so bad, but no one on that bus knew the subway was closed and everyone was all pissed off and irate. Sarah and I ended up being a bunch of scared looking white girls on a bus full of angry people from Queens. I'm ashamed to say it, but we were those girls.

After 6 or 7 stops we finally arrived at the JFK subway station which has a skytrain over to the airport. But no sooner had we gotten off the bus then we were immediately accosted by 10-15 large men. They followed us as we got off the bus, "Give me your subway ticket". "No" we said as we stared straight ahead and tried to walk the 200 feet to the skytrain. "Come on, you don't need that ticket, I got to get home, let me have it". "No!" At this point poor Sarah was almost in hysterics. But we stuck to our goal and kept walking. I will tell you, I was never so relieved in my whole life, than when we finally got on that skytrain. At the time the debacle of our trip to JFK seemed horrific, but I've finally gotten to the point where I can look back and laugh. It is kind of a good story, and I learned a valuable lesson, always take a cab to the airport.

Dining in NYC - Day 1

Back in May, I went on a little whirlwind our of the US. At the start of May, I spent a weekend in New York City with my girlfriend Sarah. Then two weeks later, I spent a weekend in Seattle for my friend Kasie's graduation. Then 2 weeks later I went with my friend Connie to Puerto Rico. Needless to say, by the end, I was quite happy to stay home and veg for a few months (but we won't mention the trip to Egypt I took in November). What can I say? I get bit by the travel bug from time to time.

I've been to New York a couple of times now on various weekend trips. Each time I go, though, I feel like I have a completely different type of vacation. You could go to New York City 100 times, and each time would be so unique and different. This time, when I went with my friend Sarah, we decided to do a complete tourist weekend. We went to a lot of the kitschy places we'd read about but hadn't manage to make it to on our previous New York excursions.

So what was the first thing we did in New York? Get a bagel! We decided each of the two mornings we were there, we'd do a bagel challenge between H and H Bagel and Ess-a Bagel. These are two of the most well known New York bagelries. The first morning we chose H and H Bagel. And what better way to enjoy an everything bagel than with Nova, onions and capers


The Nova was really fresh and delicious, but the bagel left a little to be desired. See how lacking in "everything" that everything bagel was? But the whole combination tasted delicious. And we got to take great photos of each other stuffing our faces (which I won't post for the sake of anonymity and to prevent future blackmail should I ever decide to run for Senate).

We spend the morning at the MET ogling beautiful works of art, and when decided we'd walk the 15 blocks down the side of Central Park to our pre-selected lunch destination. We did a lot of research beforehand to maximize the culinary awesomeness we could experience in a city such as NYC. I'd been hearing great things about it. Tons of celebrities are sighted eating there (I should know, I read US Weekly) and in the last year, it's gotten itself one shiny Michelin Star.

Rouge Tomate
10 E 60th St
New York, 10022
(646) 237-8977

For my lunch entree, I opted for something I can't get often in Austin, Duck Sous Vide! I love Austin cuisine, don't get my wrong, but the whole molecular gastronomy movement just hasn't caught on here. So when I always jump at the change to try it when I travel. For those of you who haven't heard of it, Sous Vide is a method of cooking where meat is vacuum sealed with some sort of marinade, then cooked in water at a constant temperature on an induction cooktop. Sealing the meat means that, unlike braising, roasting, or grilling, the flavors of the cooking method aren't imparted on the meat you're cooking.

And the Long Island Duck Sous Vide with farro piccolo, strawberry, endive, pistachio-rhubarb vinaigrette didn't disappoint. It was tender, and flavorful, and delicious. Not tough, rubbery, or fatty like so many of the duck dishes I've had at other places. And the strawberries were a delightfully playful addition to the normally dark, gamey duck.



My friend Sarah got the Alaskan Halibut a la Plancha, artichoke barigoule, cranberry beans, arugula pistou. She really loved it. I couldn't care less though, I was too busy making love to my duck.


After lunch, we decided to show our way down 5th Avenue. What better way to feel like chic New York bitches, than to lunch and shop? After a long afternoon of shopping (hey, shopping is hard work!), we decided to treat our hungry bodies to a little cupcake treat.

Magnolia Bakery
1240 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY
(212) 767-1123

We stood in the LONG line (even at 4pm) at the Rockefeller Center Magnolia Bakery. Everyone has told me how these are the greatest cupcakes in the world, so we had to try them. The shop is certainly adorable. I opted for a chocolate cupcake and Sarah for a vanilla. We both enjoyed them, but to be honest, we both felt like we'd had better cupcakes in Austin (like Sugar Mamma's or Delish). All New York chocolate cupcakes have this odd chocolate flavor that I just didn't care for. I could never quite put my finger on it, but it doesn't taste like the chocolate cupcakes we get here.


Our afternoon shopping turned into evening shopping. I was floored when I turned the corner onto 5th Avenue and saw a real Japanese Bakery. I LOVE mochi. It's one of my dessert weaknesses. I've even tried making it at home (to disastrous results, just buy it, trust me). So I grabbed Sarah by the arm, and dragged her in with me.

Minamoto Kitchoan
608 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10020-0028
(212) 489-3747

While Sarah rolled her eyes, I spend a good 20 minutes investigating the different Japanese dessert offerings. Everything was so nicely packages and so.. Japanese! Even the women working behind the counter were so hygienically Japanese.


I picked out 5 or 6 different desserts to nibble on for the next few days. I loved every single one, but Sarah tried a red bean paste wrapped mochi type dessert and immediately spit it out. To each his own I guess. Oh well, more for me!

Day Trip to Fredericksburg, TX

Teddy and I like to hike. Despite living in Texas most of my life and her living in Austin for the past few years, we managed to never make it to Enchanted Rock. This seemed like a situation that needed to be remedied.

On a random Tuesday while the good people of the world were suiting up and going to work, Teddy and I day tripped to the Texas Hill Country. First we needed to arm ourselves with supplies. And by supplies, I mean breakfast tacos.

Giovanni's Pizza Stand is located inside an unassuming Valero station on South Lamar. They make the best breakfast tacos. We geared up here.

Giovanni's Pizza Stand - For the record, they make damn good pizza and pasta too.

Armed and dangerous, we began our drive. We passed several wineries on the way toward Enchanted Rock and mentally noted their locations. Some appeared open, others did not. Enchanted Rock was the main priority, but a few wineries after our big hike could make an excellent reward.

After about two hours of driving, we arrived. We paid our $6 each and made our way to the trail head. I have to admit, it was a steep climb.

Teddy at the trail head.

Enchanted Rock is just one of a few domes in the area. There are several trails you can take to explore the area with interesting geology to keep you engaged. The top crust of rocks are broken and split and have shifted from gravity and erosion. They coat the top layer of the dome with flat chunks. There are also massive rock structures that make interesting visuals. It's fun to image how they got there and then at the same time not want to be around during a landslide or heavy rain.

On the dome

Woohoo, celebrate! we made it to the top.

Now that we felt all accomplished, it was back to Fredericksburg for some winery shenanigans. We pulled up to the main drag and popped into the first place we saw offering tastings. We decided to go for the 6 tastings for $5 from a man who didn't know what to think of us fast talking girly city slickers. He mostly mumbled and gave us the stink eye. Oh well, we got to try some great wines. General consensus is that these can be purchased cheaper at Whole Foods and most bottles in this store were overpriced. However, the tasting was a screaming deal. Out of this lot, the McPherson was our favorite.

The clear winner - McPherson Cabernet Sauvignon

As we grabbed our jackets and went to the register to pay, we struck up a conversation with a younger gentleman sitting at the bar. He was obviously financially invested in the wine store but I never really got it clear whether or not he was the owner. The man who had been serving us suddenly perked up as the Fredericksburg wine schtick was explained to us. This strip is considered a historical district. Historical districts in Texas can apply for permits that allow people to drink on the streets. We were welcome to get roadies and cruise the area.

We also asked for a recommendation for food. We had engaged in some decent exercise and a little wine, yet we had not ate since Giovanni's. Unfortunately it was about 3 pm and most places (including the recommended places) were not serving lunch. We were really unlucky to have picked Tuesday for our outing as most of the strip was closed on Tuesdays.

We ended up at the Fredericksburg Brewery for lunch. Food wasn't great but the beers were home brewed and excellent.

Beer at Fredericksburg Brewery

There was time for a few more samples of Texas wine and some window shopping before everything shut down around 5 or 6 pm. Some of the shops were tacky Grandma's house Texas handicraft, but there were some cool designer-y stores too.

Texas Pinot Noir

Teddy checking out fabric at the uber cute Red In Fred design and furniture shop.

We stopped into House. Wine. for one final glass (not tasting) before heading back to Austin. We were grateful to take a break from Texas wine for this French lovely. The change in atmosphere from tasting to wine bar was welcomed too.

Break from Texas wine at House. Wine.

Sunset over historical Main Street in Fredericksburg, Texas.

My advice for a day trip to Fredericksburg?

Start in the morning. Clear your entire day. Check the weather. Hydrate. Hike Enchanted Rock. Stop in on Main Street for lunch and wine tastings. Designate a driver. Check out Red in Fred for a short break from the wine. Go to House. Wine. if you want a break from Texas wines. Don't go on Tuesday. Cash makes things easy.

Let me know how your trip goes!

Foodie Photo of the Day

Picnic of Grapes and Spring Rolls at Red Rocks Amphitheatre near Denver, Colorado

Dining in Quebec

Hey fellow foodies. How has life been? It's taken almost a month to relax from the craziness that was SXSW. I was in extreme party mode all week, and it was glorious... But rather tiring. I don't think I drank any alcohol for 2 weeks after SXSW. Thats a record in my book. I even ate a mostly raw/vegan diet for about a week after to clear out all the effects of my drunken reveries.

But I'm not here to regale you of stories of my SXSW antics. Thats another post. I'm here to tell you about a trip I took in early February to Quebec! It all started around Thanksgiving of last year. My Aunt (who is a fellow world traveler) and I were talking about things on our Bucket list. You know, places you want to travel before you die. And we both realized we shared a common goal, to stay in an ice hotel. Now as some of you may know, I don't like ice and I don't like the cold, so why, you ask, would I want to stay at an ice hotel? Because it's awesome (as you'll see below).

But we couldn't spend 3 days in an Ice Hotel. What else is there to do in the Great White North? So we put our mad internet skills together and planned a trip to Quebec City (and the Ice Hotel). We learned that in February, the city of Quebec holds an outdoor winter sports festival. We added "Winter Festival" to our itenerary. Check. We also learned that Quebec, as you may know, is a haven of french food and culture. So we also added "Eat Tons of French Food" to our itenerary. Check. And then the pinacle of our trip would be a night in the Hotel du Glace outside of Quebec and a ride on a dogsled (I mean, we would be in the Canada, it seemed like the thing to do). Check, and check.

Our first two days in Quebec we spent in the city proper just meandering through the old city streets. Shopping here and there, stopping to eat a pastry, having a warm drink from time to time (because I have to tell you, it is crazy cold there in February, like 5 degrees, and thats farenheight, people). If you've never been to Quebec, you really should, it's lovely. The old part of town is almost 500 years old and has a very French feel to it. The streets are cobbled, there are little wood signs above the shops, and everything just feels old and charming. Plus, everyone speaks French, so you, honest to God, feel like you're in a foreign country (and despite what you may say, when you normally travel to Canada, it just never feels like a foreign country).

We even managed to bundle ourselves up to check out the Winter Carnivale. It was really cool, there were ice sculptures everywhere! It all took place in a huge field filled with every kind of outdoor winter activity you would ever want to try. There was tobaganing, sledding, snow zip lining, ice sliding, ice skating, etc. There was even a tiny round track where you drive a sled pulled by two dogs.


Since we spent all day outside in the frosty air, we felt like we deserved a hot liquid treat. We headed over to the oldest (and largest) hotel in Quebec, the Chateau Frontenac.


The bar at the Chateau Frontenac is breathtakingly grand. It has an old world charm that made me feel immediately underdressed and a little low born. But, whatever, its frickin cold, everyone was in a snow suit, and NO ONE looked high class (note the American in the trucker cap at the bar). The views of the St. Lawrence Seaway are really lovely. I highly suggest a stop here if you get the chance.

Hot chocolate and a hot toddy. The perfect pre-dinner treat in a wintery city.

After we had drinks, we meandered to the small shopping area beneath the hotel. There is a food shop that specializes in Canadian foods. It was awesome! I picked up all sorts of products containing the only ingredient Canadian's seem to flavor anything with, maple. I even got to try the National Drink of Quebec (or so I was told) called Caribou. Supposedly, the Native Canadian Americans would drink Caribou blood in the winter to prevent themselves from getting scurvey. The early French settlers couldn't bring themselves to drink straight blood, so they would mix in wine and spices to make it more palitable. Today it's a mix of red wine, whisky, and, of course, maple syrup. Served piping hot too. Yum.


After our drinks and an afternoon of shopping, we decided to check one more item off our to-do list, eat a ton of French food. We walked across the street to the Creperie La Petit Chateau, one of the more traditional French-Canadian restaurants in Quebec City. The inside has a lovely old brick facade, but the walls are covered in modern paintings.

The Creperie has a nice French menu with every kind of crepe imaginable. There were seafood crepes, crepes with ham and cheese, crepes with chicken and mushrooms, crepes with apples and cheese. There was even fondue and raclette, a sort of hot cheese served with meats and cornichons. .

We started with an appetizer of Feuilleté de fruits de mer which is basically flaky French pastry with an creamy seafood sauce. It was a wonderfully light way to start a meal.

What made this place really unique and interesting was their wonderfully North American spin on French food. They had cheese fondue with boar, caribou, and stag. What we decided on for our entree was something very French and Canadian, Crêpe en cocotte avec poulet, asperges, sauce béchamel et fromage. What a very long name to describe a Crepe casserole. Really. The Quebecois have found a way to "North Americanize" something so distinctly French and turn a crepe into a casserole. It was like a lasagna, except with with crepes instead of noodles and béchamel instead of tomato sauce.

And for dessert, we had crepes, of course. My aunt and I both chose Choix de mini-crêpe au beurre d’érable - a crepe with maple creme. So Canadians have these little jars with heaven on the inside in the form of maple cream. It is a light, sugary confection with the constancy of peanut butter, but flavored with maple, the national ingredient of Canada. It is intensely sweet, but is wonderful when wrapped in a crepe and covered in whipped cream.

The next day we piled into our tiny Canadian rental car and drove to the Basilica St Anne du Baupre. I love a grand cathedral as much as the next history/architecture junkie, but at first I wasn't all that excited to go to a Canadian church. I mean, can you honestly tell me where in North America there are any beautiful old, grand churches? They are few and far between. And I was skeptical until I saw this:

And it was only the lower chapel! It was a beautiful collection of blue paint and gold mosaics. Like the Snow Queen had build a church in the icy climes of Canada. The Basilica proper was even more grand and lovely.

After our commune with God, we (excuse me, I) drove through Quebec (a foreign country) to the Hotel du Glace. And let me tell you, driving was a bit of a challenge, all the signs were in French! The Quebecois are really serious about their French heritage. I was glad I knew ouest was west and est was east!

When we got to the Hotel du Glace, we immediately went to the outdoor pavilion for our dogsled ride. I thought we were going to be assigned a Canadian sherpa who would drive our dogsled, while we enjoyed hot chocolate in a sled. Boy was I wrong. My Aunt and I got a short lesson in dogsled driving and were let loose with our own team of dogs. I'm serious! They trusted us with the well being of 5 dog!

The view from the sled:

After our stimulating ride, we enjoyed a lovely dinner at the Station Duchesney, the year round sister hotel of the Hotel du Glace. The Quebecois have done a fabulous job of maintaining their Provincial parks. Most of them have new beautiful resort hotels on them with 4 star restaurants and TONS of outdoor activities. You could hike 5 miles, ice fish, snow mobile, then have a Balinese massage and enjoy a lovely 4 course meal, and never leave the park grounds.

Thats caribou in a cranberry balsamic sauce folks. Yum!

And for dessert, a traditional Quebec sugar pie, a sort of maple chess pie. It was delicious. A creamy filling and a crunchy maple sugar shell.


After our delicious dinner we checked in at the Hotel du Glace the pinnacle of our trip. We were given a full 1/2 hour orientation on how to survive a night in the hotel. The temperature is toasty 25 degrees (F). They told us to always wear 3 layers (including one waterproof layer), how to zip ourselves into our sub zero sleeping bag at night, and we were encouraged to drink heavily from the Ice Hotel's bar. They also suggested we take a dip in the hot tubs, but considering the room I had to return to was 25 degrees, I thought that was crazy talk.

The whole hotel is reconstructed every year starting with the first major freeze. It takes them roughly 3 months to complete construction every year, but each year most of the hotel's design is completely unique.

Everything in the hotel, and even the furniture, is constructed from ice. Clear ice, cloudy ice, ice sheets, ice blocks, packed snow, loose snow. You name it, if it was frozen, it was used as a building material.

This is the Ice Hotel's wedding chapel. Yes, people really do get married here. Everything from the stained glass window, to the pews is made out of ice.

This is the main hall of the hotel. On either side of this picture were an ice bar, and several ice lounges (with fun lougey European music). Note to ice chandelier. And that chuck of ice in the middle of the photo was the bottom of the 2 story ice slide. Yes, there was totally an ice slide.

The Apple Lounge. Check out the carved tree and the apples frozen in the ice pillar in the ice bar on the right.

An example of some of the furniture made out of ice. My butt totally sat in that sweet ice recliner.

There was even an AWESOME ice bar. People would drive in from Quebec just to party there for the evening. Everyone congregated here for drinks and to chit chat with the other guests (and to dance in the ice disco).

All the cold drinks in the ice bar were served in these awesome ice shot glasses. The shape made it a little hard to sip your drink without dribbling it down your chin, but you were drinking out of a block of ice. Who cares!

After we had thoroughly explored the main part of the hotel, we tried to sneak into some of the other guests room to see what they looked like. Check out this sweet, icy love nest:

Or this one. Can you imagine Ron Burgundy or Austin Powers laying seductively on the bed?

This was our more humble room. It was a deluxe sculptured room too, though not as grand as some of the other rooms. The walls were cut into a nicely modern cubist sculpture. And that was our bed. Yes, that bed IS made of ice, yes, that is a real mattress, and no, we didn't actually sleep under the covers. We were each given sub-zero sleeping bags to sleep in, on top of the mattress and the covers. It was actually quite comfy, aside from the fact that your nose was constantly exposed to 25 degree cold and you couldn't turn over in your sleeping back.

There you have it. My Quebec adventure. All in all a great time, full of lots of firsts, and tons of memories. Thanks for putting up with my vacation photos.

~Mariah