For three years now, my husband and I have been lugging winter sports equipment − cross country skis, ice skates, snow pants and boots − to Quebec City for our annual winter visit. For three years now, the equipment mostly stays in the car. While we consider ourselves winter sports enthusiasts, we have finally come to admit that when the thermometer dips well below zero, and the wind is howling off the St. Lawrence River, our favorite recreational activity in Quebec is eating.

The challenge, in Quebec City, is not in finding good restaurants, but in finding enough time to eat as many meals as there are restaurants to sample. On our first trip − on a newspaper assignment to write about food − my husband and I managed to pack in at least two breakfasts, lunches, and dinners each day for three days.  Of the 18 meals we sampled, from diner breakfasts to elegant dinners, only two were not top-drawer.

Two years ago, we introduced our two teenage daughters and another family to the joys of the city, and were pleased that they dove in to the culture of the place fork-first.  The girls took instantly to the steaming bowls of hot chocolate and cafe au lait with whipped cream served in many restaurants. They loved chocolate croissant and waffles at breakfast and the Croque Monsieurs (hot cheese sandwiches) and pea soup at lunchtime bistros, and the European style dinners, especially when the waiters asked them if they would like some wine.  (The drinking age, in Quebec, is 18; only one of the teenagers traveling with us was of legal age. She had some wine). We grownups went for the plentiful offerings of fish and game, homemade terrines and pates, artisan cheeses and breads.

Wintry promenade

We assuaged our growing guilt (and tried to reduce our growing waistlines) by walking from one dining adventure to another.  In howling winds and icy cold, up and down the famous L’Escalier Casse-Cou − the "Breakneck Staircase" that connects the upper part of the city with the Lower Town -- that is no mean feat. But it’s easy on the eyes and the spirit. Quebec City, which bills itself as "the most European city in North America" has a neighborhood − the Quartier Petit Champlain -- that dates from the 16th century and that is almost unbearably picturesque and charming. This part of the town has a fairy-tale quality to it, at least in winter, when slate and tiled roofs are covered with snow and Christmas lights twinkle in windows. The Chateau Frontenac, where we have stayed each year (check for package deals, and discounts through AAA and AARP) has an enchanted-castle feel, and is perched on a high bluff above the Lower Town, walking distance to almost all of our favorite eating spots. It manages to be both family-friendly (pool, cable, etc) and old-world romantic at the same time.

Chateau Frontenac

During our visits, we have found unflaggingly cheerful and helpful people at every turn, and our lack of facility in French has proved to be no barrier − most people in the service industry speak at least some English, and we have perfected the art of the "food pantomime." ("Scallops" is hard). Most restaurants are open daily, often from breakfast until the wee hours of the morning, and even the cheapest cafes seem to serve beer and wine and sometimes liquor.  Many restaurants offer, along with their a la carte items, a "table d’hote," a set menu of three, four or five courses for a fixed price. Credit cards are generally accepted.  Reservations are recommended for dinner and brunch.

Here are our favorites, broken down by meal. The prices are approximations, in U.S. dollars.

BREAKFAST/LUNCH

Chez Temporel; 25, rue Couillard; (418)522-3711. A short walk from the Frontenac down a narrow, winding street, this cafe is full of young, slim Quebecers who all seem vaguely bohemian and intellectual, crowded around small tables reading French-language newspapers. The chocolate and almond croissants and huge sandwiches served on excellent baguettes were a hit with our crew.  The downstairs is more intimate; but a large room upstairs − hung with colorful works of local artists − accommodates larger parties. A large breakfast, with a bowl of coffee, runs about $8 per person.  Note: The only credit card accepted is VISA. 

Rue Saint-Louis in the old city

Le Buffet de L’Antiquaire; 95, rue Saint-Paul; (418)692-2661. This was a new "find" this year; we were directed to this inexpensive, noisy, cheerful eatery as we left a fabulous restaurant supply store right across St. Paul Street. This is traditional Quebecoise food: piles of poutine (fries with cheese curd and gravy), tortiere (pork pie), and onion soup. Eggs are served with bacon, sausage, baked beans and the best home fries imaginable. A meal, with coffee, runs about $8 per person.

DINNER

Cafe du Monde;  84, rue Dalhousie; (418)692-4455. This is our traditional stop on the night we arrive. Near the ferry terminal, this Parisian-style brasserie is lively, casual and visually engaging.  Huge windows overlook the river, sparkling white Christmas lights twinkle in the potted plants, and the waiters and waitresses are as friendly as they come.  

Each year we’ve heard at least one patron serenaded by the wait staff with the birthday song − it sounds so much cooler in French. The place is perfect for families, meeting the needs of our resident vegetarian (pasta with asparagus), her picky younger sister (club sandwich) and their carnivorous mother (me), who scarfed the cassoulet. The house wine was a disappointment; consult the wine list instead. Dinner for two, with wine, about $60.

Restaurant L’Echaude; 73, rue Sault-au-Matelot; (418)692-1299.  This restaurant in the Old Port has a sleek, chrome-and-wood look, and is co-owned by Robert Plamandon,  who hosts a wine show on local radio. One year, we stopped by for a glass of wine and couldn’t resist staying on for the grilled flank steak and thin, crispy frites. Dinner for two, with wine, starts at about  $90.  I am told that the restaurant serves an excellent Sunday brunch as well.  

Le Cafe du Clocher Penche; 203, rue Saint-Joseph Est; (418)687-9775.  My husband and I had to hunt for this bistro − owned by the sous chefs from two of the priciest restaurants in town − three years ago, shortly after it opened.  On our most recent trip we noticed that its reputation is spreading, and whenever we mentioned this restaurant to a city dweller we were accorded new respect. The food is excellent and unpretentious, the restaurant itself buzzing with conversation and energy. We save this stop − in the areas of town known as St. Roch, and a half hour walk from the Frontenac − for the adults. Our entrees included wild salmon, striped sea bass, and braised lamb shank − all done to perfection.   Dinner  for two, with lots of wine, from about $100.  Sunday brunch is hugely popular.

Laurie-Rafael; 117, rue Dalhousie; (418) 692-1299.  Well-known and highly regarded, this restaurant is co-owned by chef Daniel Vezina, who hosted a national cooking show and is known as the promoter of "Cuisine Quebecois Actuel," the analog to "New American" cooking. We went several years ago and sampled sweet breads ravioli, scallops from Quebec’s Mingan Island, and roasted duck sauced with fois gras and white truffle oil.   The decor is playful, the atmosphere, cosmopolitan. A seven course tasting menu is $120 for two, or $190 with wine.

DRINKS

The Saint Alexandre Pub; 1087, rue Saint-Jean; (418)694-0015. This large, comfortable English-style bar has polished woodwork, exposed brick, 40 single malt scotches and more than 200 beers from all over the world,  24 of them on tap. One blustery night, we took refuge by the wood-burning fireplace − bliss!  The food was just okay, the atmosphere and the beer, perfect.

St.-Laurent Bar; Chateau Frontenac, 1, rue des Carriers; (418)692-3861. This dark, cozy bar in the city’s most famous hotel is about as romantic as it gets.  One gazes out at the slowly moving, ice-choked St. Lawrence River while enjoying quiet conversation and a glass of  something special − try the sweet, local ice wine. The small bar menu includes a plate of excellent Quebec artisan cheeses.

About Town

There is of course plenty to do in Quebec City, and we have in fact deviated from our gluttonous ways on occasion.  The 20-minute round-trip ferry ride across the ice-packed river is cheap and fun; you can watch the insane winter canoeists bob in and out of the ice floes.  I once skated for at least 30 minutes on the tiny rink outside the Frontenac, and took the thrilling "Les Glissades de la Terrasse" toboggan ride (about $1.50 per ride) which is also on the Terrace Dufferin, right outside the hotel.  Our friend Steve went cross-country skiing on the Plains of Abraham, right in town, and one year he and my husband drove 30 minutes out to the ski area at Mont-Sainte-Anne for a more ambitious tour.  Last year, on our way out of town, we visited the famous Ice Hotel − built of 12,000 tons of snow and 400 tons of ice -- about 30 minutes west of the city.  There are many indoor attractions as well: a Fine Arts Museum, the Museum of Civilization, the Capital Observatory, and a sound-and-light show on the history of the region. 

It’s clearly possible to pack a lot in to a day in Quebec City. Our goal is at least four meals.