... but Looks Can Be Deceiving

The European-ness of Quebec City was a big reason I wanted to go there -- given that a trip to Paris doesn't seem to be in my immediate future. But after having lived in Paris for six months, I found Quebec City wanting.

Sure, it looks European, and speaks French. And there are truly great restaurants there, including Laurie Raphael, where we had a seven-course tasting menu that equaled that served in many top restaurants in New York. One dish -- a side dish at that, not even a course of its own -- presented root vegetables in a flower pot, with crumbled cookies serving as the "dirt":


But what Quebec City, or at least the old town, lacks is everything else you associate with eating in France. We found no cafes whatsoever, nor charcutiers, cheese stores or most other types of specialty food places.

Even the boulangerie (bread bakery) is in short supply. Our options for breakfast croissants near our hotel turned out to be limited to one, a place called Paillard. But at least it was a nice one:


And upon further inspection, it turned out to have a feature that no Parisian boulanger has:


Yes, that's right: in Quebec City you can actually get your fresh croissants and coffee in the same place. How un-French of them. But how welcome.