Are These The Best 3 Bakeries in Quebec City?

[@chrisplusmelissa]

When in Québec City, go to the bakeries (or boulangeries) and eat the pastries! Or, the viennoiseries, if you prefer. We chose the latter, though I was unfamiliar with the word before researching Quebec City’s bakeries... chrisplusmelissa.com/the-3-best-bakeries-in-north-americas-most-european-city/

[@rogerdelaney8847]

Lots of fun watching you enjoy treats I enjoyed many years ago. Great chemistry together.

[@_symmetry_]

You guys are so amazing!! I've been born and raised in Quebec City, hope you had a great time here and people were as welcoming as they usually are, you seem to be such nice people breathing "la joie de vivre" through and through, it's really nice and fun to follow your adventures!! Take care! 😉

[@chrisplusmelissa]

Awe thanks for the kind words. :) We had a great time in Quebec City!

[@susannahziegler6752]

You both are amazing. What a great idea. Thank you so much. I’m going to Quebec next month and absolutely trying a strawberry croissant, and a cruffin.

[@chrisplusmelissa]

Awe thanks for the kind words. Have a great time and enjoy those treats... I'm jealous! 🤣

[@CA-lf7jt]

By the way, you two are the cutest! Nothing like traveling, and EATING pastries w loved ones!!!

[@ValleyPooch]

If you're still in Quebec and haven't tried French Canadian Tortière and Pâté Chinois yet, you should. They are traditional foods of Quebec and very hardy and tasty. There are regional variations of these dishes and specifically my experience was with the Saguenay/Lac St-Jean Pâté Chinois. Oh yeah, fresh cheese curds everywhere. Although poutine is more famous, it is a recent invention and definitely not traditional. Now that you're long time residents of Quebec, you probably know all of this. Bon appétite!

[@chrisplusmelissa]

We made it to a sugar shack and tried Tortière there. However, we didn't know it was Tortère at the time. We didn't try any Pâté Chinois... I think I have to start doing a better job of trying local delicacies. This work is hard! ;)

[@ValleyPooch]

@@chrisplusmelissa You've always got donut tasting to fall back on. ;)

[@shoknifeman2mikado135]

That's tourtière which was originally a pie made from a bird called la tourte... passenger pigeon (The last one died in a zoo in 1914), today, it's made with various meats and flavoured with cloves.

[@shoknifeman2mikado135]

@@chrisplusmelissa If it makes you feel better, "pate Chinois" is virtually the same as "Shepard's pie", if you've had one, you've had the other! 😁

[@Xerxes2005]

@@shoknifeman2mikado135 That's a myth, by the way. Back in France, a "tourtière" was a dish in which you would bake a "tourte", a meat pie. By metonymy, the meal ended up being called by the dish it was baked in. And I hate to be that guy, but a "shepherd pie" is not exactly "pâté chinois", though it's the same type of meal. The shepherd's pie is made with mutton or lamb (hence "shepherd"). The pâté chinois is typically ground beef, corn, mashed potatoes.

[@ZapatosVibes]

So strange to see places I see all the time in a tourist video. Hope you had fun :)

[@bevgunstone7303]

Have just started watching your videos. The apartment that you stayed in in Levis is the one we stayed in when we first went to Quebec City. We are returning to it next winter. It is one of the best vacation homes we have ever stayed in. Love you videos.🇨🇦🇬🇧

[@chrisplusmelissa]

Oh wow! That is awesome. It was a great place to stay and we very much enjoyed that area. It was one of the top places for us. Those red stairs!!! So hard but yet good for us! :D

[@Undrave]

Love me some Croquembouche! The best are their Breton specialties. I also like their sandwhiches and their cakes are amazing for birthdays. One lesser known places I'd recommend is the Paingruel on St-Jean street, they got this awesome brioche bread with dark chocolate and marzipan in it... hmm... and if you can get a fresh apple turnover it's amazing.

[@gregguarino563]

My wife and I have been to Quebec City about a dozen times. Paillard is my favorite bakery anywhere. But I'm not a "sweets" person and have never tried the pastries. For me it's the Fougasses, the Ciabattas and the Batards. Crusty outside, elastic inside. The best!

[@jefft3814]

You have enjoyed yourself, no doubt, because the three pastries you have chosen are all excellent. But as a resident and native of the city, for me, the best is undoubtedly the pastry-chocolate factory Anna Pierrot. There are two stores in town, the closest to you would have been on Cartier Street. You’ll have to try it on your next visit!

[@chrisplusmelissa]

We're happy to have a reason to return to Quebec City. Thank you for the tip! We'll put it on our list of places to visit when we make it back that way.

[@riovox187]

The squirrel chewing always cracks me up 😂

[@yaowsers77]

I was in Montreal and had the escargot pastry. OMG it was so good I got a second for my breakfast the next since I had an early flight. The problem with that place is so many hills like quebec!

[@natnasci]

My maternal side of the family is from Quebec City. I've been twice, must go again. Glad you also like my neighbourhood, Yaletown, in Vancouver~ Good taste LOL

[@chrisplusmelissa]

We love Yaletown... and Quebec City warmed our hearts as well... however not sure it would in the dead of winter. :D

[@gottacos]

Great video you two... I enjoy watching your travels. Adventures

[@chrisplusmelissa]

Thanks so much!

[@jacquespaquette1306]

Hello you love birds! Just enjoy you videos and I do hope you enjoy your stay in our province. Sorry about our gas prices but it’s with that we pay for our so nice roads ( not the case go slow around those craters you will find them I’m sure lolll) . I don’t know until when you will be around our province? But the weather just started to get a lot better now. And the Montreal region is getting started with all the summer festivities. By the way look at the “ Discover Montreal “ section on KZbin and you will fall all the interesting sites to visit and specially don’t miss the 2 major bagel shops that are shirnes to the famous history of the Montreal style bagels (the real thing) which are “Fairmount Bagel” and “Saint Viateur bagel “ where you might need to wait inline outside the 2 shops if you come during daytime ( by the way these are always open 24/7 so come when most people sleep if you don’t want to wait lolll ) hope you will find the fun your looking for!

[@chrisplusmelissa]

Hello! We LOVED our stay in Quebec (were there all of April). Wait til you see tomorrow's video! :)

[@woodenclogs5830]

Now that’s a first class pastry run! 🥐 Amazing you’re walking (Chris slightly staggering but cheerful) past buildings and walls that date back to the 1600s.

[@chrisplusmelissa]

Thank you! Old Québec was so nice to spend time in looking at all the old buildings. Even with all the stairs.

[@potterkelly487]

Love Quebec City! You two are the best, yummy tasty equal assessments! 🇨🇦❤️

[@lissac530]

Hi! While looking for video reviews of restaurants, we came across your video! We are also “Chris & Melissa” about to stay in Quebec for a week! We loved your video!

[@chrisplusmelissa]

We need to form a Chris & Melissa gang!!! :D Thank you for the kind words. We loved Quebec City (we stayed just across the river in Levi) and hope to go back some day. Are you staying at the Chateau Frontenac?

[@lissac530]

@@chrisplusmelissa We found a charming Air BnB up the hill from many of our planned destinations. A few planned stops are the tobbagan ride, dog sledding, ice skating at place d’youville, ciel bistro, and storm spa!! We are also planning to travel much more once the kids are grown and moved on! It would be great to plan a meet up sometime!

[@chrisplusmelissa]

@@lissac530 That sounds like a dandy plan you have. Keep in touch. Our paths may cross some day! :)

[@chrisrandall2710]

Wish u could still be in Canadia

[@gordosomewhere816]

Love the history of the area and places such as Grosse Île, I've never never been to Île d’Orléans...I'm a nerd for that stuff.

[@chrisplusmelissa]

We were encouraged several times to check out the Île d’Orléans but won't have the time. :( Maybe next time.

[@shoknifeman2mikado135]

@@chrisplusmelissa You NEED to go there, there are 400 yr old farmhouses, sometimes still owned by descendants of the original families (My own paternal ancestors lived on that island)

[@henrybourdon6712]

If you are going on the island you must try the Restaurant called L'Atre. It is still owned by the same family and cook food in the same way they did it back then. You must phone ahead but if you get in you will enjoy eating very old traditional foods made the same way back in the beginning of that time. I think the phone is the only modern electrical thing in the place. You park up top on the road and they come and get you in a classic car. They used to do it in a horse and buggy but one day the horse freaked out and that was the end of that. The whole experience is a travel back into another time. Bon Apetit!

[@rhonaalexander630]

Love watching you two, very informative and fun 👍👍

[@chrisplusmelissa]

Thanks so much!

[@TonyRueb]

That looks so good, everything.🤤

[@chrisplusmelissa]

It was!

[@SchnuffiJames]

You guy made me hungry again. 😋🥐

[@kimzabel2539]

Croissant + muffin! Cruffin? How do you spell it? Can't wait to try one someday.

[@chrisplusmelissa]

That's it. Very yummy.

[@rickm8443]

I chuckled as you walked up to the third place as I thought, wouldn’t it be funny if it was closed. 😳😁 Such a beautiful city! Definitely have to put it on my bucket list. Do many speak English or do I have to brush up on my (nonexistent) French skills?

[@chrisplusmelissa]

We found that most spoke English... occasionally someone would only know a little English. Everyone we came across was so polite.

[@klondikechris]

When I was there last, the funicular was cheap, and beat taking all those stairs! It was fun too. But, I am with you on Quebec pastries. Such lovely memories.

[@chrisplusmelissa]

Was tempted to take the Funicular... but figured the stairs were good for me.

[@kec3141]

"I will eat them, and I will digest them." That's funny!

[@chrisplusmelissa]

I was determined for sure! :D

[@shorgoth]

Sadly le Croquembouche lost a bit of its quality during after Covid, it is still good but not as great as it used to be. While the pasteries are still as good as they used to they lost a lot of variety in the small portion cakes/mousse/flan and other in the refrigerated window and they feel less artisanal than they used to and while they look more poliched in apperance they lost their heart a bit maybe. I can't put exactly the finger on it... though I guess not many would notice, this is a place less than 2 miutes from my appartment I've been going to for the past 20 years on a regular basis so I guess I might be a bit overly sensitive to those changes. I used to love their black current mousses, now we don't see them ever on the tablets. I think my favourite thing at La boîte à Pain is the cranberry chocolate bread. This thing is insane if you reheat it a bit in the oven. The bread based pasteries are great, that's the specialities, not so much the millefeuille and other more cakelike pastries. Since both le Croquembouche and La boîte à pain are on the same block I go for breat at la Boìte à Pain and to Croquembouche for pasteries most of the time. Except for Croffins... those are great... Paillard is more for the social experience, feels more touristy but it is still decent and the sandwitch are better there I think. The other two win when combined though for anything suggary or straight up bread. Side note, for good coffee I go to Le Nektar between Le Corquembouche and La boîte à pain. The three of them are separated by maybe 100 meters total? At the other end of the same street toward the port there is also a great place for chocolates (you'd have to walk a bit, I'd say 10-12 minutes at a leasurly pace) I'm forgetting the name. They make a great hot chocolate from the good stuff, choose the "à l'anciène" (old style) for a thick, rich experience.

[@fredklein3829]

I love bakeries. :-) When you're in Montreal, check out Duc de Lorraine and also the Jewish bakeries (aside from bagels).

[@chrisplusmelissa]

We walked through a Jewish neighborhood on the way to one of the bagel shops... it was very interesting to see. Next time, we'll seek out a bakery!

[@mileitman]

Cheskies for babka!!!

[@JayHelms]

For a more authentic experience, climb all those stairs in the snow.

[@chrisplusmelissa]

That would be quite the task. :)

[@jacquespaquette1306]

Oh sorry just forgot to say do not do not forget to taste our famous “ Montreal smoked meat” it’s been recognized as one of the best sandwiches around the world

[@CA-lf7jt]

I wonder how many times people have stopped her to ask if she is Claire Danes

[@mileitman]

Funnily, you actually didn't eat any pastries (i.e patisseries), you ate viennoisseries, which are a different thing in French.

[@chrisplusmelissa]

There is so much to learn!

[@ontheroadwithyode390]

More architecture !

[@chrisplusmelissa]

We've got a Chateau Frontenac video in the works... that's kinda architecurey.

[@justapile4376]

Two words, Beaver tails.

[@johnhayes6414]

True Canadian pastry for Quebec is the beavers tail

[@chrisplusmelissa]

This is good to know. I remember seeing these advertised but having no idea what they were!

[@shoknifeman2mikado135]

The two of you look WAY too young to be "empty nesters", did you get married at 12, or something?

[@chrisplusmelissa]

We got married almost 3 years ago.

[@shoknifeman2mikado135]

@@chrisplusmelissa oh ok... so, not really the usual definition of empty nesters... well, you make a fine couple!