This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
The brand new Gourmet Circuit, inaugurated this year, allows you to discover the Côte-de-Beaupré through its local products. And to multiply the stops in its magnificent natural spaces.
The region that was Quebec’s pantry under New France is putting food back at the heart of its tourist appeal. Since last spring, the Côte-de-Beaupré Gourmet Circuit has linked together some fifteen stops — market gardeners, vineyards, farms, bakeries and restaurants with local flavors — along more than 100 km of landscapes along the St. Lawrence River. The cherry on the cake: mountain trails, dizzying canyons and natural riverbanks to combine the outdoors with local products.
The barn of New France
Shores like those seen in the Cap-Tourmente National Wildlife Area, created in 1978 by the federal government to protect the natural habitats of the 180 species of birds that frequent them. A 20 km network of hiking trails allows you to observe Greater Snow Geese in spring and fall, particularly from the La Prucheraie footbridge. We are here near the Grande Ferme, founded in 1667 to feed the members of the Séminaire de Québec. Today, this place, located in Saint-Joachim, is recognized as a historic monument and converted into a food museum. There is a digital outdoor circuit that offers to reconstruct the location of the old stables, the barn, the church, etc. Inside, a multi-sensory exhibition traces the history of the Grande Ferme and its fundamental role in the development of the colony of New France.
Web-footed birds on the menu
While we’re on the subject of geese, we might as well visit one of the stops on the Gourmet Circuit, the Québec-Oies farm, an artisanal producer of Toulouse geese based in Saint-Tite-des-Caps. They are raised outdoors all summer long. It is the only North American producer to make goose foie gras. You can get some at the farm shop where I had the pleasure of tasting a few bites of terrines, goose rillettes and other confits. Confit too at the Les Canardises farm in Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges. Everything has been cooked on site for two decades, using free-range Mulard ducks: rillettes, terrines, mousses, but also tourtières, cassoulets and duck spaghetti sauce. The family business is focusing on developing ready-to-eat meals with local products prepared without preservatives. For the 5 to 7, I head to the friendly microbrewery Beaux Prés, in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, to enjoy a few sips of Oie blanche, a white beer hefeweizenwith slightly fruity notes. I am told that its terrace facing the river is very lively on summer evenings.
To drink and to eat
All this made my mouth water. The next day, I headed to the L’Ange-Gardien vineyard, on the Route de la Nouvelle-France, whose semi-dry whites, Réserve reds and ice wines regularly win awards. Founded in 2004 by four passionate friends, the vineyard occupies a superb site of 7 hectares of crops, with 18,000 vines and an annual production of around 40,000 bottles and 5 creations sold at the SAQ. I was offered a tasting accompanied by charcuterie and terrines; I obliged.
Solid hike
In Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges, the Mestachibo trail, one of the most beautiful I have ever walked in Quebec, begins near the Jean-Larose Falls. For nearly 14 km, this path, full of ups and downs, follows the rapids of the Sainte-Anne River and offers views of landscapes whose amplitude is reminiscent of remote areas. In total, the ascent height difference totals more than 500 m, which explains why the excursion is classified as difficult. But what a marvel all the way! Before setting off on the adventure, I made sure to stop by Les Trois Becs, the caterer in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, a tasty stop on the Gourmet Circuit, to get a lunch box. I munched on these victuals, sitting on the banks of the river on a flat rock in the shade. It’s enough to regain strength to cover the last portion of the linear trail that winds its way to Saint-Tite-des-Caps.
Morning noon and evening
All this has whetted my appetite. I continue my discovery of the Gourmet Circuit with a stop at the bakery Les Bonyeuses, in Beaupré, to pick up breads made with Charlevoix flours, pastries and other tasty treats. For dinner, head to Le Shack à patates, in Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges, the charming snack bar that prepares classics of Quebec cuisine with products from the farm next door. The warm atmosphere and traditional decor make it a must-see in the region. Later, I will end this crazy escapade at the Bistro Nordik, located at the Delta Mont Sainte-Anne. And this, in front of a decadent burger, with aged cheddar and Dijon, all accompanied by homemade fries and a glass of Pinot Noir. While admiring Mont Sainte-Anne from the large bay windows, I make the necessary resolution: tomorrow, it’s diet time!
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