In search of the quintessential —and elusive— croissant

In our loosely planned itinerary, the next stop was going to be the region of Charlevoix. However, Gille and Pierrette, the Quebeçois couple we met at the church with a view, encouraged us to first stop at L’Isle d’Orleans, a small historic island on our way. We’ve learned that suggestions of locals are usually the best advice to follow, so we headed over the 1063 feet suspension bridge, and entered a rural landscape where time had stood still.

Vendeuse at Fromagerie

Manny and I usually explore a new area by driving or walking around to get the flavor of the place, stopping when something catches our attention. However, when I consulted my AAA guidebook, I learned that the small island (20 miles long and 4 miles wide) was one of the first colonies of New France, discovered in 1536 by Jacques Cartier, hence loaded with historic significance.

For me, the task of reading from a travel guide as we drive and trying to enjoy the scenery are mutually exclusive, so we decided to take the recommendation of AAA and rent a guided audio tour at the tourist information center, conveniently located at the entrance to the first of the six unique municipalities that make up the island. Priced at only $17.00 for a 24 hour rental, it seemed like a good deal.

We popped in the first of the 2 CDs and did as instructed, listening to the first 3 tracks in the parking lot. It was all down hill from there. Obviously, the voice on the CD has no idea how fast you are driving, and you have no idea where you are going, so we didn’t have a clue if what we were seeing was what the the CD was describing. After a half hour of wondering where the hell we were and stressing out over it, we decided to return the audio tour and go back to our tried and true method of fumbling around.

Seeing the distressful look on my face as I rushed into the tourist office practically in tears, the pleasant woman behind the counter gladly returned our money and instead handed me a low-tech paper guide. We scanned the brochure and the name La Boulange jumped out at us, advertising gourmet croissants and fine pizzas, the two things Manny could live on exclusively.

Unfortunately when we arrived at the gourmet bakery, we found it closed!

La Boulange - Ferme??!!

Their hours were as follows: Opening is always from 7:30. Opened Friday, Saturday and Sunday of Easter. From April 13-29 and the month of November and December from Friday to Sunday. May and October: opened from Thursday thru Sunday. From June 6-17 and the month of September, opened from Wednesday to Sunday. From June 20-September 3, opened every day. Opened Thanksgiving, October 8. Opened December 24th and December 31.

All we could do was shake our heads and laugh. The quintessential croissant was not to be had, at least not today, a Tuesday in late September.

We consulted the travel guide once again and noticed many farms that raised ducks and geese. Since we enjoy a nice smooth liver pâté from time to time, Manny and I hoped to find some to spread on a great baguette when—and if—we found one.

Luis Gomez of Ferme d'Oc

At Ferme d’Oc, we met Luis Gomez, a sweet young Mexican man who had emigrated from Ciudad Juarez a few years ago to live with his aunt in Quebec and “to make a fresh start”. He instructed us on the various products made from goose and duck liver. We learned that what we had been calling “pâté” was actually “foie gras”. Unfortunately, Luis was out of stock. (No wonder we were surprised when the pastry we bought called “pâté de viande” turned out to be a crust filled with ground meat).

Duck Eggs

So we stopped down the road at the picturesque Ferme au goût d’autrefois. We entered the rustic shop filled with antiques, old farm tools and a basket of huge eggs. When we inquired about foie gras, the kind proprietress explained that they don’t force feed their ducks and geese, so they don’t have enough to sell.

Au goût d'autrefois

They serve the delicacy only on special occasions in their small restaurant. We bought two chicken eggs and four of the gigantic duck eggs, thanked her for the information and said au revoir.

Delicious pizzas and wine

Now ravenous, we drove on and found Bistro de la Plage, a cute restaurant right on the beach specializing in—of all things—pizza. Needless to say, Manny was ecstatic. We sat by the window overlooking the St. Lawrence, sipping our half bottle of Beaujolais and enjoyed one of the best caesar salads and thin crust pizzas we could remember. Who would have guessed?!

But the best part was yet to come… The pièce de résistance was the place where we spent the night: Camping Isle d’Orleans campground. It was arrestingly beautiful albeit —at $55 per night— the most expensive campground we’ve ever stayed at.

Isle d' Orleans Campground