Another Quebec City hotel Question

[CanICruiseSoonPlease]

Has anybody stayed in  Quebec City Mariott Downtown 850 Place D'Youville? Opinions?  Compared to Hilton Quebec..  

[Twickenham]

I have not stayed at the Marriott, but have been there for a small meeting.

 

The first thing to say is that it used to be a Courtyard. Now from what I saw of the lobby area it would have been an exceptionally nice Courtyard, but still I'm sure they didn't toss out all the furnishings when they converted, so gives you an idea of what to expect in terms of facilities and such.  It's also fairly small, especially compared to the Hilton. The Hilton is considered to be one of the top hotels in Quebec City, although it's been an age since I've been there so can't give any first-hand opinion.

 

On the positive for the Marriott, the personnel I interacted with couldn't have been nicer (I was hosting the meeting), and more importantly it's right at one of the doors of the old city walls. Location really is ace.

 

I don't think you can go wrong with either, although I would give the Marriott a slight edge on location.

[CanICruiseSoonPlease]

I actually have a reservation for Hilton and Marriott right now, but Marriott is $100 less with govt rate.  My flight does not get in til midnight so I will not get to spend too much time there because just doing one overnight before cruise. Thank you for the info.   How far is each hotel from each other?

[Twickenham]

They're actually not that far from each other - maybe a 5-minute walk. The difference is that the Hilton is one side of the major boulevard connecting lower with upper town, a boulevard that you have to cross if you want to go see anything, whereas the Marriott is the other side - much easier if you want to do some walking/exploring that morning. If the prices were similar I'd call it a coin toss, but I personally wouldn't spend $100 extra for the Hilton over the Marriott, especially for just one night.

[CanICruiseSoonPlease]

6 hours ago, Twickenham said:

They're actually not that far from each other - maybe a 5-minute walk. The difference is that the Hilton is one side of the major boulevard connecting lower with upper town, a boulevard that you have to cross if you want to go see anything, whereas the Marriott is the other side - much easier if you want to do some walking/exploring that morning. If the prices were similar I'd call it a coin toss, but I personally wouldn't spend $100 extra for the Hilton over the Marriott, especially for just one night.

Thank you so much for the quick responses.  Much appreciated!!

[CanICruiseSoonPlease]

On 3/14/2019 at 1:17 PM, CanICruiseSoonPlease said:

I actually have a reservation for Hilton and Marriott right now, but Marriott is $100 less with govt rate.  My flight does not get in til midnight so I will not get to spend too much time there because just doing one overnight before cruise. Thank you for the info.   How far is each hotel from each other?

Ok, I changed my flight to get in about 330pm instead of midnight the day before the cruise leaves.  So in your opinion, do you think Hilton is better to stay at than Marriott for things closer to do by the hotel? Checking out the sites, dinner, etc.  Thanks for all of your help in advance.  

[Twickenham]

1 hour ago, CanICruiseSoonPlease said:

Ok, I changed my flight to get in about 330pm instead of midnight the day before the cruise leaves.  So in your opinion, do you think Hilton is better to stay at than Marriott for things closer to do by the hotel? Checking out the sites, dinner, etc.  Thanks for all of your help in advance.  

 

Nope - still better with the Marriott. It faces Place d'Youville and the old city walls - really a great location for exploring the old city.

 

Be sure to walk down to the boardwalk in front of the Château Frontenac - from there you'll be able to see the port area from above.

[queenbee168]

On 3/29/2019 at 12:20 PM, Twickenham said:

 

Nope - still better with the Marriott. It faces Place d'Youville and the old city walls - really a great location for exploring the old city.

 

Be sure to walk down to the boardwalk in front of the Château Frontenac - from there you'll be able to see the port area from above.

Seeking your opinion regarding these 2 hotels: Hotel Manoir Morgan and Chateau de Pierre.  We are 2 seniors plan to spend 2 nights in Quebec before our Princess Cruise on Oct. 4, 2019.  We are looking for a hotel close to Old Town and the cruise port (if within walking distance will be even better).  Which one do you think is better?  Do you have other hotels to recommend? Thank You! 

[cheeseclan]

We stayed at the Marriott and it was awesome.  The room was huge and the people were great.  We had breakfast included which was a smart idea for us.  We walked out the front door and headed into old town.  We were there for tall ship week!!  Would stay there again in a heartbeat.

[Host Carolyn]

On 4/2/2019 at 6:14 PM, queenbee168 said:

Seeking your opinion regarding these 2 hotels: Hotel Manoir Morgan and Chateau de Pierre.  We are 2 seniors plan to spend 2 nights in Quebec before our Princess Cruise on Oct. 4, 2019.  We are looking for a hotel close to Old Town and the cruise port (if within walking distance will be even better).  Which one do you think is better?  Do you have other hotels to recommend? Thank You! 

Been staying at the Pierre since the 1980s. Near funicular to old town, across park from Frontenac. Love this place. Convenient, charming....

 

[queenbee168]

15 hours ago, Host Carolyn said:

Been staying at the Pierre since the 1980s. Near funicular to old town, across park from Frontenac. Love this place. Convenient, charming....

 

Thank you for your response.  Do we have to get our luggage up via stairs? 

[Pace67]

Be sure to have an early dinner at Aux Anciens Canadiens. Make Reservations...

 http://www.auxancienscanadiens.qc.ca/en/menu-du-jour.htm  The Table D' Hote Menu before 5:45pm is a great deal and this is the most authentic Canadian meal you will have while there. The Maple Syrup pie is the best in Quebec!!!

[martincath]

On 4/6/2019 at 12:36 PM, queenbee168 said:

Thank you for your response.  Do we have to get our luggage up via stairs? 

Since it's been a few days without a response I'll chip in - no elevator, per question on their Facebook page. I do note that many other 'historic building' Quebec City hotels DO specifically mention that they have no elevators on both their French and English websites... given that most folks assume hotel = elevators unless they're familiar with historic building protection legislation in the given region, frankly it's the right thing to do and IMO a bit weaselly NOT to mention the lack of an elevator despite the fact that like many other similar hotels they actually cannot actually add one even if they wanted to.

3 hours ago, Pace67 said:

Be sure to have an early dinner at Aux Anciens Canadiens. Make Reservations...

 http://www.auxancienscanadiens.qc.ca/en/menu-du-jour.htm  The Table D' Hote Menu before 5:45pm is a great deal and this is the most authentic Canadian meal you will have while there. The Maple Syrup pie is the best in Quebec!!!

While I don't hate AAC, have recommended it to other visitors, and will continue to do so in the right circumstances both the above statements are just way too hyperbolic to let slide. First-up, I've seen the recipe of their pie and it involves significantly more sugar than maple syrup so it's not remotely authentic - the entire point of a maple syrup pie (or other old maple desserts like Pouding Chomeur ) is that maple syrup could be made at home so was free except for labour, whereas sugar was imported and expensive, so any truly authentic recipe for such a beast means using ONLY maple syrup as a sweetening agent.

 

Best guess among food historians is that maple Syrup pie evolved from simply attempting to replicate the classic French tarte au sucre; folks in the coastal cities could get relatively affordable sugar and molasses from the Caribbean, but it became ferociously expensive the further into the boonies of New France you journeyed (whereas maple trees are ten a penny - the only reason that Quebec supplies merely 75% of the entire world's maple syrup supply is that they deliberately restrict sales to keep prices high!)

 

AAC are sensible though - folks who are not already used to the intense flavour of real maple syrup, especially the darker grades, just don't love the traditional recipe! So tourists, and frankly even Joe Canadian who buys mostly Light syrup anyway, usually find the less-authentic versions preferable - it's like a slightly-maple-flavoured butter tart, sugar pie, or pecan pie without the nuts (there's a good chance most folks are familiar with at least one of those!) Similar liberties are taken with the game pies etc. to better ensure that the majority of their patrons (folks who have likely never had Quebecois food before) are as likely as possible to enjoy them.

 

I'm glad you found a pie that you loved, and maybe you even tried some other pies and can legitimately state that AACs pie was the best for you - but we have more authentic Quebecois cooking happening right here in Vancouver than anything AAC puts out... next time you're cruising Alaska, come check out St Lawrence.

[queenbee168]

@Martincath, Thank you. Chateau de Pierre -  No elevator, it is!  Makes it easier for me to pick the hotel.  

 

 

[Pace67]

@Martincath... Thank you for that unsolicited history lesson. While I did not say their maple syrup pie is the most "authentic", it is however...the best. Growing up on my grandfather's maple syrup farm in Quebec, I've tried...let's just say...many. And Aux Anciens Canadiens, (brown sugar and all) is...THE BEST!!! Not to mention, this is the oldest and most charming restaurant in Quebec City. However, I will agree with you on one point. Yes, Quebec monopolizes the maple syrup industry in the world due to FQMP'S control over supply management. While I do not agree with it, they have been able to keep prices stable due to having such a large reserve. Also, no need for me to head west for any Quebecois cooking in Vancouver, I'm actually cooking a pot soupe aux pois as I'm typing this response. BTW...thanks in advance for not responding to the stable prices comment 🙂 

Passe une bonne soiree

Pinson Labrie

[Pace67]

To those of you curious about said pie...Here you go....It's DELICIOUS!!

 

Maple Syrup Pie (Tarte au Sirop d’erable) Restaurant Aux Anciens Canadiens, Quebec, Canada Yield: Serves 8 to 10 (9-inch pie) Active Time: 25 min Total Time: 2 ½ hr

INGREDIENTS 9 inch pie shell 1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar 2 large eggs at room temperature ½ cup heavy cream 1/3 cup pure maple syrup (preferably medium ) 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted. PREPARATION Preheat oven to 350F Whisk together brown sugar and eggs until creamy. Add cream syrup, and butter, then whisk until smooth. Pour filling into pie shell Bake pie in lower third of oven until pastry is golden and filling is puffed and looks dry but still trembles, 50-60 minutes. Cool on a rack to room temperature (filling will set as pie cools)

[martincath]

@Pace67 - you did say that AAC would be the "...most authentic meal..." so I assumed you meant all components of the meal. I haven't seen a single AAC recipe that could be described as 'historic' - the building is definitely the real star of that place. If you're now claiming only that you think AAC's pie is the best but withdrawing the authentic aspect, fair enough! The history info may have been unsolicited, but it was stated to give a non-subjective background for people reading (this is a public message board after all) as to why your opinion on AACs authenticity was so off the mark.

 

It never even crossed my mind that you might be a local familiar with maple syrup production, as you are first person from Quebec I've ever interacted with on this topic to consider AACs pie the best example of the type - in fact, the first to even consider it a VALID example. If it were sold in the EU, or even post-EU Britain if it rolls back food rules to those applying in the 1970s, it could not legally even be called a Maple Syrup Pie due to the lack of the core ingredient! It has the lowest proportion of maple syrup of any recipe for the eponymous pie I have ever found - most use 3x more even when they are subbing in brown sugar. Even modern Vermont/Ontario recipes I've found use at least half a cup, most often 3/4ths or a full cup to put the syrup at the ~50% or more mark of the sweetening agents. AACs would be much more fairly described as a 'maple-flavoured tarte au sucre.'

 

The recipe you quote above does look like the one I first saw ~20 years back, and it's that damning stat - only 1/3rd of a cup of maple syrup - that most stuck in my mind at the time, and explained why I was extremely disappointed in the pie personally (not that it was a bad pie, but that it was so lacking in maple flavour). That was on my first visit to Quebec, but I had already enjoyed significantly better examples of not just that but also savoury pies in Montreal as we worked out way eastward from Ontario - even the maple butter tart I had in a random little bakery in Kingston Ontario where the coach stopped en route to Montreal was better (i.e. more maple-tasting) than AACs pie.

 

You obviously cook, but even if you don't bake yourself I would have hoped that someone raised in a maple syrup making family would find that Mom's or Granny's pie was the definitive version (you of course know, though most others reading don't, that you can make your own syrup for personal use without worrying about PPAQs policies, so everyone I've ever met with a sugar shack in the family grew up consuming gallons of the stuff). I guess congratulations are in order for separating the emotional resonance of a family recipe from your perception of food quality!

 

Just so folks inclined to do so can taste for themselves the radical difference of an all-maple-syrup version, this is the best recipe I've come across for a modern pie (derived from the first 'Canadian Food Experience Project' - a very slightly tweaked version of a Quebecois maple syrup farming family's multi-generational recipe, credit for this version to Valerie Lugonja).

 

Ingredients

• 1 batch of your favourite pie crust pastry
• 1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup whipping (35%) cream
• 2 tsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs

Instructions

• Roll out the dough and place it in a 9-inch pie plate; chill until the filling is ready (ed - or just chill a pre-bought pie crust if pastry is not your thing)
• Preheat oven to 325ºF
• In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, bring maple syrup to a gentle boil and cook, reducing the heat if necessary, for 5 minutes
• Remove saucepan from heat; stir in the butter until melted
• Stir in cream
• Transfer 1/2 cup of mixture to small bowl; whisk flour and salt into it; add mixture back into saucepan
• Continue whisking; allowing to cool slightly
• Beat eggs; whisk into saucepan mixture
• Pour filling into pie shell and bake until centre is golden brown, bubbly, and firm when lightly touched (about 45 minutes)

NB: using different grades of syrup will make a quite detectable difference in how maple-y it tastes - US & Canada standardized their grades in 2014/15 so you can't buy light or medium syrup any more. The new common descriptors in both countries run Golden/Amber/Dark/Very Dark - which allows for easier consumer comparison vs. the old systems of letter and number grades (most folks assumed A was better than B, 1 was better than 2, even though they were all the same quality).

 

Personally I only use Dark for myself, but have Amber in the house for visitors - most people prefer that, and it's usually the only grade you can find stocked in Costco which tends to have by far the best pricing unless you can actually shop direct at sugar shacks in Ontario. I would strongly recommend against using Golden for anything other than pouring - baking and other high temperature applications lose some of the subtle flavour compounds so you need to step it up a grade to keep the flavour strong, and I've yet to meet any commercial baker that uses anything less than Dark in baked goods.