Last stop for seafood

It was 9pm, and after a day of walking around Vieux Quebec it took all my self control not to gorge away (or even nibble at) the bowl of French crusty bread the waiter, dressed all in white, placed on our table. We were stopping over in Quebec City for a couple days, and decided to try out a restaurant called Le Contintental (or: The Continental for us Eglish speaking folk). The menu looked great, but it had very few reviews anywhere online. In a moment of uncharacteristic daring, we decided to give it a try.

Even though I had eaten mussels, scallops and lobsters just a few nights before, I was feeling nostalgic and recalled that the French also make a great shellfish; so I went for one of the daily specials:  the steamed lobster. It arrived out of its shell on a small mound on the plate. I was a little disappointed that I couldn't show off my lobster cracking skills developed over my six years in Halifax, but this was not the establishment for such barbarianism, and with a full lobster shell there would not have been room on the plate for my green and red display of vegetables, next to a mound of creamy orange mashed sweet potatoes.

My parents ordered the Duck l'orange for two, which was flambe right next to our table! After the amazement that the fire did not burn the already cooked food, they spoke very highly of the duck.

To the untrained palette, it may seem like an easy task to steam a lobster, but many a home lobster cooked meal has gone astray due to a lack of steaming or boiling skills. This was not the case with my shelled lobster at Continental. It was not dry, and it hit that perfect spot where butter wasn't necessary because the meat was so sweet and juicy by itself (of course I used a little butter anyways).

I was very excited to eat the sweet mashed potatoes, but was a little disappointed at how creamy they were. I am a rara avis in that I prefer mashed potatoes that are a little grittier and more flavorful rather than creamier (maybe it also has to do with the lactose intolerance) and I could taste the butter in these more than I could taste the potato. The vegetable medley was very nice (though a little small), and they had a nice selection of sorbets for desert that I was much too full to try.

Perhaps most impressive, was the astute service throughout our entire meal. We had multiple waiters: one for wine, one for water and one for food and the service on all three fronts was attentive and speedy. The bill was a little pricey but worth it for the traditional French dishes, live cooking and wonderful service. However, be prepared to feel much too young and under-dressed for the establishment .

We left the restaurant full, satisfied, and ready for a great night's sleep.

Gluten Free: Yes, with a little self control and menu navigation
Dairy Free: hard pressed, especially in the side dishes, but you can substitute those if necessary