On My Plate: Quebec

What? On my plate in Quebec and no photo of a poutine? I like the frites, gravy and cheese curd combo at least as much as the next guy, but sometimes even the staunchest starchist needs a breather.

Where: Auberge Sur Mer, Saint-Simeon, Quebec

What: Shrimp, shrimp, shrimp and more shrimp, garnished with a hard-boiled egg and an assorted multi-colour bouquet of veggies. Baby shrimp are a fairly straightforward foodstuff and raw tomatoes, peppers and cabbage hold little mystery, so you can more or less imagine what this dish tasted like. What doesn’t come across in this photo of my plate is the context of where and when I enjoyed this meal. I’d been driving up the northern shore of the gorgeous St. Lawrence River and pulled into this simple diner largely on merit of the vast view. I expected to order my seventh poutine in as many hours, but when I spotted this healthy alternative I knew in a flash my body was ready for some real food. It was a fresh and delicious reminder that seafood and salad almost always make you feel like a champ.

Charlie Scott has found his shrimp catch in Lake Ontario to be less than satisfactory.