Jammin' at the Frontenac

The signature architectural element of the city’s skyline is the turreted Chateau Frontenac high atop Cap Diamant, overlooking the might St. Lawrence River. Built in 1893 by the Canadian Pacific Railroad, this magnificent and elegant hotel has housed kings and queens, film stars, and many of the world’s leaders including Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill who stayed here during the Quebec Conferences in World War II. You can imagine them sitting in the wood paneled lounge in front of the fireplace discussing strategy over a fine glass of port.

As you would expect from a hotel of this quality, the Frontenac has a rockin’ Executive Chef, Jean Soulard, who was the first Canadian chef to ever receive the Maitre Cuisinier de France Award. Soulard oversees Le Champlain, the fine dining restaurant , and the more casual Le Café de la Terrasse, in addition to supervising the banquet and catering operation.

It almost goes without saying that his food is fabulous, but one of the things he’s most known for to Frontenac regulars, is his strawberry jam. He puts it up every season and you can buy it in the hotel gift shop, but it’s so exclusive that even the hotel’s restaurants don’t serve it. Close your eyes and take a bite, and you’ll think you’re standing in a field of strawberries, eating one just off the stem. www.fairmont.com/frontenac