SEPT-ILES, Canada – Restaurants in Sept-Îles, Quebec, can be some inevitable institutions for the traveler. Some old, some new. Le Casse-Croûte du Pêcheur is part of the first category.
Settled in a parking lot between the city center and the industrial port, the restaurant has two sections: the first, a small gray and blue cabin where patrons order at the counter, then eat their snack at picnic tables; the second is the ultimate exaggeration of a giant lobster cage covered in a thick layer of Plexiglas, chock full of cheesy trinkets. The facade is a replica of a huge cauldron to boil lobsters, the ultimate bauble for the ultimately cheesy snack bar. But if kitsch does not kill, bad food can. And this is where the Casse-Croûte du Pêcheur becomes a must.
A simple glance at the menu suggests that it is not simply any greasy spoon: a crab club sandwich for $25? Really?
Despite the incredible temptation provoked by the incongruity of the expensive club sandwich, we instead opt for a crab and shrimp guedille, a lobster guedille and home fries.
What’s a guedille? Simple: a toasted hot dog bun, lettuce and tomatoes, tossed in mayonnaise. Extras vary from region to region: hard-boiled eggs, lobster, crab, shrimp, or shredded chicken.
Comparable to the Maine lobster roll, the combination of local crab and shrimp is allowed to shine through a tiny bit of mayo.
Of course, when one has the wonderful luxury of being on vacation, one doesn’t beat around the bush: once satisfied, the only viable option is to go to the beach. No rental car? No problem. There’s a long and scenic path between the snack bar the Monaghan and Ferguson beaches. One can either bike or take a long walk towards the coast. And while you’re on the side of the road, on the path, take your time and pick a bit of Labrador tea leaves, abundant in the area.
Restaurants in Sept-Îles: Edgar Café-Bar
If this Quebec adventure seems a little too complicated, the solution, which is always, always and without exception the best decision ever, is to go sit at the bar.
And fortunately, in Sept-Îles, in addition to taverns and other drinking establishments easily identifiable in the region, Edgar Café-Bar offers a different, more hip vibe. Restaurants in Sept-Îles are not only old-fashioned!
Good music, microbrewery beers and bar food that is more akin to bistro food; a regularly changing menu, plates of local cheeses and European-style hot dogs…
And then, on the terrace directly overlooking Arnaud Street, one has an incomparable view of everything happening in Sept-Îles.
