Baby’s First Michelin
If you know me, you know that I love love love food. My social life consists of drinking too much and eating even more, at the latest hot spot.
What you might not know is that prior to August 12, 2025, I had never been to a Michelin-starred restaurant. You can blame whatever you want, but I blame the fact that I live in Boston, and (to date) there are no Michelin-starred restaurants. That being said, there are many James Beard award winners, and if you know me, you also know I love a man with a beard.
Enter Laurie Raphael in Quebec City.
We knew we were in for a treat from the second we walked up to the door (the wrong door, might I add).
The restaurant had an air of what I’ll call welcomed exclusivity. You feel cool that you’re there, but not out of place.
Next came what might have been my favorite part - we were led around to the opposite side of the restaurant and through the front door.
I was already taken aback by the wolf, but that wouldn’t even be the most interesting part.
YOU ENTER THROUGH THE KITCHEN
As my husband said, “You immediately feel like a VIP.” And let me tell you, that was just the start.
Before I get into the actual meal, which is why you are all here, I am a vibe person. My favorite places to visit aren’t just because of the food or the ambiance; it’s the people.
The staff at Laurie Raphael were EXCEPTIONAL. Especially Simon.
While I could write an entire post dedicated to how incredible, smart, and funny Simon is, that’s not why you came here.
BACK TO THE FOOD…
… Okay, well, what kind of meal starts without a drink? I have a love/hate relationship with most things in my life, including any kind of sparking rose. HOWEVER, this is my new favorite. I loved it so much that I bought it at the Duty Free.
Course 1 - Fermentation - Tartlet, leek, and house lardo, fermented plum with siberian caviar
The coolest thing about eating at Laurie Raphael is that everything, and I mean everything, has a local flair. So while this tartlet literally melted in my mouth (because lard, anyone?) I was OBSESSED with the flowers around the outside. And yes, they are edible, and I did eat them.
Course 2 - South Shore - Foi gras terrine, almond mousseline cream, dried duck brunoise, rhubarb compote lovage
My husband and I did the wine pairing (obviously), but we did two separate ones. They offer a traditional French pairing and a more funky global wine offering. Now, I could do a whole newsletter on that alone, but I will leave you with this: every single dish paired perfectly with the wine, but each wine was SO DIFFERENT from each other. That was literally my only note on this course.
Course 3 - Veggie - Marinated cucumbers, Madagascar vanilla creamy sauce, caramelized shallots, Swiss Chard
Marinated cucumbers are so underrated. They really don’t get the hype they deserve. My grandmother used to ferment onions and cucumbers in sugar and water, and let me tell you, we ate them on everything. These were no exception.
Course 4 - Harvest - Duck supreme, horseradish meat juice, stuffed zuccini flower, flame-roasted eggplant caviar.
NO NOTES DUCK IS BEST. It was juicy, tender, and cooked to perfection. I think this duck has become my new death row meal.
Course 5 - New Arrival - Orleans Island strawberries, Lili’s peony broth, lemon balm and strawberry cremeux
From the moment we got to Quebec, we heard about “the Island” and these “magical strawberries”. Welp…they were magical. This was the best dessert I’ve had in my whole life, and none of that had to do with the gold flakes. It literally melted in my mouth. I wanted to cry actual tears. I’ve never been so sad that a dish was over.
If you don’t know, Laurie Raphael is owned by the Vézina family. Raphael is now the executive chef, taking over for his father, who passed away.
I obviously did not know his father and had never been to the restaurant before. But what I do know is that he’s doing his father extremely proud.
Lexie Foodgasm Scale: 15/10.
