Tag: food

Michelin, more than tires

On By Terry ChristophersonIn Food and drink, Restaurants, Trips and travel6 Comments

Yesterday we returned to Assisi to visit the Basilica of St. Francis. The weather had changed from sunny Sunday to Normandie rain. We parked at the end of the city near the Basilica, which we discovered was the end with few restaurants. Lunch being a higher priority at the moment, we searched for food. We did pass a couple of places with groups of people standing outside eating some pizza or something, but that is not our idea of a good lunch, bien sur.

After climbing up some long flights of stairs, our app said eight flights, I saw a restaurant sign on a wall – Il Frantoio. Tired of walking, we decided it was perfect, without knowing anything about it at all. To our pleasant surprise we had stumbled upon a Michelin listed place, a sure sign of good dining. Here is the photo Tricia took from the main entrance, we entered from the other side so had not even looked at the menu until we were seated at our table.

Most have heard of Michelin restaurants and stars, here is a bit of the background. If you are an auto racing fan, or even just a drivers that appreciates quality you know that Michelin is first and foremost a tire manufacturer. To increase tire sales they produced a driving guide in 1900, correctly calculating that if people drove more and longer distances they would wear out their tires and need new ones. The guide listed hotels and places to eat all over France.

Just being included in the guide was an endorsement, this was long before Yelp or Google Map comments. Eventually they began to evaluate restaurants giving a star to those deemed most worth, the system developed into 1, 2, or 3 stars.

  • 1 Star: “A very good restaurant in its category.”
  • 2 Stars: “Excellent cooking, worth a detour.”
  • 3 Stars: “Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.”

Il Frantoio does not have a star, but it must be close. We had an amazing experience. The first thing they brought was what the chef called a “welcome plate.”

Well it was actually four plates. In the distance, to the left of the bread, were two red potato chips, thin and hollow in the center with two different mayonnaise drops on top. There was a mini-taco, and a red pepper crème brule.

For our entree we asked to share scallops. No bringing the dish with two forks here, nope, the chef split it between two plates for us.

For Mains Tricia had gnocchi, I had pigeon.

We were going to pass on dessert but a cocktail on the menu was just to interesting for me to pass up – and I am not a big cocktail fan.

It had Cointreau, lemon sour, olive oil, and a dash of balsamic vinegar, and one egg white. I had never heard of olive oil in a beverage so was interested. It was beyond good, not overly sweet, a hidden taste of the oil, with a texture that was silky smooth – perfect desert. It was actually invented by our server, which was a nice touch.

Thanks to being in Italy, as opposed to expensive Geneve, it was not a terribly expensive meal, less than we thought it would be when we first realized we had settled in to a Michelin listed place.

After a satisfying meal we visited the Basilica, a bit of food for the soul made the day complete.

La cuisine chez nous, II

On By Terry ChristophersonIn cooking, Food and drink4 Comments

Started my day a bit off, but then, on the way to the Intermarché, Tricia reminded me that she was making pasta for lunch, it completely brightened my day; food is so important to us and our frame of mind. So now, thoroughly rejuvenated, I am writing while she is creating one of the best comfort foods in my life. I know we will be in Italy in eleven days – after stops in Paris, Lyon, and Geneva – yet her pasta is what has my attention today.

These last few weeks in Normandie we have eaten well, see my blog “La cuisine chez nous”. Since that post I wanted to report on the state of la cuisine chez nous.

We have gone out to Le Bistrot St Julien, it remains our favorite in the area. We also went to Auberge de la Source, another of the places we like, in fact it seems we rarely go anyplace else. The entree, a basted egg in a camembert sauce with bits of andoulette, was stunning.

We have both admitted that when we are home we would rather eat at Chez Nous, and eat we did. Tricia did the shepherd’s pie that I wrote about on my last post, since then she has posted the recipe, give it a try. For a Sunday lunch I made compte gougères for and entree, then Mushroom Bourgogne with polenta for the mains.

One of my other contributions was broccoli and compte on puff pastry. This one is defiantly a do again, unless of course our friend Dave is near, he calls broccoli “sticks of death”, not his favorite veggie.

Tricia followed this with another of the comfort foods she does so well, sole meuniere. She has never posted the recipe but since it is a classic French dish you can certainly find it with an online search. It is one of those dishes that can seem intimidating, but there are simple versions. The caper sauce is what makes the dish, so rice pilaf was the perfect accompaniment.

Saturday I made crab cakes for the main,

Yesterday for Sunday lunch Tricia made salmon chowder which I had with spicy coleslaw. I made parmesan shortbreads for the entree- the only entree easier than the compte gougères which I made earlier. Someday I must post the recipe as they are always a hit with guests, and easy to take when visiting. To complete the meal I made Parmesan toasts, and a roquefort salad.

When I started writing Tricia was making pasta. Most often our pastas are vegetarian, Tricia loves a lot of veggies, thankfully I do as well. We cook some pretty hardy meals with vegetables, nothing wimpy about them at all. Here is the finished dish.

So it has been a good few weeks here in Torchamp, we head out on Thursday for the train in Flers which will take us to Paris and then onward. Lots of trains on this trip, one through the alps between Geneva and Milan that I am particularly looking forward to.

We are grateful that we live in a place where travel is easy and much more affordable than in the US. Yet we have always traveled, even just day trips driving around the Pacific Northwest, or here in Normandie. The important thing for aging joints and healthy attitudes is to keep moving, I even read just this morning that moving reduces the chance of dementia. Some days I can’t remember much of anything, so we need to keep moving, and we will.

I hope your journeys are a joy, short or long. And look for good food along the way.

Horses and food in Peñiscola

On By Terry ChristophersonIn Trips and travel3 Comments

We are back in wet Normandie, thankfully, the cold snap we escaped a few weeks ago is over and temps are in the 50sF (10sC), so, other than the rain, it is feeling a bit like spring – Snowdrop flowers have even come up. In some cultures February is considered the first month of Spring, I agree.

We were in Peñiscola during the Festival of St. Anthony. On the closing weekend of the festival they spread sand on the main route through the castle area where we were staying. Then on Saturday there was a procession of horses and horse-drawn carts. Sunday morning we went to church at Santa Maria de Peñiscola. We exited the church and discovered a crowed lined up for a second procession of horses and carts. I am not sure of the significance of the horses but it was quite a thing to see.

We discovered that most all of the restaurants are quite similar in their offerings: paella, grilled fish, shellfish, etc. There was though quite a variety in quality, seasoning, service, and ambience. Towards the end of our stay we discovered a place so good, and a bit different, that we went there twice: Porto Rico. On our first visit we ordered too much, but we ate it all, I was sated, and then some.

On our second visit we shared croquets again as an entree, then for my main I had grilled Iberian pork marinated in spiced red wine, c’était superbe.

We only had one meal that was disappointing, and it was all our own fault for picking the place. The host was working too hard to fill the tables and the menues were quite tattered, which should always be a dead giveaway to avoid a place. Other than that the food, service, and amazing views made Peñiscola dinning a pleasure.

La Conner, Mukilteo, and Ballard – Our Christmas journey continues

On By Terry ChristophersonIn Trips and travel3 Comments

On Tuesday of last week we picked up a rental car and headed north to La Conner, WA. It is a picturesque town at the mouth of the Swinomish River. A perfect place to spend our 36th anniversary.

We have been to La Conner many times over the years so it holds a lot of good memories. Some of the best memories are of when we took my mother there almost every year for her birthday, she loved it there.

We ate lunch at Nell Thorn Waterfont Bistro & Bar since our favorite place, The Oyster Bar on Chuckanut Drive was closed that day. It was a good time for sure. We stayed at the Channel Lodge in a room with overstuffed chairs, a gas fireplace and a view of the channel.

Wednesday we headed south toward Mukilteo, stopping first in Mount Vernon for a nice lunch with my sister and brother-in-law. It was good to get caught up.

Two of our best friends live in Mukilteo, if you follow my blog you have met them already since we joined them in October in Provence. Shirley goes all out on Christmas decorations. We were greeted with this amazing tree, which Tricia, of course, took a photo of. (Her last blog was all about trees, including this one.) They think it has 1200 lights, I can’t even imagine doing that, but it sure is beautiful.

If I had a patron of my art it would be Jim and Shirley, they have so many framed pieces of my art, even postcards that I have sent. Their home has hundreds of wonderful pieces of artwork, some quite interesting. I am not sure I want to know the story behind this one, but am honored to have my art shown in such a creative space.

They invited friends over for a couple of holiday get-togethers, Shirley put out quite a spread. Since they love France there was of course croissant.

Saturday we drove back up north for our postponed anniversary lunch at The Oyster Bar, and it did not disappoint, bien sûr. After a few oysters we shared an entree of smoked sablefish (black cod) on marinated beet with pumpkin seeds. It reminded me that the reason I detested beets for most of my life was not the fault of God creating them, nor of the poor beet itself, it was just poor preparation. This was so good.

I had the plat du jour, petrel sole roasted on a cedar plank.

After our leisurely repast we drove south to Ballard where we are staying with Tricia’s sister. Yesterday we helped out with our nephew’s birthday party at the Lynnwood Swimming pool. Oh my! A room full of eight year old boys sure do have a lot of energy.

Thanks Tricia for the photos

We have had a great time so far. We are so grateful for the folks that have taken us in and put us up. But most of all we have relished the conversations. Tomorrow we are off to San Diego for a couple of days, we have a new, well new to us, grandnephew to meet, should be fun.

The gift of surprise in Bergen

On By Terry ChristophersonIn Been there - places, Food and drink, Restaurants, Trips and travel11 Comments

The good traveler has the gift of surprise. W. Somerset Maugham

On Thursday in Bergen discovery was the entree, surprise the piece de resistance.

We started the day by discovering that there is amazing beauty in the fiords of Norway. Our travel in the far north was a stark arctic desert beauty, Oslo did not inspire me, but Bergen and the fiords we sailed were stunning.

Off the boat, a bit chilled and hungry, lunch was our priority – pasta puttanesca for me and risotto for Tricia at a snug restaurant seated by the window to watch the parade of people enjoying the cold sunny day. Sated, we wandered the waterfront a bit, shopped for a friend or two, then took a break at our hotel. We were staying at the Magic Hotel Kloverhuset.

The sun was hovering over the rooftops as we headed out, but where to go? Our hotel had a beautiful lobby bar, we looked at each other and said why not? So we settled in to one of the overstuffed leather couches at Sjø, it means “sea” in Norwegian. Soon, Sandra, the bar manager, set glasses of dry white wine and nuts on the heavy wooden table – the ambience was perfect. The next two hours were magical.

Thanks Tricia for the photo

We were enjoying the time and chatting about the day on the water when Sandra returned with two small coups of bubbles to try, they were a delightful surprise. It was Saint Martin de la Garrigue, a label of the hotel, which also owns the vineyard.

Bubbles are the perfect accompaniment for caviar, which I remembered seeing on their menu. I went up to the bar to place an order. Sandra was chatting with Gabby, the head server, who would become our new best friend. She was not sure if they had caviar at the moment as they were out the day before, so she headed off to talk to the chef.

When she returned she moved us to a table in the restaurant, explaining that the chef was going to do something special.

Thanks Tricia for the photo

After a few more sips and a bit more conversation Gabby returned with a plate of Antonius Cavair, a Siberian cavair from Poland. It was accompanied by smoked sour cream, chives, pickled red onions, and of course bilini – nous étions très contents. Tricia discovered that she loves caviar, bien sûr.

The only thing as good as caviar with bubbles is oysters, which of course Gabby recommended, and we accepted. She said the chef was doing something special for us, we were quite curious. The next plate she brought is best shown in a photo:

Each oyster was topped with a dollop of foam made from oysters and edible flowers. I love oysters but have never had anything like these, the foam gave it a slightly sweet flavor – a magical surprise.

Next we met Chef Mateusz. He came to the table to see how we liked the oysters. We realize now that we have most likely met a future Michelin Star chef.

We chatted a bit, thankfully the restaurant was not busy. He asked if we liked scallops, which of course we did, then he headed off to create the next bit of magic. Through all of this Gabby stopped by to chat and keep the bubbles from running out.

The uncooked scallop was topped with trout caviar, and mayonnaise made from the liver of the scallop. It was a taste of the sea, Tricia said “it had a taste like rose petals.” In a lifetime of experiencing impressive food this scallop pretty much tops the list.

What a day! We discovered that there actually was some green beauty in Norway, we discovered the best restaurant in Bergen, and we discovered an amazing chef. We hope to taste his food again one day.

Thank you Sandra, Gabby, and Chef Mateusz. You gave us the gift of surprise from the time we walked in at 5:00pm until we left two hours later. Most of all, your smiles and kindness will be one of the best memories of our time in Norway, thank you again.

An Appetite for Arles

On By Terry ChristophersonIn Food and drink, Restaurants4 Comments

After five days in Arles I can confidently say that the food here does not disappoint. Well, except for the one time I ordered a small steak cooked saignant, which in the US would be considered bloody rare, thus the name. As is common here, once they hear my accent, she said, in English, “medium”, I replied, “non, saignant”. It came with just a touch of pink, medium-rare at best by US standards. Thanks to the multitude of folks here from the UK, who tend to like their meat cooked well done, the restaurants often try to compensate, c’est la France.

Our first meal was at Bistrot de Pitchounet, located in a restaurant filled square in the heart of old town.

I chatted with the lady in the photo, not only does she work there, but her father is the owner. All of the staff were wonderful, and the food was just as good. I started with a bit of smoked herring, so different than the smoked herring in Norway. This had a much stronger smoke flavor and I liked it better than what I had in Tromsø a few months ago.

My main was tuna steak, just lightly seared, bien sûr.

Saturday we ate at Gaudina, a small place on a narrow street with service and amazing food. For my entree I had roasted eggplant with olive oil, almonds, tomatoes, and parsley.

My main was grilled octopus. As I have said before octopus must be prepared perfectly or it ends up rubbery, when done right the outside is charred a bit and the inside is moist, this was perfect. The sauce had a bit of spice and it was served on the black rice that is ubiquitous to this region. I have no idea what the crispy, golden accompaniment was, but it was delightful.

Yesterday I had a wonderful wood fired pizza at Bistro Arlésien. How can you go wrong with a wood fired pizza? They are one of my all time favorites. This one had ham, anchovies, olives, onions, and cheese with a light tomato sauce. I don’t think anyplace in Naples could do better.

Today, we went back to Le Pitchounet, this time I was able to chat a bit with Nikola, the lady in the photo. We started with oysters, the third time this week we have had them. One of the servers told us about the part of the oyster that they call “the foot”. It is the dime-sized, round disk that is usually left connected to the shell after the rest of the oyster is eaten. I have never thought about eating it. He cut it out with a knife so I could taste it. His description was that it was like a sea scallop, and he was right. Why have I never heard of this? We lived and ate oysters for years in one of the top oyster regions of the world, Puget Sound, Washington, USA. Well now we know.

For my main I had a tartare of tuna and salmon. It was interesting that they brought me a bottle of Tabasco, which did in fact work quite well.

Eating is one of the main reasons we travel. This week the food in Arles has resulted in a totally enjoyable time. The Roman remains, sights of Vincent Van Gogh, and a huge market day are just icing on the cake – well, ok, the olive oil on everything, we don’t eat much cake.

Eating Our Way South

On By Terry ChristophersonIn Food and drink, France, Trips and travel5 Comments

We left Normandie last Wednesday for our long anticipated road-trip to the South of France. Any trip is just an excuse for some good food, and so far our expectations are not disappointed.

Our first stop was Montmorillon, to visit friends and to explore a town we felt we had missed in April when we were there but everything was closed. Well, it is September and there still are not a lot of things open, I get the feeling that is the kind of place it is. We arrived about 15H00 after a four hour drive. Our only food was pre-made sandwiches from an aire, the brilliant French amenity on the A routes, that have gas and food.

When we got to Montmorillon we were hungry. Of course, since it is a small village in France, nothing was open. Even the places that were serving beverages had closed their kitchens until at least 17H00 or 19H00. After a lot of walking, we discovered a bar that had food, Le Commerce. The rather nice man on duty pointed out what was available from the menu. We both ordered the chicken in some kind of sauce, with frites, and salad.

Mine didn’t taste bad, just not good, nor did Tricia’s. I felt like mine had an odd flavor and really ate only a few bites. We found better food later. When we told our friends, who we had come to visit, where we ate they reacted pretty negatively, we assured them we would not die, and so far we were right.

We started the next day with breakfast at our BnB.

Thanks to Tricia for the photo.

Then we we drove to Saint Savin, about 20 minutes from Montmorillon. It is home to an amazing church and abbey. The restaurant Le Carafus is actually built into the abbey. This turned out to be one of those places that ranks among the best meals ever.

The entree was fois gras, aubergine, and a shiitake mushroom purée. We shared one serving, but certainly could have each had one just fine.

As is often the case on a hot day, I had the steak tartar. This was easily one of the best ever, seasoned just right, and presented beautifully. It came with frites – bien sur. Tricia took the photo and I note that the fries are more in focus than my plate. Personally I think it just an example of Freudian-Slip-Photography as she really likes frites.

One afternoon we stopped at Salon De The. I had a peach milkshake, French style, not Baskin & Robbins. I also had carrot cake which was about as moist as I have ever had. We sat outside on the terrace, with the ancient church looming overhead. I know Jesus used bread and wine, and I get the symbolism, but this cake and shake was quite a celebration.

Our next stop was Carcassonne, to visit one of the largest walled cities in Europe, and what a place it is. Cassoulet is the regional food. Carcassonne, along with Toulouse, and Castelnaudary argue viciously over what is the proper mix of ingredients – lamb and sausage always playing star roles – but the real star is the creamy white beans. Most say that the dish was invented in Castelnaudary.

After another day with a bit of driving we were hungry, and since our hotel was across the street from the Castle we headed there for food. Of course it was mid-afternoon again so we had limited choice, yet found a place open and they had cassoulet. How can you go wrong with sausage and lamb?

We rarely go out for dinner in the evening, we prefer an elegant lunch, then we have cheese and wine for dinner, with baguette. But, we stumbled across Chez Christine, thankfully Tricia was game to have a dinner out, even though we had already had a decent lunch. I am so glad we did.

Smoked trout, with a cucumber sauce, and salmon eggs for an entree. Then I had the most delicious and tender lamb along with thin slices of roasted aubergine. Of course i finished it of with un café. Tricia had pasta with more morels than both of us could eat.

Last night I had a burger, yep a burger. The first one I had in France a year ago was quite a disappointment, then I had a couple from Buffalo Grill that were passable by American standards, but this one was great. It had Camembert cheese, how could you go wrong. I picked it up and ate it with my hands, American style – the French eat their burgers with a knife and fork, somehow it just does not seem right.

So our trip is off to a good start. We are in Arles now, sitting on the terrace of our BnB. We stopped to have lunch with a friend in Olonzac along the way. We got there early enough to catch the market, so we are quite stocked up on cheese, olives, fruit, and other necessities.

I hope you are enjoying fall, and taking some time to wander and eat.

Some Foods You Surprisingly Might Like

On By Terry ChristophersonIn Food and drink8 Comments

If you follow this blog, you know that my taste in food is pretty broad and some would say adventurous. Most things are not out-of-bounds to me for at least a try. This morning I found this article about the least liked foods in America. It is based on frequency of orders at Instacart. This research would not qualify in a peer based scientific paper, but it is interesting nonetheless. I put the link to their article below the graph, it has some interesting information.

Thanks to Instacart

The first thing to know is that I like all fourteen of these, some more than others for sure, but none of these would be in any “hate” list I would make. Reading through this list I come to the conclusion that it may not be the foods themselves, but how they are prepared, or it might be which kind of the given item you have tried.

In the era that I grew up in, the 50s and 60s, cooking was pretty basic. As a general rule meat was cooked until it was well done, dry and stringy – any pink in the roast was considered life threatening. That style did get me to eat a lot of mashed potatoes, as it was all that would work to get a bite swallowed. Anything in the poultry category terrified moms and dads in those days, so it was likewise cooked to near destruction.

Vegetables were categorically boiled, turning a wonderful stalk of broccoli into some obscene gray paste – I have a friend who is scared for life and cannot be in the same room as broccoli to this day. I would recommend psychological counseling, but I doubt it would help.

So let me shed light on the first five of the items on their list. My conclusions are based on extensive research, well five minutes of internet searching and a lot of years of just eating, so this is iron-clad.

Anchovies

For most Americans their exposure to anchovies is from a flat can. These are packed in oil and quite salty. They are also the basis of Caesar salad dressing, and some use them on pizzas.

Though I enjoy them straight on a cracker or in a salad, I do get why the strong salty-fishy flavor puts some off. Thankfully for the poor anchovy fish there is more to them than this. Here is what the fish looks like – cute little things. They range from 2 to 40cm, and there are more than 140 species.

It is common here in Europe to see them fried or grilled as in the photo. White anchovies are common around the Mediterranean, none of the salty fish flavor of the canned. They make a wonderful appetizer.

Black Licorice

In my childhood red or black rope licorice was sold from a jar by the stick, usually for a penny, which made it a popular item, even though it was usually pretty dried out. Today, moister ropes are available, and Australian licorice is a treat – it is soft and chewy. According to Livestrong.com licorice in moderation is a good sweet snack, far superior to most other candies.

Oysters

Of the top five on the list I can see this as the challenge for many people. For me, the best way to eat an oyster is raw on the shell, but I understand the squeamishness of some people – live, raw, and the texture. But that is not the only way to eat an oyster. Roasted in breadcrumbs as in Oyster Rockefeller, or in a chowder are quite different experiences. Even raw there are a variety of flavors, from mild to quite metallic. In Louisiana an oyster po’boy is a real treat.

Beets

There was a time in my life when I said that the only mistake God ever made was inventing beets. Over time I have learned that was based on my exposure to over-boiled muck.

First off learning that there are more than just red beets was an eye opener. Golden beets are quite a different taste, and roasted they are one of my favorites these days. Pickled red beets are pretty good in a salad; of course pickeling most anything makes it better. Mama Melina’s in Seattle makes a beet, walnut, and gorganzola salad that is quite good.

In addition to some actually great flavors, beets are anti-inflammatory, build up your immune system, good for your complexion, and boost energy, just to name a few of the benefits.

So like all of the others so far, our reaction is often tied to childhood experiences, and to a limited experience with varieties or preparations. Maybe you should do what I have done and give beets a second chance.

Blue Cheese

This would include Roquefort, the king of blue cheeses, gorgonzola, and a plethora of other cheeses with the distinctive blue mold. Only cheese from the region of Roquefort in France can use the name, all others are a form of blue cheese.

Blue cheeses vary in taste from very mild to strong, and from slightly sweet to salty or sharp; in colour from pale to dark; and in consistency from liquid or very soft to firm or hard.

Wikipedia

I love most any blue cheese, but if you aren’t a fan, maybe it is because you havent found the one you do like. The best salads have blue cheese crumbles sprinkled in, with a nice red-wine vinaigrette.

The rest of the items on the list might just surprise some people. Roasted Brussels sprouts are quite different from boiled, fried okra is not stringy, It is rare that Tricia and I boil anything, it takes out the flavors. Try steaming, or roasting instead, the results will be quite different and always better for you than boing out all the nutrition and flavor.

It is 11.00am as I write this, I am so glad it is getting close to lunchtime, all this thinking about food makes me hungry.

La Rochelle, Not New Rochelle

On By Terry ChristophersonIn France, Trips and travel4 Comments

La Rochelle is located in Nouvelle-Aquitaine on the Atlantic coast, about a four hour drive southwest of us. Though rich in history and reputation, thanks to the Dick van Dyke Show, my enthusiasm did not match Tricia’s though I never said anything. Every time she would mention going there, reminding me of the city’s frequent mentions in the book “A Bite Size History of France,” which we had both read, the first image that came to my mind was Dick van Dyke who lived in New Rochelle on his old TV show.

Well, we went to La Rochelle and I am so glad we did. It is one of my favorite places in France, hard to make a list of better places, and of course one of the criteria for a great place is the food, La Rochelle has some of the best we have had.

The Pont de I’le de Ré takes you to I’le de Ré. It is 19 miles long and 3 miles wide, with a number of small communities. We ate lunch at La Marine in the village of Saint-Martin-de-Ré. We ate outside next to the harbour and of course had seafood. Tricia had hake, which she said was great, I stole a bite and do agree. I had Cocotte de la Mer, a seafood stew of mussels, shrimp, langoustines, and shellfish, in a cream sauce all baked with a puff pastry crust. (You get just a peek of Tricia’s hake in the distance.)

A wonderful meal for sure, the sauce was so rich and the seafood perfect.

The next day we ate near the old harbour in La Rochelle. We had heard that Andre’s restaurant was the best in the area, but we passed by it as a bit touristy. Just a few yards down the street we stopped in front of Le Bistrot d’la Chaîne, greeted by the delightful owner we took a table, and we are so glad we did. Other bistrots around us and the crêperie across from us had more people, but I know none of them, including the patrons at Andre’s, had a better experience than we did.

We both had one of the best meals ever, the kind that makes it difficult to recall any other meal that was ever more enjoyable. The service was perfect, she helped us with our French, we watched a parade of people walking by, and spent a pleasant couple of hours on a warm but not hot day.

After an entrée of raw oysters our mains came. Tricia had scallops, I had grilled shrimp and risotto.

Thanks to Tricia for the photo

Travel is about learning and of course food. Two lessons from this trip. First off don’t let old blurry mental images prevent you from visiting a place you really have no sharp image of. The second lesson, which I have mentioned before, is to not rely too much on guide books or other bloggers, yep that includes me, for your decisions. You might go to Andre’s and have the meal of your life, or you might go to d’la Chaîne and wonder why we raved. All I know is we loved La Rochelle, and really loved the two meals we had there – we are pretty sure we will return.

So keep trying new places and tastes, you will discover the wonder of the world along the way.

A Bistro, an Auberge, or Both – You Choose

On By Terry ChristophersonIn France, Trips and travel7 Comments

Should you ever get near enough to meet-up with us in our rural part of Normandie for lunch we would recommend a choice between two places: Le Bistrot Saint Julien or Auberge de la Source. Both are about 15 minutes away.

The first restaurant we went to after moving into La Thebauderie was Le Bistrot Saint Julien. In another blog soon I will address the different terms for eating establishments here in France: Bistro, brasserie, auberge, café, bar, restaurant. We chose Saint Julien for the same reason we would take a visitor there, it is next door to the ruins of Château de Domfront, a place we were anxious to see. We have also discovered that in the Michelin Travel Guide for Normandie it is one of only two restaurants listed for Domfront.

A bistrot (bistro in English) is usually a smaller more casual place with a local feel about it. Most will have a menu du jour, which is always the best value. Bistrots usually follow the traditional opening hours of 12h00 to 14h00, though keep in mind that does not mean they accept seating until 14h00, we have been to many places that stopped seating at 12h30 – 13h00. Many reopen later for dinner, Saint Juliens re-opens at 19h00.

This is where we go most often for lunch, we rarely, well I guess never, go out for dinner in Normandie. You know when you have become a regular when instead of au revoir (good bye) when you leave, the owner says à bientôt (see you soon). We have been on à bientôt terms for some time now.

In addition to a changing menu du jour, which at any restaurant in France will have fish on Fridays, Julien’s has a menu of local specialities. One of our favorites are the many tartins. Here is one Tricia had, as always thanks for the photo.

Look at that wonderful chèvre! One of my favorite tartins is chorizo. When our friend Tim visited he was daring enough to try the andouillette, an acquired regional taste; as I remember he quite enjoyed it.

Here is another dish that Tricia had, cod on black rice, and one of my plates.

Auberge de la Source is located in the tiny village of Saint-Cyr-du-Bailleul.

Auberge translates into English as “inn” or “hostel.” Some do have rooms as well as a restaurant. Most tend to be a bit upscale from a bistro but not always – traditional and local products are the norm.

During the week Auberge de la Source only has a menu du jour, while on Friday and Saturday they have quite an extensive menu and no menu du jour, though they do have prix fix options. Like Saint Juliens it is operated by a husband and wife team, something that is quite common here in rural France. The chef at la Source is classically trained and it is evident as soon as you see the first dish, even if it is the apero.

We have had many great meals there, and will have more. Here are a few more photos, thanks again to Tricia for almost all of these in the blog, check other photos out on her blog.

There are plenty of places we go to eat, but these tend to be our most frequent stops. It is a pleasant characteristic of rural France that in some of the most out-of-the-way villages you discover a bistro or auberge, that may be quite plain in its exterior appearance, yet the food and experience is truly memorable. For Tricia and me that is one of the joys of travel, whether it is around where we live or in another country, we do love food – and of course we love it when friends join us.