Gabrielle Claudine

The new team, Sebastian and David, offered a wide variety of entrees and mains. I began with the “deconstructed” gazpacho de tomate fondant, tartare de saumon au gingembre! It seems that liquid “soup” is currently out of fashion, at least at the Fables, because my gazpacho was “jellied” – there was no liquid soup at all, rather, the tomato portion was congealed, as in an aspic. Not to my taste. On top of the “aspic” was a layer of puréed avocado. The whereabouts of the saumon and gingembre remain a mystery. As you can tell, this was not to my taste. The accompanying toast with a basil/oil “spread” was delicious. For my main course, I had a second entrée: the “croustillants de langoustines au basilic.” Four very tasty langoustines had been deep fried and were served with a dipping sauce that seemed to have mustard as a key ingredient. They were delicious, even though I did not connect with the basil that was listed in the ingredients. For dessert, I had rice pudding with apricots – good, but not as wonderful as my gold standard, still on offer at L’Ebauchoir in the 12th arr. The cost of our meal for four was 196 €.

My notes: (1) Chateau de Montfrin: full, rich, strong. (2) Moulin a Huile Paradis: pale and light, not intense. (3) Moulin de L'Olivette: has some zip (4) Domaine de Marquiliani: bland (5) Huile d'olive de Nyons: nondescript (6) Moulin Jean Marie Cornille: very flavorful, cloudy. (7) Chateau Virant: more like #1 - intense. (8) J Leblanc has zip I voted first for (7) the Chateau Virant (I bought this at Bon Marche because it was from Aix and I didn't think anyone else was bringing something from Aix.)

Wonder of wonders - a new restaurant in Baltimore that I look forward to returning to soon. Spices, the new name for a venue that has housed mostly "so so" restaurants in the Inn at the Colonnade, just north of the Johns Hopkins Campus, has a very interesting menu - hence my desire to return and try other dishes. A new owner and chef and sommelier (direct from Vintage, outside of Boston in West Roxbury) bodes well! Our first dinner there gave us the chance to try only two dishes and they were delicious: pork loin with cabbage and a vegetarian dish, including eggplant, tomatoes, artichokes, a touch of lemon, olive oil and spices along with a side of quinoa with most interesting flavors. The wine, a Spanish red was a bit pricey for a quick supper but the full wine cellar has yet to be installed. (We dined on the third day the restaurant was open). We chose to skip dessert but understand that all are made at Spices. We have high hopes for this new neighborhood spot. 4 West University Pkwy Tele - 410-235-8200.)

For a girls night out I"d opt for LeTemps au Temps - we have had lunch there twice and were very pleased; its small but the food and service were terrific!

I hope that someone will be able to answer the question about the safety of plastic sacks used in sous vide "cooking". I continue to be concerned about this matter and will not feel comfortable using this techinique until some "expert" addresses this topic.

To add to the thread, we had a novel experience today: While dining in a small (18 covers, no ventilation) but very good restaurant in the 11th Arr., we noticed a couple, who had no reservation, convince the chef’s wife to permit them to sit at the bar. She agreed; immediately they began to smoke and drink. Soon another couple at the table in front of us finished their meal and the couple at the bar asked to take their places at the table. Again, Madame agreed. As soon as they sat down, the man prepared to light another cigarette. Immediately, an older French woman sitting at the table next to ours said in French, essentially: “Monsieur, please, I’m allergic to smoke”. He put out his cigarette. Within a short time, a new couple arrived and was seated next to the ‘smokers’. The male smoker immediately engaged the new arrivals in small talk about the ‘freedom’ to smoke. And, very soon the male smoker began to fondle a cigarette and eventually he lit it; apparently feeling supported by the new arrivals. Right away, the woman next to us signaled Madame and protested. Madame admonished the smoker to cease. Indeed, we think she told him and his companion to leave. We’re delighted that the French themselves have decided to complain, so it’s not always we “American puritans” who desire smokeless good food experiences.

Thanks very much for your suggestions - I'll check them out!

We want to treat our kids and grandchildren to lunch in the Baltimore city/county area. We do not want brunch. We do not care about the decor, but want an affordable, good meal of any ethnicity for 10 people. If possible we would like a restaurant where the 3-8 year olds can get up from the table & run around from time to time.

A friend would like to join eGullet but cannot do it due to the revamping of the site. So, I'm enquiring for her and her daughter: where to find inventive restaurants/bistros and suggestions for things to do in Montpellier and the surrounding area.