grahamtigg
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Posts posted by grahamtigg
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la Maison de la Lozere is the name of building and the restaurant used to take the same name, now it's named after the chef and sommelier. I would also recommend this as the best all round Montpellier fine dining spot.
If your friend has wheels then there are a few restaurants of note within an hour ranging from Le Mimosa in St Guiraud (north west), the simpler Chez Philippe in Marseillan and the everyday La Reffinerie in Beziers.
There are plenty of details on my personal site www.languedoc-dining.com
Graham
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I am more familier with neighbouring Languedoc but by and large I would agree - reasonable places to eat are few are far between at all levels. A turbulant history and general poverty has much to do with it, Montpellier for example has catalysed some impovement in the Herault area over the past 10 years.
What I do like about the area is the diversity of cusine and ingredients - you basically get mountain, sea, planes with Provence and Catalan influences.
Graham
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While it's a bit further south in Mayenne I'd suggest Les Terraces at Javron-les-Chapelles. The chef is a brit Micael Greenway. All you need to know is on their fine site http://www.terrasse.fr
Graham
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Absolutely second Le Vieux Pont at Belcatel. The village itself is idylic, especially out of the tourist season like now. Note that spring comes late to the Aveyron. We will be making every effort to get there for lunch in early April having missed out last year.
Went to the Vieux Puits in Fontjoncouse in 1998 and have not been motivated to go back. Friends in the trade went a couple of years ago found it "so what". They are also very sensitive to the overall warmth of a place projected by the personalities behind an operation. Vieux Puits was cool to freezing and that matched our experience. Would love to hear how it's doing now.
Yves Thuriès at Cordes-sur-Ciel was always a dessert specialist. Went in the early '90s and a menu doucer consisting of ten desserts and little else was a speciality. Even the conventional menus had three desserts, all seriously sugar based.
As for La Table Saint-Crescent in Narbonne there are some very interesting dishes, creative but neither offbeat nor flamboyant. It needs to be approached as a simple restaurant in a contemporary setting. The building is also the marketing outlet for the regions wines (only AOC) and well worth a browse.
Another option just north of Narbonne is Le Relais de Pigasse on the Canal de Midi at Ouveillan. Had an impressive meal last autumn, much better than the dismal affaire experienced soon after it opened a couple of years before. There will be a new chef this year but Michelin don't seem to have heard as it still has a star.
Graham
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I notice Bras was mentioned in the Restaurant Mag survey as the most improved: we found it needed some improvement.
I'd be interested to know where Bras's restaurant is though to be lacking - can you elaborate on your experience a bit more? I assume that Restaurant Mag just published the survey results. Perhaps its been through a dull period.
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For a wine bar Jacques Melac, 42 Rue Leon Frot (Metro Charonne 11th). Ideal if you just fancy a plate of prime Auvergne cheese or some charcutery with a glass or bottle of well chosen country wine.
Sunday market - north from Bastille, goes on for ever.
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A few points: -
The French have to pay for their bank cards (about $32 a year) which is one reason why cheques are more popular.
For an extra fee they can have a bank card that delays debiting one's account for around 30 days. This makes it comparible to a credit card that's always paid off in full.
In Euro land cheques will only work in the country of the bank that issues them. Between Euroland countries banks will charge a fat handling fee. This will change eventually.
Those who bank in the UK may be interested to know that Nationwide's cards don't have a foreign exchange loading - typicall 2.5% in the UK
As well as not needing a signature, the point about storing a pin number on a French card is to avoid the need to make an authorisation transaction. This certainly speeds things up in restaurants and supermarkets (until someone writes a cheque that is
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In Montpellier I would suggest Anis et Canisses (47 Avenue de Toulouse, 04 67 60 59 37) as somewhere different - a small family run bistro serving Catalan dishes and great fun. The downside is that it's a mile south of the center (i.e. from the Place de Comedie/station area) but the busses are easy if you don't fancy walking or a taxi.
Otherwise wander around the old town and follow your nose for some al fresco dining. Mosaïque 21 rue Vallat 04 67 60 77 23 was good and simple a couple of years ago and they have tables in the square.
If you want somewhere at the michelin star level then go for Cellier-Morel at La Maison de la Lozère 27 Rue de l'Aiguillerie.
What happens between Montpellier and Clermont Ferrand?
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To go back to Can Roca we went there for lunch as a day trip from the Languedoc recently. We had the menu degustation and agree with Marina that there’s a good balance between the “conventional” and experimentation. The spring lamb was the star savoury dish and quite rightly with such an ingredient things were kept nice and simple, in fact I don’t recall the prune accompaniment. We also had the Anarchy dessert, but quite where it’s going to lead to I’ve no idea. For me the first dessert of a mixture of ripe soft “pink” fruits with exotic fruit sorbets and few subtle other happenings was delicious and satisfying. The three seafood dishes that preceded the lamb have not left much of an impression. Lightly cooked flaked skate with a backdrop of pineapple was too delicate for my tastes, and cold set stock used in two of the other dishes does not do a great deal for me either. Had it been 35 rather than 20 degrees outside it might have come across differently. I will also remember leaving with an appetite. Most of the early portion sizes were somewhat small – something that also added to the difficulty of assessing the earlier more delicate dishes.
The wine list is superb and international. We were seated in the first room that has no windows and fairly minimal decoration, perhaps a bit too much a temple of dining. All of this said, at 170 euros for two (includes wine, glass of cava, coffee) it's extraordinary good value.
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You cover a broad range of areas and terroirs - there must be scores and scores of regional dishes. Can you recommend some regional dishes with recipes that are particularly robust against being replicated in homes of the north, the UK for example?
By robust I mean that authentic ingredients and specialised cooking techniques aren't essential, and that they still taste good away from their natural habitat.
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If she picked an area such as Provence or the Languedoc, where there isn't a cow in sight, the article would have been somewhat different. Northern France in winter equals hearty food.
It's positive that she pointed out that selecting restaurants in France at random is a seriously risky business and highlighted the French requirement for eating out (luxury proteins).
She seems to have stopped short of saying the problem with places popular with the "journals" is that they're dominated by tourists. The only plus point I can think of for this is that it leaves less room for the French smokers.
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My suggestion would be to join a tutored wine tasting club or evening class, if that translates beyond the UK. That way you will learn how to taste and be able to compare wines together rather than by memory. You will also find out which wines you prefer without having to buy and open whole bottles.
Don't be put off that such events may be full of experts. Do some of the background reading recommended here and you will piece things together over time.
Another complimentary approach is to attend larger untutored events such as those hosted by wine merchants. Get on their mailing lists and you'll soon get invites. Entry usually costs as much as a modest bottle.
Of course I appreciate that the opportunities for this approach may be limited in remote areas
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Clearly Paris and the north of France aren't wine growing areas, but just about anywhere else in France has a local, or at least nearby adopted, wine. If you don't know what you want, try this. If nothing else it's an education about the region you're in.
On the subject of house wines then if these are no good, or at least poor value, then the restaurant is failing in a major way. Of course don't expect house wines to be more than simple, well made young wines that drink well. Invariably house wines will be "local" (excepting the north).
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You need to remove the core of course. I quarter them lenghtwise to do this. I then steam them for 5 mins or so and let them dry before roasting. The longer you roast them the more they seem to shrink, although this does concentrate the flavour.
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Interesting that there's been no mention of sprout tops. I find that they have the essential sprout flavour with the bitterness replaced by a hint of sweetness. This means that when cooked plain I prefer them.
On sprouts themselves sweet chestnuts work well as they counteract some of the bitterness.
Anyone know if a sprout fresh from the field as it were is less bitter than those that have been hanging around?
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I plugged in the toaster
This reminded me of the only thing I learn't (OK, food wise) in my student days. More an equipment technique that a recipe - cheese on toast made with a toaster.
Place two slices of bread in the same toaster slot and toast as usual. Butter the toasted slide and carefully top with sliced cheese, cheddar works well. Turn the toaster on its side and place the two slices (cheese side up of course) in the toaster and carefully slide in the toaster mechanism - this will now be a horizontal slide of course. Watch carefully
. When cooked gently 'pop up' your cheese on toast onto a plate. Spinkle with celery salt and tuck in.Notes:
1) turning the toaster timer to max. toasting helps prevent premature flying hot cheese on toast
2) An alternative to a controlled 'pop up' of the resulting meal is to use a fork to slide out the toast. Practice makes perfect.
3) Do not use too much cheese. This tends to melt and makes a real mess of the toaster (and some serious smells)
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Yes, thanks also for the list.
Having recovered from the
of seeing that le Relais de Pigasse (Capestang, 34) gets a star, what's interesting is that there are only three promotions to two stars.Is this a typical number or a record low? Does it tell us anything - have Michelin raised their standards; are restaurants not trying hard enough; is the Michenlin route being shunned?
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On aperatifs, I think there is also at least one that includes gentiane (with orange juice). There are likely two. Both are quite interesting.
Gentiane with réglisse (licorice) and Eau de sureau (elderflower). Obviously completely different. Order one each and share - definitely rings the changes.
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6 hours is not a long time to travel for a three-star in which one is (or was) interested. I have done that using public transportation from Paris to Megeve, for example.
We have travelled in a day from the Herault near Montpellier to Bras, and these days Vieux Pont in Belcastle (as the overall experience is more enjoyable), more than a dozen times. The overall drive time is nearer 7 hours or more because seeking out all the scenry on minor back roads is a big part of the day. The driving is also much more relaxed (less traffic) than the main roads. The big drawback is that a competent and enthusiastic navigator is essential.
I will stand by my Beziers to Clermont Ferrand suggestion. The journey times are the same as Montpellier, the train fare will be cheaper, there is less driving and, perhaps most importantly, you get to see a bit more of the Auvergne.
Much as I love Montpellier, I would sacrifice a night spent there to one in the Languedoc/Auvergne countryside.
I've never visited the Roquefort caves, but be warned that Roquefort-sur-Sulzon is one of the least attractive villages in France.
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The Montpellier options does look quicker. The train (there are just two a day) leaves Barcelona-Sants at 8:45 and arrives at Montpellier at 13:16. This train also stops at Beziers 12:36 that has the same drive time to Laguiole and a much less stressful drive to reach the open road. Allowing an hour for stops you will be at Bras before 5 p.m.
On the car hire front most of the big companies (Avis, Hertz) allow one way in France at no extra cost, so you could drive from Laguiole to Clermont-Ferrand (2 hrs) and pick up a train to Paris e.g. the 12:54 that arrives Gare de Lyon at 16:34. This will be much quicker than returning to e.g. Montpellier and takes in some new scenery.
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Toulouse to Rodez by train at two hours or so will be the quickest. There is also a line from Beziers to Clermont Ferrand that goes through Millau - very scenic, slow and only a couple of trains a day. The nearest town on the line to Bras is Marvejols - less that an hours drive over the Aubrac plateau. Whether you can hire a car there is another matter.
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It seems to me that if Mr. Parker has made scores of under performing estates sitting on prime vineyards pull their socks up, then that must be the greatest contribution by an individual to the world of wine since I don't know when. It's all very exciting having garagistes and young turks performing alchemy in some (historically) marginal vineyard, but the wine world surely wants presumably proven grand cru land to perform at maximum.
On the scoring system it's worth mentioning the he also rates estates/growers in each region with a star system. For areas such as the Languedoc this is more useful than notes on individual wines as new tasting notes from this region only seem to appear every few years. Class growers generally make good wine in naff years, or will de-classify it appropriately.
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I shall be interested in hearing about your reaction to les Magnolias
We found Le Perreux (in daylight) to be a relatively prosperous suburb near the north bank of the Marne to the west of Paris. It’s as easy to get to as anywhere in Paris by public transport – a five minute walk from Nogent-le-Perreux RER station on line E or about a mile or so from Nogent sur Marne on line A, both less than 30 mins. ride from the centre of Paris.
The menu offers three courses for Euro 42. We swapped plates hence notes on six dishes. Their web site has an up to date menu so I've included the 'title' of the dishes.
Amuse bouches of tomato jelly in three layers (the top being a foam) and various diced vegetables with embedded sherbet bombs that pop in your mouth.
Cookies de Lapereau au Grué, Ile Flottante de Cornichons à la Sarriette
et finger de condiment, giboulée de pain de campagne à votre gout
The cookies were delicious moist chestnut flour cakes with nuts, olives and rabbit meat. In the dish itself flaked rabbit meat was in a milky sauce topped with a green (sarriette herb flavoured I assume) mousse. A sublime way to express the relatively delicate flavour of rabbit.
Sensation de Risotto au Céleri Vert "al dente", Lingot de Saumon Fumé
râpée de jeune mangue mêlée de nos poivres
Here appropriately sized pieces of green celery replace the rice giving a clean refreshing counterpoint to the smoked salmon and some interesting bread sticks.
With the entrées come further amuse bouches. Shallots with popcorn, an interesting gin, tonic and lemon liquid and foam creation and a more conventional scallop in a light cream sauce.
Confusion de Cabillaud Poélé Adouci à la Confiture de Lait
nasse de sarrasin remplie d'un retour de pêche fructueuse
Slice of big flaked cod topped with a moist tube buckwheat wrapped around some sweet bits of cod (perhaps from the cheek?).
Oiseau de Rivière Arrosé de Génépi, Croûte de Pollen et Café Torréfié
dés de potirons ensevelis de trévise craquante
Mallard like wild duck breast (i.e. quite dark meat) with small cubes of pumpkin and a trickle of delicate honey and coffee sauce. Can’t say I detected the génépi (apparently it’s an aromatic alpine plant).
With the plats came tepid strong mint tea with orange, mash potato that Robuchon would have been proud of and (to eat last) a mustard macaroon that was far too strong for me.
Evoquant Pain d'Epice aux Parfums de Carottes et Cumin
crème glacée fromage blanc et tuile à grappiller aux arômes de canelle
Sort of carrot cake with spices (but not too sweet), fromage frais ice cream and a tuile with red fruit berries.
Ozonique de Thé à Croquer au Jasmin, Potager de Fruits Rouges
arrondi d'une onctueuse mousse de fraises au poivre de cubebe
Berries on a base of bean shoots wrapped with blanched white cabbage leaf and strawberry sorbet. The poivre de cubebe gave extraordinary lingering hits of spicy mint. The ozonique came as a separate foam topped liquid. Best dessert I’ve had for ages.
Petites fours were relatively conventional but good.
A simple Bourgueil was an ideal luncheon wine that didn't detract from the food.
Jean Chauvel’s dishes give the impression that he can achieve anything technically and his creativity seems reasonably sound – safe hands for offering this sort of fare which is rare. There is much reliance on delicate interplays between several of ingredients. Most of this works well and there are plenty of highs to contemplate. The ongoing amuse bouches certainly add fun and interest if nothing more. The clientele seemed to all be French; the staff generally exuded enthusiasm for the venture and, at the moment, it’s a pricing miracle.
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Otherwise at La Regalade I asked for names of places the chef liked. Unfortunately the list his wife(?) gave me is still in France. However, Yves Camdeborde has done a cookbook with some of those chef-restaurateurs. Anyone out there have it?
The four are Thierry Faucher (L'Os à Moelle), Thierry Breton (Chez Michel), Rodolphe Paquin (Le repaire de Cartouche) and of course Yves Camdeborde (La Régalade).
You will find details and some brief notes here
On the interesting one star front we're actually booked in to Les Magnolias for lunch next week, plus we're returning to Le repaire de Cartouche, so more feedback on these will be available before you go.
Pyrenees: Central & Orientale
in France: Dining
Posted
I've not raked through Pyrénées Orientals as much as the Herault but in the Michelin mould I would recomment Les Feuillants in Ceret. They have a restaurant and simpler Bistro and are close to the modern art galery.
Nearer to Fitou is La Ferme de Fontfroide at the Abbey de Fontfroide, haven't been since chef David Moreno located here but he can certainly cook when on form. Also nearby is the L'Auberge de Vieux Puits at Fontjoncouse that hasn't pleased us and people I know as much as Michelin.
I would second Collioure. It's a great place to wander round (market on Wednesday I recall). Get your anchovies from Roque by the railway line. There are plently of restaurants in the back streets - follow your nose. In the centre the Hotel Fregate should still do staple catalan dishes.
In Narbonne La Table Saint-Créscent (on the Perpignan road, easy parking) offers excellent value. It's housed in the wine promotion building - a convenient way to pick up local wines and other gift shop item (but only AOC wines, another topic).
Graham