milkman

Anyone visiting in Strasbourg and wanting a pleasantly tasty, quick, lunch should try Porcus Dei, 6, place du Temple Neuf 67000 Strasbourg which is near to the main shopping area. The main restaurant is on the first floor above the Porcus charcuterie but, in summer, there are also tables in a quietish pedestrianised square behind the shop. The main restaurant room is light and airy and at each end are attractive large marqueteries of Alsace scenes by Spindler (there are small photos on the Porcus web site http://tinyurl.com/27lt8u ). The dishes are typical of Alsace although served in smaller (more manageable!) portions. There is a large choice including a limited number of non-pork dishes. The set menu costs 16.50€ for two courses and 18.50€ for three courses including beer/water/glass of wine. The photograph shows two starters, a plate of charcuterie and a bibeleskäs with smoked ham (a type of quark/curd cheese) and two main courses. This was followed by a delicious bilberry and fromage blanc tart. ---------------------------- For an even lighter lunch or just a snack while shopping, L'Epicerie 6, rue du Vieux Seigle 67000 Strasbourg offers a large selection of tartines (slices of bread with hot of cold spreads) and salads at very reasonable prices. It is situated on a narrow pedestrianised street and has tables outside. L'Epicerie is has a distinctive atmosphere, styled very much as an old-fashioned grocery store/bar with dim lighting. Sharing tartines:

I've not had any problems taking photographs in any restaurants - see the Restaurants in Alsace and Lorraine thread http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=102842 I just use a small digital camera and make sure I have the flash turned off. However, I've then noticed others, having seen me take photographs have started taking their own - with the flash on. And flash is annoying!! ...and now I'm back from a rather long summer break (England and Greece - but no food worth reporting on) I'll start adding to the Alsace/Lorraine thread again - although I must admit in the short time I've been back we've also been catching up with good food at our old favourites so I'll probably include some short repeat reports/new images of those as well.

Is that a typo, or some food term I haven't come across before? ← Brick is used in France for very thin pastry of the type known as filo (eastern Med) or B'stilla ( North African)

Epinal is now connected to Paris by a TGV so the train service is now somewhat quicker. Les Ducs de Lorraine 5, rue de Provence, 88000 Épinal (one Michelin star, 16/20 in GaultMillau) has not been on our list of places to visit; for a long time the web site was inaccessible and, when we've passed by, the menu outside was in a rather sad uninviting state. But, when we did visit, it turned out to be a pleasure to park on the tree-lined river bank and walk through the ornamental railings towards an elegant mansion from the belle époque. We swept up the stone staircase and into a dark panelled hallway, off which opened a large airy room, with lemon coloured walls, long windows and dripping chandeliers. Its tables were crisp with linen cloths and bristling with cutlery and glasses. A traditional French restaurant, complete with waiters in waistcoats and striped trousers. Badly done, these stage-effects can be off-putting and snobbish, but there was a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere. It was a warm day and our fellow diners were already ensconced outside under the awning of the more informal terrace. We chose the 32€ menu which has four choices for each of the starter and main courses and a dessert trolley. Amuse bouche - cream cheese mousse with a tomato and basil couli (our only regret was some other diners were given a flaming brulée which we did not get an opportunity to sample) First course Snail ravioli in a garlic and cream sauce or Homard rillette on potato wrapped in smoked salmon Main course Gallette of lamb on a bed of ratatouille or Brochette of lapereau or whole calf kidney (!) Desserts from the trolley - choice was not a problem as one could mix and match discreetly, a few cherries, melon, peaches, strawberries, white chocolate and nut gateau, peach tart, rhubarb tart, cheese cakes, crème anglais ... and then, unbeknown to us, some, like the skewers of fresh fruits and the tarte tatin, were whisked away to be grilled or reheated and garnished with fresh fruit and sorbet ... so after cold and then hot desserts we lingered over a leisurely coffee! A very enjoyable and tasty meal - and we will certainly be returning in the near future.

Our recent visit to Au Vieux Couvent, 6, rue des Chanoines, 67860 Rhinau (Michelin one star, GM 15) made us all wonder whether we were wrong about the food, whether we just went on an off day (father Jean Albrecht was chef for lunch rather than the son Alexis), or whether the guide evaluations are just inconsistent? Not that there was anything particularly wrong with the food as such. However, taste-wise we all thought it was just bland and uninteresting and the presentation unexciting. Perhaps what we were served might once have been considered enough for the ratings but, given the number of other restaurants offering much tastier, better presented menus for a similar cost, we found this restaurant very disappointing and one we are unlikely to revisit. Menu Gourmand (35€) Amuse buche Hemerocallis lily stuffed with hummous and sesame seeds and with asparagus jelly in a parmesan sauce (the parmesan was the over-riding flavour and not even a hint of asparagus) Starters -Carpaccio de boeuf, sauce au safran, schum de citron (was there any saffron in the sauce?) -Le Ravioli de pomme de terre au pesto et voile de pancetta -Fine tranches de veau au thon, valses d'herbes et fleurs sauvages (the sauce drowned the flowers) Main course -la lasagne comme la fait la Nonna comme à Novara (no better than can be bought frozen) -Risotto <<Violane Nano>> primavera (too much cheese) -filet de cannette en croûte de jambon de San Daniel, polenta moelleuse à la mascarpone, tomates cerises sautées aux amandes (safe and unremarkable flavours) Le dessert du jour Italian grape sorbet in hazelnut biscuits with vanilla ice cream and with fresh fruits

There are several recipes using sumac in the Moro Cookbook by Sam and Sam Clark: courgette, pinenut and herb omelette; feta, spinach and pinenut salad; seared sirloin salad with barley and grapes; and grilled marinated swordfish. I particularly like the seared sirloin salad.

Can anyone help me in identifying the original name/use for this piece of Le Creuset cast ironware. The top plate is the size of a dinner plate. Was it for cooking food at the table or was it just for keeping food warm while allowing juices/fats to run to the edge? It isn't in the current catalogue and I can't see anything like it on the internet. I bought it at a French flea market.

If you Google for "galette au sucre" (include the quotation marks) you will find recipes which either use baking powder (levure chimique/alsacienne) or yeast (levure) - they'll give different results. And if you Google for "galette a la creme" you will find recipes (in French). It rather depends what flavour of galette you want the filling to contain - frangipane, almonds, marron, hazelnut, lemon, coconut.....I don't know what the Perouges version contains.

The Auberge Blanche Neige 692 Les Eveaux, 68910 Labaroche (GaultMillau 15) is probably our favourite restaurant judging by the very regular visits we make and our continuing appreciation of the tastes we encounter! The head chef, Mike Germershausen, is one of the GaultMillau Jeune Talents for 2007. He likes to introduce Asian flavours into his cuisine and we certainly appreciate his light cooking style with often challenging flavours. The Auberge Blanche Neige is not that easy to find and is well away from the Alsace tourist trail. We believe it is very much under-rated (not that we want it so well patronised we cannot get a table whenever we want one!!). The Auberge is in Les Eveaux, a commune some way from the centre of the village of Labaroche but well signposted off the Labaroche-Les Trois Epis (D11) road. It is situated at over 700m so the terrace has good views of the Vosges and Alsace plain but winter snow can make access difficult. The restaurant, which has only been open for a few years, is in an old colonie de vacances which has been restyled in a modern manner by the architects who have also worked for Auberge de l'Ill and Paul Bocuse à Collonges. The whole team is young, enthusiastic, and welcoming. Aperitifs (beetroot and tomato-olive butters) Menu Découverte (39€) Amuse bouche: watermelon soup and crevette Le Cappuccino de Crustacés, Cannellonis de Langoustines et Viande de Grison or L’œuf Poché à la Mayonnaise de Truffe Noir et ses Asperges Poêlées Le Filet de Truite du Val d’Orbey, Ragoût de Fenouil à la Crème et ses Pralins croustillants de Riz predessert: peach couli and tonka bean cream La Soupe de Rhubarbe à la Vanille, Chips de Poivre Vert et Parfait glacé Yaourt Cardamome coffee with petits fours of apple tarts, chocolate ice creams, and pear eau de vie truffles

Just out of curiosity... what is the poor man's asparagus? ← Poireau = Leek see http://wittylink.com/547504

La Table du Gourmet, 5 rue de la 1 ere Armee, 68340 Riquewihr (Michelin 1 star; GaultMillau 16/20) is within an old house which has been decorated in a modern style. For anyone over about 5 foot 6 inches (170cm) in height the beams are something to remember (an English pub with similar low beams would undoubtedly have a notice saying duck or grouse!) Again a lunchtime visit (the Friday before a public holiday weekend) and, as with our previous winter/spring lunchtime visits, less that half a dozen customers. Riquewihr is a town with many tourists (the car parks were full at lunchtime this day) and they must prefer eating in the evening! I find myself at odds with my companions over the food this restaurant. No hors d'oeuvres with the aperitifs, no amuses bouches, etc.; most of the courses we have had have just required assembly with little or only simple cooking. My companions have always found the food to be enjoyable but I've found it is somewhat lacking in agreeable tasty surprises. MENU " ALSACE " son Terroir renouvelé (39€) Tartelette Flambée en Mise en Bouche Dégustation de - Bâton de Foie gras de Canard sur Asperge du Pauvre, Aigre-doux au Gewurztraminer - Presskopf comme la Grand-Mère, Bouton de Fleur de Pissenlit - Omble chevalier du Val d’Orbey, un peu Fumé, Feuilles et Fleurs, Crème Battue à la Livèche Volaille fermière d’Alsace aux Feuilles Aromatiques, Bouillon Moussé au Gewurztraminer Vacherin glacé au lait Citron et sorbet Fruits rouges Confits à l’eau de Vie Menu of the Day (28€) Vegetable tempura Cod with vegetables in an oriental soup Caramelised banana, chocolate in filo, cassis sorbet

As a region, Alsace will give you all you want. About as far from the sea as you can get! There are not too many ex-pats. English isn't a problem. Possibly more starred restaurants then any region except for the Paris area. Looking somewhere between Strasbourg and Colmar would be a good starting point. If you choose a village on the Rhine plain it will probably be as hot in summer as the south of France. Or for somewhere with a bit more variation in climate you could find somewhere closer to the Vosges mountains and live among the vineyards. http://www.tourisme-alsace.com/en/

As I live in Lorraine near to the border with Alsace, I thought I'd start a new thread on some restaurants on the area which is not otherwise very well represented in this forum. We are a small group of English retired professionals. We have been eating out together regularly at restaurants ranging from lorry driver halts to starred restaurants for several years. I'll share some of them with you as we visit the both old favourites and new finds in the future months. We usually dine out at lunchtime given the travelling distances (and the winter weather if going over the Vosges). --------------------- Last week we were at a one of our reliable favourites, the Auberge Frankenbourg, 13, rue du Général-de-Gaulle, 67730, la Vancelle (Michelin one star/GM 15). The Frankenbourg isn't difficult to find as there are only two restaurants in la Vancelle, a small village in the Vosges mountains foothills and to the west of Selestat. The restaurant is in a family run hotel and the greeting on entering the traditionally styled dining room is always warm - not that the presentation of the food is Alsace traditional. It is wise to book at lunchtime as the Frankenbourg as it has a lot of business trade on weekday (although they can usually accommodate a one or two couples who just turn up); the exception is Saturday lunchtime when they are often very quiet. The menus are changed weekly/fortnightly and range from a simple basic 12€ set lunchtime menu for those in a hurry through to le Decouverte at 60€. We often choose the 28€ Tradition d'Alsace set menu or the Tentation (33€) which has two choices for each course and includes a glass of wine with starter and main course. There is a reasonable selection of French wines, including a good Alsace list with prices starting at about 22€/bottle; there is a limited selection of wines by the glass. Given the driving distance, we usually dine at lunchtime. We've got to know the staff well over the years. Madam has provided useful information to friends who have collected fungi in autumn and wondered about their edibility. Last week we all chose the set Gourmet 44€ and, as usual, had an enjoyable meal with some interesting taste surprises in friendly surroundings. Amuse bouche - tomato soup jelly with herb cream + fois gras + guacamole + gamba . starter - Fois de canard poché à la vanille et vin de Maury, confit de poire ivre de vin . fish course - Tartare de thon à la coriandre, salade d’herbes et pousses en vinaigrette acidulée . main course -Coeur de filet de boeuf, béarnaise, pommes pont neuf, pointes d’asperges au parmesan . cheese course - Comté, confiture de tomate verte . predessert - mousse de fraises . dessert - Pana cotta à la rhubarbe, madeleine tiède . or raspberry and pistachio mille feuille and pistachio ice cream (for someone who doesn't like rhubarb!) . apres-dessert . and chocolate with coffee!