Pyrenees: Central & Orientale

[Bux]

I just want to remind all of you interested in the food of Roussillon, the Languedoc the Midi Pyrenees, Aquitaine and the Basque region, that we have a Q&A with Maria Chang author of Tastes of the Pyrenees, Classic and Modern. This is a cookbook with recipes from both sides of the Pyrenees, but it's more than a cookbook as well. I'd like to invite you all to ask whatever questions you have about the food in the region to Ms. Chang whose work is the product of good research and a love of the food. Pertinent questions about cookbooks in general are also welcome as are questions about how one the author came to write a first cookbook. If you haven't got any questions, you might want to read the excepted text from the book that's posted in the Q&A forum as well as look at the three French recipes and one Spanish recipe Marina has shared with us. Let me also remind you that the publishers will be giving away copies of the book to five lucky participants in the Q&A.

[Silly Disciple]

Hi,

I'll be visiting some friends in Perpignan and Fitou (I live in Barcelona), and although I like them a lot, I won't stay inside for four full days . So I'm asking you, fellow egulleters, for any food suggestions and/or recommendations in the area that are worth considering, from restaurants to little shops, anything and everything. I did a quick search on the forum but it seems like the area in not particularly interesting?

Thanks in advance.

Silly.

[menton1]

Actually, we have discussed this area a couple of months ago. I again want to put in my rec for the Chateau de Riell, in Molitg-les-Bains, just 15km from Prades. A breathtaking setting combines with a lovely restaurant. Although it seems they have lost their Michelin status, this should still be a terrific experience. Here's the thread:

Pyrenées Orientales Egullet Thread

Chateau de Riell Website

Edited October 8, 2004 by menton1 (log)

[Bux]

There's a one star restaurant in the Hotel du Parc in Perpignan. We ate there many years ago. I think it lost the star and gained it back. Probably not even the same chef as when we ate there. Collioure has a one star restaurant. Collioure is a nice town with small beaches saved from over development by its surrounding mountains, or hills. We haven't eaten at the starred restarant, unable to get a reservation the last time we passed through. One star often doesn't mean too much in an area not known for food. Our last meal in Perpignan, at an unstarred, but not cheap, restaurant in Perpignan was disappointing. We have friends in the area, but eating out here is losing its charms. You should be able to get your hands on good cheese. There's excellent cow, goat and sheep cheese made to the north and west. Good anchovies are packed in Collouire, but then you're coming from Catalunya and can get that at home. There may be cracks in my francophilia, but one goes to Catalunya from this part of France for good food.

[menton1]

I respectfully disagree with the last comments.

In spite of the lack of Michelin restaurants, I don't hold that as a guide to getting good food. We have talked ad nauseum here about Michelin and the lack of credibility as well as the limitations of their small staff and the vast area they have to cover. I suspect that this area, being "off the beaten track" is of little interest to Michelin and they probably get there once every 5 years.

The border here between France and Spain is rather translucent, the Catalonian culture superceding the French and Spanish ones. The area is quite beautiful, with a variety of seashore and mountain terrain. There are terrific coastal delicacies, mussels, fish varieties, and famous Collioure anchovies. There is a lot of olive oil-garlic-herb based cooking in the mountains...

Like most areas of France, the most unheralded of places can yield terrific surprises. When we traveled through this area, there were wonderful no-name restaurants in Prades, Perpignan, Port-Vendres, and Collioure. The food on the French side will be just as rewarding as on the Spanish side.

[grahamtigg]

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

[Bux]

There is a sympathetique place WSW of Narbonne in St. Pierre des Champs or Peyrans. The latter may not even appear on most maps, but may served useful as a direction once you've reached St. Pierre. This is by no means a destination place to eat and the accomodations may well be superior or more interesting than the food, although they are both really part of a whole. La Fargo is a small hotel rooted in a very rural countryside and run by Christophe and Dominique Morellet. He is the son of the artist Francois Morellet and also the brother of the owner of Florient restaurant in NY, although this may be the anthical place to eat with no buzz and no scene.

Christophe is not a professional cook, but an amateur in the best sense of the word. His food is simple, and his products are as local as possible and as organic as possible. We stayed here and had dinner a couple of years ago and with the caveat that this will never be a starred restaurant, we can recommend it, although I'd check first to even see if they're serving dinner to non overnight guests that night. He cooks and she will tell you about the wines on the list. They all seemed to come from vineyards located a stone's throw from the restaurant which has a large modern fireplace at one corner and lots of french windows which open in the summer with several areas for open dining under a canopy of grapeleaves.

When we were there the table was set with bread and a black olive puree. The menu offered a choice of three appetizers, three main courses, cheese and dessert. We started with the Tart Mado (tomato tart) with serrano ham with a wonderful fruity olive oil and home grown lettuce, and fresh sardines demi-sel (lightly cured) on top of cold crushed potatoes with olive oil and chopped diced peppers, tomatoes and onions with lettuce. We asked about the tomato tart and were told it was an old family recipe from Christophe's grandmother which they spiced up a little more and serve cold rather than warm as grandma used to serve it. It was perfect as a summer starter.

Main course offerings were two fish dishes and one of lamb. We choice the roast lamb which came cooked perfectlyrosé with onions, carrots, zucchini sticks lightly sauteed (still a little crunchy in style that was more American than French) and a very creamy potato gratin.

We then had a plate of three cheeses, cow, sheep and goat. Alternatively, there was a choice of fresh sheep cheese with honey. There was also a clafouti of black cherries. It looked wonderful but we were too full to try it. The local wine is Corbières and the bottle we had from their selection, was wonderfully fruity with a little spiciness that went very well with the lamb.

The Morellets are friends of friends and I was reminded of la Fargo because we had dinner last night with one of those friends. We were enjoying a NY restaurant meal that was excellently prepared, but still elicited a comment from me asking why pigeon in France of Spain is usually so full of flavor and why the one I was having in NY, had so little flavor. Our friend in turn was reminded of a story Christophe had told her about a diner who complained that the flavor of the duck was too strong. She may not have known, but did not say, if the diner was American, French or some other nationality. Christophe's rely however was to ask the diner if she was saying that her duck tasted too much of duck. We found the Morellet's most charming, but I'd only go if you love real food. There was another story told last night and it was of Morellet's reply to a woman whose only comment about her pintade (organically raised at a neighboring farm) was that there was a pin feather still on the bird. I understand the woman was frantic and Christope less than sympathetic.

I have the following numbers in my files.

tel 04 68 43 12 39 - 04 68 43 12 78 - fax 04 68 43 29 20

[PS]

Several searches on the France forum, together with John's compendium at the top of the page, have left me with the impression that there ain't a lot of good eats in the Central Pyrenees. Please prove me wrong with your responses to this post...

We're going to be staying near Tarbes for a week in July, but the only recommended eatery I've been able to dig up within a reasonable drive is Chez Ruffet (which I am interested in - can someone give me an idea of the likely cost per head there?).

Surely there are some decent small local establishment as well?

And while we're at it, what are the local specialities that we should be seeking out? I'm all for steak with bearnaise sauce, but I'd like to think there's more to local cuisine than that.

Thanks in advance,

Philip

[John Talbott]

Several searches on the France forum, together with John's compendium at the top of the page, have left me with the impression that there ain't a lot of good eats in the Central Pyrenees.

Philip

←

Philip - Thanks for doing the research before asking the question; unfortunately, though, I think you're correct. There aren't a lot of choices. However, we found, that in this area, we could count on our local B&B or hotel person to recommend good eats. It's not Ducasse/Robuchon/etc but it's not bad grub.

Start a topic, tho', after you've gone, we'll be listening.

John

[Dave Hatfield]

John's right, not a lot, but here's a link to a thread from last year.

Chilo was good and Chez Ruffet was excellent. Also, check out Chateau Vyella they make excellent wine & they do some meals during the summer as well as having entertainment. Can't lay my hands on their schedule right now, but it should be on their website.

As to local cuisine, there are lots of Basque specialties in the area. Don't leave without buying some Piment de Espellon.

[algy]

http://www.alain-ducasse.com/ostape/

too far to go?

[Judith Gebhart]

John's right, not a lot, but here's a link to a thread from last year.

Chilo was good and Chez Ruffet was excellent. Also, check out Chateau Vyella they make excellent wine & they do some meals during the summer as well as having entertainment. Can't lay my hands on their schedule right now, but it should be on their website.

As to local cuisine, there are lots of Basque specialties in the area. Don't leave without buying some Piment de Espellon.

←

We endorse the cuisine of Chez Ruffet which is near Pau. They are a talented bunch and have excellent prices for their various menus. We give it our full endorsement. Now Ostape was a Ducasse endorsed location but no more. We visited it once and found it very acceptable. It is not worth the journey.

You will find a great eating venture and a bargain visiting Chez Ruffet.

If you want an extraordinary experience, we recommend Hegia. We are about to report our last two remarkable visits to this French Basque destination. Judith Gebhart

[PS]

Chez Ruffet it is then!

Thanks for your responses. To be honest, I'm very happy with local magret de canard places, so a Chez Ruffet trip, followed by a few local eateries and the odd picnic will suit me fine. I will certainly report back on anything else of note we find.

We've got a week near Gaillac as well, where we'll aim for a couple more higher-end places that we know already (probably Chateau de Salettes, La Falaise, and we may even get across to Hotel Auguy in Laguiole if we fancy a longer trip for some knives...). Cannot wait!

Thanks

Philip

[Abra]

It's Autoroute food, but for an excellent alternative to the roadside Aire cafeteria meals, try the Restaurant Le Rustique near the Tarbes Est exit. Ok, probably no one here will admit to needing a no-star autoroute meal, but I know you're out there.

At Le Rustique the servers are hilarious, dressed all in black sort of track suits, and wearing, I kid you not, shiny silver shoes. They literally run about the restaurant, even sweating a bit, calling out orders, and can feed you reasonably well in under an hour. An 8 Euro plat du jour of veal with olives was deemed quite good by my dining companions, and my cepes omelette came with a nice little pumpkin flan as well as a garlic-roasted tomato and a mound of frites for 13 Euros. We saw other tables ordering paté, which was served as a giant platter for the diners to help themselves, the same platter being then offered to the next table to order it. Possibly unhygeinic, but definitely copious.

I'm not recommending that you take a trip to Tarbes for the purpose of eating there, but it's a fun and good break from the road, with a huge amount of food at a very reasonable price.

Edited November 5, 2007 by Abra (log)

[John Talbott]

Host's Note

I've fleshed out the title a bit with cities/etc mentioned above so that members doing searches can search more easily.

[PS]

Cheers John. I realise I haven't reported back on our experience.

In the end, we tended to stick to smaller local places. Near Gaillac, Le Romuald in Lisle-sur-Tarn was a good bet - we're been there each time we've holidayed in the area - it's reliable, has friendly service and does a good magret de canard cooked over a fire.

La Falaise was an enjoyable meal, although I'm afraid the details are fading from my memory. It was a pleasant, unrushed dinner sitting on the terrace at the back.

Down toward the Pyrenees, I'm afraid we didn't unearth much of note. Several standard issue hotels doing an average prix fixe lunch and a pizza place in Lourdes (the pizza was good, but I'll not be sorry if I never see Lourdes again...).

However, Chez Ruffet was magnificent and the undoubted food highlight. The menu as built around tomatoes, and was just faultless. Very good, pleasant service as well.