Luberon, Aix, Cote D'Azur

[Katie Meadow]

My first post! I've done my homework by reading many threads, but now I'll get specific. We are traveling the first week of Oct in Provence and the Cote d'Azur. Our towns are as follows: Roussillon, L'isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Aix, Bormes-les-Mimosas, and one night in Nice to catch the train to Venice. Sounds like every restaurant in Nice is shut on Sunday except for the Bar Socca: fun but not relaxing. By that time I will be cooked, and any suggestions for a modest friendly bistro/brasserie in the old town would be appreciated. IF they are open Sunday evening.

We would like to eat mostly at cafes and bistros, with a few splurges thrown in. I prefer fresh ingredients without a lot of pretense or architectural construction. A great steak frites can make me happy or a plate of beautiful vegetables or a perfectly grilled trout just pulled from the river. I'm fussy, but I don't like fussy food, if you know what I mean. I would like bourride and bouillabaisse, but I'm not going to dine chez Bacon; the Brangelina crowd and the prices are not in this life (or the next) for me.

Roussillon: anyone eaten at Brasserie L'ocrier or Le Bistro de Roussillon? What about side trips (lunch) in nearby towns? Cucuron, Gordes, Goult? I've heard raves about Cafe de la Fontaine in Lourmarin. The town of Cucuron is calling to me; I know it's very small. Ideas there?

L'isle-sur-la-Sorgue: L'oustau de L'isle sounds appealing for a splurge dinner. Le Jardin du Quai? Any other ideas?

Also we will take a day to see the Pont du Gard, and Pope's Palace in Avignon. Any suggestions for lunch near those two famous sites? Two places suggested near the aqueduct are La Begude Poulon in Vers Pont du Gard and Amphitryon in Castillon du Gard, both of course not in Avignon. Anyone know those? Or a nice bistrot near the Popes Palace?

Aix: Just our luck: the weekend we are there is the International Rugby Quarterfinals. My daughter plays rugby at college and would be thrilled, but I am not. Many teams have filled up the hotels and I am guessing the Cours Mirabeau will be full of either depressed or ectstatic young celebrants, doing what you would expect all evening long. Chez Feraud sounds very appealing and is off the beaten track a bit--anyone love that? I've also heard good things about La Chimere Cafe, La Madeleine (good for bouillabaise?), Le Verdun, Cote Coeur (one blogger swooned over their black chocolate mousse, which is just up my mother's alley.) Any thoughts? Le Clos de la Violette is on everyone's list, but sounds pricier than the rest; ma mere et mon mari will balk. We will be staying on the Mirabeau (many affordable hotels were already booked.) I'm told a good alternative to the Deux Garcons is the Bastide du Cours if we want a brasserie in the middle of the action, of the brasserie of the hotel Saint Christophe.

Cote d'Azur. Some bloggers on various sites have raved about La Bonaparte in Cassis for true Bouillabaisse sans the glitz, but I haven't seen it mentioned in any of the soupe posts on this site. Just curious. We will spend the night after Aix in Bormes-les-Mimosas. Any suggestions there? At that point I would probably be ecstatic if I had a lovely bowl of super-fresh moules on the beach. Any ideas for that town?

Then there's that Sunday night in Nice, when all the chefs are eating chez grandmere. Thanks in advance for all suggestions. KM

[John Talbott]

My first post! I've done my homework by reading many threads, but now I'll get  specific.

Usually I welcome new members with a PM, but because you have arrived so well-prepared, I'll say it in public: Welcome!

Venice.

Think about Mestre (more forks and Slow Food places there) but for that go to the Italy Forum

Also we will take a day to see the Pont du Gard

For me I'd recommend near the Pont -

l’Olivier is in Serviers-Labaume, a few miles from Uzes, and offers a 22 Euro menu at lunch and a 45 menu at noon and dinner and reasonable Uzege wines. We started with a pre-amuse bouche (a new one to me) and amuse bouches of tiny croustillants of foie gras, salmon and tuna; then Colette had a tomato soup with brochettes and I tagliatelles with girolles; then rougets with a tomato coulis and lapereau and stuffed ham, accompanied by wild asparagus, stuffed zuccini, peas and gaufre potatoes; then great regional goat cheese, a bavarois with cherry, apricots in jelly and a white peach with chantilly with almonds; ending with a marc de Provence, coffee and just fine nummies. Our bill = 110 Euros (that’s with the marc and 1 ½ bottles of wine.)

it was pretty good.

and Pope's Palace in Avignon. Any suggestions for lunch near those two famous sites?

Both Avignon and Aix have great edgy exciting places

the International Rugby Quarterfinals.

The rugger weeks will be crazy, just prepare yourself for lots of our fellow colonials coming well fortified.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

About half an hour southeast of the pont is Le Bistrot du Paradou in, well, Paradou. This is the bistrot that Peter Mayle did his best to ruin in his first book. However, the groupies and most tourists have moved on to hipper places, and the bistrot once more belongs mainly to locals. The format is simple: a set meal offering a choice of two entrees (starters), one main plate, extensive cheese plateau, choice of some half dozen desserts, coffee, choice of red or white 750ml bottle of house wine = 49 euros. The food is well sourced, simply and correctly prepared. This sweet little bistrot vies for my husband's favorite restaurant in France.

If you do decide to go, do reserve, because they cook for the reservations booked.

57 Ave. de la Vallée des Baux (D17)

04-90-54-32-70

closed Sunday and Monday.

[pierre45]

About half an hour southeast of the pont is Le Bistrot du Paradou in, well, Paradou.  This is the bistrot that Peter Mayle did his best to ruin in his first book.  However, the groupies and most tourists have moved on to hipper places, and the bistrot once more belongs mainly to locals.  The format is simple: a set meal offering a choice of two entrees (starters), one main plate, extensive cheese plateau, choice of some half dozen desserts, coffee, choice of red or white 750ml bottle of house wine = 49 euros.  The food is well sourced, simply and correctly prepared.  This sweet little bistrot vies for my husband's favorite restaurant in France.

If you do decide to go, do reserve, because they cook for the reservations booked. 

57 Ave. de la Vallée des Baux (D17)

04-90-54-32-70

closed Sunday and Monday.

←

Le bistrot de paradou is a favorite of mine ,well described by Margarete.

Last oct i spent 10 days around avignon and Languedoc.Nothing to recommend,

Tourists everywhere and ordinary restaurants ,despite the hooplah.

[Katie Meadow]

About half an hour southeast of the pont is Le Bistrot du Paradou in, well, Paradou.  This is the bistrot that Peter Mayle did his best to ruin in his first book.  However, the groupies and most tourists have moved on to hipper places, and the bistrot once more belongs mainly to locals.  The format is simple: a set meal offering a choice of two entrees (starters), one main plate, extensive cheese plateau, choice of some half dozen desserts, coffee, choice of red or white 750ml bottle of house wine = 49 euros.  The food is well sourced, simply and correctly prepared.  This sweet little bistrot vies for my husband's favorite restaurant in France.

If you do decide to go, do reserve, because they cook for the reservations booked. 

57 Ave. de la Vallée des Baux (D17)

04-90-54-32-70

closed Sunday and Monday.

←

Le bistrot de paradou is a favorite of mine ,well described by Margarete.

Last oct i spent 10 days around avignon and Languedoc.Nothing to recommend,

Tourists everywhere and ordinary restaurants ,despite the hooplah.

←

Bistrot de Paradou sounds amazing. Perhaps we should book for Friday lunch, which would be on our way to Aix. The website says that's Aioli day w/local snails and more. My husband loves a good snail! Perfect. Thank you both!

[SDyson]

Or a nice bistrot near the Popes Palace?

←

I think La Fourchette in Avignon might fit what you've described. The food is delicious and there's no tricking up or fancy presentation. Every time I've been there it's been packed with locals and also the menu, while it always has some classic dishes, shows changes to reflect the season. For example, by the time you are there, if there's been some rain, there should be good mushrooms. Both of those things a good signs.

I can thoroughly recommend from experience dishes like their caillettes, daube of beef served with macaroni gratin, the pieds et paquets, and the rhum baba but there are many more dishes I've yet to try that sound very appealing. At lunch, a three course meal is 31 euro or an entree and main 27. The wine prices are reasonable too.

The owners Phillipe and Daniele Hiely also have a more up market restaurant but this would be my choice any day.

[Katie Meadow]

Following up and many thanks! We have returned from our way-too-short trip to Provence (and Venice). The weather was fantastic, and in the small hill towns we had great picnics wherever we came upon nice charcuteries.

The stand-out meal was indeed lunch at Bistrot du Paradou. I love that place! I love that there are few choices and they just pick the wine for you. The starters were either a green salad w/lardons and a perfectly cooked egg w/ runny center, or a tart with artichoke and tomatoes. Both incredible. Also the bread: fantastic. Entrees were lamb or rabbit. My husband always opts for lamb, which I don't care for and he was in heaven. My mother and I had the rabbit--a beautiful crispy sauce and a bacon wrap--very simple. My piece was the leg/thigh, which was great. My mother's was the breast, and it was a tad dry, which was too bad. It was served with a nest of perfect buttered noodles and a swoon-inducing scoop of some sort of roasted tomato confit, which I could have made a meal out of itself. The cheese course was outstanding. My dessert was the best of the three, a fig tart with what seemed to be wood-fired figs. Actually there were some great figs all over Provence and I bought a variety I have never seen at the Aix market.

In Aix we had a very good meal at La Chimere, which, by about 10 pm was jam packed with French people and very few English speakers. I had the best snails ever, very traditional garlic sauce to die for. My entree was grilled tuna and it was cooked just right--nice and rare in the middle but still warm thru. It was sitting atop a wonderful gratin of thinly sliced potato and artichoke layers; the chokes still had good bite and were really flavorful. My husband had venison, of all things, served in a rich dark sauce with mushrooms. It was rather amazing, but too rich and gamey for me.

We also had a very good lunch of soup au poisson with the traditional rouille at the Bastide du Cours on the Mirabeau, mob scene and all.

Aix gets the prize for best patisserie. Hands down it won best cookie on the planet. All three of us were in shock. I can't remeber the name, but it's on a well-traveled street. Also, just below the main attraction of the Cathedral St.-Saveur and Musee du Vieil is a little take-out joint that is a french cook's interpretation of Vietnamese food. It's terrific and makes comparatively inexpensive lunch. It's across the street from a very popular wagon that sells a variety of exotic fresh juice concoctions and crepes.

One thing we learned too late: look for the boulangerie that boasts "feu du bois." That wood fired oven makes the difference. On a crossroads in a not very scenic town on the road from Aix to St. Maximin-la-Ste Baume we stopped at a bakery that made a croissant like no other I ever tasted. A little smoky, a little char on the bottom, no touch of grease.....completely amazing.