Tours

[Gary Marshall]

still plotting my holiday route

anyone have some thoughts about tours? places open sunday nights especially welcome!

cheers

gary

[cabrales]

Gary -- There are literally at least four two-stars (including Bardet's place and Grand Hotel du Lion d'Or) in or within no more than 2 hours' driving distance from Tours. I have not yet visited restaurants around Tours, though. I am relatively sure Bardet is generally open Sunday nights.

[nightscotsman]

In May I had dinner at Jean Bardet on a Sunday night. The food, service and decor (especially the gardens) were all very, very good, but also very expensive. In fact, it was more expensive than my meal at Pierre Gagnaire a few days later.

[Gary Marshall]

I had a mixed time in the tours area.

We went to Charles Barrier on Friday night, as i'd seen it mentioned on this site and i like places with a bit of history.

I didn't enjoy it, i'll post the menu later but basically service was v condescending and despite a half empty room (albiet a very nice chandeliered one) they struggled to pace the tasting menu.

Things that griped. !) questions asked in French, answered in English.

2)Dishes plonked down down, cloches removed, no explanation but a look on the face of the waiter to say 'bet you've never seen anything like that before', well yes i have!

3) main courses left on a shelf under cloche whilst same waiter continued debate with another table about what was in their dish (confusion reigned because his english wasn't good enough explain the difference between celery and celeriac grrr)

food wasn't bad but nothing special 'another' fairly anonymous menu degustation. Maybe we weren't in the mood, we'd driven from beaune and had a day out in the chateau's but it did put us off the fine dining scene we just craved steak bearnaise and we cancelled our reservation for monday night at jacky michel in chalons en champagne. however before it got better it got worse!

In the search for steak i found a brasserie in the michelin 'le chope' a 2 knife and fork. went for a look, looked fine decent sea food bias but everything we were looking for.

booked table and got a bad one in the window, literally. but that wasn't the problem, poor service, no water despite 3 seperate requests to the waiters, differetnly cooked steaks plonked down with no explantaion, repeated requests for red wine ordered at the start of the meal, (just a blank look at empty white in the ice bucket, as if to say there's your wine). calvados brought with ICE AND WATER ADDED!

unfortunatley this seemed to be the only place open sunday too but i just couldn't give them my money. Luckily by now friday night had faded away and when girlfriend suggested she'd drive us somewhere i opened the michelin and found 'le chousile' (SP?) in Ambroise a 1 star hotel/rest. had no idea what to expect but turned up to find a nice old house with a large first floor dining room, a bit bright but welcoming staff. We were not looking for a menu degustation but plumped for a menu 'le jardin du france' which was comprised totally of tomtatoes. i was initially sceptical but it was bloody good.

starter was a selection of tomato and parmesan bruschetta, a tomato quenelle and a tomato sorbet. all light and very fresh.

mains were a stuffed tomato with a variety of seafood, crayfish tails and lobster sauce i had a tomato tart with braised beef and tomatoes again great.

cheese followed (no toms!) and then a confited tom to finish.

all in all a great meal, for E 45 i think, would recommend it. restored faith that had been lacking from previous nights.

[cabrales]

Gary -- On Charles Barrier, could you consider describing whether any signature dishes of Barrier are being prepared by the current chef? Apologies that I am not aware of what such dishes are.

[cabrales]

We went to Charles Barrier on Friday night, as i'd seen it mentioned on this site and i like places with a bit of history.

I didn't enjoy it, i'll post the menu later

Gary -- When you have a chance, could you consider describing the Charles Barrier meal, including whether you recall there being tasting menus?

[Gary Marshall]

cabrales

there is definately a tasting menu as we had it

i'll dig the menu out tonight.

[menton1]

Had a great meal at the Cheval Blanc in Bléré, about 25 minutes from Tours, a picturesque little village. Don't forget to have the Vouvray, a fantastic local Touraine wine!!

[hollywood]

If you are thinking Tours, you might consider Chinon. There are good restaurants and good wine in that area.

[Gary Marshall]

cabrales

apologies for the delay

there are 3 set menus at barrier, saveur, gourmet & degustation

this is the degustation

foie gras de canrd des landes confit sel au gris

queues de langoustines panees, chapelure au thym, riz sauvage lie au fumet de homard

saint pierre roti cuit a l'arete, legumes d' ete a la francaise

filet de boeuf roti au poivre de sechoouan, sauce au vin rouge

fromage

dessert a la carte

petit fours

regards

gary

[cabrales]

I had a good meal at Barrier recently. The restaurant is within easy walking distance from Bardet, whose cuisine (including the vegetable menu) was very good (among stronger two-stars relative to my preferences). Barrier sold the restaurant about 7 years ago. Only one dish from the original restaurant remains -- pigs' trotters stuffed with lambs' sweetbreads and truffles. This dish was quite good, with bones removed and with the pigs' trotters exhibiting more fat connotations than gelatinous aspects. The preparation requires a great deal of technique. Accompanied by pommes purees and a half apple stewed in honey. Also nice was a section of boudin noir included in the dish. Bardet is stronger in Tours, but Barrier's meal was good too. I cannot speak to other dishes at Barrier.

[cabrales]

Since the Charles Barrier full menu is not available online, I have typed up the current menu below, with very rough translations into English:

Appetizers

-- Foie gras de canard des Landes confit au sel gris accompagne de pain aux figues 26 euros (Duck foie gras from the Landes, confit with grey salt and accompanied by bread that has figs)

--Grosses langoustines croustillantes aux saveurs d'epices, legumes confits 36 euros (Large cruncy langoustines with flavors of spices and confit vegetables)

-- Fricassee de legumes du Val de Loire et lard paysan, parfume aux herbes 20 euros (Fricassee of vegetables from the Loire region with lard, perfumed with herbs)

-- Demi homard Breton au beurre de coquillages flambe au Calvados 34 euros (1/2 of a Brittany lobster, with a butter of clam-and-mussel-family seafood, flambeed in Calvados)

-- Creme de potimarron a l'huile de noix, tartine de pain grillee aux champignons 14 euros (Cream of pumpkin with walnut oil, tartine of grillede bread with mushrooms)

-- Nage de coquilles Saint Jacques et huitres de Cancale 24 euros (Nage of scallops and oysters from Cancale)

-- Ballottine de poule faisane aux foies gras chaud et lentilles tiedes 26 euros (Ballottine of chicken with hot foie gras and warm lentils)

FISH DISHES

--Homard Breton meuniere a la fleur de sel, pomme de terre "Charlotte" 60 euros (Brittany lobster, meuniere style with fleur de sel, "Charlotte" potatoes)

-- Noix de coquilles Saint Jacques d'Erquy, poelee de champignons 26 euros (Scallops from Erquy, pan-fried mushrooms)

-- Grosse sole meuniere aux tourteaux, puree de pommes de terre parfumee aux herbes 35 euros (Large sole, meuniere style, with crab, potato puree with herbs)

-- Turbotin roti au four accompagne de legumes de saison pour deux personnes 60 euros (Oven-roasted turbot accompjanied by seasonal vegetables -- for two people)

Meat and Dessert dishes not typed in.

Menus are at 36, 56 and 75 euros.

[John Talbott]

In this weekend's Figaro Jacques Pessis announced that Jean Bardet cooked his final meal, shuttering his restaurant after forty years.

[wkl]

wonder what will become of the wine cellar. wasn't it pretty deep with old chenin blanc?