Sunday lunch in the French countryside

[Dave Hatfield]

Resurrecting this thread, I would welcome a suggestion for anyplace we could stop between Orly and Tours on a Sunday for a late lunch or early dinner.  Outdoors would be a bonus.

hm$

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If you go here to the interactive map you will see a red marker between Paris & Tours. Open this and you will find links to a number of places that are more or less on your route.

[Bartow]

Hello, all! I'm returning to eGullet after a long silent spell (the run-up to retirement can be very busy), and am overjoyed to see John, Margaret, et al. still anticipating my questions.

As a statement of sorts to myself - yes, Bartow, old sock, you're *really* retiring! - I decided to spend 2 months meandering around France & Switzerland, and will be spending a few weeks in the Dordogne/Perigord/Lot regions, where I've never before been. I'll be coming in from the coast (La Rochelle?) and staying at a gite near Brive-le-Gaillard for a week. I read Carlux's entry on "Chez Jeanne", plus the ensuing thread, and ended up drooling on my keyboard.

Any more suggestions for dining in the area? Also, if you have any thoughts/suggestions on restos in the Guerande area, I'd appreciate hearing them.

Best regards,

Bartow

(and I promise to take good notes and report on my own trip)

[John Talbott]

Hello, all! I'm returning to eGullet after a long silent spell (the run-up to retirement can be very busy), and am overjoyed to see John, Margaret, et al. still anticipating my questions.

As a statement of sorts to myself - yes, Bartow, old sock, you're *really* retiring! - I decided to spend 2 months meandering around France & Switzerland, and will be spending a few weeks in the Dordogne/Perigord/Lot regions, where I've never before been. I'll be coming in from the coast (La Rochelle?) and staying at a gite  near Brive-le-Gaillard for a week. I read Carlux's entry on "Chez Jeanne", plus the ensuing thread, and ended up drooling on my keyboard. 

Any more suggestions for dining in the area? Also, if you have any thoughts/suggestions on restos in the Guerande area, I'd appreciate hearing them.

Best regards,

Bartow

(and I promise to take good notes  and report on my own trip)

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Welcome back

Host's suggestion

I think from past experience and for ease of searching, it would be good to break the question up by area or town, that is

the Dordogne

the Perigord

the Lot

La Rochelle

Brive-le-Gaillard

Guerande

For some there are existing topics (the Dordogne) but for others (the Lot) it would be great to have a number of suggestions on new topics.

And I really appreciate your offer on feedback; that's always so valuable for our members.

[Paul Kondeff]

Hello, all! I'm returning to eGullet after a long silent spell (the run-up to retirement can be very busy), and am overjoyed to see John, Margaret, et al. still anticipating my questions.

As a statement of sorts to myself - yes, Bartow, old sock, you're *really* retiring! - I decided to spend 2 months meandering around France & Switzerland, and will be spending a few weeks in the Dordogne/Perigord/Lot regions, where I've never before been. I'll be coming in from the coast (La Rochelle?) and staying at a gite  near Brive-le-Gaillard for a week. I read Carlux's entry on "Chez Jeanne", plus the ensuing thread, and ended up drooling on my keyboard. 

Any more suggestions for dining in the area? Also, if you have any thoughts/suggestions on restos in the Guerande area, I'd appreciate hearing them.

Best regards,

Bartow

(and I promise to take good notes  and report on my own trip)

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I have read through this thread a couple of times because we will be spending some time in France later this month and part of next, and the subject interests me. I love the thought of eating good, simple, but flavorful food and this thread points me to some places that fit that, near where we will be staying.

Abra, who mentions somewhere near Ch du Pape above, on another thread recommended 2 Pas du Potager. I have booked a table there for a Sunday lunch during our stay in Provence, even though I could not find any collaborating input. Her report plus their website made me do it, http://www.a2pasdupotager.fr/index.html . This may not be L’Arpege with Allain Passard directing but someone growing the produce that he will send to my table sounds great. This is what I think eating in Provence should be.

Dave Hatfield was so kind to send me information on how to save some of my precious dollars. He also has a list of restaurants in his part of the Lot (?) on his website. Actually his site has posts that are more insightful than just lists of places and are entertaining and fun to read. He also seems to come, originally, from my part of the world, SF bay area.

Carlux’s description of “Chez Jeanne” made me find Pomerade on my GPS and mark it. I thought that as we drove up from the Languedoc toward Sarlat on a Sunday we would stop in for lunch. I will call to book. She sent me the contact information. Many thanks to her. Maybe she should list her website as part of her signature to her posts?

Bartow, welcome to retirement. There is so much to do; you will find it difficult to figure out how you had time for work before. I have just read “From Here You Can’t See Paris” by Michael Sanders. Researching for places to eat in the Dordogne/Lot I came across mention of this book. My wife has had a copy of the book in our library for a few years. When I looked it over last week I recalled that I had declined to read it before thinking that I was Peter Mayle(d) out. I started reading it last week and found it was very different from the Mayle books. The Mayle stories are about interesting ‘caricatures’ whereas Michael Sanders’ book is about interesting people. If it is not too late before you begin your journey through France get a copy and read it. At the book’s end there is a list of markets, fetes, places to go to eat, etc (Chez Jeanne-Murat is listed there). The book is a fun/good read, you will enjoy. But before the end you will want to explore the Lot and/or any other rural area in France. Since the main topic of the book is the restaurant La Recre we have also booked a Sunday lunch there.

Edited September 3, 2008 by Paul Kondeff (log)

[Dave Hatfield]

Hello, all! I'm returning to eGullet after a long silent spell (the run-up to retirement can be very busy), and am overjoyed to see John, Margaret, et al. still anticipating my questions.

As a statement of sorts to myself - yes, Bartow, old sock, you're *really* retiring! - I decided to spend 2 months meandering around France & Switzerland, and will be spending a few weeks in the Dordogne/Perigord/Lot regions, where I've never before been. I'll be coming in from the coast (La Rochelle?) and staying at a gite  near Brive-le-Gaillard for a week. I read Carlux's entry on "Chez Jeanne", plus the ensuing thread, and ended up drooling on my keyboard. 

Any more suggestions for dining in the area? Also, if you have any thoughts/suggestions on restos in the Guerande area, I'd appreciate hearing them.

Best regards,

Bartow

(and I promise to take good notes  and report on my own trip)

←

Dave Hatfield was so kind to send me information on how to save some of my precious dollars. He also has a list of restaurants in his part of the Lot (?) on his website. Actually his site has posts that are more insightful than just lists of places and are entertaining and fun to read. He also seems to come, originally, from my part of the world, SF bay area.

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Thanks for the kind words. We're actually just over the Southern border of the Lot in Tarn et Garonne. Sort of the panhandle bordered by the Aveyron & the Tarn as well as the Lot.

Biased as I am I do strongly suggest coming that bit further South into Quercy and the Rouergue. Do not go through this area without dining at Le Vieux Pont in Belcastel; its our absolute favorite. See my blog below for more than one write up including one from just last week. GO!

And, yes I am from the bay area. Grew up in Santa Rosa.

[JudyB]

Abra, who mentions somewhere near Ch du Pape above, on another thread recommended 2 Pas du Potager. I have booked a table there for a Sunday lunch during our stay in Provence, even though I could not find any collaborating input. Her report plus their website made me do it, http://www.a2pasdupotager.fr/index.html . This may not be L’Arpege with Allain Passard directing but someone growing the produce that he will send to my table sounds great. This is what I think eating in Provence should be.

A 2 Pas du Potager is definitely a good choice - we had a very pleasant lunch there a couple of weeks ago. Duncan should be writing up this up soon, together with our other meals in Provence, including Les Florets (Gigondas) and Christian Etienne (Avignon).