Regis Marcon

[lizziee]

St. Bonnet is a tiny town with one garage, one church, the mayor's office, one tabac, a chacuterie, a couple of houses, small apartments and a vacation "village." In other words, the majority of the population is made up of cows and horses. This is mushroom country and over 18 varieties grow wild on the surrounding hill sides. We later learned that Regis Marcon, the chef/owner, forages for mushrooms every day around 7 am.

The rooms are simple but well laid out with a spectacular view of the countryside. We have a small sitting room and adjacent bedroom and large bathroom with tub and shower.

Dinner (1st meal)

As we were seated in the lounge for our aperitifs, Alain Marcon (no relation to the chef), the GM, remembered us from last year and came over to chat. He mentioned that the restaurant business in Lyon is down 30% --another 9/11 aftermath. Laurent, the sommelier joined us and talked wine with my husband. Regis Marcon also stopped by to say hello and welcome us back--what a greeting!

Chef Marcon served 5 amuse with our champagne

a. croque-monsieur avec champigons - a sandwich of mushrooms

b. galette de pounti (herbes, blettes, porc, pruneaux) - a "pancake" of pork, prunes, swiss chard and herbs.

c. Les beignets de St. Nectaire--a deep fried fritter of St. Nectaire cheese.

d. Grilloton au sesamie--small pork sausage deep fried with sesame on the outside

e. Le sarassou servi avec un petit friture d'eperlan--a small deep-fried smelt

There were 2 large parties in the main dining room, one of 18 and the other of 10. They explained that we would be seated in an alcove away form the noise of the birthday celebrations--unfortunately the big parties got the "A-service team" as we noticed the difference immediately and throughout the meal.

We decided to do the Chef's big degustation menu.

1st course--veloute de cepes au lait d'amandes--a cepe mushroom cream soup with big chunks of almonds on top served cold in an egg cup--great starter.

2nd course--gateau de cereales aux champignons et legumes marine's, tepenade forestiere--this was a very intricate dish--the first layer was quinoa, next the tapenade, and then in strips along the top (looking like a flag)were vertical stripes of marinated vegetables, cepes, zucchini, peas and black mushrooms with a crusty bread tapenade perched like a flag pole on the top.

3rd course--langoustines--in a large bowl there were pieces of langoustines with beans, chunks of ham, cabbage, a mussel in the shell, a small clam in the shell, various mushrooms in a rich fish stock flavored with wild herbs. An interesting feature of the presentation of the dish was the placement of a sprig of each herb (5) used in the dish around the plate--a good reference to help you identify the flavors.

4th course--pan-seared foie gras crusted with crushed almonds, marmalade of apples, sliced figs, an edible flower tasting like an oyster mushroom on a lentil ragout.

Normally, a foie gras dish at this point would be un-welcome, too much, too fatty, too filling. However, somehow with the almond coating, the bed of lentils and all the other ingredients, this dish was perfect and satisfying. In comparison to the almond coating on the Troisgros eel dish a few days ago, this dish was far better.

5th course--pan seared omble chevalier (char, similar to salmon trout) cooked with white sorrel butter and accompanied by 2 kinds of chanterelle mushrooms (cibrarius and tubaeformis).

We opted for champagne granite instead of chanterelle mushroom consommé.

6th course--lamb perfectly rose served with mushrooms from the end of summer.

7th course--cheese from the large and well stocked cart--we chose very little as there just was no room left.

We adjourned to the lounge for coffee, pastries and John's cigar. A note on smoking. There is no smoking allowed in the restaurant. Therefore, there is a constant flow of people from their tables to the lounge for a quick "puff." There is not less smoking, it is just less convenient.

Service???

A word about le petit sommelier (second stringer named Emanuel). Getting him to stay on the ball and pour our white wine was like pulling teeth. Jean Jacques and the team at Troisgros seemed to have eyes in the back of their head, never allowing our wine glass to get down to the 1/4 level. Emanuel left us sitting with an empty glass for at least 10 minutes.

But, that was not his worst sin--he turned out to be a "wine thief." When he poured the red wine into the decanter he managed to take a full glass for "his tasting pleasure."

Laurent, the real sommelier, had arranged with Emanuel to bring us a special sweet wine of the region (more later) to have with the foie gras. Emanuel forgot and Alain had to quickly hurry to find Laurent, get the wine, pour it and serve it to us.

Emanuel, as a final gesture, managed to spill our red wine during the cheese course.

Regis Marcon does a great job. The poor service was not enough to destroy our pleasure in being back here. We hoped the next two meals would be 100%.

Wines:

2000 Condrieu Mathilde & Yves Gangloff--same wine we had at Troisgros--delicious.

2000 Coteaux du Layton "Clos de Sainte Catherine" Domaine des Baumard--this is the sweet wine that almost got left out with the foie gras--delicious, light, a new experience for us - not cloying in any way.

1999 Cote Rote "Vielle Vigne en Coteau" Jean Michel Stephan--a new and very small producer according to Laurent. (He had introduced us to the Gangloff Cote Rotie La Barbarine last year.) Wonderful, full bodied, great with the lamb--too bad we had to "share" with Emanuel.

Lunch (2nd meal)

We knew we had to keep this lunch very light and very simple--dinner was only a few hours away.

Of course a glass of champagne to start the day in the lounge with our amuse.

The amuses, served on a glass plate with a wooden frame, were a deep fried filo triangle filled with sausage, a sautéed cube of bread also encasing some sort of pork product and a mushroom presented on a spoon with a herb/butter sauce. Regis Marcon stopped by and mentioned that he had been out foraging for mushrooms at 8 am. He said that he found little as mushrooms don't really like the cold-- and it was cold.

1st amuse at the table--a mushroom soup composed of various small mushrooms in an intense thick mushroom stock--this was superb.

2nd course--This dish is a tour de force--a lentil ragout with various vegetables (carrot slices, spring onions, summer squash) with a lightly smoked poached egg surrounded by black truffles-- unbelievable!!!

Our "A-team" servers, Alain, the Maitre d' and Laurent, the sommelier, each pierce the egg with a steak knife and cause the golden yolk to ooze into the lentil ragout and the truffles.

3rd-course--Rouget with ciboulettes, cepes, deep fried squid, grilled squid, black olives, mashed "mushroom infused potatoes" and other sliced vegetables. There were too many flavors in this dish--just too much going on, but light enough to meet our needs for a second course that would not bury us.

Wine:

Blanc Fume de Pouilly, 1999, "Clos du Calvaire" by Didiere Dagueneau

Laurent noted that this is a real rarity--expensive, but delicious. Laurent was disappointed with the wine because he did not feel that it really showed all the strength and bouquet that he expected.

General observations:

The dining room was packed again with large tables--one table of 12, 2 of 8, 2 - 6s , 3 - 4s, and 4 deuces plus a huge table in the private dining room. Every table, except us was having the "big" tasting menu we had the night before. But, unlike last night, we had the "A-team" wait staff and service was flawless.

Dinner (3rd meal)

Dinner was very different in feel than lunch. Where lunch featured large tables, dinner was primarily couples. It was more relaxed for the customers and the staff.

As we entered the restaurant we were greeted warmly by Alain, Laurent and Chef Regis Marcon. Chef Marcon gave us a wonderful compliment--he thanked us for inspiring his staff.

The raison d'etre for eating 3 meals in one place is that you become a known face. You are not one of the touring gourmands who is saying "do it to me" and then leaving for another "do it to me" experience.

The chef also mentioned, almost casually, that he is going to build a new restaurant on the hill, up the road from the present restaurant. He intends to have floor to ceiling windows with views of the entire countryside. Also, as the kitchen is 15 years old and is in need of remodeling, a new kitchen will be part of the new restaurant.

With our champagne, we again had a series of amuse, but as I was doing too much talking, I forgot to write them down.

1st course--la brochette "Margaridou." This is a signature dish which is featured in his cookbook. On a silver skewer with a feather symbol a croquette was presented that is filled with lamb sweetbreads, morels, and ham. The sauce was a black truffle butter sauce--a classic, perfectly balanced. As a side dish, on a specially made glass plate etched with pine trees and a mushroom, they presented a melange of mushrooms and a salad of greens which were presented in a tied bundle.

2nd course--Lamb cooked in a bread dough--not pastry--it looked just like a loaf of bread. A table with a large cutting board was wheeled to the table and Chef Regis Marcon arrived quickly to carve and present his lamb specialty.

He deftly cut around the base of the dough, removed the lamb which was cooked with bone in. The chef spent a bit of time examining the meat to find the grain, turned it from side to side until he determined exactly the way he wanted to carve it.

Three perfect, rare lamb slices were plated, a small line of mixed spices [thyme, coriander, rosemary, sel de mare, and pepper] were presented in a stripe just above the lamb.

A mixed array of vegetables [tomato, haricot verts, pea pods, carrots, scallions, summer squash] was placed to the side.

A small casserole was presented with slowly simmered potatoes and cepes.

The lamb is served in 2 services. The extra lamb is put back in the dough crust and kept in the kitchen to stay warm until you have finished the first.

Service was warm and flawless. Alain and Laurent are a perfect pair-I suggested Frick and Frack. Alain didn't have a clue to the reference, but he suggested that they were more like Laurel and Hardy.

A note on tasting menus--everyone in the room, except us, was having the grand menu. If you are dining in a great restaurant like Regis Marcon for just one meal, this is probably the way to go because the grand menu does give you an idea of the full range of the chef's talent and cuisine.

However, the specialties like the lamb and sweetbreads at dinner and the egg/lentil "killer" dish from lunch are never on the grand tasting. We would never have experienced them unless we had ordered a la carte. We would have missed "the best."

Wines:

St. Joseph Blanc, Bernard et Fabrice Grippa, 2000

Hermitage Rouge 1998, Domaine Alain Graillot

Both wines were excellent. The Hermitage was a special treat because, as Laurent told us, Graillot is not going to be permitted by the owner of this property to bottle in Hermitage any more.

The wine was not "huge" but it was very full bodied and superbly flavorful - very clean and polished finish.

The White St. Joseph was a treat - a good choice with the appetizer, light, not too fruity, very "clean" and basically simple direct flavor with a fine finish.

[marcus]

Liziee -- Are you really coming around to the idea that the best dishes are reserved for the a al carte menu?

[lizziee]

Marcus,

It depends on the restaurant. Haeberlin featured a special lunch menu on Saturday and Sunday that featured his "specialties." It was well-priced at 106 euros and I think that is why the room was packed with French families.

L'Arnsbourg's tasting menu was superb as was the one at Crissier (Rochat). But, if all you ate at Boyer and Regis Marcon was the menu, you would miss exciting, wonderful dishes. Marcon's lentils with truffles and poached egg is a remarkable dish and one that I would drive to St Bonnet tomorrow to eat. It is just that good!!!! So, I will have to equivocate and say it depends.

[cabrales]

lizziee -- I have wanted to sample mushrooms at this restaurant for a while now. Did you get indications from the team members as to how much longer mushrooms will be in their prime as served by the restaurant?

[lizziee]

Cabrales,

They are always on the menu, just different varities depending on the season. Of course, the largest variety is now - in fact the town of St Bonnet has a large mushroom festival in October. However, we ate there the first time in May and "spring" mushrooms were featured.

[pirate]

To Lizziee

I'm curious about the poached egg you ate at Regis Marcon. Virtually always the eggs are poached in vinegared water and retain a vinegar flavor. Was this the case?

[ajay]

I'd like to comment on the smoking policy, if I may. I realize why diners might find it inconvenient, and that it maynot reduce the absolute amount of smoke in the establishment. But, such a policy may keep smoke away from diners attempting to savour their meal; our meal at l'Arpege was ruined by chain smokers at a nearby table, and I believe others have related similar experiences. [the presence of smoke is the reason I refuse to dine at the bar in many NYC establishments].

While I respect the right of others to smoke, I don't respect that right when it substantially infringes upon my ability to enjoy highly sophisticated and finely wrought cuisine that costs a small fortune! Moreover, there are many credible studies suggesting second-hand smoke poses a credible health risk; I am perfectly capable of manufacturing my own!!

I also don't think one can question the fact that smoke, especially for the smoker, will impare one's ability to detect the delicate, subtle aromas and flavors of the food.

I gather that most people who choose to smoke in French restaurants choose to conclude their meal with a cigar. I think a lounge is an excellent place to do so because it allows the smoker to relax in a slightly more comfortable setting and does not disrupt the meals of other diners.

I think there were other threads on this in the past, but was not able to locate them with a cursory search. I'd appreciate member input on this point.

[lizziee]

Ajay,

I was not suggesting that I approve or disapprove of smoking. I was only making a comment as to how difficult it was for the kitchen and dining room staff to coordinate the arrival of courses because of the constant flow of people moving to and from the lounge to smoke during service.

As to smoking in general in France at the moment, there is a general shift to non-smoking/ smoking sections in the provinces with the better tables being in the non-smoking section i.e. Boyer. Quite a change from a few years ago. In some restaurants in the provinces, St Bonnet for one, there is no smoking allowed. In others, there is a small placard, placed on the table, requesting that you be courteous to each other. In others, cigarette smoking is allowed, but cigar smoking is only allowed in the lounge.

None of this holds true for Paris where smoking is allowed in every restaurant we ate.

"I'm curious about the poached egg you ate at Regis Marcon. Virtually always the eggs are poached in vinegared water and retain a vinegar flavor. Was this the case?"

Pirate.

There was absolutely no vinegar taste at all. The dish was described as smoked poached eggs and indeed there was a slightly smoky flavor.

[pirate]

lizziee

Thanks. Very impressive. That dish and the duck at Boyer are most impressive as described.

[lizziee]

pirate,

When I finish posting all the meals this year in France, we will then go over all our notes and come up with our favorite top 20. Both the Boyer dish and the Marcon dish definitely will be on the list.

[Bux]

I am sorry to hear of the poor wine service at your first meal. It mirrors the service, or should I say a lack thereof, we experienced early this spring. I won't go so far as to say it ruined our meal, but it certainly detracted from what would otherwise have been an almost perfect dinner and stay. I liked our accommodations and the service in the inn and the restaurant were superb aside from the service of the wine. Regis, himself, carved our lamb at the table, but we just never got about half of our white wine and it was a constant effort to ensure that our red wine was served while we were still eating our lamb.

I'm of the opinion that tasting menus are often the way to go, but this was one place where I felt I did better by ordering the omble chevalier and the lamb in hay (bread crust) a la carte. The amuses were numerous and fascinating as well as tasty. I'd look forward to returning if only I could believe our wine service was an anomaly.

I am seeing less and less smoking in fine restaurants in the provinces. It's also true that the economics of real estate allow a greater spacing of tables in the provinces than in Paris, so smoking has been less of a problem for me in the countryside anyway. Quite frequently we will think we're in the non-smoking section of a restaurant only to finally see someone light up late in the meal. As an ex-smoker, I have only a little understanding for smokers to begin with, but I truly don't understand how anyone can smoke between courses. Naturally, if one can, I suspect it doesn't dawn on that person that others are so annoyed. It's far easier for me to comprehend the attraction of cigars. I have, on this last trip, stated to say we'll have our coffee in the lounge when my wife reminds me that I really want to enjoy the smoke free dining room a bit longer. While I wouldn't mind relaxing in a lounge chair with my coffee, I think it's an excellent compromise when a restaurant has a lounge available for smokers after dinner. I'm more than willing to give up the comfortable chairs to those who have been kind enough to hold off smoking until their coffee.

[lizziee]

I'd look forward to returning if only I could believe our wine service was an anomaly.

Bux,

It was an anomaly. Go again.

I only mentioned the smoking issue because it made service so difficult for the kitchen. They would be ready to serve a dish and half the table was in the lounge for a quick "puff."

I agree with you that a tasting menu here is not the best way to go. Regis Marcon also carved our lamb dish and the lentil dish and sweetbread dish is a "must" on the a la carte menu.

[Bux]

I'd look forward to returning if only I could believe our wine service was an anomaly.

Bux,

It was an anomaly. Go again.

Certainly the food merits a return, but a really good restaurant can't afford to have a second rate staff serve some of the guests. One should have better than a fifty-fifty chance of reasonable service at a two star restaurant. Certainly Regis Macon cares about his guests and although carving the lamb in the dining room might lead some to question who's cooking in the kitchen, I found it a very warm gesture, but it didn't compensate for the loss of the white wine not served nor for efforts I had to make to see that the red wine did not suffer the same fate. But certainly, I won't go out of my way to avoid the restaurant if we plan to be in the area.