"La Table de mon moulin"

[cigalechanta]

This chef had the two star, "Veille Moulin" in Burgundy. Now he has located Rte de Nice, in La Rouret, Haute provence. Has anyone tasted his food? Saveur gives a glowing report.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

No, but this article made me do two things: immediately get out an atlas of France to see if visiting this sweet address was even a distant possibility, and whipping up a batch of his cold tomato soup. I will continue to think about including a visit to his moulin, but his soup is something I will revisit often. It is sublime.

Pot note: Because we had eaten many eggs at breakfast, I substituted creme fraiche for the poached egg, included fire-roasted red peppers and green onions as garnish. This recipe is a keeper, as is the address.

[cigalechanta]

It's between Grasse and Tourette-sur-loup. I was told by a friend that reservations are a must. We'll be near there so may just take a chance without them as we will be on a tight scheduale. The Dorade recipe looked too complicated for me. Did you try that one?

[PaulaJK]

Both prior to and post our visit to Veille Moulin [burguindy]

about 5 years ago we had read fabulous reviews for JP Silva.

Unfortunately, we had what we think of us as the worst- meal-

ever in a reputed restaurant. The room was almost empty.

The service uninterested. The food quite poor. The chef, in

attendance, looked grubby. When we returned to ourr hotel

the proprietor inquired how if we had enjoyed our meal and

nodded along w. our tale. It would be nice if this chef has

re-found his [alleged] talents and focus...but I would want to

hear from members who had journeyed there but I set foot!

[Rob@Nice]

Yes, I live in Le Rouret. Which is actually in the Alpes-Maritimes. In the hills about 30 mintues from Cannes and ditto from Nice. La Table de Mon Moulin is my neighbor. We went in Feb. for my wife's birthday. It is a very good Table D'hotes with a great Burgundy wine list. Ity's only open Dinner Monday-Friday. And the menu is set --based on what Silva desices to concoct for the evening. I like the place and prefer familial ambiance to fancy places like Le Moulin de Mougins and La Bastide St. Antoine and etc. etc.

The funny thing is that Le Rouret is a tiny rural village with not a lot going on. And yet it has two of the best restos in the area. In the village center is Clos St. Pierre, which this year was awared a michelin star.

[grace3]

I have rented a beautiful apartment in Villefranche-sur-Mer for the first half of October.

I have planned to dine with JP Silva in Le Rouret. I wish he had email or fax. I guess I will have to call for a reservation. Do you think I can wait until I arrive, or should I do it from here??

I am open to suggestions to other fine dining experiences.

Thanks,

Joan

[cigalechanta]

Would it be impolite for me to ask the Auberge where we will be staying to make reservation for us for lunch on the morning we are leaving?

[grace3]

I don't know why it would be impolite to ask the Auberge to make a lunch reservation for you. When will you be in the area?? I would ask them to make it about 2 weeks in advance.

I just phoned about a reservation for October. She told me it was too early..to make it about 2 weeks in advance..that's how I got the above for you!

I have a good friend who was very fond of his restaurant in Burgundy. She will be there mid September. She will give an accurate report.

Joan

[Bux]

I suspect the time frame on restaurant reservations in that part of France are a bit different in October than they are in July and August.

[PaulaJK]

There's a rather engaging article about this chef and his

wife in the current issue of Saveur.

[grace3]

Yes, I am familiar with the Saveur article. I am looking forward for my dining experience at his new restaurant.

[Underhill]

We dined a number of times at the Hostellerie du Vieux Moulin, Silva's restaurant/inn in Bouilland. He left for Provence in the spring of 2003; so I suspect that another poster visited the restaurant during the transition from Silva to the new owner, Armand Guggiari. The Michelin Guide, however, gives the restaurant one star now; so with luck, things will be fine when we're there in September.

Anyone interested in knowing more about Jean-Pierre Silva would do well to read Eunice Fried's fine book "Burgundy: The Country, The Wines, The People." The chapter on the Vieux Moulin includes a few recipes.

I'm very glad to know that at least part of the Burgundian wine cellar accompanied Silva--wonderful choices.

[robert brown]

Our man Jellybean says the restaurant's Burgundy prices are very fair indeed.

[Underhill]

I wonder whether the cellar contains any of the marvelous half-bottles from the original restaurant. I remember with great pleasure the Pétrus we had, at an unbelievably low price for that wine. And, of course, the Burgundies.

[cigalechanta]

My friend in Provence has made reservations for us and it's at lunch time on the 26th of August

[grace3]

We will be watching for your report!!!

[grace3]

CigaleChanta...we are waiting for your report on your lunch on 8/26!!!

[Jonathan Day]

Robert Brown, his wife Susan, my wife Melissa and I had dinner at the Moulin on the 24th.

It's a simple, lovely setting, with a handful of tables overlooking a small stream. Dinner is at 8:30 pm exactly -- no earlier, no later. The "menu" for the day is written on little slips of paper which are placed in a jar hung on the gate, but in fact there are no choices.

I wouldn't describe the cookery at this place as particularly innovative or refined, but it's generally very good, and it's fine value for the price charged. There were good olives and some excellent toasts with tomatoes, lentils and the like; then a composed salad; then lotte (monkfish) with asparagus and truffles; then "alouettes sans têtes" (="headless birds" actually made of veal and beef). The cheese tray was in fine condition, and simply placed on the table, for us to take as much as we wished. Dessert was a confection of berries and cream, light and refreshing. And then, with coffee and infusions, large chunks of dark and milk chocolate, again placed on the table with a sharp knife for everyone to take whatever they wanted.

The only dish that I struggled with was the composed salad, which contained an omelette, tomatoes and so many other components that it didn't really work. The other dishes were fine: the alouettes sans têtes were boldly flavoured and the monkfish precisely cooked. Bread was delicious.

But the amazing thing about the Moulin is the wine list. It's extensive and very deep, often with 10 different years for many of the great wines; and very fairly priced.

The place has a warm, idiosyncratic, generous feel to it. Well worth a return visit.

[grace3]

Thnak you for your report. I will be there in early October.

[Underhill]

Well, I hope we are going to be able to eat at La Table de Mon Moulin! Our French friends called in July to book a table but were told it was too early and to call back 2 weeks before. She just called and was told there was no room for the date we wanted; we are wait-listed for a cancellation but do have a table for lunch. I hope cigalechanta had better luck.

[cigalechanta]

Our car broke down on the Route de Napoleon so we were towed and without a car, so we taxied from our hotel to the village of Rouret(see my full trip report on fodors.com)We arrived aa half hour early, not knowing how long a taxi drive would be. I buzzed in at the gate and explained our situation so she opened the gate and let us wander their grounds with one of their cats and two english setters following us. There were six tables on the terrace, two Germans, two Brits, one French.

Chef Silva comes to each table with each course to explain to you what it is. There is no choice. This is what I could make out what he said: The amuse bouche was a lentil spread, toast ansd salami, cherry tomato.

A pate of duck liver, gingerbread and corgette, rockette with parmasan with a balsamic vinegar dressing, a rare spanish Morue from Bilboa, coca beans with honey, Lamb with potato gnocci with pistou juice, and a green peppersauce timbali.

I'll never know what the dessert or cheese was because the taxi was picking us up at 2:30 so J. could taxi to Nice to pick up another rented car. But Mme did serve us a plum and marebelle with a sugered ginger stick.

A few comments: the napkins were the biggest, prettiest embroidered ever seen at a resto. The dinnerwar is lovely and commisioned by madame in nearby Valbone. The reason I know this. I was the only one at six tables who orderd for an apero, a pastis. It arrived with a beatiful hand craftet pitcher, a desigh on it of grass and insects. I found it lovely and asked where I could purchase one (much to the chagrin of J. who thought it too heavy.) I'd love to have a place like that, old and simple. We saw one room that had a billiard table and statues of bird dogs as well as lots of photos on the wall. ( chef Silva is a bird hunter with his dogs.)

I try to be the person, my dog thinks I am.

[grace3]

I have a reservation for October 12. I am looking forward to it.

Did you find some other places in the area that you would like to pass on to me.

Thanks.....

[cigalechanta]

The menu looked good at the Nid D'Aigle in Gourdon but we only had pastis on the terrace for the view. otherwise the few days we ate at our hotel and the food very good(the Auberge du Loup)

[Underhill]

We lunched at La Table de Mon Moulin on September 20th, eager to taste Jean-Pierre Silva's food again; we had not eaten in his Burgundian restaurant for several years and were wondering whether his style would undergo a chance.

Well, yes and no: the creativity is still there, the explosions of taste are still there, but the food is generally lighter, as befitting his Provençal location.

We arrived at the mill (which is NOT easy to find) about 15 minutes early and perused the menu handwritten in violet ink of a screed contained in a storage jar set on a post. I could make out only about half the words, but they were enough for us to begin anticipating another delicious Silva meal.

A few minutes past the appointed opening time of 12:30 Isabelle Silva appeared to open the wide iron gate and lead us to the restaurant, housed in an old olive-oil oil mill; on the outside one can see the water will used to turn the crusher. The house is tastefully decorated and looked as though it would be very cozy to dine inside during cooler months; however, that daý lunch as al fresco.

We were shown to our table on the patio overlooking the mill race and were greeted by a well-mannered spaniel. We began with kirs and were presented with a tray of assorted olives before our first of six courses arrived, a cross between pissaladière and a millefeuille--delectable. We also had a tasty lentil spread served with small toasts and perfect small tomatoes, one for each of us--I could have eaten several, as the flavor was so enticing.

Next came a salad of a Spanish ham lsimilar to proscuitto , mixed with rabbit ravioles, circles of green pepper stuffed with ricotta cheese, and thin slices of sautéed courgette.

The fish course was salt cod from Bilbao, sautéed and served on a bed of ham jus and lentils; accompanying the fish was a perfect little square of creamy polenta. (At this point I made friends with the restaurant's cat, who expressed great delight on being offered bits of the fish and settled down by my feet to survey hopefully the other diners.)

The main course was a daube of Sisteron lamb, surrounded by delectable baby carrots. We accompanied this dish with a half bottle of a 1999 Gevrey-Chambertin, having begun with a half bottle of Santenay.

The cheese course was made up of local cheeses, most of which were new to us. The platter was just set on our table for us to serve ourselves. We were happy to have some wine left to accompany the cheeses.

Dessert was a lovely pastry floating on crème Chantilly, topped with apricot sorbet.

We had no time for coffee, unfortunately, as we saw the plates of mignardises heading for other tables. But six courses of such excellence were really enough.

Afterwards I asked Jean-Pierre whether he liked living in Provence now and got a hearty "Oui!" in response. He has certainly done an excellent job of suiting his cooking to the region, but I hope he never forgets the boeuf bourgignon à la grandmère that seduced us at his restaurant in Bouilland.

[Robert Schonfeld]

It was our pleasure to share a meal at this restaurant with Susan and Robert Brown last month. Lunch was served in a small, charming garden. One dish stands out in memory: daurade sauvage topped with a half-dried tomato, girolles and a sauce of galinette, described by the chef as a kind of (or similar to: my French isn't that good) rouget. The sauce was a deep reddish brown, as rich in taste as the promise of its color. It served perfectly to marry the mushrooms with the meaty fish. It also balanced nicely with the tomato, which in its turn was acid, rich and meaty.

Plate design of the first by Bob.