Trip Report - Back from France

[Patrice]

I everybody, i'm now back in Montreal after 31 days in France.  We had the chance to eat at some of the best restaurants in France: Auberge de la Charme,  Marc Veyrat,  Nouvelle,  Michel Bras,  Michel Trama,  La Galupe,  Martin Berasategui,  Gravelier,  Le ST-James,  Bardet,  La Café des Délices,  Hélène Daroze,  Spoon,  59 Point Carré,  Ducasse,  Arpège and Pierre Gagnaire!!!  We ate some extraordinary food and some very good wine...  This is my top five:

1- I must say that there's a tie in first place: Michel Bras and Marc Veyrat.  Both of them were unforgettable experiences.  The decor, the food and the service, everything is perfect.  They are also very different: Everything at Veyrat is bigger than nature, it's a big show. The flavors in is food are very distinct.  On the other side, Bras is much more simple. Even if the decor is quite spectacular and the food incredible, Bras is not a show-off.  There is a lot of thinking behind his food but he like to present it in a more simple manner.  But of them were fantastic experinces.

2-Martin Berasategui ( San Sebastian in Spain)  He is maybe the most creative chef I ever meet.  His food remind me of El Bulli.  There is 30 cooks in the kitchen for about 40 clients...  The decor is OK, the service is very good but the food is unequalled.  From the first amuse-bouche: a celery ice cream, to the last migardises, everything was perfect.

3- Alain Ducasse at Plaza Athénée:  This is the real 3 stars french restaurant:  perfect service, grand food, White Truffles...  , fantastic wine list. Everything is there so you can pass a great great meal...$$$

4-Gagnaire: Maybe a little deception. I read so much good thing about Gagnaire, I was expecthing more that I received.  It is still one of the best restaurant in France but the meal I had was not comparable to Bras or Veyrat.  

5-Passard:  I read a lot about his vegetables and I wanted to taste them.  First of all, there's not only vegetables on his menu, there's a lot of fish and seafood.  We asked to have only vegetables. They made a vegetables degustion menu for us.  Everything was very good and very creative.

I will not write about all the restaurants I made but, if you have any question, just ask.  

[Bux]

What an incredible trip. I don't know about you, but in two weeks of eating at a less ambitious pace, my wife and I put on some weight. I don't know a few of your restauarants and look forward to whatever you have have to say about them. Especially since I find your terse comments on the mark in regard to the ones I know.

I've not been to Bras, but have so heard much about him. I've mentioned Le Vieux Pont in Belcastel run by two sisters. I've been there twice and have found the food simply wonderful and wonderfully simple. The chef is a great fan of Bras and I'm told much infuenced by him. Ducasse--the level of perfection was almost on another plane of reality. I'd forgotten about La Galoupe. We had a great lunch there. I found Berasategui's inventiveness among the most easy to comprehend, accept and enjoy immediately. Whatever sounded outrageous on the menu, was not outrageous in my mouth. I trust we will be hearing more.