Discounts in France

[lizziee]

http://www.euroquestpass.com/

This is the site for "good deals."

[cabrales]

Speaking of discounts, the Relais & Chateaux website offers a number of promotional offers for room plus restricted meals at certain interesting restaurants. There are differing levels of offers (denoted by Gold, Silver, etc.)

Have members sampled what types of meals are included under the R&C offers at applicable restaurants?

[Bux]

I was about to dismiss the two cards after looking at the list of restaurants for the Francecard, but the ABC card has some real destination restaurants on it in Alsace and Burgundy. If you intended to visit those restaurants, the card could pay off.

[lizziee]

Bux,

I was very surprised to see Au crocodile and Cote St Jacques on the list. I wonder if these restaurants need this marketing ploy? Have any of you noticed less demand this year?

[cabrales]

On Cote Saint-Jacques, I wonder if the dining rooms have greater capacity now they they have been moved across the road.  I visited after the move. Speaking of that facility, if members are interested in staying in Joigny without paying CSJ room prices, the Loraine family (I believe a sister of J-M) also operates a hotel/motel-like facility across the river from CSJ.  

As other members mentioned, there are also less expensive, Guerard-run properties at Eugenie-Les-Bains (e.g., Ferme des Grives, Maison Rose?).

[cabrales]

Two other noteworthy restaurants included in the ABC card for which Liz furnished a link are Loiseau's La Cote d'Or and the Le Cerf restaurant. On the latter, at least as of the time the book "Atelier d'Alain Senderens" was published several years ago, the chef at Le Cerf was considered by Senderens to be among his five best pupils.

I haven't checked the latest G-M rating or the Michelin status of Le Cerf (at least one star and possibly two), but the 2001 G-M furnished a rating of 17/20 for Michel Husser (Senderens' pupil). Marleheim is 24 miles or km (?) from Strasbourg, according to G-M.  Dishes described by G-M include: "choucroute au cochon de lait" (cabbage Alsatian style with milk-fed pig), and "foie gras fume" (smoked foie gras).  G-M noted that Husser excels at preparing fish as well.

This restaurant has been of interest to me because one goal I have is sampling the cuisine of material Senderen sous-chefs, including Dominic LeStanc (at Le Merende, sic, in Nice; also in the Atelier book), Husser, Eric Coisel (sic, at one-starred Chiberta in Paris -- nice food), Scotta Khunn (sic, I assume has returned from Cambodia; what is his current role with Le Cirque -- is it non-cuisinier?; also in the Atelier book). If members are aware of other (non-three-star) restaurants run by Senderens' former sous-chefs, please let me know.  

[robert brown]

A friend told me today about Luxurylink.com. It has an auction format on some properties. There were a couple of luxury hotels in France where you can bid on 4-5 day stays  at a fraction of the rack rate. Also AA Vacations (Tours?) or something like that (American Airlines) offers special rates on hotels without needing to buy a plane ticket.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Robert, I've often wondered, do you think one receives the same class room...or even reception...when taking advantage of these auction or discounted methods of booking as one does when booking by phone, fax or agent?  

Margaret

[John Whiting]

I was very surprised to see Au crocodile ... on the list. I wonder if these restaurants need this marketing ploy? Have any of you noticed less demand this year?

Au Crocodile has lost a macaron this year and is up against the supurb Buerehiesel, which justly retains full marks.

[cabrales]

I received a Bernard Loiseau "valued customer card" in the mail today. The card confers a 10% discount on hotel prices year-round, except for French public holidays. The discount cannot be combined with special offers, but applies to all room categories. Unfortunately, the 10% discount does not cover food and wine.

Amusingly, the letter accompanying the card states: "You are indeed one of our most valued customers. To thank you for your fidelity, I am sending *you your own* personal valued customer card, which will give you access to a number of advantages. . . . You can use your access codes to obtain a great deal of *exclusive* information. For example, you can find out how many points you have accumulated for use on your next visit." I like the part about sending "you your own" card -- any one of those words would have been sufficient. Also, it's funny that the "exclusive" information is access to one's points, which are meaningless as too many points are required for even little awards. Apparently, a euro 30+ purchase at Saulieu or any of the three Tante restaurants in Paris can result in the receipt of the card.

Update: I have now reviewed the "secure" area of the loiseau site. There is no useful information; just marketing.

[Gary Marshall]

cabrales, re your earlier talk about 'merenda' in nice....

i dined there last year, just before they closed for their summer hols.

It's a v odd little place, almost cellar like, big stove at one end and two rows of refectory style tables, banquette down the wall side and stools on the other. They have two sittings per service think dinner was 7.00 or 9.00. wine list is 3 bottles, red white or rose! 1 waiter, 1 kitchen assistant and le stanc is the staff list. Caused a huge local fuss when he left 2* chantecler and everyone in there seemed to know his past, despite the setting it's attracted a lot of obviously well-heeled diners. There's no phone so you have to make reservations in person and no credit cards. so the food must be exceptional right?!

well not quite, V short nicoise menu can remember a lentil and sausage dish that tasted separately did nothing but togther worked brilliantly and seem to remember having an excellent daube of beef. Other dishes on the short blackboard menu included tete de veau sauce gribiche and a stockfish dish i think, another local speciality.

I remember leaving thinking, well if i didn't know he was a 'famous' chef i'd have thought nothing particularly of the cuisine, it made me think a bit more about what i was eating and what he was trying to do. next door is Lou Pistou, serves similar type of nicoise food but much more relaxed and friendly, had great night chatting in franglais with the chef-patron's wife and even left with a recipe for the sea bass cannelloni (sp) that he had as a special. they also warned us off splashing out on chantecler said it 'was for the tourists'!

[Bux]

they also warned us off splashing out on chantecler said it 'was for the tourists'!

Don't they always. I haven't been to le Chantelcler since Le Stanc cooked there and have no comment other to say that Michelin awards it two stars, but I'm amused that destination restaurants are so often referred to as "for the tourists." Hell, multistarred restaurants are not so much for the tourists as they are the reason people visit in the first place. Of course Nice is town of hotels and tourists as much as anything else.

[cabrales]

Gary -- Thanks for the input. I have never eaten at Le Stanc's, whether at the current restaurant or at Chanteclair when he was there. robert and Susan brown conveyed to me an assessment of Merenda that also suggested disappointment. Despite the increasing indications Merenda may not be representative of that of which Le Stanc is capable, I'll try to visit in the next few years.

[Gary Marshall]

Bux

Actually it's true about the locals talking you out of vivisiting the stars, my local french restauranteur is always shrugging his shoulders at my trips to starrred places in 'tourist' spots such beaune and paris.

Though i wish i'd listened to him about 'tour d'argent' which was certainly more a surroundings 2* than a food 2* if you get my drift!

[Bux]

Agreed, there are expensive tourists traps and some of them have stars they no longer deserve. My problem is with the mentality that believes that if it's expensive, it's overpriced and that if it's real, it's inexpensive. When I was in college and for years afterwards, I traveled looking for the "real" Europe. I have no regrets about missing what I couldn't afford anyway. Dining in the little bistros and mom and pop restos gave me a good foundation with which to appreciate haute cuisine. I wouldn't imply that the three star places are the real stuff (although in a certain vernacular that's probably the phrase) more than the bistro, as they're both real. My bet is that the guy who runs a great bistro will also make the pilgrimage to the three star places the way the chef at the three star restaurant that's truly worthy of all three stars, probably has his favorite bistro. Then again there's probably the cook who makes a great stew worth seeking out even if his understanding of food goes no further. There are few hard and fast rules about what's worth the time, trouble or cost.

If I have a fault, the jump to defend against the reverse snobism is among the prominent ones.

[cabrales]

http://www.euroquestpass.com/

I purchased the ABC card for the remainder of the year at a 75% discount. The total price was $6.