Luscious Lunches

Dining in France is truly delightful, as many of you probably know – and others surely suspect. In the last several days I have had two fantastic lunches, detailed below. It is not my intention to torment my readers, yet I suspect that despite this, that will be the effect for some. For this, I apologize in advance.

While in the Loire Valley late last week, I took a break from touring the famed chateaux of the region and stopped in Vouvray for lunch. I had no specific goal in mind, had done no research on places to eat – I simply stopped at a pleasant-seeming brasserie, which turned out to be a favorite among the local workers who started streaming in a few minutes after I sat down.

The menu du midi was as follows:

– Assiette Charcuterie: pate, a smoked porc terrine, lardons and a delightfully crisp little gherkin, served with typically good baguette

– Boeuf Bourgoignon with rice – simple and delicious

– a small cheese plate, one sheep and one goat – both with firm yet creamy interior and that wonderful almost chalky exterior common in short-aged cheeses
– a delicious gateau – light cake with a rich, not too sweet cream filling and creme anglaise

Accompanying these were a glass of Vouvray petillant (lightly sparkling), a Chinon rouge, with a petit cafe to finish.

This cost 16€10 in total, about $23. For four courses, two wines and coffee.

Yesterday, while torturing myself riding through Burgundy’s Route du Grand Crus (torture because as a solo motorcyclist, I am by definition my own designated driver, so extended wine-tasting is right out, despite the wines of Burgundy being some of my favorites in the world), I stopped in the lovely medieval center of Beaune. Again, no particular goal in mind – I walked around for a few minutes perusing menus before settling in for the midday feast:

– a complexly layered amuse bouche with jambon and poached vegetables, topped with a savory aspic

– a half-dozen escargot, perfect in their salty-buttery-garlicky bath, served with possibly the best bread I’ve had since arriving in France – a little whole wheat flour for a bit more rustic flavor, with a crust that blurred the line between flaky and chewy in a nigh-unto-impossible fashion

– Coq au Vin, superb, with pommes de terre gratinee Dauphinoise (potatoes au gratin)

– red wine poached pears with a sorbet that I think was cassis, and a little salad of fruits topped with chopped almonds and pistachios

Accompaniments: Cremant de Bourgogne, a light but elegant Cote du Beaune rouge, and the obligatory cafe.

This meal was more expensive, understandably, but still well worth it (particularly considering that it was my only major expense of the day other than fuel).

In short, one could not say that I’m suffering a dearth of gustatory pleasures here in France. But then, those of you who know me well would probably bet against me suffering in that fashion, here or anywhere else.

Addendum: additional apologies to those of you who speak French for any egregious errors in the post. Je ne parle pas bien Français.