One of our birthday gifts at our 50th birthday party (2 blog posts ago) was the opportunity to enjoy a Dégustation menu at a *restaurant étoilé. I don’t really eat often at restaurants because, to be honest, I’m often disappointed – but that was definitely not the case this time :
*La définition des étoiles (the definition of restaurant stars) :
- une étoile : une très bonne table dans sa catégorie (1 star = very good, high quality meals);
- deux étoiles : une cuisine excellente, mérite un détour (2 stars = excellent meals that are worthy of a detour);
- trois étoiles : une cuisine exceptionnelle, mérite le voyage (exceptional restaurant that is worth travelling to).
The menu at this one-star restaurant, En Plein Nature, was fixed which was an approach that I didn’t think much of in the past but which I really appreciate nowadays. Obviously, it’s only a good option for those – like my husband and I – who are more than happy to try everything (although restaurants will always provide options for specific dietary requirements). Why do I value no-choice menus? Well, first of all, there is no time spent looking through the menu and wondering what to order (which can save a lot of time in my case given my problem with indecisiveness/analysis paralysis). Then, the dishes are specially selected by a talented chef to accompany each other perfectly and are balanced so that despite eating several different dishes (we had at least 9 on this particular occasion), you actually feel satisfied rather than bloated at the end of the meal. Each guest at the table is served the same dishes and can enjoy the same things together which avoids the painful experience of plate envy and ensures that everyone is served at the same time. You also find yourself trying dishes that you might not have chosen but which you don’t regret tasting (this was the case for me when I was served summer truffles: because I am not a fan of traditional truffles I wouldn’t have been tempted to try these milder versions had I not been served them). Then if you wish to accompany the meal with wine, it is easier to share a suitable bottle with everyone. And finally, the service is perfectly timed so that the meal is neither rushed nor slow which enables you to really enjoy sharing not only a meal with others, but also sharing a special and memorable moment. Thank you Patrizia and Pascale!
When my cousin Simon and his wife Lisa were over from Australia this month (thanks cousins for fitting us into your busy itinerary!) they also appreciated the idea of a fixed menu which we discovered when we went to the little village of Simorre in the Gers department where a fabulous little restaurant called the Bouche a oreille (Word of Mouth) is situated. The chef here creates an original 3-course menu each day using ingredients either from her own veggie patch or from local farmers.
After a three-hour walk and a visit to the Abby in Boulaur on this sunny Saturday in the square in the center of this gorgeous village we enjoyed melon gaspacho with goats cheese and tilleul oil followed by roasted lamb accompanied by pureed carrot with ginger, einkorn and a black sesame paste and for dessert, a choux pastry filled with coffee cream served on a caramel sauce. Yum!
Start with intention 
