(This post from Provence)
So, as I was reading my new 2017 Michelin Guide (see my post from Monday), I discovered that there was a 1-Star restaurant in Le Rouret, a village of 4,000 inhabitants about 4 miles from Julia's house that had been on my list of places to explore due to its connection with truffle hunting & selling. The resto is called Le Clos St-Pierre, its style was labeled "rustique" and they served lunch! But could I get in?
There were other things that my pals wanted to see in the town and the area, so off we went this morning!
Le Clos St-Pierre is in the center of the town, right across from the 18th century Church of Saint-Pons. It wasn't lunchtime yet, so we explored the church a bit. Then I saw that the gate to the resto's terrace was open so I went in to see if I needed a reservation for lunch. They said to just come back at noon, so my pals hit the road, to return in about 3 hours (fancy lunches take time here!), and I eagerly awaited the stroke of 12.
Their terrace was exceptionally beautiful, the temperature was in the mid-60s, there was a gentle breeze, tables were in dappled shade, and street noise was minimal, so I chose to eat on the terrace rather than indoors. Just after I was seated at noon, I was treated to the sound of the bells ringing at Saint-Pons church across the street...sorry that I wasn't able to move quickly enough to catch the audio on my phone...you'll have to trust me that it was heavenly!
 |
| Wines available by the half-bottle |
 |
| Beautiful place-setting |
 |
| The fixed luncheon menu |
 |
| My aperitif, a Kir Royale |
 |
| My half-bottle of a red Bandol, 2012 Chateau de Pibarnon - flinty, herbal, deep |
 |
| Amuse bouche - two triangles of tender foccacia topped with crushed tomatoes, shallots and peppery olive oil, two crostini with tuna and chives, chilled damp breakfast radishes with fleur de sel - all entertaining and appetizing! |
 |
| First course - a salad of blanched fat asparagus and artichoke hearts on buttery lettuce, tossed with a light herb viniagarette, and topped with an amazing fluffy eggy dressing (I think it was foamed egg yolks and finely diced egg whites - a fabulous slightly sweet concoction that paired beautifully with the asparagus and artichokes). |
 |
| Main course - tender, deeply flavored, perfectly fatty "Pluma de Porc Ibérique" - this is apparently the prized triangular muscle at the end of the loin of the Iberian pig, a breed that is fed acorns to make its flesh especially flavorful! Served with slightly undercooked red onions & spinach and an intensely flavored veal stock reduction. |
 |
| Chef Daniel Ettlinger tasting "something!" When we were touring the church across the street, we noticed a copper pot sitting on the ledge outside the kitchen. I went to see what was in it and later realized that it was the sauce for the main course! Photo by Britta Bloomberg. |
 |
| Dessert - crispy waffle with ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate sauce |
 |
| Mignardises (post-dessert treats) - caramelized phyllo ribbons & almonds, two buttery, sugary sablé cookies, two semi-sweet pieces of fudge. |
 |
| Chef Ettlinger stopped by my table to make sure everything was OK, so I took his picture! |
 |
| I just had to get a shot of the kitchen after lunch! |
(Just for a comparison, there are zero Michelin-starred restaurants in the Twin Cities. The closest ones are in Chicago. And here's a village of 4,000 with a Michelin 1-Star. Gotta love it!)
(Here's an article about the village that I discovered too late! I would have loved to find a few of the sites it mentions. http://www.amb-cotedazur.com/le-rouret/ )
(Some other fun tidbits about Le Rouret from Wikipedia: "Richard Wright, best known for his career as a keyboardist with Pink Floyd, lived in a villa in the village. The family of Richard Galliano, a French-Italian accordionist, have lived in Le Rouret for generations. Actor Roger Moore (007) currently spends his summers here in his villa, British Comedian Ricky Gervais bought a villa at the top of Le Rouret in December 2013 Bono owns a residence in the commune and Madonna is thought to own a villa in the neighboring commune, Roquefort-les-Pins. Peter Churchill, famous SOE agent in the Second World War, lived here after the war until his death in 1972.")
No comments:
Post a Comment