Today Tyson passed his dissertation proposal hearing, so I'm officially living with a man well on his way to being a bonafide Ph.D.!
In light of this fact, we decided to take a night out and go to the cute little restaurant on a corner near our house that we've been eying. It's called Les Artistes, and there are literally 4 tables there, one of which, if you are lucky enough to get it, you have to share with an overweening fern. It's one of those classic French places where there isn't a printed menu (everything is scrawled on a chalkboard that the proprietor proudly carries from table to table when the occasion arises), and good, classic homecooked food that, when it runs out, is out for the night.
It was a splurge for us, but for 30 euros apiece, we had wine and the most delicious three-course meal that I've had in a very long time. Without the appetizers and/or dessert (and yes Tyson, I know that "or" is technically inclusive), it would have been highly reasonable. Excellent French food in great quantity, with wine, mind you, for around 16 euros per person. But anyhow, we went whole hog, and here's the deal:
Carolyn -
Round 1) Zucchini gazpacho with fennel, cantaloupe, green apples, and hot sauce (sounds disgusting, I know, but I even hate cantaloupe, and I was all over this business; the sweet and savory were perfectly blended, and it had just enough punch to be interesting)
Round 2) Columbo de cabri (Indian-creole goat), coconut milk rice, veggies, and a potato in an unknown but highly awesome sauce
Round 3) Fig cake (with cinnamon, ginger, and lime) and 2 sauces (cream and raspberry)
Tyson -
Round 1) Zucchini gazpacho
Round 2) Chicken with garlic, olives, lime, and almonds, coconut milk rice, veggies, potato with aforementioned awesomesauce
Round 3) Chocolate marquise (a frozen, cold, chopped, delicious chocolate concoction involving wine somehow) and cream
And the night ended with complementary doses of homemade liquor, which came out of a huge glass jug filled with clear liquid and obviously alcohol-saturated fruit. Damn fine stuff.
I could probably do some better food writing, but I'm too blissfully happy and full to even think about selecting better adjectives than "awesome" or "yummerific." Let's just suffice it to say that I love France, and so does my stomach.
*Note: What I don't love about France is how freaking hard it is to get a bank account around here. You need a gas bill to a bank account and a bank account to get a gas bill. You need a rental slip to get a bank account, but to pay your rent you need a bank account. I think you get the idea. Recursivity to the max.
But on a happy note, FOOD! And pajama pants. Definitely time for the PJs.
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3 comments:
OH MY GOD. I have two incredible menus to share with you, except that I can't remember all the details.
Also, backing up a bit - CONGRATS to Tyson!
Okay. So. This weekend for my birthday we went to Paso Robles and my dear husband obviously knows me well enough to know that when I travel in my mind I think "FOOD, EATING, FOOD, EATING, RESTAURANTS, FOOD, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO EAT, ALSO WINE." So he took me to two of the most delicious dinners of my life, the second of which (not on my official birthday, alas, but still) was I'm pretty sure the most delicious meal of my life.
Okay. Meal #1:
(Also, I'm just realizing that part of the excitement of your post was that you're in FRANCE! and I was in comparatively-dumpy Paso Robles. BUT I think you'll be excited nonetheless, AND Paso Robles actually kind of looks like France, according to Brett.)
Appetizer: Cayucos Red Abalone ‘BLTA’, fried green tomato, pancetta
Bowen dinner: Wild Caught Salmon, corn pudding, black eyed pea succotash, apple wood bacon
Brett dinner: Um ... it was lamb. And it was delicious, but I don't remember the details. Fail.
Dessert: Well, fiasco. First they brought out brownie and ice cream and then I realized that I forgot to ask about nuts and then suddenly the birthday dessert (with candle) that they brought to the table could have KILLED me. The waitress was a little annoyed but brought us something else, this time Black-bottom Pie, in a jar, with cookie crust, dark chocolate pudding, and a charred marshmallow creme top, served with dark chocolate chunk mocha cookies. Delicious.
Okay I'm going to do meal #2 on a second comment. It deserves its own, BE EXCITED.
First I forgot to mention that with the first dinner we had champagne and then wine.
Okay, now ... second dinner was at Cass House Inn, at which we stayed during our honeymoon and with which I became COMPLETELY OBSESSED. Except that we didn't even get to eat there because it was full. So this time we went just to eat and now I have become even more completely obsessed, to the point that I'm already wanting to make reservations for New Years, anniversary, birthdays for every year until I die ...
So. Starter before first course:
Potato dill fritter with some kind of fancy caviar and shallot and dill creme sauce.
First course:
Bowen - Kampachi ceviche with lime con chili and cumin flat bread
Brett - Heirloom tomatoes, garden basil (they grow most of their produce and herbs on-site), burrata cheese, garlic bread crumbs
Between courses: homemade rolls with herb butter and various salts
Course two:
Bowen - Roasted veal marrow, parsley-horseradish salad, crostini, fleur de sel (I think this was literally the most fantastic thing I have ever eaten in my entire life); dry riesling to drink
Brett - Soft shell crab on brioche toast, bacon cubes, soft herb salad, red bell pepper tartar sauce; sauvignon blanc to drink
In between: watermelon gelee with lime salt
Course three:
Bowen - Rabit in two preparations - prosciutto wrapped loin, braised leg vol au vent, red cabbage, spaetzle, petit pois; pinot noir to drink
Brett - Halibut poached in corn milk with chorizo, mussels, various veggies beurre blanc (I think); something wine to drink I don't remember
Dessert (fourth course, shared): "One bourbon, one scotch, one beer" Apple bourbon cake, butterscotch pots de creme, chocolate stout ice cream
And ginger shortbread came with the check.
Holy moly this was amazing. I'm sure the amount of information and enthusiasm I just gave you was overwhelming, but you know me ...
Love you! Miss you! Can't wait to share meals in March ...
I've read that the cantaloupe in the states is not actually cantaloupe. It is a stand-in melon that we just call that. I don't know why we don't have the real thing, but in Europe you are getting the real deal. So you may like it more. Or maybe they do taste pretty much the same, I dunno!
I've grown to like cantaloupe, just not the nasty stuff you find in fruit cups and whatnot.
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