A lovely sunday lunch in the French countryside
Auberge La Selette
There is a travellers’ legend about driving through the countryside in France (or any other exotic place), stopping serendipitously at a small country eatery and finding a blockbusting gem that combines all the parts of a great dining experience, food, setting and service to produce the holy grail of eating experiences. In reality the truth is this is not often the case. Mostly the experience although often promising much delivers a less than satisfying result. Generally some part of the equation refuses to co-operate and conspires to throw a saucepan into the works.
Today however we got close to nailing that legend. On the way back from the Christmas Market in the charming village of Capestand we pulled into a likely looking restaurant about 15 kilometres from Olonzac. It was Sunday. The sun was shining in a clear blue and cloudless sky. Sunday lunch seemed a fantastic idea. We had no idea what the restaurant had to offer although the packed car park was encouraging.
We walked in and initial impressions were again encouraging. The place was packed. This has not been our experience in France at this time of the year. There are a lot of restaurants and the weather does not encourage tourists. Hence restaurants are usually at best only partly full.
Not Auberge La Selette today. We have to stand and wait whilst a table is prepared. Then the initial service is slow but there is plenty to occupy us as we watch the several waiting staff, looks like a family affair, dealing with the large crowd of diners efficiently and with little fuss. This is not difficult because it is obvious that everyone is enjoying the mselves.
I always find a bit of a delay is a good opportunity to observe the offering being presented to my fellow diners. This can be invaluable in helping one choose what to order. We settle on the E35.50 menu for 4 courses and a half bottle of local white, Rousanne/Grenanche blend, to start.
Margie has a dozen oysters and I have the Fois grae platter. First the oysters. They are very good. Large and plump and smelling of the sea. Seemingly not as salty as some of the other Mediterranean oysters we have tried. Margaret is loving them and it is an effort to liberate a couple to try.
I am no expert on foie grae but this platter’s offering looks delightful. First there is a small pot of densely caramelised white onions. I would not be surprised, due to the sweetness, if they had been reduced in a minevois musket. Then there are several versions of the foie grae. Thin slices of foie grae entier, several small rounds of what I assume is block de foie grae and a morsel of foie grae spread on jambon and rolled and sliced. Finally there is a small piece of cooked duck or chicken liver. All marvellous.
Mains are next and I am having the beef tournedos with pepper sauce (you cant avoid “la tradition” here) whilst Margie has opted for the seafood fantasy. We are only about 20 k’s from the coast so it seems a safe bet. Both mains are excellent. Mine traditionally so but Margaret’s more interesting with a blend of fish, prawns and a fishcake, several different sauces and a cooking methods employed to assemble the offering. I don’t get any of this one.
Next there is a small cheese platter with 3 different cheeses. Not too much but served simply and again not cold and tasteless direct from the refrigerator. Local cheeses and quite good.
Dessert is next. In a restaurant as with any type of performance it is important to start well and finish fantastic. The initial impression sets the scene. If good we think .. “well maybe I will enjoy this”. The middle bits can be spectacular or they may just be ordinary but it can still be saved by the ending. A climatic ending will result in much forgiveness for some ordinary performance earlier in the piece. So it is with dessert.
Margie has a crème brulee which is technically very good. I have something called “the café gourmande”. It is an espresso coffee accompanied on a long plate by a small chocolate pudding, tiramisu, ice-cream and French version of a bread & butter pudding. They are all sensational morsels combining to make a delightful finish to a marvellous meal.
This place was a real find. No dinner needed tonight.
There is a travellers’ legend about driving through the countryside in France (or any other exotic place), stopping serendipitously at a small country eatery and finding a blockbusting gem that combines all the parts of a great dining experience, food, setting and service to produce the holy grail of eating experiences. In reality the truth is this is not often the case. Mostly the experience although often promising much delivers a less than satisfying result. Generally some part of the equation refuses to co-operate and conspires to throw a saucepan into the works.
Today however we got close to nailing that legend. On the way back from the Christmas Market in the charming village of Capestand we pulled into a likely looking restaurant about 15 kilometres from Olonzac. It was Sunday. The sun was shining in a clear blue and cloudless sky. Sunday lunch seemed a fantastic idea. We had no idea what the restaurant had to offer although the packed car park was encouraging.
We walked in and initial impressions were again encouraging. The place was packed. This has not been our experience in France at this time of the year. There are a lot of restaurants and the weather does not encourage tourists. Hence restaurants are usually at best only partly full.
Not Auberge La Selette today. We have to stand and wait whilst a table is prepared. Then the initial service is slow but there is plenty to occupy us as we watch the several waiting staff, looks like a family affair, dealing with the large crowd of diners efficiently and with little fuss. This is not difficult because it is obvious that everyone is enjoying the mselves.
I always find a bit of a delay is a good opportunity to observe the offering being presented to my fellow diners. This can be invaluable in helping one choose what to order. We settle on the E35.50 menu for 4 courses and a half bottle of local white, Rousanne/Grenanche blend, to start.
Margie has a dozen oysters and I have the Fois grae platter. First the oysters. They are very good. Large and plump and smelling of the sea. Seemingly not as salty as some of the other Mediterranean oysters we have tried. Margaret is loving them and it is an effort to liberate a couple to try.
I am no expert on foie grae but this platter’s offering looks delightful. First there is a small pot of densely caramelised white onions. I would not be surprised, due to the sweetness, if they had been reduced in a minevois musket. Then there are several versions of the foie grae. Thin slices of foie grae entier, several small rounds of what I assume is block de foie grae and a morsel of foie grae spread on jambon and rolled and sliced. Finally there is a small piece of cooked duck or chicken liver. All marvellous.
Mains are next and I am having the beef tournedos with pepper sauce (you cant avoid “la tradition” here) whilst Margie has opted for the seafood fantasy. We are only about 20 k’s from the coast so it seems a safe bet. Both mains are excellent. Mine traditionally so but Margaret’s more interesting with a blend of fish, prawns and a fishcake, several different sauces and a cooking methods employed to assemble the offering. I don’t get any of this one.
Next there is a small cheese platter with 3 different cheeses. Not too much but served simply and again not cold and tasteless direct from the refrigerator. Local cheeses and quite good.
Dessert is next. In a restaurant as with any type of performance it is important to start well and finish fantastic. The initial impression sets the scene. If good we think .. “well maybe I will enjoy this”. The middle bits can be spectacular or they may just be ordinary but it can still be saved by the ending. A climatic ending will result in much forgiveness for some ordinary performance earlier in the piece. So it is with dessert.
Margie has a crème brulee which is technically very good. I have something called “the café gourmande”. It is an espresso coffee accompanied on a long plate by a small chocolate pudding, tiramisu, ice-cream and French version of a bread & butter pudding. They are all sensational morsels combining to make a delightful finish to a marvellous meal.
This place was a real find. No dinner needed tonight.