Odyssey - the journey to Greece (2011) - Part 2 – THE MEAL

Yesterday’s ride from Luxembourg to Beaune was uneventful.

Some lovely roads through rural France and a distinct lack of Neo Nazi skinheads made the journey pleasant – but the weather is hotting up as I head south and I was tired and sweaty when I arrived at the Hostellerie Le Cedre at Beaune. (http://www.lecedre-beaune.com ).

I parked up and went inside to the hotel and announced myself to the lady at reception who insisted on speaking French (and also had a nice disdainful look for the biker who had entered her habitat). I insisted on speaking English – not because I cannot muster basic French, but out of principal. I will speak Italian in Italy (indeed I have done since arriving in Italy this afternoon) and Greek in Greece, but in France I will speak English until desperate.

Having negotiated check-in I enquired about a reservation at the hotel’s quite famous restaurant Le Clos Du Cedre. The reception lady smiled a twisted smile and told with some glee that the restaurant was fully booked. I asked “Surely one person will be fine?” “Non, Monsieur.” I now resorted to French. “Je suis seul! Seulement une personne pour ce soir?”. “Non monsieur. There are other restaurants in the town!”. She resorted to English as she plunged the knife of bad news into my chest with vigour.

That was me told. So I changed, and went to the beautiful garden to drink away my sorrow with some afternoon rose and do a quick conference call for work.

Several glasses of rose later, I retired for an afternoon nap and woke a couple of hours later feeling rested and hungry. I dressed and prepared to leave the hotel.

Another lady was now staffing reception and I thought I would try my luck with her. She turned out to be Dutch – the savior nation of my trip so far. She said they had had a cancellation and I was in. I then enquired if the hotel sold cigarettes (I always return fully to smoking for vacation – it is an indulgence. I have my quitting pills with me for the journey back). She said they did not, but then kindly (I think!) gave me the rest of her packet – an Algerian brand called “Rym”. Let us say simply that Algerians are to fine tobacco what the French are to spreading the use of English…but beggars and choosers, so I headed off to the garden of the restaurant to dine outside and smoke Algerian cigarettes.

Now there are many things which contribute to making a great meal. Atmosphere, décor, service, food, companions, location, timing, great food of course and many more. The meal I enjoyed at Le Clos Du Cedre is one of the Top Ten meals of my life (so far).

In my Top Ten are meals at Le Manoir Au Quat Saisons in Oxfordshire (Raymond Blanc’s Taj Mahal to food), at Cercis Murat Konagi in Istanbul – the dedication to the cuisine of the city of Mardin, at Ramsay’s restaurant at Claridges and so on, but also wonderful meals in tavernas in Greece, tapas in Madrid and others. It is not JUST about great food – although Le Clos was truly excellent food. The chef de cuisine is Kunihisa Goto – a French trained Japanese Chef. You can read about him, the restaurant and the menu at their website: http://www.lecedre-beaune.com/uk/index.php#restaurant-clos-du-cedre.php but in the meantime, let me tell you about my meal . . .

I sat at around 8pm after choosing a nice table under a tree in the garden. The menu and the wine list were duly brought to me by pleasant staff who spoke to me in English (!). I opened the menu first and began to consider what delights to treat my stomach, eyes and taste buds to . . .

Oh what a choice!

I considered the menu with two Algerian cigarettes (they were better than I thought!) and after 20 minutes of deep contemplation I completed my deliberations. I then turned to the wine menu while enjoying a glass of chilled champagne in anticipation.

The French are obviously in a league of their own when it comes to the culture of wine but one of their greatest merits is the production of the “demi bouteille”. A lone diner such as me is loathed to order one bottle of wine for the whole meal, and ordering by the glass seems frustrating and pointless. I made my tentative selections mentally and closed the book. For it was indeed a book of wine.

The waiter came to take my food order, repeated it back to me, nodded with approval and informed me that the sommelier would arrive presently to consult on wine. I like that. And as I am no Master of Wine, a consultation was very welcome. With the prospect of very good food ahead I was suffering from some wine anxiety and the sommelier was just the man to sort me out.

He came and asked me what I was eating. I told him. As all good consultants do, he began by asking me questions, and then gently asked if I had had any thoughts myself. I slightly nervously mentioned a Chablis for my first courses. He nodded half heartedly and told me that the Chablis was indeed a good wine, but perhaps not the optimum choice for my food selection. He commended the 2008 Meursault Javilliers. It came in a demi bouteille. I was sold.

Then we moved on to the choice of red. Now if white wine gets me nervous, choosing red turns me into a basket case. I am blessed with a near photographic memory, so when I drink something good, I memorize it - but nothing in the wine book matched my database of good things to drink that are red and made from grapes…Luckily Gaston (this is how I named him in my head) was there to quietly assist . . . I mentioned a red, casually, almost nonchalantly as though it were not really a serious suggestion. He hid his smirk quite well, but not perfectly. He immediately gauged the level of help required by this client and went for direct advocacy suggesting a heavy duty Burgundy called Gevrey Arlaud – 2009 vintage.

And I was set.

The Amuse Bouches arrived as I finished my champagne. A tiny glass of melon and basil gazpacho and a spoon of spiced bulgur wheat with a tiny slice of cured tuna and a spot of caviar. Delicious and a good omen of things to come – spice, fruit, beautiful presentation and lovely fresh ingredients.

Course #1:

The pre-appetiser.

A “foam” of leek and potato mousse with fish. As I dropped my spoon into the yellow sphere on the plate, it opened and oozed a delicious cream of potato and leek onto the spoon. The first taste confirmed the presence of fish also and the whole flavour combination was both delicate but strong. I had to restrain myself from bending my head to the edge of the bowl and sucking – instead sticking to spoon in, lift up, taste, pause, pause some more, and then another mouthful. I was impressed by both the flavors – a classic combination of leek & potato with a twist – and also the presentation / texture. It was so light as a texture I thought it might actually float, but then so strong and powerful with its flavor – packing a punch that was quite incongruous and counter-intuitive when compared to the texture. Full marks and now my bar was set higher in anticipation of the appetizer.

Course #2:

The appetizer.

Warm Half Blue Lobster, Seasonal Fruit & Vegetables, Raspberry & Lemon Verbana Vinaigrette Sauce

This was simply a stunning dish. Visually it was so pretty my first reaction was to take a photograph. The fruits and vegetables arranged in such a fashion as to look both casual and precise. The lobster was very slightly warm, and incredibly succulent and juicy - a full claw’s worth of meat – lying on one side of the plate with a little of the sauce (a hint of sesame oil in the dressing) and the medley of fruits on the other side. There was pear, white peach, dill, a tiny leaf from the heart of a romaine lettuce, a shaving of carrot and a shaving of black carrot, a hazelnut, an almond and the kicker for me – some dried fig… Wonderful – and the Meursault accompanied it beautifully.

Course #3:

A palate cleanser between courses consisting of a herbed jelly (basil), a tiny meringue –crunchy on top and soft underneath – and a spoon of spiced apricot compote.

The compote was bitter and tangy, the jelly sticky and light and the meringue provided just enough counter balance with sweetness to make this a mouthful of heaven.

Course #4:

The entrée

Fillet of Charolais Beef with potato gratin, truffle sauce and onion cream.

It sounded so simple and classic on the menu when I read it, and indeed it was. But the simplicity belied the incredible flavor of the meat and the sauce – with the onion cream representing the piece de resistance - a warm, creamy emulsion of onions that were sweet, deep and immensely comforting. The beef was robust, cooked slightly on the wrong side of “saignant” for my taste (a little too close to “a point”) but full of flavor. I know this cow lived well, probably lived close to Beaune and enjoyed a full life before giving it up to feed me and others. Well done cow – it was worth the ultimate sacrifice – you were appreciated.

The wine was sensational – a deep, rich red, the colour of bull’s blood and a fine accompaniment to this piece of Burgundy’s finest beef. Magnifique!

Course #5:

Dessert

An apricot sauteed in Sauternes. Tossed with herbs and halved hazelnuts and served warm in its cooking syrup on top of a fresh piece of shortbread with some nougat and nougat ice cream.

The apricot is an often overlooked fruit which is at its best in summer time and lends itself well to poaching or sautéing in wine. It was utterly delicious and “just enough”. The shortbread was crumbly and still warm, the nougat ice cream melting over a slice of chewy nougat on the plate. The nuts and herbs added extra dimensions to the flavor and texture which lifted the dish a notch and created harmony.

I ordered a glass of dessert wine to accompany my apricot – what better than my favourite French dessert wine – Muscat De Beaumes De Venise. A wine I have written about in my gastro-pornography blog - it’s that good. I consider Muscat De Beaumes De Venise as a mistress who is able to totally put me under her spell. It was utterly delicious and I savoured every mouthful.

Course #6:

Coffee and a post prandial sweet

Coffee was thick, black, nutty and heavy. I needed it after the meal and all the wine. The sweet was a very pretty flute glass with a cappuccino of caramel and whipped cream with a macaroon filled with orange. Sublime.

So the food was good – but why did this make the Top Ten meals?

Because everything was good. The service was delightful. The ambience was rested and natural. The sommelier was earnest and caring. The Algerian cigarettes made a great intercourse cigarette. The coffee was just bitter enough. The champagne was lovely. The weather was gorgeous – a pleasant summer’s night. My mood was intensely focused and devoted to the pleasures of eating and most of all destiny which had seemed to deny me all of this when I arrived at the hotel, had suddenly afforded me all of this pleasure on whim.

My only sadness at this great meal in Beaune was that I enjoyed it alone. It was a meal very much worthy of being shared and I thought throughout the meal of various people who I would either like to be talking to at that point, sharing the food with or both.

Which of course means I will have to go back.

I consider these road trips as reconnaissance missions anyway – so last night was a great big note in the travel diary, underlined and marked with “return!”.