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[Written for wine.com]
Burgundy
Restaurant Reviews
By
Elizabeth Sagehorn and Don Lipper
Ever
since Gallo-Roman times, Burgundy has been famous for its cuisine.
The Bishop Princes of Sens enjoyed their food so much they had to cut
indentations into their table to accommodate their huge stomachs.
To
provide this overview of Burgundian cuisine, we made the sacrifice and, strictly
in the name of science, stuffed ourselves silly.
We picked three (‘spensive, medium, and cheaper) that we loved, all for
different reasons, and highlighted the best that each has to offer.
Big
bucks doesn’t necessarily buy the best experience. Our first (and most expensive dinner) was at Hostellerie
de L’Ecusson outside Beaune. First,
the good news. The service was
excellent. Everyone from the
hostess to the waiter summoned up their best attempts at English and bent over
backwards to ensure that we enjoyed ourselves.
-
We
started with a foie-gras and escargots.
The foie-gras was the most delicious we’ve ever had. It was creamy, melted in the mouth and tasted like
buttah. When smeared over the
slice of spice bread it came with, our senses sang out a chorus of
Hallelujahs. The sweet dessert
wine that our waiter recommended with the escargot was a delightful
complement. The escargots were
also exceptional. They were
tender, served piping hot in hollowed out beef bones with shaved garlic,
butter and marrow. Yum.
- One
of our entrees was a pigeon in brown sauce.
Its little appendages had been removed and artfully arranged around
the carcass. The meat was
tender and fell off the bone easily. A
finger bowl was thoughtfully provided.
- Our
waiter chose dessert for us: a scoop of raspberry sorbet ringed by two long
meringues and covered with several different kinds of local fruit including
sugar-covered cranberries. Dollops
of different flavored jellies ringed the perimeter.
Very tasty, with the tart flavors nicely offsetting the sweet ones.
(We can vouch for the freshness of the ingredients.
While we were waiting for dessert, one of the waitresses came
scurrying out from the kitchen and picked a few sprigs from the lemon thyme
bush in the herb planter by our table.
Ten minutes later, they were festooning our plate.)
The
dining room is pleasant in a generic country kind of way.
Since it was such a beautiful evening, we sat outside on the ivy walled
patio. Unfortunately, loud and long
freight trains barreled by every ten minutes or so.
(If you’re planning on proposing here, or having any other kind of
intimate conversation, first get a train schedule.)
In addition, they played an audio tape of bird calls which actually
masked the real things in the trees nearby.
“Curiouser and curiouser.” Dinner,
wine and bottled water for two came to 1045F (about $150).
Go for the food.
Our
next recommendation is Ma Cuisine in Beaune proper.
Owned by Pierre (host, speaks excellent English and has a wry sense of
humor) and Fabienne (chef) Escoffier, it is a small and unpretentious, but
completely delightful, bistro just off the Place Carnot.
The décor is country home-ish, with light, bright, blue patterns and
colors. It is very cozy, we felt
like we were visiting a friend’s house. To
add to the casualness, every evening they write the night’s selections on
their chalkboard. It’s a little like being at camp, only much nicer.
- The
tuna tartare knocked us out. Super
fresh and delicately flavorful, the tiny cubes of fish were spritzed with
balsamic vinegar, olive oil and herbs.
It was perfect.
- The
veal entrée was delicately sautéed, tender and delicious.
- Dessert
consisted of the best crème brulee we’ve ever had.
The top was lightly toasted, with just a slightly crunchy light-brown
patina. Underneath it was warm,
perfectly smooth and tasted of cream, rather than the usual vanilla.
- The
almond torte was also delicious. It
tasted like real almonds instead of extract flavoring and was smothered in
crunchy clusters of lightly toasted almonds.
Dinner,
wine and bottled water for two was 585F (about $83). Best overall experience.
Blessed
with the most ambiance, but the least impressive food, was Abbaye de
Maizieres XIIes, a converted 12th century wine cellar.
After negotiating the low doorway and steep steps, the very hospitable
manager Alain Sirugue will be happy to show you to your table.
Claustrophobes and allergy-sufferers need not fear the prospect of dining
in a cellar. The high ceilings and
broad walls (one of which is Roman and dates from the 3rd century)
have been thoroughly scrubbed, and they are hung with reproductions of small
Medieval tapestries. The food was
unremarkable, but the wine list was extensive and delicious.
Ask Alain for his suggestions. He
is very knowledgeable and will come up with the perfect wines to compensate for
your so-so meal. Because he also
works as a local tour guide he will regale you with the entire history of the
vineyard or winery in question down to the name of the woman who stomped the
grapes. Dinner, wine and bottled
water for two was 355F (about $50). Go
for the coolness factor of eating in an ancient wine cellar.
Not
much has changed in the last 700 years. The
food and wine in Burgundy never cease to surprise and delight.
And since it’s outside Paris, you can also expand your waistline
without thinning your wallet. Just be sure you don’t have to start cutting stomach
indentations out of your dinner table.
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