Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Restaurant Review

04 Sep 2012

Manoir de l’Acherie – Sainte-Cécile

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From beautiful Burgundy, we packed our bags, hopped a train, and traveled to Normandy. Mom requested a stop in this northern region to observe the historic D-Day beaches. We also fit in a trip to Mont Saint-Michel, a rocky tidal island and commune dating back to the 6th century.

In between our two chief sightseeing adventures, we had a stupendous feast of Norman delights at Manoir de l’Acherie. Dining in charming, family-owned restaurants serving local specialties was the highlight of exploring the French countryside. I hope to make a whole vacation of inn-hopping in the future.

The restaurant was located on the first floor of the Le Manoir de l’Acherie inn. Our reserved table was beautifully set in the French tradition upon arrival. The textured, pale yellow tablecloth and napkins were jazzed up by bold chargers.

While mom sipped a glass of red to start, The Astronomer and I shared a bottle of cidre (4.50€)—a specialty of the region. Whereas the ciders we’ve sampled in America are sweet, bubbly, alcopoppy creations, the stuff made in Normandy is legitimately funky with just a splash of fruitiness. The scent of the cider reminded The Astronomer and me of the pungent goat cheese shop we visited in the Loire Valley. The essence took some getting used to, but by the end of the bottle we were both big fans.

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Burgundy

30 Aug 2012

Route des Grands Crus – Burgundy

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Following our thoroughly Burgundian lunch at Les Terrasses de Corton, The Astronomer, Mom, and I visited a few tasting rooms along the Route des Grands Crus. The roughly 40 mile route stretches from Dijon in the north to Santenay in the south.

Burgundy is truly breathtaking with its rolling hills and sprawling vineyards. The terrain was wonderfully lush and green for as far as the eye could see. The Astronomer remarked that the grapes here were allowed to grow in free form, unlike their staked, split, and tortured cousins in California’s Central Coast and Napa Valley. The difference in methodology was quite striking.

The first vineyard that we randomly stepped into was Château Corton-Andre, which is located at the bottom of the Corton Hill, the most important Grand Crus area in Burgundy. Grand Cru is the highest level in the vineyard classification of Burgundy.

The wines that we sipped here were quite young and thus acidic and assertive. We purchased a bottle to take home; it will be aging in our “cellar” for the next five years. Hopefully its flavors will be nice and round by the time we pop the cork.

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Restaurant Review

27 Aug 2012

Les Terrasses de Corton – Ladoix-Serrigny

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Up until we departed Provence, the only restaurants that we explored were in fairly large French cities. During the second half of our trip in Burgundy and Normandy, we often found ourselves in the middle of nowhere due to sightseeing excursions. With few English language resources available about where to eat in the countryside, I turned to the Michelin Guide to locate stellar family-owned restaurants specializing in regional dishes. While the Michelin Guide never made too much sense to me in America, on its home turf it was genuinely helpful in leading travelers to “charming” dining destinations that were “worth the drive.”

While tasting our way along the Route des Grands Crus, we lunched at Les Terrasses de Corton in Ladoix-Serrigny—the heart of Burgundy’s wine region. Located on the first floor of a low-key inn, the restaurant is run by husband and wife team Patrice and Valerie Sanchez.

As we walked from the parking lot to the restaurant’s entrance, we spied Chef Patrice in the kitchen. Gotta love the huge window and his old school toque!

A plate of still-hot-from-the-fryer accras de morue (salt cod fritters) landed on the table as we perused the menus.
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