Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Restaurant Review

12 Sep 2012

Le Chateaubriand – Paris

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After a week of countryside explorations in the Loire Valley, Provence, Burgundy, and Normandy, we returned to a sweltering Paris for one final hurrah. Air conditioning is a luxury that the French don’t seem to appreciate, which made for some uncomfortably hot hotels, museums, and restaurants. Easily the stickiest and sweatiest meal that we endured was at Le Chateaubriand, a renowned neo-bistrot led by Chef Inaki Aizpitarte.

Here at Le Chateaubriand, the self-trained Basque chef prepares his signature cuisine de vagabond, which is known for its unique flavor combinations and a penchant for raw and sous-vide preparations.

While lunchtime is a casual affair, dinner brings two seatings and one set menu (60€). We managed to reserve a table for the first one, which saved us from waiting in line at 10 PM for the first-come-first-served second round.

A series of small nibbles graced the table to start. Poppy seed-crusted gougeres arrived warm, cheesy, and poofy.

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Restaurant Review

09 Sep 2012

Château d’Audrieu – Audrieu

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The medieval city of Bayeux is crawling with Americans due to its proximity to Normandy’s historic D-Day sites, which meant that the restaurants within walking distance of our hotel catered to Yankee tastes. Rather than endure anything less than a stellar meal, we hailed a cab to Château d’Audrieu. I counted far more cows than people on the 14 kilometer countryside ride. The grounds leading up to the château were immaculate.

Château d’Audrieu, which boasts a Michelin star and is tucked inside a swanky Relais & Châteaux property, was quite a departure from the homey, family-run establishments that we visited in Burgundy and outside Normandy. We hadn’t been served by suited gents since we departed from Paris.

Chef Olivier Barbarin, who has been leading the brigade here since 2009, combines local ingredients with modern flare. It was interesting to compare his fine dining point of view with our more rustic dinner from the night before at Manoir de l’Acherie in Sainte-Cécile.

Our table was set with fresh flowers and a single candle. The large windows opening into the courtyard made for an idyllic view.

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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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