We seem to have a 'nose' for picking homes in small villages with excellent places to eat. In Staffordshire it is the Hollybush, and in Le Petit-Pressigny La Promenade and Le Bon Coin. Different in price and ambiance but each offering good quality food. Last week we ate at La Promenade which is a Michelin starred restaurant run by Jacky Dallais. The food was fantastic and the wines of excellent quality and value. We've eaten here before and really think that it is an experience to savour and better shared with other people. Our partners in the gourmet experience this time were Maureen, John and their son Daniel (who live near to us in the UK and have a lovely home and gite near Chatillion sur Indre) together with Nick and Janet.
We all decided to take the 'Menu Tradition' and were expecting the fish course but somehow this was ‘lost in translation’, possibly because the first of our party to order asked for the fish as a main course. As things turned out it would have been hard to fit in the fish as well!
The tasters...
Janet, Gaynor, Maureen, Dan, John, Nick and the invisible camera man, aka Tim!
The menu - if you look closely you'll see Gaynor. Also if you click you'll see exactly what we ate. Better than my potted descriptions.
A glimpse of the food we enjoyed.
The amuses-bouche...
Thin potato crisp with black olive,a savoury concoction with onion and radish followed by a wonderful stuffed tomato.
The entrées
Salmon (yummy!)
Foie gras
Oysters - really inventive!
Chicken ravioli
Fish...
Roasted plaice
Plats
Sauteed kid
Shoulder of veal
Cheese
Desserts…
Strawberry cheesecake
Paris Brest
Mandarin baba (perfection!)
Chocolate and coffee dessert
Petit fours…
With coffee we paid the princely sum of 41€! Cocktails and wines were extra (as you would expect) but due to the extensive and carefully chosen wine list didn’t break the bank! Not an everyday place to eat but certainly worth every cent and a real treat.
So if you are in the Sud Touraine and are feeling peckish give it a try, but remember to book first!
Oh wow, I have just finished dinner and now I am hungry all over again!!!! Have a great weekend. Diane
ReplyDeleteThanks Diane and the same to you and Nigel.
DeleteThere are enough people around perhaps we should have a future 'bleet' at La Promenade?
All so beautifully presented - I'm very envious. And lovely photos.
ReplyDeleteWe've paid nearly tha same amount for a three course up pub meal si it was great food at a good price.
DeleteIt all looks wonderful!
ReplyDeleteIt was :0)
DeleteGaynor, you look as though you had a good meal...
ReplyDeletethank goodness I've just come over to the longere....
having eaten!!
The presentation at La Prom is wonderful... and as for the cheese 'wagon'! What is the 'runny' one, svp?
No wonder you started the fifth bridge job... just to work it off. How's that going, by the way?
Hi Tim,
DeleteSpelling won't be right but I think the cheese was epoissee.
Done front windows. The small panes are a real pain!
I am sure that the painting will work off those extra calories!
ReplyDeleteHope so! I'n counting on it :0)
DeleteDelicious!
ReplyDeleteIt certainly was! :o)
DeleteI told everyone it would be worth the wait for your descriptions and photos. We had a lovely evening didn't we - can't wait to do it again, but maybe it's best to wait a while (for the good of our waistlines!)
ReplyDeleteI agree, but could itnbe an annual treat? :o)
DeleteI'm certainly going to check it out next week when I'm in Blois!
ReplyDeleteHi Aussie,
DeleteIf you do contact us and come for a pre-apero apero. We live a few minutes walk away.
I have bookmarked this for my next visit to the Loire Valley. It sounds wonderful and the photos are sensational.
ReplyDeleteHi,
DeleteIf you visit be sure to make contact and combine a visit to La Promenade with a visit to Le Pre Vert.
I feel full just looking at the photos.... I see you are enjoying yourself Gaynor. I am so pleased, after what I'm sure has been an exhausting term. I hope you continue to have an amazing time. J.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Janice. Life is good really, whether I'm here or there, it's just that I've reached that stage in life where I'm ready for more of the here than the there!
DeleteThis looks like a great meal. I have never seen a Paris-Brest cake such as you showed but it is an interesting variation.
ReplyDeleteI read your post about the Friendship cake. At work, years before I retired, so that must have been maybe around 2001 – one of our office ladies brought a Friendship Cake – I think she called it the Hamish Friendship Cake - and gave a jar of the sour starter to everyone. I did not have time to make it, so I placed it in the freezer then I made sourdough pancakes with it, and they were delicious. Of course I replenished the sourdough started jar. Well, do you know that I still have the same jar in my freezer now? Of course I have been using it once in a while for pancakes and I replenish it, but once it is warm, it bubbles. I could make a cake with it still.
Hello Vagabonde,
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I'm going to try freezing some of the mix as I keep some of the mix each time but we can't eat the cakes quickly enough!
I also like the idea of trying some sourdough pancakes so I'm off to 'google' a recipe...