Today would have been a washout, literally, due to heavy nonstop rain, thunder, lightning and wind, had it not been for our lunch experience. Thanks to a discussion about favourite restaurants with Lilian (tablecloth guy), we opted for our last lunch out with Carole and Claude at Le Temps de Vivre in Les Farjons, a burb of Uchaux. This restaurant is a mere 10 kilometres from Cairanne in the hills to the west, dotted with some pretty impressive homes. So, even in the rain, it didn't take long to get there.
The girls opted for the four course Menu Palisir at 32 E while the boys did their best with the Menu Passion at 41 E. We all started with an amuse bouche of cauliflower veloute and a glass of champagne. Then, the girls had minced tuna with thin slices of vegetables, while the boys started with foie gras accompanied by a compote of figs. This was a first for Claude and he really enjoyed it. I would have to say that this might have been the best foie gras I've ever had, so this course was a winner. Next, the girls had sea bream in a fish soup which they both found less than spectacular. Apparently the boys chose better, because they had a fabulous - and this is really saying something in France - filet of Simmental beef on a bed of girolle and cepe mushrooms. Wow!
The cheese course was a slice of Chaource cow's milk cheese on greens. This was a first for us and we found it smooth, creamy and mild. Finally, the girls had stewed figs with vanilla ice cream, while the boys finished with a French classic, Baba au Rhum - a moist cake soaked in limoncello and rum. The wine today was a 2009 Cairanne red from Corinne Couturier, that went especially well with the beef. With no reservation and by this I mean no doubts, we all gave this establisment two thumbs up. Since we were in Les Farjons, named after the wine family producing Domaine Dionysos wines, we decided to drop in for a tasting.
Were we ever glad we did! Some years ago we first discovered a delightful white wine from Dionysos at our Belvedere Wine shop in Cairanne. From experience, we've had a hard time finding good whites in this region, which made the Dionysos even more special. It wasn't until recently that they started to sell wine in their cave, after Grandma Farjon stopped selling the wine out of her window. Yup, just rap on the window. Anyway, for that reason we had not seen or tasted anything as good again - the Belvedere no longer stocking it. So when we came upon their Cotes du Rhone 100% grenache gris, we were quite excited and walked away with a case.
The wind and rain continued in earnest as we returned to Cairanne after a brief grocery stop, to buy the duck breast we missed out on last night. The rest of the day was spent in the warm, cosy confines of Chez Pigeon.
Claude and Carole packed for their trip home tomorrow and we finished the day with some more great wine.
The girls opted for the four course Menu Palisir at 32 E while the boys did their best with the Menu Passion at 41 E. We all started with an amuse bouche of cauliflower veloute and a glass of champagne. Then, the girls had minced tuna with thin slices of vegetables, while the boys started with foie gras accompanied by a compote of figs. This was a first for Claude and he really enjoyed it. I would have to say that this might have been the best foie gras I've ever had, so this course was a winner. Next, the girls had sea bream in a fish soup which they both found less than spectacular. Apparently the boys chose better, because they had a fabulous - and this is really saying something in France - filet of Simmental beef on a bed of girolle and cepe mushrooms. Wow!
The cheese course was a slice of Chaource cow's milk cheese on greens. This was a first for us and we found it smooth, creamy and mild. Finally, the girls had stewed figs with vanilla ice cream, while the boys finished with a French classic, Baba au Rhum - a moist cake soaked in limoncello and rum. The wine today was a 2009 Cairanne red from Corinne Couturier, that went especially well with the beef. With no reservation and by this I mean no doubts, we all gave this establisment two thumbs up. Since we were in Les Farjons, named after the wine family producing Domaine Dionysos wines, we decided to drop in for a tasting.
Were we ever glad we did! Some years ago we first discovered a delightful white wine from Dionysos at our Belvedere Wine shop in Cairanne. From experience, we've had a hard time finding good whites in this region, which made the Dionysos even more special. It wasn't until recently that they started to sell wine in their cave, after Grandma Farjon stopped selling the wine out of her window. Yup, just rap on the window. Anyway, for that reason we had not seen or tasted anything as good again - the Belvedere no longer stocking it. So when we came upon their Cotes du Rhone 100% grenache gris, we were quite excited and walked away with a case.
The wind and rain continued in earnest as we returned to Cairanne after a brief grocery stop, to buy the duck breast we missed out on last night. The rest of the day was spent in the warm, cosy confines of Chez Pigeon.
Claude and Carole packed for their trip home tomorrow and we finished the day with some more great wine.
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