Dining Out

I have been trying for over a year to enjoy dining out in France. It is not impossible, but I am becoming increasingly aware of my very American culinary preferences. It's disappointing not to really enjoy French cuisine as I have heard how wonderful it is my whole life. I have a friend who has tried a couple of times to get me to take a cooking class with her, but I have not gone simply because I did not want to know how to prepare crawfish or pigeon! It seems that there are many more types of foods to choose from here- especially in the meat department. I will have to blog another time about shopping for meat in the grocery store or at the butcher's- it is pretty hard to avoid the brains, hearts, tongue, and blood sausage (which doesn't even have sausage in it- that's right, just blood and "stuff"!) that is in the same case with the chicken breasts, and filets of beef and pork.

Pregnancy makes matters more complicated when dining out, because I cannot have any of the wonderful French wines or cheeses and have to be really careful with the meats. You know that "toxoplasmosis virus" that comes from cats? Well, it can also come from raw or undercooked meats and unpasteurised milk. Almost all of the cheeses are made with unpasteurised milk here. Yesterday I asked the man at the cheese counter for some cheese that was made with pasteurised milk, and he asked me if I was sure that such cheese existed! I laughed out loud and responded emphatically, "Oui!" Anyway, most Americans have to watch out for this virus during pregnancy, but 90% of French people already have an immunity to it. That's because they have already had the virus from eating meat and cheese here. Apparently it is like a cold and not dangerous unless one gets it while pregnant. Needles to say, I have not ever had toxoplasmosis and don't have the immunity to it, so, I have to have a blood test every month to make sure that I haven't contracted it. D is taking care of Bailey for the next 8 months, and I have to be really careful about what I eat in the way of meat and cheese and carefully wash all fruits and vegetables that I eat.

Ok, so Saturday we went to lunch to celebrate our new upcoming "addition". This was our first date since Christmas, so I was very excited. D made a reservation in Pont Du Chateau, a nearby town, at a restaurant with a good rating in Michelin's restaurant guide. I really enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant which had a "shabby chic" feel with its white painted ceiling beams. I also appreciated the fresh flowers on the tables, the silver candleabra, and the tasteful decor. The server brought us a delicious fruit juice aperitif, and was very helpful. However, with the menu, I was disappointed. In most French restaurants there is always between 1 and 3 "set" menus of an entree(appetizer), plat (entree in English), and dessert, and this restaurant was no exception. However, I wasn't able to settle on one of these as they involved either frog legs or foie gras or truffe sauce (truffes are really dark mushrooms that are very expensive for some reason). So, I ordered "a la carte". For an entree I ordered a "salade paysanne with lardons" (lardons are like bits of country ham- yum!). For my plat, I ordered grilled steak, well done, of course, and for dessert, chocolate cake.

First, we were served an amuse bouche that looked like a couple of hushpuppies and a small circle of cheese. Then the server explained that the fried things were "pieds de cochon avec Forme d'Ambert" (pigs feet with bleu cheese) and "escargot". I am not sure what she said the circle of cheese was, but upon further speculation, it appeared to be cheese encircled by some kind of skin with a smushed snail in the middle! Thoroughly disgusted, I passed my plate to D, who enjoyed all but the mysterious circle of cheese. Uggh!

Next came our entrees, but to my dismay, my nice salad was servd with a half-cooked egg on top. When I tried to move it to the side all of the yellow yolk came pouring out onto my plate! Haven't these people heard of Salmonella?

When our plats finally came,amazingly, my steak really was well done! Usually when I ask for well done it comes medium or sometimes medium rare, but this time it was burnt! My steak was served with another salad, and a "frites"(French fries) but the restaurant was completely out of ketchup! It seems that I am always asking for ketchup- even at McDonalds you have to ask, and then they will only give you one or two packets. I have learned now to ask for 5 (for me and SA- more if D is with us). So, I was getting increasingly irritated with our dining experience and had eaten all of the salad I could possibly eat and not much steak after I cut off all of the fat and burnt parts. (yes, I know that burnt isn't technically correct, but that is what it was- BURNT). The quality of the cuts of meat here is also not what I am used to and most always disappointing. D teases me that I am a filet mignon girl only, but I couldn't even ask for that here as it refers to pork and not steak in French.

Finally, our dessert arrived. The dessert that I had been anticipating. I LOVE French chocolate. It is always good and 100% better than almost all American chocolate. My plate was beautifully garnished with red currants, a raspberry, and chocolate drippings, and the chocolate cake was delicious! Only, it was served in a ramekin the size of my pinky finger! I am not kidding! There were maybe 3 bites of chocolate cake with fruit on the bottom! This topped off my disappointment and I refused to allow D to order a coffee. We paid and left, and I have since cancelled my girls' night out reservation for the same restaurant this Thursday night.