Kate, Chip, and I just had lunch with our landlord, Yves. It was at a cute and oh so french restaurant in the back of a wine store called "La Cave du vin de Louis." Great wine, but the food...well it was different. Now, I don't think it would have been so bad had Yves not explained to us what exactly everything was. The first plate, the "entree" was a charcuterie and salad. "Charcuterie" is essentially a mix of meats, and in this case we were served up some "la tete de couchon" (pig brains), goat intestines, liver, and stomach, and the last shall remain unknown. If I had not known the exact contents of each piece, I would not have been so hesitant to eat them...alas, I did, therefore each bite consisted of some salad, bread, a chunk of meatstuff and then a giant gulp of wine. Haha. After awhile I found myself with no more salad, no more bread, an empty glass of wine and still a lot of charcuterie left. Oy vay. Yves made a joke that I liked the wine better than the charcuterie...boy you could say that!!
For the meal, Yves ordered two plats of andouillette and two plats of confit de canard for us all to share. When they arrived he took one of the andouillettes and gave the other to Chip, and the canard for Kate and I. Yes! Andouillette is a mix of cow stomach and intestines in a sausage form, as Yves so clearly explained. The other option that we did not order was Kidney...Yves thought that would be too strong for us. Ha. I did try some of the andouillette and it was and weird texture...I just tried to put as many potatoes as I could with each bite. The confit de canard was pretty good (duck), was glad to have that over the other. Poor Chip.
Next, there was a cheese plate with some regional cheeses, some more aged then others. One was a cantal from the Auvergne region (where I am). Yves told us it was "interdit" in the States (banned) because as he told us, if you looked under a microscope at the rind you would see little "animals." I assume he meant microbes, and you know us Americans like everything sterile. It was another tidbit he probably didn't need to share with us. I am a fan of strong cheese but I'll have to say this one tasted like foot. Ha.
When I did not think I had room for more, they brought out slices of galette, which is like a pastry dessert, and this one had crushed almonds and such in it. This, I would say, was the best part of the meal, however I was so full I couldn't eat the whole slice.
No one can say I have not had a true French meal...sometimes, however, you just don't need to know everything about everything you've got in front of you.
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