BISTRO GLOUTON, BORDEAUX: RESTAURANT REVIEW

Food, glorious food!

Would you consider me a hopeless Francophile if I said that moving from the USofA to France has been like trading gruel for hot sausage and mustard? (If you don't recognize the reference to the musical Oliver!, the lyrics to the song Food, Glorious, Food can be found HERE.) What I'm trying to say, in my usual roundabout way, is that living in France has been a lesson in how the human need for caloric intake can be satisfied both intellectually and aesthetically. (Except for beef. The French don't do beef very well. But again. I digress.) This realization has resulted in a spate of favorable restaurant reviews because even the lowliest of French eateries understand that fresh ingredients, proper preparation, and thoughtful presentation are the minimum requirements for a fine dining experience.

And then there are restaurants like Bistro Glouton. Not too big, not too fancy, in a line of restaurants across from the courthouse. Easy to pass by. Don't. Bistro Glouton served us the dinner that we came to Bordeaux to experience. It's worth saying again: Fresh ingredients. Properly prepared. Thoughtfully presented.

I like restaurants that feature their breads and don't just carry a basket to the table from out of the kitchen. Perhaps you can see the dip in the middle of the chopping board in the first picture below. It takes a heckuva lot of bread slicing to chip away at a bread board like that, reminiscent of the worn down middles of the stone steps in the old abbeys of the region, proudly showing the effects of constant use. (And maybe creating a bit of concern about the amount of incidental cellulose that we might be consuming.)

Our dinner began with an amuse-bouche of tuna ceviche, light and flavorful with a crunchy little cracker to help scoop it out of the tiny pot. The starter, a genuine delight, consisted of salmon tartare decorated with squirts of creamed avocado, each squirt topped in turn with a single, huge fish egg. For the main, pork. Wedges with caramelized crusts stuffed with onion confit and accompanied by grilled vegetables. Perfect portions perfectly prepared. At the finish, cream and chocolate because it's France.

The service was impeccable, not rushed, a bit chatty without being overly familiar. And when a less expensive bottle of rosé turned out not to be available after checking the cellar, we were offered the next step up at the lower price.

With that bottle of rosé, 100€ for dinner for two. Yes, city prices. But yes, this was the meal that we came to Bordeaux to eat. Recommended. Highly recommended.

Visit Bistro Glouton's website HERE. Read more of my restaurant reviews HERE.