With Cathey's sister visiting, we've been traveling around the region, finding new places to eat. These next two restaurants are quite different from one another. In the woods along the Orb River, you'll find the Guinguette La Barraquita, next to a canoe rental and campground, as rural as it gets. On the other hand, Chez Simone sits at the end of a strip of restaurants that face the promenade along the beach in Collioure, one of the busiest tourist destinations in our region. Different locales. Different menus. But that's what makes the world go round.
GUINGUETTE LA BARRAQUITA
If you've been following along, you know that many guinguettes are temporary, seasonal. Such is the case with La Barraquita. They close for the season at the end of September. By then, the campground for kids next door will have closed down too. Perhaps the canoe rental will stay open. I wouldn't know. What I do know is that when the weather cooperates, the wide open terrace under the trees is a pleasant place to enjoy ice cream on a warm summer day. We did just that and we decided to come back in a few weeks for lunch. Unfortunately, on the day that we did return in early September, the wind came up and that terrace got uncomfortable. Not their fault. But it did cut into our enjoyment. That having been said, my guess is that we'll go back next year.
We started out with little slices of what the girls thought might be a sort of falafel made of chickpea flour. Maybe. Usually, between them, Cathey and Connie can take a bite of something and darn near create a complete ingredient list. Interesting that this one kinda stumped them. We skipped starters and went straight to the mains. Connie tried the fresh trout with aioli, side veggies, a little salad, and fries. Cathey had a huge portion of lasagna, the special of the day. Half of it came home with us. And I had 5A andouillette with creamy mustard sauce and the same sides as Connie. (For those unfamiliar, andouillette is one step above tripe, offal in a skin. 5A is the highest grade. I try andouillette once every couple of years just to confirm that I really don't like it very much.) Wine with the meal. Coffee at the end. Not expensive, not cheap.
This next part of this review is a bit tricky. The wind was such that we really were not very comfortable. Our server, attentive and concerned, offered us a change of table that might have been a bit more sheltered. On such an open terrace and in such a breeze, there didn't seem much point. How do you rate the food in such a circumstance? I'm tempted to say that all was as it should be, and it probably was, but we'll return in better weather next year to make certain. That should tell you something. We'll return. Here are some pictures. Note the chow hound. Hungry but respectful.
CHEZ SIMONE
Many years ago, we drove to Collioure. More accurately, we drove through Collioure and left without stopping. We made the mistake of arriving in the midst of the tourist season. No parking. Well, we could have parked two miles away from the shopping and restaurants and beach, but we decided not to. And we never returned. Recently, friends told us about taking the train, an hour's ride, a short walk to the center of town, and not too expensive if you catch a sale. (The French rail lines occasionally hold sales that take prices down to as low as 1€ apiece.) We decided to try it with a few friends. We're glad that we did.
One of those marvelous French beach towns, Collioure lies close to the Spanish border, so there is a touch of Catalan about the place. And the shopping isn't highest end, but it's not schlock either. But the featured attraction, for me at least, are the anchovies. Renowned for a couple of major purveyors who package and sell anchovies in every style imaginable, it's heaven for a guy like me who believes that a pizza isn't really a pizza unless it's topped with anchovies. And I don't need my anchovies on pizza. Just put 'em on a plate and give me a toothpick or a fork and I'm a happy camper.
But I digress. Collioure. Beach town.
As is the case with most French towns on the Med, there's some sort of promenade along the water, be the water a beach or a marina. Collioure is no exception, with a broad walkway curving along the bay, a strip of restaurants with enclosed interiors up against the town wall on one side and shaded, open patios overlooking the beach on the other. The restaurant that I booked for our group of six, Chez Simone, was an exception to that rule with a rather small interior and only a couple of tables immediately out front. Be that as it may, we were pleasantly welcomed, attentively served, and thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Six of us. Six plates of tapas that came one at a time at a proper pace for us to pass one plate around before the next arrived. Plenty of food for everyone. Anchovies and charcuterie and Catalan potatoes and scallop sashimi and more. All well presented and well prepared. With a bottle of wine and other bits and bobs including a few coffees at the end, the tab came to less than 25€ per person.
When we go back to Collioure, and we will, we'll probably try a different restaurant on general principles. But Chez Simone was a perfect introduction to culinary Collioure.
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