CAFE DE LA GRILLE, CAPESTANG: RESTAURANT REVIEW

If you prefer video to the printed word, click HERE.

I lived 50 miles from New York City for most of my life and I never visited Liberty Island, home of the Statue of Liberty. I've seen that green lady in the harbor hundreds of times on visits NYC. I've just never taken the time to take the ferry and check her out up close. Familiarity breeds contempt? Who knows? Do I regret the omission? Only a little. There was always something else worthwhile on the agenda. Maybe next time, when...if...I'm back in the neighborhood.

It's been at least two years, maybe three, since we've lunched at Cafe de la Grille. I have no idea why it's been so long. We've had coffee there dozens of times on visits to the market in the square in Capestang that the Cafe de la Grille faces. We just haven't stopped for a meal. That changed last week. Spur of the moment. We were passing through Capestang. It was just past noon. Let's have lunch.

We're glad that we did.

The covered patio was bustling on a late summer Thursday afternoon, a comfortable day after the summer heat had broken and you could begin to feel autumn in the air. It's a pleasant space, nearly full with families, couples, and the guy who manages the cave cooperatif. We think that the folks next to us might have been boat people, two couples whose conversation moved seamlessly between English and French. That's Capestang for you.

Cathey ordered from the menu of the day. She started with a small salad accompanied by a bit of quiche Lorraine. Cathey puts together a fine quiche herself, so her obvious enjoyment was an important endorsement. For the main, poitrine porc, pork belly, with frites. I've said before that one of the joys of eating in France is that the food tastes just like it's supposed to. Do you like pork? You can't get much porkier than good pork belly. And this was good pork belly.

I ordered the Assiette de la Grille, an assortment of charcuterie that delighted this carnivore. The picture tells the story, a full plate and a varied assortment. My side order of frites was, like Cathey's, fresh-cut and substantial.

With a demi of rosé, the bill just topped €34, a fair price for a filling, wholly satisfactory meal.

You can read more of my restaurant reviews HERE. 

 

LA LIGUE CONTRE LE CANCER, CAPESTANG, 11 AUGUST: CONCERT PREVIEW

Last fall, we attended a performance by a Sufi choir and a Whirling Dervish in the seaside village of Meze. Last month, a quartet entertained us with a capella Corsican sacred and folk music in a church in the neighboring village of Ouveillan. In between, we've enjoyed jazz, classical, and world music in a variety of venues at prices ranging from free to 60€ per ticket. When we moved to the very rural southwest of France, I had no idea that our choices would be so diverse and so satisfying.

Typifying such unexpectedly high-level entertainment choices is an upcoming benefit concert in Capestang, just a few kilometers away from us here in Quarante, on August 11th. A senior chorister performing some of the same songs that he sang at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle? Really? The organist during that same wedding performing jazz piano? World premiere of excerpts from a new ballet by a Grammy-awarded company? Show tunes? And a finale led by a mezzo-soprano who has sung at La Scala and The Met, Dame Sarah Connolly? Really?

We've got our tickets. I'll be posting a review after the event. You can learn more and buy tickets on the event website HERE. Look me up at the event. I'll be the graybeard with the balding head and the big grin enjoying himself immensely.

CAPESTANG TO QUARANTE ALONG THE BACK ROAD WITH PICS

I call it exercise of opportunity. The weather had turned sunny. I hadn't been out walking as much as I should have been. So when I had to drop off the car at the shop in Capestang in preparation for its CT (or MOT if you are a Brit or State Inspection if you live in an American state that inspects cars), I decided to walk back. We're a friendly group here in Quarante. I had several offers of rides. But the walk is only about 5 miles. (Imagine that. ONLY 5 miles. What has come over me?) So I decided to just do it. Here are a few pics, not at all a comprehensive review, but enough to give you a feel for it.

Came across a few native French but they were at lunch and not into conversation.

Everywhere the vistas open up. I try not to become jaded.

These shells mark the St. Jacques de Compostelle Pilgrimage Trail in our region. Legend states that it's the route that Saint James took to spread the Gospel to Spain and then to return to Jerusalem. There are four main trails. Quarante is on one of the minor trails and the shells mark the route. The blue bar is used to mark any 'official' walking trail as well.

Shetland pony in the distance. Again, lunch time.

You turn around a corner coming out of the woods...

...and come upon a chapel in the process of restoration. A local vintner on his tractor told us that the chapel is half way between the start of the Compostelle and Rome.

Those aren't clouds in the distance. Those are the snow-covered Pyrenees. I NEED a better camera.

That sign has been posted in a field at the entrance to Quarante since we moved here. No Fracking! 

OCT'OPUS AND OCHO PUNTO G - MORE THAN CONCERTS

We have come to appreciate that the differences between our old lives in the United States and our new lives in France are defined by more than just the difference in language. The cultures are different on a fundamental level. Nothing illustrates that difference more than the pair of concerts that we attended this past weekend. They were more than concerts. They were community events. I'll start with the last one first.

Eight musicians comprise Oct'Opus. Get it? Eight arms = eight musicians. Except, of course, you can see ten musicians on the stage. Picky, picky. Dec'Opus? Doesn't work.

The concert took place in Quarante's Salle Polyvalente - community room. We'd been to various events there but never a concert. And this was more than a concert. It began with a mixed group of local musicians, teachers and students, playing three tunes for us on a variety of instruments - brass, woodwind, strings, and percussion...unexpected as I had looked up Oct'Opus on the internet and was expecting adults and saxophones. But we were treated to a recital of sorts that included a tune very familiar to us...the jazzy St. James Infirmary from New Orleans. And of course, with parents in the audience, the reception was enthusiastic.

After a wait that seemed longer than necessary, Oct'Opus took the stage. These are accomplished professional musicians from conservatories around the country and their professionalism was on display. From classical to jazz to avant-garde, whether the music covered your favorite genre or caused a bit of a stretch, they played with cohesion and confidence. And they even threw in a bit of choreography. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Equally enjoyable was the fact that the evening included kids. Not just the kids performing but the kids in the families. While I have no doubt that the local sitters had their hands full, the fact remains that even when the evening may promise to be a long one, the French expect their children to attend and behave. And they do. For proof, consider the previous evening's festivities - Ocho Punto G at the Salle Nelson Mandela in Capestang.

This picture was taken by friend Eva rather late in the evening. Note the kids dancing in the front. A group of young people, mostly pre-teens by my guess, hung out with the adults the entire evening for what amounted  to a community zumba class. You see, Ochy Calderon not only leads a fun salsa, meringue, and bachata band but he brings along a young lady to teach the dance moves at a session prior to the concert and lead the dancers during the show. It's a hoot and a half. And even if the band is not as tight as some that I've heard, they certainly led the enthusiastic efforts of a crowd sufficiently large that the venue had to be changed to accommodate the interest. Incorporating local brass players was a nice touch as well. YouTube suggests that's a common practice for the band.

And as always, both evenings were well worth the price...there wasn't even a registration table taking donations in Quarante and we donated 5 euros apiece at the door in Capestang and paid 17 more euros total for two plates of aperos, two carafes of wine, and a chocolaty brownie for dessert.

Our friends sometimes wonder what drew us to France. The food and the wine, the geography and the weather aside, these surprising two nights are reason enough by themselves.

LE POURQUOI PAS, CAPESTANG - RESTAURANT REVIEW

Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded.

                                                              ~ Yogi Berra 

You find a new restaurant. Everything is perfect - the setting, the ambience, the service, the food. You want to keep it to yourself. You know that if your new favorite generates the latest buzz, it will lose some of its charm. Maybe you won't be able to get a last minute reservation. Maybe the idiot at the next table wearing an earbud will start talking too loudly into the ether. And your perfect place won't be perfect any more.

Please. Don't visit Le Pourquoi Pas.

On the other hand, many more restaurants fail than succeed. In the States, it's estimated that 80% of restaurants close after less than one year. Some that fail deserve a better fate, deserve to become staples of the local cuisine scene. Le Pourquoi Pas deserves to survive and thrive.

Please. Visit Le Pourquoi Pas.

Get it? I'm conflicted. Cathey and I already love this place. After just one visit, we know that we'll be back again often, introducing this charming restaurant right up against the Canal du Midi to friends and family. Because we want Le Pourquoi Pas to succeed. And we have a feeling that it will succeed. But on its own terms - as a friendly, easy going, out of the way meeting place for small groups of friends who enjoy good food lovingly prepared from the freshest, best available local ingredients.

I mean it when I say that Le Pourquoi Pas is out of the way. You follow signs tacked to trees through the vineyards that lie between Capestang and Quarante, ending up on a dirt track along the canal. Your Belgian host Yves Urbain has taken a ramshackle canal house left to the elements and created a comfortable blend of stonework walls, tile floors, and modern amenities. Patios are in the making...when he recharges his energy. And then there's a kitchen garden to institute. But for now, let's talk about the food.

We chose from the tapas menu. You can choose individually or in groups of four, six, or nine. Cathey and I opted for four choices apiece. In truth, the portions were sized so that an array of six would have been sufficient for the two of us to share. Between us, we had a smooth, mild boudin; a pate fin de campagne equally smooth and delicious; a tasty saucisse sech au Roquefort; anchovies both salted and in vinegar; and petit gris a la persillade (snails in a parsley sauce infused with garlic). The charcuterie comes from the town of La Salvetat in the hills to the north, the anchovies from the lovely coastal town of Colliure. Yves' care in the selection paid off. Each morsel represented the best of its kind. And the one example of Yves own work, the sauce for the snails, was impeccable. The next visit, we'll order the plat du jour to fully test Yves' kitchen skills. I have no doubt that he'll pass.

Local olives and chunks of petrissane (the bread from our very own bakery in Quarante that Cathey and I purchase several times each week) accompanied the tapas. And we had plenty of choices for our wine, including the local pink that we ourselves serve to favored guests.

I often say that the French know chocolate. Of course, so do Belgians. The chocolate cream (Not mousse. No eggs.) topped with berries and lightly whipped cream was simply heaven. And Yves insisted that I taste his apple tart with cranberries. Not chocolate, but well executed just the same.

With coffee for me at the finish, the tab exceeded 50 euros. No, not cheap. But we could have done with the less expensive tapas choice and we spent the better part of three hours in a tranquil, comfortable, off the beaten track setting with the best of the terroir in front of us, a congenial host seeing to our every need, and that chocolate cream. An afternoon well worth the price.

Reserve early. Reserve often.

All of my restaurant reviews appear HERE.

EDIT: Le Pourquoi Pas has changed hands. Renault cooked for Yves for some time before taking over, so you may be familiar with him. We have not returned since the change.

LA GALINIERE, CAPESTANG - RESTAURANT REVIEW

We decided to try out La Galiniere after living in the area for quite a while and somehow passing it by. That was probably a mistake. The softly lit room with well-spaced tables and a casual atmosphere provided a pleasant, leisurely paced afternoon meal that was as easy on the wallet as it was on the taste buds.

We never saw a menu, opting for the 15 euro formula of the day. Cathey started with the seafood tart with small side salad. These little tarts are ubiquitous near the Mediterranean and this one, with mussels and shrimp, was just fine. I had the Serrano ham with salad. And corn. The little niblets of corn in the salad were, to my memory, the first we've ever been served in France. Nice touch (I've since come to learn that corn is considered exotic and is used quite frequently in salads here. Who knew?) We both opted for the roasted chicken with red wine reduction. Cathey passed on the fish because it was done with saffron and Cathey does not prefer that combination. No worries. With frites and tomato Provencal, the chicken leg-with-thigh was tasty and filling. For dessert, Cathey went for the cheese plate - three small pieces with the feature being the bleu with fig compote. I had the chocolate soup. Well, you had to be there. YooHoo French style. With whipped cream.

With wine and a coffee for me at the finish, the total bill came to 31.60 euros. Well worth the price.

Read more of my reviews HERE.

AMINE TILIOUA - CONCERT REVIEW

Imagine the music on this video without the electronics - all acoustic including violin. oud,  rebab (ancient Arabic bowed string instrument), qanoun (sort of a lap zither) and a percussionist. That's what we heard in Capestang on a recent fall evening as a slight chill heralding autumn hung in the air.

We haven't yet learned the rhythms of our new home in France but we believe that October marks the start of the indoor concert season. As is typical, the doors of Capestang's Maison de Peuple (community hall) opened at about 7:00 PM for folks with reservations. You could choose little round tables suitable for three of four dotted around the room or the longer rectangular tables that lined the perimeter. For about $5.00 each, we were entitled to a plate with a slice of bread smeared with tapenade, another slice of bread with a hunk of a cheddary cheese, a scoop of cold rice with spring onions, and a chunk of one of three types of loafy somethings - one featuring smoked trout, one with nuts and bleu cheese, and one with bacon and dried tomato. For $12.00, we grabbed a bottle of sauvignon blanc. And for two hours, while we ate and drank, we were serenaded by two local artists - accordion, uke, and vocals. Occasionally, a dude walked up to the front, put on an apron, and harangued the crowd with a sort of poetry slam in French.

Amine Tilioua appeared with three fellow musicians a little after 9:00 PM. Only once did he tell us anything about the songs that we heard. From what I understood given my still limited French, he simply said that we were listening to Arab-Andalusian songs old and new with origins primarily from the Maghreb of North Africa. Most of the tunes began with a quiet bit of noodling on the rebab or violin. All songs were in Arabic. Some obviously happy and upbeat, some quieter, a bit sad. And toward the end, a women in what I presume was a take-off of traditional North African garb moved sinuously to the music in front of the musicians.

The musicianship was excellent, the singing soulful. Amine's voice is captivating. The players often smiled and nodded to each other. And the audience was enthralled. If this is a preview of the type of concert season that's in store, it will be an enjoyable, enlightening winter here in the south of France.

LA MAL COIFFEE - A REVIEW

As I've discussed previously, C.A.P. 34 (Artists Collective of Capestang) presents concerts in the public spaces of Capestang, often with aperos (light, homemade munchies and local wine) available at a reasonable price. The first of the winter season featured La Mal Coiffee (Bad Hair), a group of five ladies singing acapella with simple percussion instruments.

The evening began as these evenings all seem to do, with aperos and local performers - a young female singer playing accordion; a female trio with guitar, clarinet, and washtub bass; and a female singer/guitarist. Good amateur fun. The aperos began with a plate of tasty bits - a wedge of quiche, a slice of cheese, a smear of humus on a thin slice of bread, and such - followed by a bowl of soup and/or dessert including a fine cheese cake with a raspberry puree.

La Mal Coiffee were a joy. These five ladies obviously enjoy singing and enjoy singing with each other. They took turns announcing the numbers - that were in Occitan mostly, I think - and taking the lead vocals. They performed a single set that lasted at least an hour and a half, finishing covered in sweat and completely drained.

Admission was free, amazing when you consider the quality of the performance. Watch the video and consider what you would pay for 90 minutes of that level of entertainment. We are so lucky to live where we live!

LAS SIMPLES COSAS - LA RETIRADA & L'EXIL - A REVIEW

 Cathey and I have been impressed with the quality of musical programming that comes to our region in the south of France. I'm not talking about the cities of Beziers, Narbonne, Carcassonne, and Montpellier, from 15 minutes to an hour away and drawing some of the world's best acts in jazz, blues, ethnic, and world music. I'm talking about our little town of Quarante and the small villages within a radius of a handful of kilometers proximate to our portion of the Canal du Midi that have populations of under 5,000 souls. In some cases, concerts are presented by a cultural consortium sponsored jointly by the villages. One independent presenter is a group called C.A.C 34 (Artists Collective of Capestang). We've been to two of their shows and been blown away. The first featured La Mal Coiffée, a dynamite group of ladies who sang up a storm. For some reason, I missed reviewing that show. Next post.

Last night, we were privileged to witness a special, multimedia performance based on La Retirada & L'Exil, a book written by Francesc Vidal, one of the hundreds of thousands of Spanish refugees who came to this part of France fleeing the ravages of the Spanish Civil War in the run up to WW II. Before the performance began, the elderly Vidal took the stage to introduce himself and his story. He talked of the importance of keeping the story alive for the generations that followed. The performance was interspersed with readings from his book by Eric Fraj, who adapted the story for the stage and who added his powerful voice to the early songs. Las Simple Cosas played numbers describing the times as well as tunes that were popular at the time. And behind the musicians as the show progressed, regional artist Bernard Cauhape painted two large panels depicting the story. The concert took place in the Capestang Hall of the People, a simple auditorium with a nice stage and decent sound and lighting that seats about 200 people.

Las Simple Cosas is a trio comprised of Guillaume Lopez (flute and vocals), Morgan Astruc (flamenco guitar), and Pascal Celma (upright bass). They were joined by frequent collaborator Simon Portefaix (percussion). An uncredited - and I believe local - violinist joined the quartet onstage for the final couple of numbers. These young men are accomplished musicians. Their flamenco was spot on. When they moved out of the traditional and into more modern, brief, jazzy riffs, their improvisational skills were impressive. Many in the audience appeared to be of Spanish heritage and they were clearly thrilled and boisterously appreciative.

The evening began, as these evenings often do, with aperos, the local term for aperitifs...appetizers. If you make reservations rather than just showing up for the concert, the folks at C.A.C. 34 prepare a plate of homemade munchies for 4 Euros ($5.00 at current rates) in this case consisting of a wedge of quiche, a chunk of cheese on a thin slice of bread, a smear of tapenade made from local olives on bread, and a bright red shredded beet salad. Cathey had a bowl of butternut squash soup ($2.50) and I had a wedge of a very thick and dark chocolate cake ($1.25). With 4 glasses of local wine at $1.25 apiece, the food - that substituted for our dinner - came to $18.75. The folks at the door seemed quite satisfied with our donation of 10 Euros ($12.50) for the concert, so the total for the night out, dinner and a show for two, came to $31.25. In the States, at our favorite venue for listening to 'serious' music, that would have been the price for one ticket.

I couldn't find a video of the show or the trio in performance. I did find THIS, a video about the basic trio as artists in residence in an institution up towards Toulouse, I think.

RESTAURANT EDIT

The Abbaye Sylva Plana restaurant in Laurens and Auberge de St. Martin in Beaufort reviewed on the FRANCE PAGE.