TWO MORE RESTAURANTS: GUINGUETTE LA BARRAQUITA AND CHEZ SIMONE

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.

L'AUBERGE VIGNERONNE, ST. CHINIAN: RESTAURANT REVIEW

"...second star to the right, and straight on 'til morning..."

Peter Pan's directions don't exactly describe the route to L'Auberge Vigneronne, but after a couple of switchbacks and several single-lane bridges on a road above St. Chinian that climbs continuously until it ends in the little hamlet of La Bosque, you might think that they do. That's OK, though. Like arriving in Neverland, you'll be pleased that you made the trip.

No. L'Auberge Vigneronne is not Michelin quality. No dots or squirts or foams. And the green beans were probably out of a can. But it's one of those quirky, one-off French restaurants that's worth a visit now and again to remind you that French farmhouse cooking is worth the freight. And that's more than good enough for us.. 

How about a homemade, nut-based liqueur for an aperitif and a homemade quince liqueur for a digestif?  For starters, try an omelet, laced with wild asparagus, straight from a hen that lives up the hill on the farm behind the restaurant. One of those hens might be roasting on a spit in the fireplace, ready to be cut into chunks and served to the table family-style. Not in the mood for roast chicken? Try the other special of the day, pork cheeks slow-cooked in white wine, not red. An interesting twist. And if you are up for four courses and something a bit fancier, try the St. Jacques swimming in an earthy, creamy mushroom sauce.

Thirteen cheeses to taste? Really?

Six of us drank quite a bit of wine on the Sunday afternoon that we visited. Some had four courses, some three. Some had an apertif at the start, some had coffee at the finish. In the end, the bill came to 200€. As I said, worth the freight.

 

LA MAISON DE L'ECURIE, SALLELES D'AUDE: RESTAURANT REVIEW

 (If you prefer a video review, go to my YouTube channel HERE.)

Restaurants in peaceful, out of the way locations with scenic, picture postcard views often fall into one of two categories. They tend to be only as good as they have to be or to be more expensive than they should be. Situated right beside the Canal de Jonction where it intersects with the Canal du Midi, La Maison de l'Ecurie (The Stable House) is indeed in a peaceful, scenic location. But it defies convention by serving food that's better than it needs to be at reasonable prices. We thoroughly enjoyed our luncheon on a warmish fall day and shall return. But we'll have to hurry. La Maison de l'Eclurie closes in early November and won't reopen until the first of March.

You can't drive right up to La Maison de l'Ecurie. You turn off the main road from Mirepeisset to Salleles d'Aude onto the tow path, then park and walk for 150 meters or so to the restaurant. The terrace filled rapidly after we arrived for our luncheon at noon with a varied crew - several tables of French folk including couples and families, a party of five or six English boat people, and a party of five American boat people who immediately began rearranging tables and chairs before the proprietor had a chance to greet them, then left just as the proprietor arrived, then returned and spent their meal discussing their stock portfolios. When the Americans finally finished and returned to their boat, the entire population of the terrace sighed in relief. How such people found their way to a place like La Maison de l'Ecurie is a mystery. I'm just glad that, since we speak decent French, the French often assume that we are English rather than Americans. We tend not to disabuse them of that notion when in the company of Americans like those.

Rant over.

The menu, chalked onto slates, is extensive enough for any taste and included a number of entrees, four or five different pizzas, five or six mains, and an array of tempting desserts. Everything that we ordered and everything that passed us on the way to other tables were full portions, well presented, and often with interesting little quirks.

Cathey and I began by sharing a tapas plate, the bigger €10 size as opposed to the €6 individual plate, a good-looking and varied platter that might do as a meal for some by itself. Connie's start combined slices of country pate with a combination duck/pruune pate. Tasty. Cathey had a four-cheese pizza and commented on the crust. I had lamb shank confit. I'd never had that before and, as a lover of lamb, I'll look for it again. Juicy good. Connie had a sort of beef short rib with a bit of a Thai, sticky-rib taste to it.

One of Cathey's favorite desserts is a rum baba and friends had praised the baba at La Maison de l'Ecurie. The praise was well deserved. We all shared it and it was delightful, spongy and rummy.

The total, with a liter and a half of pink and a coffee or two, came to €83 and change. Well worth the price for a lengthy, unhurried lunch that was easy on the palate on a terrase with a view that was easy on the eyes. As is the case with many such casual restaurants these days, La Maison de l'Ecurie uses Facebook as its website. Check it out HERE. Read more of my restaurant reviews HERE.

HOTEL TRIAS & RESTAURANT, PALAMOS, SPAIN: RESTAURANT REVIEW

During our stop at the Grau wine and liquor store in Palafrugell, Spain, we asked one of the attendants to recommend a place for lunch. He suggested continuing on to the coast, to the town of Palamos, for lunch at the Hotel Trias.

After about a ten minute drive into the heart of Palamos, we parked in a public lot, walked to the Med, and scurried into the Hotel Trias just as it began to shower. The posted menu looked promising but the restaurant didn't open until 1pm, about a half hour after we arrived. I braved the sprinkles to take a few pictures of the promenade that followed the shore line across the street. Broad and tree-lined, I could imagine that, in season, vacationers and holiday-house owners would pack the walkways and the tents set up by the restaurants that faced the water along the way.

We waited in the hotel's small bar until the lights went on in the restaurant across the reception area and chose seating by windows with a view of the harbor. The dining room was quite large, necessary to accommodate the hotel's guests in season, I would guess, but by the end of our meal only about one-quarter full on a wet and chill early December day. It's a comfortable if semi-formal space - white linens, crystal, and a uniformed maitre'd - as opposed to the guests, somewhat more semi than formal.

We were presented with two menus, one that just described the menu of the day, the second with all options. We chose to order from the former. Three choices each for starter, main, and dessert. The ladies chose white beans with clams to start and the rabbit for their main. I had onion soup and veal. The beans were a fine choice for a damp, chill day even if the clams were a bit chewy. The onion soup was not the French version, more broth and less onion, but the egg was a different touch and the cheesy toasts worked well. As the picture below shows, Cathey couldn't wait to cut into her slow-cooked rabbit. Liz found her portion a somewhat bony but both agreed that the preparation was proper. My veal was of a nice size, covered with Parmesan shavings, and was tasty if chewy as well. Such is French beef. Good frites.

For dessert, the girls had what the menu called pudding. Not quite flan. A small, simple sweet. I expected some heat with my bananas in chocolate sauce but both the bananas and the chocolate arrived cold. Not a problem, though. Good Spanish chocolate.

With a bottle of rosé, the bill came to under 38€, less than 13€ apiece. Well worth the freight. We had the impression driving and walking through town that several restaurants were closed for the season. That was fine with us. Hotel Trias met our needs. Nothing too adventurous or creative. No square plates or superfluous squeeze-bottle dollops of sauce. Just good, cheap eats.

You can read my other restaurant reviews, mostly closer to home in the south of France, HERE.