Terrasse des Arts’Cade, Monflanquin, France. Guest Reviewer Ross Marshall

Délices et Désastre

As you may have gathered from the heading, this is not your typical Tom Eats! column, largely because we had nothing to review and no time for an emergency visit. An appeal went out to those chums who (a) like their grub, and (b) who can string two sentences together. For once I didn't insist on the usual format, and waived mastery of my eccentric, but has stood the test of time, scoring system. Good pal Ross M from Norfolk earns 100 points for Gryffindor for stepping into the breach.

It focusses on a particular place in France, beginning with an evening food fair, moving on to morning coffee and extending to dinner. Then back to Norfolk for an interesting drink tasting. Merci bien, vieux fève.

Summertime brings travels far and near, and always discoveries, some good and some questionable. This summer didn’t disappoint on both counts. We found ourselves in Monflanquin, south of Bergerac in France. This beautiful ‘Village Bastide’ is well supplied with restaurants, but on our first night, there was a marché nocturne. These evening street markets pop up all over the region and are well worth hunting out. Giant rustic pans of cassoulet or escargots, platters of spicy sausages, fresh crudités and goat cheeses washed down with local wines, (mini fridges ensured the white was chilled perfectly). All this, the produce of local farms, small holdings and vineyards. Long tables, benches and music completed the scene, with tourists and locals alike savouring every moment.

30 yards down a picturesque alley off the main square is a café, Terrasse des Arts'Cade, an ideal spot for a mid morning caffeine top up. It became our ‘local’. A coffee, un café, is, of course, an espresso, but for something less intense, then order a “café allongé.” This is an ‘elongated’ coffee, akin to an Americano, but is a more muscular, sophisticated brew. The Americano dilutes with hot water after the espresso is poured, but, for the allongé, double hot water is used for the espresso, making the coffee more robust and more refreshing than the, often insipid, Americano. In Italy, it’s called the lungo. I loved it.

We were tempted back to our morning coffee spot for an evening meal. It is a popular place with the locals, so what could possibly go wrong? Always up for something new, I ordered Chef’s Burger with Foie Gras. This ‘posh burger’ has been around for a while, so I was full of anticipation. It duly arrived in a brioche bun, caramelised onion topping and splendid fries. A large round of foie gras sat atop the beef. Alas, this pairing did not work for me - at all. From the off, there was a very unpleasant clash of textures between the two main ingredients, one firm and slightly charred, the other, in jam making parlance, a very soft set. Then the taste. The beef was utterly overwhelmed by pungent flavour of the paté. Maybe it would improve through the eating? It did not. In short, the patty was drowned by the paté.  It was the one big failure of the trip.

Back home in East Anglia, we met chums, just returned from holidaying on the Isle of Mull. They came with a whisky miniature for me, weighing in at a lively 43.3%. Smiling broadly, they watched me have a dram. Very nice, quite lively, slightly sweet, a perfect digestif. An island whisky with hints of something special inside. I looked again at the bottle. The label said “Isle of Mull Spirit. Oak Aged Wheyski… created from the same milk that makes Isle of Mull Cheese.” Turns out the spirit is made from the whey that is left over from the cheese making process, which generates some 16,000 litres of whey every week. Genius. Not water into wine but cheese into whisky (well almost). It’s a great whey to finish a meal.

So, the scorecard: Délices 3  Désastre 1

 

 

Ross M and I have known each other for ***** **** years. After a distinguished career at the BBC he became an international arms dealer. He lives in Norfolk, where little wild life is now safe.

In addition to his literary and other skills, he is a food lover and cook of some renown. As a long term friend of mine, it goes without saying that he is a raconteur, gourmet and wit. Thanks, mate.