France in September is IMO, one of the best months to visit…chef and staff are back from long holiday, kids are back in school and the weather is perfect. . .
Have a blast Nemroz!
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we only have a couple of meals there and are probably just going to focus on Lyonaise. Sausages, charcutes, stews ets
Notre Maison or one of the top 3 Bouchons
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Cancale is special. We went there after St Michel once just for oysters… yea this time its paris and south and west
Yes, I’m really excited to finally spend a bit of time there. Staying in Dordogne for 3 nights and Carcassanne for 1… I was really pushing for a visit to the French basque but that’s not in the cards… too much time allocated to wine country… spain isn’t happening this time but Basque will be a separate trip probably next year.
Its a hop-skip-and a jump from Sarlat to Domme. Really beautiful city. If you canoe another thing we did was put together a picnic and canoe down one of the rivers, we did the Vezere, and pull over in the shade of one of the many chatueaus. I know there is a fantastic market in Sarlat itself. Ah France…
yep will be going there. cheers.
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Never heard back about your trip. Have been working non-stop after nothing this summer so I haven’t checked. How was it? Pictures?
Hope it was great!!
Yes, that’s precisely what happened. Today is basically my first day on the internet :). Been hell after the long trip.
Thanks for the suggestions. We had a crazy fun trip.
Paris was Paris (Polidor is always the best meal we have there, La Palette is a great bistro for lunch). Burgundy was fantastic, really liked that we stayed around Givry and drank a lot of amazing wine at fraction of what it costs up in Cote de Nuit (which we also visited). Best meal was at L’Annexe, marked by a crazy rain/hail storm that started almost when we finished our garden seated dinner. Lots of grape loss this year, especially in Beujolais (75% i heard)
then Lyon was insanely delicious as well, Notre Maison was my favorite. Super oldscohol Bouchon. They just plop down food and bottles and have you eat and drink as much as you want. Like you order a terrine and they bring you the whole loaf to cut for yourself.
Avignon Les Halles was really cool. Ended up having a meal at home having shopped there because we were craving loads of veggies by that point which is hard to get at restaurants.
Then we went west to Carcassone and then Dordogne which everyone was telling us is the best food area. Turns out it’s also the most beautiful area with caves, lush landscapes everywhere. Land of truffles and foie gras
here’s that foie gras running around untortured
Dordogne is crazy gorgeous as we were told and Sarlat didn’t disappoint as a homebase.
This was La Roque
Went into a crazy huge cave on a small train tour for an our. Ate duck and foie gras at every meal, such as this duck only cassoulet (i counted 6 different duck parts in there) on a goose/duck farm around Sarlat
Then drove through gorgeous country to Loire. Honestly western Languedoc and Dordogne are by far the prettiest areas and with tons of midieval villages sprinkled along rivers everywhere. Postcards.
in Vouvray we stayed in a cave that a really nice art collector owns, next to his huge house and vineyard… amazing really’
ate 2 standout meals. 1 in Amboise called Chez Bruno. Bruno also makes wine and has a stunning Malbec.
Maison de Les Halles in Tours was incredible. I have many pics but will just show this one
we had a fun time and glad kid finally got to travel extensively in Europe.
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I’m looking forward to taking a real moment and enjoying your journey. I missed you. Isn’t that weird? Technically we don’t know each other. But we do live in the same 'hood and are certain to meet up one day.
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you can FB me anytime you want… i welcome all cookies.
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See… I missed your humor. I’m not on FB. FTC is my only social media indulgence. Which should explain me always being on here 
.
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Great trip! Thanks for getting back to us. Agree that southwest France is as close to heaven as things can be. So beautiful and the food is so good. Glad you are back though!
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TROP TROP BIEN
Thanks for the report back! Sounds and looks like it was a wonderful trip. I’m committing this all to memory for future (hopefully) visits.
Damn, man. That cassoulet. Do you know of any place in LA to get something even remotely similar? That LQ Maison pop-up does a seasonal one, I think, but I’ve never been.
And did I see an Arsenal kit in the reflection of the Vouvray cave rental??? COYG
Merci beaucoup Nemroz!
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Cassoulet is not a dish that’s going to be acceptable for me in the small plate format with swirls and micro flowers. I haven’t had a great cassoulet here yet, decent one in Seattle but never seen it porkless 
may have to learn it.
COYG for life. Definitely haha. 20 years! Watched us smash Chelsea in the Loire!
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Amen.
I knew it! Nice pic. And what a game that was. Feeling good about this season.
And wouldn’t ya know it… just announced:
LQ Cassoulet @MaMaison
Every Fridays and Saturdays in November
For those of you who have yet to know or to hear about Laurent or to experience his unique style of cooking, this master chef’s specialty is to artfully and ingeniously merge “classic” French dishes with unique and interesting ingredients found at local ethnic markets, treating gourmands to a lavish array of tastes and textures and truly ‘cutting edge’ cuisine. Those nights Laurent will recreate a great classic
Cassoulet “Toulousain”
First Course
A simple salad of “mache “ (Lamb Lettuce) | Poached Leeks | Gribiche Dressing | Bone Marrow | Fried Shallots
Main Course
The cassoulet to include tarbais beans, duck leg confit, “saucisse de toulouse”, “saucisson a l’ail”, Confit pork Belly, lamb shoulder baked for seven hours
Dessert
$49.00 per person ++
LQ Cheese Cart will be available but is NOT included in the menu
Selection of 20 non pasteurized cheeses imported from France
3 cheeses - $12 / 5 cheeses - $20 / 7 cheeses - $28
$5 for add’l Cheese / $5 for extra Truffle Honey
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well shit… that looks righteous.