Just back from South of France and our restaurants are better

I always look forward to my trips to the South of France, particularly for the food. And, while a tomato there is a better tomato than here (truly amazing flavor), our restaurants are so spectacular these past years, that I was rarely wowed this recent trip.

With the exception of one lunch, which was a simple tomato mozzarella pesto salad that floored me (photo below), we really are fortunate in Los Angeles because we have gained ground in all areas. For example - I love Le Safari in Nice, especially for their margarita pizza and artichoke salad. And it was just as good as it has ever been, but I couldn’t help thinking of Felix, and Mozza, and even Palmieri (their artichoke salad rivals anything I’ve had in Europe).
Here’s the salad from Villa Paradis Nice that blew my mind:

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What was different about that salad?

Something that annoys me in France is when I’m craving veg and order a salad and they bring me a pile of meat, cheese, eggs, and/or nuts with a quarter of a tomato, two slices of cucumber, and a lettuce leaf.

This is an absurd statement IMO. Been 5 times, last time 3 weeks in October. You may need to get out of Paris for places like Dordogne, Lyon especially

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Nicoise cuisine is basically the mother of California cuisine. That was Alice Waters’s main inspiration. That’s something we do exceptionally well here.

Southwestern and Lyonnaise cuisine, good luck even finding those dishes here. Same for Auvergnat, Alsatian, Breton, most other regional cuisines.

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I agree. I ate really well in the Loire both times as well.

You went to France and a SALAD was the single thing that blew your mind? #TripFail #DoingItWrong

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