NYCFoodSnob

Sorry, when I think of hills my mind goes directly to Cinque Terre, Perugia, Assisi, Orvieto and maybe San Francisco. New Yorkers call Murray Hill hilly and that makes me chuckle.

StCirq is correct, Sarlat is not completely flat but I find it's rolling terrain quite charming, and walking it, with all the weight I carry, doesn't wipe me out like other places. La Roque Gageac wiped me out and I'm athletic.

My favorite restaurant in the area is Le Jardin d'Epicure in Castels. The decor is a tad hokey (with statues et al) but I'm completely mad for anything Eric Jung prepares. I adore his wife, Nathalie, too.

http://www.idealgourmet.fr/index.php...de&id=45&pr=30

loisco

I can't seem to find Le Bugue in my Michelin guide....can someone direct me?..maybe it's the wine I had for dinner.

I do see Domme. Thanks

cigalechanta

Look at the map, it's west of Sarletand after Eyzies. Bergerac is just below after.

loisco

OReilly...can't seem to find your trip report. I put your name in the search box but nothing comes up..could be me???

loisco

Cig..thanks..I see it now.

OReilly

Loisco, I'll find it and top it for you.

Regards Ger

loisco

Wren...no way am I going to post my age!!!..lol

My email address is: [email protected] for a personal date.

I am still sort of confued as to where to stay..probably Domme..maybe Beynac...altho I wish Sarlat weren't so crowded.

I would think my husband would do well driving all those hilly places as we have had an rv for over 30 years ..he has taken us up some pretty scary mountain passes.

ira

Hi Lois.

You are dithering too much.

You will stay in Beynac at the Hotel Bonnet.

Make your reservations now.

There. That's settled.

cigalechanta

Lois, it must be your choice not ours, as you can see in other threads, some of us disagree about where we stay.I may have had a great experience(I did) someone else said the service and food were not worth it. Some say the staff was rude at another and my experience was they could not have been nicer.
Reservations should be made soon or you'll find everything booked. I go late september and started my reservations.

StuDudley

>>>My favorite restaurant in the area is Le Jardin d'Epicure in Castels. The decor is a tad hokey (with statues et al) but I'm completely mad for anything Eric Jung prepares. I adore his wife, Nathalie, too.<<

NYCFoodSnob.
That's our favorite restaurant also. StCirq reported that it might be permanently closed. When were you there last?

Stu Dudley

loisco

OK Ira...thanks for making the decision for me...!! When will you be there?..why did you choose it?

loisco

I think my problem is that this area sounds so great..everytime someone mentions a place and raves about it, I want to stay there..

StCirq

It was all boarded up last October, and it didn't look like normal restoration boarding. No one was anywhere to be seen, and that was the first week in October. I HOPE it's not permanently closed, but it didn't look promising.

I may be back there next month. If I am, I'll check on it.

cigalechanta

Any news on La Chassagnette maybe moving?

loisco

From all your notes here..it sounds as if you reserve all your hotels ahead of time. I am not sure how long we will be in the Dordogne.

May I ask then how many days would be sufficient to get the flavor of the Dordogne. 5 or 7 days?..I know some of you will say a month but we need to move on to Provence too.

Have you ever booked a hotel for 4 nights and then wanted to extend your stay?..Is that difficult in such a popular area?

Thanks for all the answers. I really wish I could take one of you with us.

ira

Hi Lois,

>OK Ira...thanks for making the decision for me...!! When will you be there?..why did you choose it? <

You are welcome.

We will be there 09/17-09/22. 55E/nite dbl. 6.5E pp bkfst.

They have parking. They have 3 dining rooms. The terrace overlooks the river.

You can book with 1/2 board if you wish.

They were recommended in "Three Rivers of France" as well as here.

See
http://www.hotelbonnet.com/indexx.html

http://www.cometoparis.com/interact4...9.php4?doc=215

We are staying at the Hotel George V in Albi.

NYCFoodSnob

I made a few phone calls and my sources in Sarlat tell me Le Jardin D'Epicure is open for business. They were surprised that such a rumor exists.

I ate there last April but I know nothing about the "boarding up" that StCirq mentioned.

The following website is dated Feb 2005:
http://www.jre.net/Restaurant.aspx?R...antID=03302207

For food enthusiasts, this is a very special dining experience.

cigalechanta

thanks for the info, NYCFoodSnob, it looks wonderful.

StuDudley

>>>I made a few phone calls and my sources in Sarlat tell me Le Jardin D'Epicure is open for business.

For food enthusiasts, this is a very special dining experience.<<

Great news - that's where we will be Sept 5 for our Anniversary.

Here is a write-up from my wife's diary.

Jardin d’Epicure - outside of St Cyprien, on the north side of D703 before the turnoff to St Cyprien & Castels. 05 53 30 40 95

Since the evening was somewhat warm, we opted to sit on the terrace for dinner at Jardin d’Epicure outside of St Cyprien. The dinner started with 3 pastry type amuse bouches, & one (probably gesiers) en brochette. This was followed by small cup of chilled cantaloupe puree. I had the menu a 170FF, starting with smoked salmon in a chive crème fraiche sauce, followed by daurade with tomato basil fondant. I had a cheese course (and, as always the case one helping of house made fromage fraiche). All followed by a chocolate mousse cake. Stu had the menu a 295FF (toujours le gourmand!). He started with a salad with vegetables and pan seared foie gras, with a sour type dressing, then bar (fish) with awesome (I tasted) eggplant caviar, then “lasagna” of riz de veau (sweetbreads) which was only a lasagna in that 2 feather light sheets of pasta were placed above & below the sauced entrée. His cheese course was truffled goat cheese with walnut oil and dessert was a chocolate gateau with an almost liquid center served with strawberry compote & candied orange rind. The owner/chef/waiter came out several times to chat & genuinely seemed to enjoy our praise (which was well earned). He said he had been up since 4AM, personally buying the restaurant food and, since his wife was home with their new month-old baby, he was doing many jobs at the restaurant. He was looking forward to tomorrow when the restaurant would be closed so he could get some sleep.

We ate here a second time:

This time we ate inside and, as before, had a great dinner. Daddy & I each had the menu a 170FF. We both started with foie gras mi-cuit with rhubarb compote. I then had daurade (as did Daddy) with tomato coulis followed by a cheese course & sumptuous chocolate dessert. Stu had the menu a 260FF, starting with escargots with onion, fava beans, & rosemary cream. He then had sole with cepes, followed by lamb medallions with olives & basil. The cheese course was a cabecou cheese with truffle slices, and dessert was an orange crème brulee.

Sept ’03
Stu had the Menu a 62E (big splurge) & I had the menu a 38E. The restaurant was just as we remembered it – the owners (now) 3 year old daughter was socializing with the dining room. We remembered in 2000 how exhausted the chef was – trying to perform all roles while his (new mother) wife was home with their newborn. We both started with an amuse bouche tomato sorbet with basil & a very dense, creamy froth on the top. We also had a small plate of savories including gesiers, smoked salmon, halved cherry tomatoes with a small mozerella ball on top served with a tooth pick. Stu’s first course was a “declinization” of 3 foie gras: mi cuit, poele, and a crème brulee style served with a fig quenelle & a small green salad. This was followed by a riz de veau ravioli with a creamy morrell sauce. Then Stu had bar (a fish) with polenta & a creamy veal stock sauce with black truffles. After the fish course, he had pigeon with preserved garlic & a basil spice sauce. Stu’s cheese course was slices of chevre with summer truffles with oil & fleur de sel, accompanied by toasts. His dessert was a grand Marnier soufflé (it rose about 4” above its ramekin) served with a timbale-sized glass of grand Marnier which he drizzled over it. I started with foie gras poele accompanied by a small pear tatin & served with an apple juice reduction. I then had the rouget with tomato & basil pesto. I had the selections from the cheese chariot, followed by a “minestrone” of red fruits. We remembered that on our previous trip, this was perhaps our favorite restaurant. If anything, it is better now.

Stu Dudley

cigalechanta

Stu, are you open for lunch?