StuDudley

We spent 2 weeks in the Burgundy region of France this past September. Here are some restaurant comments

Top 3 restaurants

Stephane Derbord in Dijon – one of the top 5 meals of all time in France (we dine out about 40 times per year in France)
Michelin 1 star

First round of Amuse Bouches
Bite sized squares of Croque Monsieurs
Carp mousse with black & white sesame seeds
Parmesan chip and a bite sized tomato “truffle” with a semi-liquid center
Second round of Amuse Bouches
Sushi (California roll) with cockle, with Asian spices & bean sprouts
Potato puree
Leek Mousse with green beans
55E menu
-Smoked sander – thin rolls stuffed with finely julienned vegetables served with tart greens (incl dandelion greens) topped with paper thin lengthwise sliced carrots. The plate was edged with a piping of honey mustard and crumbled hazelnuts
-Perch with a wild mushrooms and green beans served in a deep plate with a “soup de poisons” reduction sauce
-cheese chariot
-Poached , pealed pear with a red wine sauce in pain epice with sage ice cream – all very refreshing

65E menu
-Sauteed scallops, each served on a cucumber “coin” with a topping of lemon cream & caviar, with julienned apples & dandelion greens
-Sandre on a bed of spinach with a butter sauce accompanied by a small tomato stuffed with diced cepes on a squash “coin”
-Filet of Cerf, served with berries & a dark berry reduced sauce with green beans & wild mushrooms with a ‘grain” of some sort
-Cheese chariot
-pre-dessert refresher
-Chocolate fondant – top & bottom layers of dark chocolate “sandwiching” lighter chocolate mousse with dark chocolate wafers & vanilla ice cream
-Post-dessert refresher


Hostellerie du Vieux Moulin in Bouilland, just north of Beaune
Also a hotel
www.le-moulin-de-bouilland.com
Michelin 1 star

Amuse Bouches
Skewered rolled duck breast slice, with mustard dollop
Homard tartare “confit”
Arugula sorbet with whipped cream top layer & balsamic drizzle (in a glass cylinder)
39E menu
-Seared tuna with fennel sorbet and a side of pickeled vegetables
-Supreme de Pintade thinly sliced in a “spiral” presentation on a bed of herbed crushed potatoes, with vegetables in a side casserole
-Excellent cheese chariot
-Seasonal fresh fruit with pepper-flecked yoghurt ice cream

65E menu
-Daurade with vegetables a la Pistou
-Rougets with a confit of fennel and a bouillabaisse reduction with macadamia nuts
-Pigeon with polenta and zucchini “packet” stuffed with caviar d’aubergine and a rich reduction sauce
-Cheese chariot
-Poached plum with amaretto cream and puff pastry triangles

-Post dessert if Marc de Bourgogne ice and assorted sweets


Charlemagne in Pernand-Vergelesses just north of Beaune
Slight Asian twist
Michelin 1 star

37E menu
Six amuse bouches which arrived on a Plexiglas “cube” with holes & shelves to present the various items
California rolls with a “crisp”, held in place by a teeny wooden clothes pin
Fish mousse on a cracker
Parmesan pastry palmier
Pickled fish filling wrapped in a won ton wrapper on a skewer
Marble sized savory (no idea what it was)
Small piece of spiced pork on a bone
Second Amuse Bouche course
Glass of creamy smoked fish puree (to drink)
A herb-crusted langoustine
-Bread presentation – 3 different breads stacked on a skewer, with a wooden base into which a recess had been routed to hold a corked vial with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, which were to be shaken before pouring onto your bread plate as a dipping sauce
-Tuna ceveche served at the bottom of a glass with a smoked tomato cream, slivered green onions, and a dot of washabi cream
-Cabillaud a la vapeur with a vanilla/olive oil drizzle, layered with wild mushrooms, served with a pork bun with a crustacean filling, on a bed of cucumber-wrapped ratatouille. This was not your grandmother’s cabillaud recipe
-Strawberry/red berry gazpacho – heavenly creamy/frothy served in a slanted glass with a brochette of halved strawberries and strawberry marshmallow cubes

45E menu
Same Amuse Bouche courses
-California rolls with snails and langoustines speckled with black and white sesame seeds
-Lisettes (small mackerel) served atop a bone marrow tube filled with spinach & julienned carrots tossed in Asian spices
-Porc cotolet (cutlet/loin) served with artichoke mousse, drizzled with peanut butter with a cluster of small wild mushrooms in tempura
-Pyramid of chocolate with other sweets

Other restaurants – all were excellent
Le Jardin des Remparts in Beaune. We dined here several years ago, and it was one of our top 5 of all time then. It didn’t “wow” us as much this visit. Michelin 1 star.

La Rotisserie du Chambertin in Gevrey Chambertin. It has an upstairs Bistro, and a downstairs restaurant in a wine cave, with animated winemaking scenes as you descend into the cave. We dined downstairs.

Le Montrachet on Puilly Montrachet. It was “complet” the first few times we tried to reserve. Obviously very popular. My St Pierre was overcooked. Lovely setting.

Relais de la Diligence in Meursault. Excellent value. It was the “sleeper” of the group

Les Gourmets in Marsannay la Cote. Michelin 1 star. Very nice

One day we took an overnight trip to Troyes, and dined there. On another occasion, we met some friends at a Michelin 1 star restaurant in Macon – which is not in Burgundy. We also spent 2 weeks in Beaujolais

We “checked out’ about 10 other restaurants in Burgundy (including 1 stars) and the menus did not seem interesting enough to make us choose them over the ones we selected. There’s a lot of Charollais beef on menus in this region. I have not experienced any beef in France that’s as good as the beef we have in the US, or beef I’ve tasted in Italy (one exception may be Aubrec beef). Bresse chicken is also a very popular item on menus. I’ve tried this several times in other areas of France & thought it wasn’t really that much better than a good farm-raised chicken.

StuDudley

Oops - I just noted the mispelling in the title. There were no rodents in any of the places where we dined.

Stu Dudley

cocofromdijon

Yummy! Thanks Stu!
ttt

Amy40

Stu, your advice for our last trip was great. Now, we are planning a Burgundy river cruise. Did you (or anyone else!) eat in any of the following towns? And if so, any opinions to share?

Chagny (Lameloise**)
Chalon-sur-Saône
Tournus

Thanks in advance!

ira

Thank you, Stu.

StuDudley

We checked out both Michelin starred restaurants in Tournus. Greuze was beyond our budget, and the menu at Terrasses didn't seem that interesting to us.

Stu Dudley

toscana4me

As a Burgundy local, I can tell you that Lameloise in Chagny has a great reputation. It has recently lost a Michelin star probably due to the fact that it has been less innovative than some others (e.g. the Jardin des Remparts in Beaune which has created food combos you won't find in many places...) but Lameloise staff are really friendly so it's a whole experience. In Chalon you have the Moulin de Martorey, starred, great food, totally awful service - makes a big difference, I will not be going back there. Definitely go for the Charlemagne.
I recently had a great meal at about 80 euros including wine at the Croix Blanche near Macon - name of restaurant and village.
The Diligence is an institution! It's over-big and kitch - but WOW what value for money. I've been going there for 14 years. Only made one booboo when my French wasn't so good and I ordered the dogs' menu for my son...

prhirsch

Were StuDudley and Ira separated at birth?

Some of the best advice/fun/humor has come from these guys. Thanks for all of your insights.

Sorry this has nothing to so your but it was a fleeting thought.

vedette

I have eaten at Lameloise on two occasions and consider the place wonderful. I agree that it probably lost its star for lack of innovation, but I am not convinced that is a bad thing. Lameloise is all about quality -- ingredients, preparations, service. You will find all sorts of clients there, not just "beau monde" types. All are treated with service that is attentive but not obsequious.

travelgirl2

Hi Stu T. I thought you were on holiday (is that okay?) recently. Are you still thinking about Japan or China next spring? Love, Travelgirl

StuDudley

>>Hi Stu T. I thought you were on holiday <<

Wrong Stu

Stu Dudley

travelgirl2

So sorry Stu. Stupid of me.

I enjoyed reading about your fabulous meals anyway!

swissgirl

Anyone been to Burgundy in early Feb? My husband is turning 40 and, as we live in Geneva, I was thinking of taking him there for the weekend. We had been in Beaune once before in the summer and loved it but we were only there for a day and our kids were still small. Always said we would go back, but.....

JulieVikmanis

Stu, when I saw the title of your post I just knew I'd see a rec for Stephane Derbord. We loved the place. After some bad experiences with Michelin starred restaurants it renewed my faith and set me to looking for 1 star places in lieu of the 2 and 3 we'd found rather off-putting. We found just the right mix of traditional and cutting edge at Derbord. Glad you enjoyed it too.

StuDudley

I think just about every restaurant in Burgundy & Beaujolais exceeded our expectations. Can't say that about other Michelin starred & unstarrred restaurants in some other regions of France.

Stu Dudley

SuzieC

Late to the "table" so to speak, but if you find yourself in Chagny, and you want something truly lovely...for very few euro, try Le Saint Vincent,
71150 Corchanu
And if in Macon...hoist a glass or white burgundy for me. SIGH...loved it there.
LOVED Tournus too. Stepped harbour...

Amy40

Thank you toscana, vedette and Suzie for specifics. And Stu as well, of course. I must have posted my follow-up question right before leaving for Mexico (where the food was not that good!) I apologize for missing the answers before today...