Le Bec's stars...
So I haven’t been able to get online for a while so here are two posts – most recent from Lyon and the one further down is from Avignon…
We’re absolutely loving Lyon – how can we not!! -it’s the gastronomic capital of the world, known for its collection of high end Michelin star restaurants, local casual eateries called Bouchons, and of course all the creperies, boulangeries, charcuteries, and patisseries you’d expect in France.
Our first meal was a lunch we reserved weeks in advance while we were still in the States – Michelin gave Nicolas Le Bec two stars which we felt was well deserved. We opted for the pre-fix dejouner menu which featured the most amazing scallop dish in pureed sauces of cauliflower and pea, covered in fresh baby greens. Another winning dish was the green asparagus appetizer which was peeled and very tender, served on a slice of ham with a nutty bacon cream sauce and topped with parmesan shavings and baby greens. This was a beautiful dish that was both light and very decadent.
I’ll skip the main courses as they’re nothing to write home about but the cheese cart definitely deserves a shout out. The waiter dude rolls it over and the first thing I see is a giant wheel of Stilton sitting next to Munster, and several different goat cheeses. Between the two of us, Alan and I tried 6 – my favorite was the Munster, much better than one I get at Safeway (Alan wants everyone to know that he doesn’t buy his cheese at Safeway).
Lastly, the desserts…
The ‘hot chocolate mouse’ was like the rich/sophisticated twin sister of the lava cake – along with the accompaniments of white cheese ice cream and sweet little fraises des bois (baby strawberries), a spoonful of the gooey molten center was soooo good it made me giggle. The caramel mousse tart topped with caramel ice cream, a salted butter sauce and caramel hazelnut candies was like a sweet and salty soiree in my mouth.
