Issue No. 15

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Verjus is the happy outgrowth of The Hidden Kitchen, exquisite dinner parties once hosted by Laura Adrian and Braden Perkins in a private Paris apartment.The view is of a theater reminiscent of New Orleans’ old French Quarter and below, in a small intimate room, is their wine bar with its ever-changing chalkboard. I’d not dined at Verjus before because we’d fill up on the apéro plates downstairs - pork belly with sesame seeds, indescribable Parmesan “churros,” duck terrine maison with pistachios - and felt no need to go upstairs for the nine-course extravaganza. However on this night, oysters from Utah Beach with rhubarb, gougères dusted with seaweed and salt, perfectly roasted pork, foie gras with walnuts and a jaw-dropping beet tarte tatin, plus more, kept us happy all the way to dessert: caramelized Jerusalem artichoke ice cream with apple and cinnamon. We vowed to return. Verjus (multi-course tasting menu);52 Rue de Richelieu 75001 Paris Book well in advance Friday Dinner LiLi at the HOTEL PENINSULA Being escorted through the opulent Hotel Peninsula then seated in LiLi’s spacious dining room felt like we’d arrived on a Hollywood film set. This gastro Chinese temple was our choice for Saturday lunch, not so much for a change from French cuisine, but to sample their reputed authentic gourmet Cantonese dim sum, and more. Excited, we went for the Menu Dim Sum: steamed lobster dumplings with asparagus, Shanghai-style steamed pork raviolis, chicken and eggplant dumplings with XO sauce, pan-fried minced pork dumplings with bok choy, each deliciously succulent and elegantly presented. But, as the saying goes, “Chinese food goes right through you,” we decided to loosen our belts and go for some mains: Peking-style duck, wok-fried Brittany blue lobster with ginger and spring onions, braised French beef with fried ginger and, to wash it down, martinis with lemon twists which, beautifully cleansed our palates between courses. Dessert? <strong>No</strong>t this time. Dinner would be in a few hours. LiLi at the Hotel Peninsula; 19 Avenue Kléber 75016 Paris; <strong>No</strong>te: The Lobby Restaurant at the Hotel Peninsula has a 48 Euro 2 course lunch/dinner menu that's very good. Saturday lunch
Our last stop after such a raffinée experience at lunch, standing-room-only wine-bar-tapas bar L’Avant Comptoir seemed a natural choice for dinner. Loyal fans of chef Yves Camdeborde since his La Régélade days in the far-flung 14th way back when, we’d followed him to Saint- Germain-des-Prés. First-timers here are always astounded when they see the ceiling, a forest of banners with photos of dozens of small plates. An impressive selection of wines, sausages, and an enormous hunk of salt-studded butter dominates the zinc counter with its country loaves cut into chunks, still warm, mustard, cornichons, and fleur de sel for the taking. We joined the throng and ordered away: crunchy calamari and crunchier fried chicken with house fries and sauce gribiche; fried cheese; waffles topped with an artichoke cream and Bayonne ham; foie gras with piquillo kebabs; caramelized pork belly; sautéed cèpe mushrooms with garlic. We did it. Bordeaux and dry rosé by the glass and endless toasts with total strangers, and it was over. L’Avant Comptoir; 3 Carrefour de l’Odéon 75006 Paris Saturday Dinner
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Bonjour! Summer is served in this i
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CONTENTS P. 26 P. 30 P. 18 FEATURES
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P. 90 P. 112 Life in France 88 I sp
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A deserted village From the flat fi
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A night at the mill Drop back down
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A holiday feel Nyons dates back to
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Explore and enjoy There are all sor
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The Var is a departement that inclu
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2 COTIGNAC At first glance Cotignac
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4 Tourtour Tourtour is like a villa
Page 26 and 27: Nice is a city that honours it's ga
Page 28 and 29: Blink as you pass their place, and
Page 30 and 31: Va va voom to the Vendée to visit
Page 32 and 33: The area sits neatly between La Roc
Page 34 and 35: Left: Futuroscope; right: giant ele
Page 37 and 38: Outdoor adventures in SAMOENS Ruper
Page 39 and 40: The trick is to wedge your feet in
Page 41 and 42: Pop in SUPER75 to get a 75% discoun
Page 43 and 44: ight: Arc de Triompe; elow apero ho
Page 45: PARIS IN PICTURES Left: the arcades
Page 48 and 49: Marty Neumeier reveals how to make
Page 50 and 51: Josette says that the ball probably
Page 52 and 53: Zoom in on: burgundy Janine Marsh v
Page 54 and 55: The unique and free to enter Museum
Page 56: Useful Sites Burgundy Tourism: burg
Page 59 and 60: WHAT TO SEE There are many reminder
Page 62 and 63: NEW SERIES... A page from the histo
Page 64 and 65: Jazz in Marciac © Francis Vernhet
Page 66 and 67: Around and about at the Marciac Jaz
Page 68 and 69: YOUR PHOTOS Every weekend, we invit
Page 70 and 71: Keith Van-Sickle reveals his top ti
Page 73 and 74: Barbara Pasquet-James a writer who
Page 75: Under the Les Halles canopy a moder
Page 79 and 80: I skipped to the biographical index
Page 81 and 82: \the monument commemorated the land
Page 83 and 84: INFORMATION The Somme is about 90 m
Page 85 and 86: E AWAYS See over the page for more
Page 87 and 88: And it always will be...
Page 89 and 90: He prepared the meat deftly and the
Page 91 and 92: Top right: Perry and Caroline; abov
Page 93 and 94: FIND YOUR DREAM HOME IN THE GERS Lo
Page 95 and 96: We talk to British expat Linda Jame
Page 97 and 98: How have you found running a busine
Page 99: FIND YOUR DREAM HOME IN THE RIBERAC
Page 102 and 103: We only use jurisdictions for pensi
Page 104: ask the experts Question I am an Am
Page 107: If moving with children, make sure
Page 111 and 112: Eeasy, peasy, lemon squeezy Tarte a
Page 113 and 114: You'll need A large pot with a lid
Page 115 and 116: Experience (My) France tours of Ave
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