Eugenie le Bain

One of the delights of the area in which I live, the Laree region of southwest France, is Michel Guérard’s famous restaurant, Eugenie le Bain. My wife and I last ate there at the end of May ’05.

The food was so well prepared and so well presented. After the amuse-bouche (a little starter), my wife had smoked salmon and herring on a coulis (purée) of rocket, then beef and, for dessert, an apricot tart that dissolved in the mouth.

I had a terrine of wild mushrooms and foie gras, then beef — done to perfection. This was followed by a crème brûlée with orange and grapefruit.

Our meal cost €40 (near $52). The wine, from M. Guérard’s own vineyard, was €22 extra.

Well, I could go on about the gastronomic delights of the Laree region. Better that we invite readers to come.

DAVID GLASS
Laree, Gascony, France