Great meal in Brest

On the day after Christmas 2007 we were in Brest, France, and found many of the restaurants closed for vacation. After a little searching, we found Les Caudalies (1 rue Malakoff, 29200 Brest), a 36-seat neighborhood/family restaurant.

Once we were seated, the host/waiter/owner brought the menu, written on a small chalkboard and listing four starters and five entrées.

Of the starters, one of us had the Marine salad (quarters of two kinds of crab, several small shrimp, a slice of tuna and mackerel and two oysters); a second had 24 medium shrimp in a cream garlic sauce; a third, four large pieces of toast covered with goat cheese, and the fourth, two medium sliced tomatoes with thin white asparagus spears on mixed greens — a special order. Each was a meal in itself.

For entrées, two of us had monkfish, the poor man’s lobster (several large pieces in a light garlic sauce); one had duck with foie gras, and one had pollock with seaweed. All these were served on beds of mixed vegetables. Pommes frites and rice were served family style.

Dessert was vanilla apple mousse topped with paper-thin crêpes and a light caramel glaze on a custard sauce with a dab of whipped cream. We each had two glasses of wine with our meal as well.

We all left stuffed.

The bill was €108.40 (about $152), which seems high, yet we must remember that the dollar is at an all-time low compared to the euro.

Lady Luck was with us — huge portions, wonderful food, attentive service from the host/waiter/owner and a homey atmosphere.

WALTER HUSE

Fort Myers, FL