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La Digue Review by Tate
9, rue Abrevoirs. Montaigu. Tel.02 51 06 34 48.
It was
a Tuesday and Trevor and I had just seen my good friend Ron off at
Rennes airport on his return journey to England. Our plan was to find a
restaurant in the North of the Vendée as, due to the distance from where
we are based we don’t often visit the area. We were a bit late so
Trevor thought it would be a good idea to head to Montaigu the closest
& largish town on our route. Trevor had a mind to try a restaurant
that he had seen on the banks of the river Maine just beneath the
ramparts of the castle and as we crossed the bridge we could see that
even at 1.15pm on a Tuesday lunchtime the terrace of the restaurant was
packed, which is generally a very good sign. Trevor was driving and
found his way down through the narrow streets to the river bank and the
restaurant, and while he went to park I was shown to a table. It was a
beautifully warm and sunny day and it would have been fabulous to eat on
the covered terrace with its excellent view along the river, however as
the terrace was full Olivier, the Maitre D’ showed me to a table just
inside, next to open patio doors. I would suggest that if you want to
try this restaurant you either book and ask for a table on the terrace
or get there early as eating on the terrace would without doubt enhance
your experience, provided that the weather was good.
Our table was set for two and we were seated on padded banquettes on
which many restaurants would have squeezed four people. The dining room
was cool and airy with the patio doors to the terrace wide open. I could
already tell that this was going to be my kind of restaurant, it had a
relaxed feel about it with Olivier setting the standard wearing pink
shorts a pink shirt and a knotted kerchief around his neck, he was laid
back and even though the restaurant was very busy he was taking
everything in his stride. Trevor arrived and I ordered him a non
alcoholic beer they didn’t serve a house wine so I ordered a glass of
red which when it arrived turned out to be a Cotes de Blaye. The drinks
arrived with the menus and the board with the various dishes on it,
there were set meals from €15 upwards and we decided on the meal for €20
which gave us a choice from 3 starters, 3 main courses and any dessert.
We both chose the Gizzard Salad although there was a choice of Tuna
Tartare or Salmon Mousse and for the main course Trevor chose the Onglet
de Boeuf and I chose the Souris D’Agneau Confite the third choice of
main course was Monkfish. The Cotes de Blaye was a very nice wine, it
wasn’t cheap at €6
a glass but as I hadn’t really studied the wine list I have no idea
what was available or at what price, and as I was the only one drinking
it a whole bottle at lunch would have in any case been excessive and
seen me asleep on the homeward journey. There were two young waitresses
and a young waiter working alongside Olivier and the service even though
we had arrived quite late was relaxed and friendly.
The entrees arrived and what entrees they were. The plates looked
wonderful, the gizzards, which were plump and very rare, were as good as
any I’ve ever tasted and as they were very red they were in striking
contrast to the small green rocket salad which for good measure had a
slice of foie gras secreted amongst it. There was a hot goat’s cheese
tartlet which comprised goat’s cheese on a slice of Vendéen ham on a
slice of brioche, in truth the brioche was just a little bit burnt on
mine, but it didn’t detract from the terrific strong salty taste. There
were ribbons of cucumber, cubes of tomato, shredded carrot and a
delicious radish, which I ate dipping it in the Fleur de Sel which was
the table condiment. There were 3 small stripes of preserve on the left
side of the plate, red beetroot, orange apple, and yellow onion which
apart from being great visually were all very tasty, and to
counterbalance that on the other side of the plate 3 small green dots of
herb flavoured mayonnaise. As starters go this was out of the top
drawer, the different flavours and textures were all perfectly balanced
and if it was the only starter I could eat for the rest of my life I
wouldn’t be unhappy. The staff were attentive but not overbearing and
the service was efficient yet unhurried. I could have seen myself in
times gone by with a group of friends whiling away the afternoon eating
and drinking on the terrace.
Starters over we awaited our main courses with great anticipation, and
when they arrived we were not disappointed. My Souris d’Agneau Confite
was a lamb shank served in small pot with a stew of tomato, carrot,
green beans and onion in thick silky gravy with a stunning depth of
flavour and the creamiest mashed potatoes you could wish for. I was
having some problems keeping the pot from spinning on the serving plate
even though I had tried with and without the paper doily provided for
just that purpose. Olivier noticed my dilemma and having tried the doily
himself he lifted the pot and slapped a thin slice of bread under it
which instantly cured the problem and allowed me to settle down to
savouring what was an absolute symphony of taste. The lamb was meltingly
tender, it fell off the bone and was full of flavour. Everything was
faultless and the second glass of Cote de Blaye only served to further
enhance it.
Trevor was having Onglet de Boeuf which is beef flank and is served more
and more in France, as it is a less expensive alternative to fillet,
but this was the first time that I had seen Onglet in the shape of a
fillet mignon. It was perfectly cooked, tender and extremely tasty and
it was served with homemade French Fries. These were absolutely
excellent and a real treat, as homemade French Fries have unfortunately
become so rare in restaurants now that they almost qualify as an
endangered species. All too soon we had finished our main courses and it
was time to choose our deserts, I went for a Tarte Tatin while Trevor
opted for a Tiramisu. My Tarte Tatin was fabulous, the large slices of
apple were just on the bite and the caramel topping gave the dish a
sweetness that was in perfect juxtaposition to the slightly tart apple.
Trevor’s Tiramisu looked beautiful and tasted pretty much the same. The
deep coffee flavour and the light sponge were balanced by the cream,
mascarpone and liqueur. Both dishes were served with ice cream, which
along with the foie gras were probably the only things that we ate that
hadn’t been made on the premises. We both finished the meal with large
coffees and if I was forced to eat at this restaurant every day for the
rest of my life I wouldn’t be unhappy, it simply was that good.
The total cost of the meal was €58.60,
which is not cheap for lunch, but this was a meal of very high quality
and I’m always prepared to pay for quality. The restaurant itself was in
a lovely setting, the atmosphere was relaxed and the staff were
charming. If you are happy to spend €30
a head on lunch then this restaurant will take some beating and if we
find somewhere better this year we will be in for a rare treat in deed. I
can highly recommend this restaurant. Tate - 2011
About the author: Tate spends the summers in the Vendee and is passionate about good wine and good food,he writes exclusively for the www.vendee-guide.co.uk
The coping of this article is permitted as long as the complete article along with these credits are published.
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