Les Carmes in Rennes was open at Saturday lunch and was a more-or-less forced choice but it turned out to be a wonderful one.
I expected it to be a small, dingy bistro but it was glistening and modern
with a nice menu.
The amuse gueule was a luscious cream of courgettes with smoked salmon bits; the bread was a hit.
For firsts, Colette had a petit pois soup with shredded crab and I had the sautéed sardines with zucchini spaghetti – good stuff all.
We both had a sort of fish cake composition of langoustine tails with a chickpea puree, carrots, leeks and onions. Terrific.
The only disappointments were the desserts – microtomed pineapple “raviolis” of chocolate and a “parfait” with mini-peach halves.
With a bottle of Cotes du Rhone, no bottled water and extremely poor coffee, our bill was 88 E.
After lunch we walked it off around the town, seeing a special exhibition of a private collection of drawings that were not much of a much at the Rennes Fine Arts Museum.
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Le Roi Arthur in Ploermel was our destination for bed and supper and a lovely one at that. It’s on the largest natural lake in Brittany. A walk around the lake featured all manner of hortensias, in glorious colors ranging from pale pink to rich dark reds and purples. The hotel’s golf links, overlooking the lake appeal to many clients.
The “menus” for dinner were strange surf-n’turf combos and Colette and I both opted instead for the "nightly menu."
The amuse was a phyllo dough wrapped mince of duck with dill that was darn good.
Then came monkfish tails on a bed of cabbage, grain (of some sort) and mushrooms. Colette did not like the ‘tails’ but loved the “bed” on which they came. My opinion was the reverse. The tails were served with tagliatelles decorated with black caviar. The dessert was sliced strawberries with ice cream and a sesame tuile that Colette raved about, so I gave her the rest of mine.
With a bottle and a glass of Languedoc Sauvignon Blanc, horrible bread and neither coffee nor bottled water, our bill was 94.50 E.
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Our second day we went to the spectacular point of Vivier, just outside Quiberon, which venue is only 2nd to the Pointe du Raz for dazzling views of crashing seas. The restaurant Vivier got a warm review in Le Fooding for the view and fresh shellfish and both were in sunny abundance today.
Colette had a so-so fish soup which was not “saved” by the so-so rouille and cheese. She then had the moules with a wine and garlic sauce that she thought had too little oomph (but I liked) and I had a gigantic plate of seafood which was bigger than that served to anyone else because I said I detested non-Chesapeake crabs and the waitlady got them to pile on the oysters, bulots, langoustines, red shrimp, and bigorneau.
Our bill with no bottled water but a bottle of Gros Plant, 2 caramel beurre sale ices and 2 coffees was 63.10 E.
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We were staying at and dining the first night at De La Plage a recently discovered (by Colette at least) hotel/restaurant on a magnificent beach not far from Sainte Anne le Palud.
The “menus” at dinner were stratospherically priced, the lobster (the Europe version of which cannot hold a candle to glorious taste of Maine lobstas, especially at 80 E vs $10 per serving) was not a consideration and we had had more than enough of our 5 daily food groups and caloric needs at lunch so,…..
The amusing amuse was a carrot and mango soup/puree and a bit of mackerel atop quinoa with moule-bits and seaweed morsels; Colette had a very flavorful line-caught bar with bulgar and moules and crab; and I had a cote d’agneau ordered “blue” – “you mean rosé,” he said – “no blue – raw on the inside, crisp on the outside” – he looked at me with that – you may be paying a fortune for your room at a Relais and Chateau but you’re certifiable – the chef produced the greatest chops ever – with lots of fresh al dente cooked veggies.
With a bottle of St Nicholas de Bourgueil Sophie, no bottled water, dessert or coffee but terrific bread and Brittany butter, our bill was 92 E.
Day 3 we went into Concarneau to the Amiral directly opposite the Ville Close, which formerly charming site, unfortunately, since the last time I visited, has become dumbed down and is a street dominated by vendors selling teeshirts and coffee bowls and all manner of take out foods and candy.
In any case, l’Amiral’s carte has several “menus”, none of which appealed to us, so we ordered off the carte and were not displeased.
I started off with moules/coques remoulade (the special of the day) which had a generous addition of salad that was quite nice. And then we waited, and waited and waited, sipping our Pouilly Fume and waiting.
For mains, Colette had salmon with terrific al dente vegetables and I had sole sauteed in butter with potatoes; both fine.
To close Colette had a soufflé with beurre salé caramel that both of us thought was the tops.
With the wine, no bottled water, incredibly crusty on the entire exterior and moist on the interior bread and two coffees off the pretentious coffee list made to look like a paint color chart, our bill was 99.90 E.
Q. So, we’re in Brittany and for dinner, what does one have to have?
A.Crepes of course, and Kouign Aman for breakfast.
Ty Merc’h Kramp in Plonevez-Porzay is perfect for somesuch.
Colette had a Nordic crepe (salmon, chives and lemon sauce); me a mixed crepe of my own concoction – fresh mushrooms, ham and cheese – hers better than mine which was drippy and needed something.
We both had green salads with some of the best lettuce of the year but with a subpar dressing.
Finally Colette had a crepe with beurre sale caramel which was superterrific.
Our bill, with a bottle of St Nicholas de Bourgueil, no bottled water, Brittany beer or cider nor coffee, was 36.20 E.
Luncheon Day 4 was at the Mutin Gourmand in Crozon.
I had the 44 E menu which featured a langoustine-mushroom croustillant and large but tasteless lobster claw, one of the two fish of the day (caught by one of the owners’ closest friend/fishermen) – a turbot-, and strawberries with melon ice and whipped cream.
Collette instead went with the 22 E other “beautiful” fish of the day – a bar – as well as selections from the house’s huge cheese chariot (7.50 E) from M. Bordier (he of St. Malo butter fame).
With a bottle of Muscadet (that our host said was very popular in New York) and a fuller-bodied white for Colette’s cheese, no bottled water, 3 magnificent breads and two more pathetic coffees, our bill was 107.50 E.
That night we dined at a pizzeria, La Marina in Plonevez-Porzay.
Collette had a 4 Seasons pizza (peppers, artichokes, ham, mushrooms, cheese and tomato and I had a Napolitaine with too-strong, even for me, too-salty and too-in-your-face anchovies, tomato, olives, capers and cheese.
The bill after a bottle of Bardolino, no bottled water, coffee or dessert, was 35.80 E
Our final day we were headed back to the TGV in Rennes and stopped for lunch in Josselin at Du Chateau sited just across from the Chateau itself.
I had the menu terroir and started off with oysters.
Then for mains, Colette had sandre with a lemon, cider and butter sauce which had a dynamite ratatouille and wonderful strips of celeriac while I had an absolutely tasteless sautéed pintade with roast apple slices, spicy mashed potatoes, boiled tomatoes and a zucchini stuffed with caviar d’aubergines and - I swear - red pepper flakes that was really peppy.
Desserts were a warm Kouign Aman with ice cream for Colette and a delicious caramel beurre salé “gateau.”
With a bottle of the Emperatrice Eugenie Tursan wine, no bottled water, two coffees, passable bread and fine butter, our bill was 75.40 E.