Last Sunday Graham and I took a drive out to find a restaurant that someone we’d met in Sainte-Foy-La-Grande’s super weekly market had recommended. We had been charmed by the location, the service and impressed with the 2 appetisers we’d selected (we hadn’t planned on a full lunch when we set out). So much so that when we were at this weeks’ Marché des Producteurs (oysters & steak frites) where we met up with our Auzzie guests Paul & Viv and a neighbour, Helen, we made a plan to go to La Table Rouge again this weekend for lunch.
And what a lunch it was. Of the 5 of us we chose 2 appetisers (Graham & I were sharing): 3 Gambas in an Armagnac Cream sauce and one aubergine with warm goat’s cheese & grilled red peppers. Viv was delighted with her veggie entree. We all thoroughly enjoyed the shrimp, although I have to confess that I wasn’t entirely sure that I liked the mixture of Armagnac & shrimp (both were excellent individually, but for me they weren’t a show stopper when combined, but that’s why they make chocolate & vanilla). Don’t get me wrong – I ate every last morsel, and the home sun-dried tomatoes that were served as a garnish were divine.
There was a similar run on the main courses. 4 of us ordered the scallops with sauteed foie gras in a Champagne sauce, while my meat-&-potatoes beloved, Graham, opted for Filet de boeuf. Oh lord, when the plate arrived I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. What a marvelous mixture: beautifully presented, excellently cooked and seasoned. It was so good that I could have eaten it again. Graham said that his was the best beef he had ever had in France.
We finished with a chocolate dessert for Helen, a panna cotta each for Viv & Paul while I, predictably, chose the cheese platter. Graham elected to have only coffee, which he pronounced as so good that he took 2 more!
I would never have thought of combining scallops with foie gras. It was sinfully good. The sauce that accompanied it was essentially a beurre blanc flavoured with a Champagne reduction. The richness of the foie gras contrasted wonderfully with the slightly dry velvetyness of the scallops and the smoothness of the sauce brought everything into a wonderful harmony.
The cheeses that formed my platter were well aged: there was a deliciously runny slightly blue brie-style cheese, another, firmer, blue cheese, an aged manchego and a slice of cantal, all served with an onion marmalade and some salted dried figs.
The service was friendly without being overly familiar (although I hope that we will return sufficiently often to be treated as family eventually), efficient without being in-your-face and, when lunch service was over, it was lovely to be able to meet Kate, the Patron & chef, and learn some of her life story.
Hello
Many thanks for your blog. We first visited Ste Foy last fall on the invitation of two French women here who had rented our summer cottage in Maine (USA) in 2010. We love the market and the town, and they love the coast of Maine, so when they suggested a month’s house exchange for this summer, we didn’t hesitate!
I stumbled upon your blog while planning our visit, and just wanted to thank you for your recommendation of La Table Rouge… What a great place, such a peaceful, beautiful setting, and great food. I had the marrow bone with toast and the scallops with foie gras; my wife Sally had the ham pata negra with red pepper, then the tartare of Charolais… What a great meal. Coincidentally, the wine we ordered was a Chateau Carbonneau, which we had tasted a couple of weeks ago at the chateau, and our excellent waitress is a daughter of the winemakers!
We are here for only another week and a bit, tant pis, but will try to keep enjoying it all before we have to leave!
Thanks again, Bruce and Sally
Dear Bruce & Sally
So glad that you enjoyed Table Rouge. It remains one of our firm favourites. Each trip home we try to visit another new place (or two) however, La Table Rouge succeeds in drawing us back … the view, the food and the warm welcome are just too tough to resist. When we were last there (late September) we pulled up to find at least 20 huge motorbikes parked neatly along the verge, and a long table or normally leather-clad patrons on the terrace. Once we were seated Kate came out and asked if we like oysters. Our response was rather on the lines of “Is the Pope a Catholic?” A complimentary plate of 9 delicious molluscs arrived at our table in short order and did much to ameliorate the inevitable delays of being served after a group of that size (entirely unnecessary, but most sincerely appreciated). It is gestures and consideration (professionalism) such as this that will ensure that we remain loyal ambassadors for many years to come!
Alex