The Daily Diary of a Wandering Restaurateur
Manly Things
We were (gasp!) out of wine, having laid waste to 6.5 liters of it yesterday! Steve had found a place that will refill bottles from a bulk supply so we gathered up the empties and headed about 7km up the road. The process wasn't fancy -- it looked more like gassing up the car -- but at 1.95 euros a liter for the local Bergerac red (about US$2.10 a bottle!) we were back in business ... at least in the short run. All we had to do was jam corks back into the bottles after she had filled them. Seven bottles for US$15 ... gotta love it!
We also tapped our local wineshop for a 5-liter box of wine from Cahors, about two hours south of us. It is predominantly Malbec and we have come to prefer it to the fruitier Bergerac that is more common in this area. Karin didn't carry it but made a fast phone call and promised she would have a box for us on Wednesday. Her smile is infectious and she seems almost zen-like in her love of what she does. This is hospitality.
The dark-haired girl is a keeper! She runs another store carrying wine and local products (foie gras, etc.) in a setting a little more warehouse-like. Walk in the door and she will immediately offer a sample of foie gras on toast. Ask about a particular wine and she will open a bottle and let you taste it ... all the while with a ready smile and a quick wit. This is also what hospitality looks like.
The balloons were a pleasant surprise as we moved toward sunset. As a former balloon pilot myself, it brought back many pleasant memories and I definitely found myself in the basket, at least psychologically! It also gave me an excuse to tell some of my balloon stories!
Cocktails and dinner on the terrace ... and another perfect sunset. This place is magical.
© 2011 Restaurant Doctor
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