European Diary

The daily diary of a wandering restaurateur in Europe
July 31 - Chenonceau, Chanteloup

I hate to leave the Loire Valley. While it is easy to get an overdose of chateaus (and we only visited four of over 60 in this particular area) we were well cared-for and very comfortable in our 150 year-old farmhouse. Today we visited the Chateau de Chenonceau, which extends across the River Cher, before heading off to Burgundy. In some ways it is less imposing than Chambord and less opulent inside than Cheverny but it has a unique charm. Looking at it, you can tell it was designed by women!

The history of the place is fascinating, but my concern here is with the foodservice aspects of it. The kitchens are located in two of the "legs" extending into the river. The bridge between the two rooms has windows that open so that fresh food could be unloaded directly from boats in the river. During WWII, when the Cher marked the boundary between free and occupied France, the Chateau was a hospital and location for prisoner exchanges. The kitchens were updated to handle the task of feeding patients but the huge open fireplaces from the 1500's still make it easy to sense what this operation must have been like originally.

For photos of Chenonceau and the kitchens, click here.

The other foodservice challenge at all these facilities is how to handle the foodservice needs of the thousands of daily visitors without detracting from the historic ambience of the place. I think it was handled particularly well at Chenonceau. There is a self-service café housed in what appears to be the old stables. Outside are the requisite umbrella tables and inside has an attractive seating area, exhibition kitchen and serving line. While the facilities are modern, the look is tastefully traditional.

For photos of the Chenonceau café, click here.

Following the Chenonceau tour, we hit the road for the Burgundy area and are now tucked into the Chateau de Chanteloup outside of Corbigny. This joint was also built in the 1500's and is still in the family! No clue about the kitchen, I'm afraid.

For travelogue-like photos, click here.

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