The daily diary of a wandering restaurateur
May 9 - Food and Drink in the Loire Valley
The weather was cool, but it was sunny ... and the Loire was right beside us ... and why not? So it was a picnic by the river. The shot on the right is of the Roman kitchen at the Abbaye de Fontrevaud. The conical stacks are chimneys. They would build fires in whichever "pods" were downwind so that smoke would not back up into the room (... and you think YOUR kitchen is a nightmare!)
The Loire is a major wine-producing area. I have picked up a real taste for Saumur Champigny, a full-bodied fruity red. Ask your wine supplier about it. Today was Sunday on a holiday weekend so many of the wineries were closed, but we did taste a few of the offerings at Chateau Marconnay ... and added a few bottles to the stash! We had dinner in the old kitchen in the Chateau de Brissac.
© 2004 Restaurant Doctor
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