Brian's Eats and Travels: Burgundy and The French Riviera (5 of 12)

Mission

Mission: To respond thoughtfully and responsibly to my experiences of drinking and dining at restaurants with regard to the quality, service, preparation, presentation and overall experience received thereat. The standpoint is one who respects the crafts of the chef and sommelier and who seeks to understand their choices in the kitchen and cellar and grow in knowledge. In this, I will seek to be fair, reasoned, direct and constructive and aim to keep my ego in check on our mutual journeys through the worlds of food and wine.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Burgundy and The French Riviera (5 of 12) - La Roustide, Nice

La Roustide interior - from website

La Roustide

34 rue Beaumont, Nice

Getting into Nice town from St Paul proved a bit strange, basically because of not knowing the roads. We'd tried to input the address in the car GPS but the paper map proved better in the end - it showed which roads were one way so we could find the place and park up. La Roustide proved quite spartan and small, with only space for about thirty people at a stretch. A country kitchen kind of feel, you felt as if you were in a well kept farmhouse and the hostess would also be the cook. Very simple ambience - also no tablecloths or proper napkins, but there you go. Less laundry to do. We took up one half of the room whilst another party were having a jolly time on the other side of the room. It felt somehow a bit trendy - one of those that springs up, gets a bit of attention and then gets forgotten as something new and more trendy comes along. Maybe a bit harsh, but that was the feeling. Writing now two years later, Tripadvisor shows the restaurant to be well established and well patronised and liked by all who visit. There you go. A somewhat young and delicately fine boned lady took the orders and we settled into more wine. These belly busting trips are fun but after a while the belly does bust and you get to feel maybe this intense gluttony is not so good for the system. A little rest between fine restaurants would allow for better appreciation of the cuisine. But time and its cost is always the enemy so pack in as many foodie places as you can cos we may never come back. What to do?

La Roustide interior - from website

Don't really remember much about the food here. We had a fixed menu that was all truffle dishes, but ask me what dishes I had and were it not for the photos I could not tell you. Except there was lots of truffle taste. Yes. Which was fine for a change. But which felt a bit over truffled after the second dish. Lenglui and I do not salivate at the mention of truffle unlike many foodie friends, so we can happily not fret about never being able to return here. But the others seemed to enjoy it. And it gets good reports on the travel websites, so it's probably just us. Go there if you love truffles and easy tasteful country farm style spartan ambience. Otherwise go to La Route Du Miam for the stellar duck.

Salmon Carpaccio. With Truffle.

LE MENU DEGUSTATION A LA TRUFFE

Velouté de fèves et sa crème fouettée à la truffe

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Porchetta de lapin au génépi et truffe

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Le risotto crémeux à la truffe

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Noix de Saint Jacques, sauce Katidia (aux noix),
gnocchi glacé à la betterave et mousseline de cèleri à la truffe

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Crumble de banane au vieux rhum et sa crème glacée rhum raisin

Menu 55 Euros: Entièrement à la truffe tuber Aestivum

They were certainly not ungenerous with the truffle

LE MENU DEGUSTATION A LA TRUFFE

Bisque de homard et crème fouettée à la truffe

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Terrine de caille au foie gras, bardée de pancetta à la truffe

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Gnocchis maison à la crème de truffe

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La pêche du jour aux légumes de saison, jus réduit au safran et truffe

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Pain perdu aux figues rôties au miel et pignons, glace caramel

Menu 55 Euros: Entièrement à la truffe tuber Aestivum

(Le menu dégustation est servi pour l’ensemble des convives)

Pan fried fish with Truffle oil

A La Roustide, TOUT est Frais et Fait Maison.

Si l’attente vous paraît un peu longue, sachez que les plats sont cuisinés à la minute pour conserver toute leur fraîcheur, laissez à notre chef le temps de les mijoter.

Les huiles d’olive à la truffe utilisées sont à base d’arôme NATUREL de truffe pour ne pas dénaturer le goût de celle-ci.

Les produits sont principalement locaux ou français, pigeon de France.

Les plats à la truffe sont à la Tuber Aestivum
La carte et le menu changent régulièrement pour vous faire déguster les produits de saison.

Well, I liked it...

The Pascal Thomas Sancerre. Not bad...

Also got some photos from earlier in the day from a visit to Gourdon, another of those towns parked on a mountain. You wonder how they got all the stone and mortar and water up there. Lot of whip cracking methinks.