Apt

Restaurant Ephemere is back!

 Last year this truck based restaurant popped up near the boules courts in Saignon. They are very good cooks and the food was lovely. We looked forward to it this year. Well, for a month there was no sign of it. Apparently they weren't allowed to use the building you see in the back of the top picture, in case of rain. It is owned by the school and they didn't want conflicts. Well, as soon as school got out they were back. What a treat to eat outside with friends in perfect weather and great food.......and a lot of wine.

Superb grilled lamb.

Restaurant, mini-golf, Jardin, Lourmarin

This place has it all.

Bistro, Coustellet

Pizzeria O'Grill, Apt

 Pizzeria O'Grill is our favorite pizza joint in Provence. The sauce is so fresh you want to slap it and the crust has that wood-fired taste that is impossible to fake. The pizza here is the Provencale, simply, crust, sauce, cheese, garlic, capers and black olives. The bottle is full of dried cayenne peppers soaking in olive oil, if you want to add heat to your pizza.

Quail and potatoes, La Platane, Apt

La Platane is a recent find, thanks to Ian and Jane, our Australian friends. It is off on a side street in Apt and, during warm weather, has a completely shaded, by trees, little courtyard with about ten tables. It is cool on the hottest days and pleasantly balmy on average days. On top of this, the food is fabulous. This day I had perfectly cooked quail with a brilliant gravy (sorry Ian but I know that the fish was good too). I don't think enough is said about the Provencal way with potatoes. The Germans and the Irish seem to have the patent on potato consumption. Whether they are baked or mashed or fried (French fries are just pommes frites or fried potatoes in Provence.) they are always more than a background. These were wonderful.

Dinner at La Veille Auberge, Cassis

 Pre-meal smiles

 Stalkers

 Soupe des Poissons

 Dorade  in a lovely sauce

Pistache

Le Commerce, Cassis

Didn't eat here, just liked the angles.

Fishrail, Cassis

A clever sculpture, leading to a seafood restaurant.

La Vanne Marel. The real reason to go to Fontaine de Vaucluse.

In the main circle of the town there are three or four good restaurants. La Vanne Marel is the  star of the group. All of their food is great but the trout amandine is not to be missed. The trout is fresh from the river which runs below the patio. It has the faintest pink cast and is tender, tasty and perfectly prepared. Well worth the trip.

Lavender and yellow, Apt

This is a restaurant that we didn't make it to. N. African food and highly recommended by our friend Gary.

Chez Nous, Apt

We went to this restaurant in Apt one night with our friend Gary Brown. He had heard good things about it. We had a lovely time. Janie thought the service was a bit impersonal (most restaurants in the area have lively, fun staff), I didn't notice that part but the duck breast that I had was the best that I have ever had in France. The only better ones I have ever had were ones my father shot and that was probably just better duck. Recommended. This was their lunchtime menu.

Le Royals

 This is a very nice restaurant in the middle of Apt. My favorite is the salmon with Bearnaise sauce. The salmon is wonderfully cooked, crisp on the outside, melting on the inside. Sitting outdoors on a nice day you can see the town go by.

Clare's daughter and granddaughter, L'Estrade, St. Saturnin

Half of the time when we go to L'Estrade, we see people from previous visits. This year we ran into Clare who worked with Henrietta Taylor when we rented from her. This is her daughter and baby girl. What you can't see is the grandson who was just days away from being born.

Chinese restaurant, Isle sur la Sorgue

Next year we'll try this place. Very nice inside and after three weeks in Provence a different cuisine can be nice.

Three more pictures from our lunch at La Griotte

 Now you can see why I was full for so long.

Lunch, La Griotte, Cereste

We drove to a new town for us, Cereste, and had lunch at a nice little restaurant. I had a salade and pasta carbanara that fille me up for 6 hours.

Le Platane, Apt

We ate here on market day. They have a lovely tree shaded deck and very nice food. We had a light fish preceded by a zucchini (courgette) dish that was so light that we had to hold it on the plate. A recommendation.

Under the lights at Maison de Solveig, Saignon

Our first dinner out was at our old favorite Maison de Solveig. A wonderful little bistro/art gallery. Astrid Solveig, the chef and owner, keeps the place open from April or May to the end of September. The rast of the year she paints and does assemblages that end up in the restaurant. I had calamari and chorizo this night.

Lunch at Les Fines Herbes, Goult

 This was a lovely take on prosciutto and melon. So fresh.

This was a chicken leg quarter with the freshest courgettes (zucchini) as a side. This is a very tiny, very new restaurant in Goult. It was just opened by a young couple who were both charming. He is an innovative cook and seems to know the right farmers. They are right next to Cafe de la Poste, a large and now, very commercial restaurant in the main square. This place was quieter and the food was better and less expensive, a win-win for us.