Haddock and beets @ Le Chassagne

I have a soft spot for chefs who use beets. Surprisingly complex aromatically with an interesting mixture of red fruits and earthiness, beets are an under-rated vegetable. My most recent visit to Le Chassagne, chef Stefane Léger brought out a smoked haddock and beetroot appetizer with not one, but two different preparations of beets. What…

Dutournier’s Carré des Feuillants luncheon menu: a 2-star steal

    His pistachio and trout roe amuse bouches were superb. The bitter-sweet aspects of both ingredients married perfectly. The prawn, melon and curry combo was interesting. The prawn was just slightly over cooked, but the sweet melon and the bitter curry fantastically enhanced the prawn. The oyster with sea-weed was very zen and true…

Michel Magnien Morey St Denis Les Mont Luisants 2001 (demi)

Morey St Denis Les Mont Luisants is a 1er Cru and a Village level wine. This wine is a village level because it is upper altitude (the highest part of this already high altitude terroir). High altitude was not an advantage in 2001except for the super chalky soil which gives good drainage (2001 was a…