Lyon has a specific cuisine of which they are quite proud and a set of restaurants called "bouchons" that specialize in this Lyonaisse cooking and when faced with such a situation one must honor the city where one is currently staying. A person wouldn't go to New Orleans and skip crawfish or po'boys, or go to San Francisco and not try sourdough bread (unless one was gluten free, of course) so coming to Lyon and ignoring their special cuisine would be insulting. Plus, it was 1:30 (13,30 in Lyon time) and I was hungry (J'ai faim!) One of the most well known bouchons, Daniel et Denise, is two blocks from my flat, how could I resist?
I was met with eyes askance (American woman alone!) when I walked into the restaurant and was curtly seated in a so-so area that I actually didn't mind. When I was finally given a menu, I decided to have the lunch "formula" which was a choice of starter, a main and a dessert. Having done my homework, I ordered the Pate en Croute because they had won awards for this creation of organ meats minced and baked in pastry. Served as simply as possible, with a bit of fig jam on the side and a couple of bites of the salad standby, it was delicious. I think the waiter was relieved that I not only opted for the three course option but that I ordered something typical for the area. My second course was their famous fish quenelle in a Nantua sauce which is basically bechamel flavored with the crayfish tails used in the quenelle. It was like eating a cloud of delicate fish bathed in creamy lusciousness, so delicious. All entrees come with baked potato discs and a gratin of their version of mac and cheese (penne with cheese sauce served in a little gratin pan.) I did not need either of those side dishes and did little more than taste them. Wine was had with this, of course, a lovely and unpretentious Cote du Rhone in a small bottle.
It was so good but there was punishment to come, the third course, dessert of the day, which was possibly the best chocolate mousse I have ever had, thick and incredibly rich, served with a classic Madeline cookie. It took me about a half hour to eat the mousse, but I managed to choke it down. I swooned silently with every bite. I cannot believe I ate it all but I wouldn't have missed a single morsel.
With the wine, the lunch was about 45 US dollars and it was worth every cent. I was seated at about 1:30 and did not leave the restaurant until about 3:30. Of course part of the reason I lingered so long was because I was so full I could not budge, I just sat sipping the end of my wine, hoping I would not belch too loudly as I exited the building. I waddled back to my flat and unbuttoned my jeans as soon as it was socially acceptable to do so, i.e. in the lift to my flat.
Seriously, nothing else to eat for me today.
At 5:00 (17,00h) I was able to rouse myself from my food coma and visit the Musee Miniature et Cinema, a small, quirky, incredible museum about movie sets, costumes, models, miniatures and other trivia about movie production. It was educational and totally enjoyable. Lots of costumes and models of things actually used in films, so fascinating.
A good day in old Lyon. As I told a friend, I am sure the regular part of Lyon has its dry, boring, seedy side but here, in the tourist area of Vieux Lyon, it is charming and easy, historical and eye-catching. I am, after all, a tourist, and this is working for me.
Old Roman ruins in my backyard.
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