Jess and I are finally free to explore a bit of France due to a break in our American village jobs! France is beautiful, it is hard to deny. So far we have seen a small bit of Marseille, a good portion of Vienne, a little bit of Lyon, and are working on Aix-en-Provance. While the architecture is amazing and we have had some decent wine on the cheap; I have not had the eating experience that I was hoping for yet. As a matter of fact, it has been downright unimpressive. It really makes me appreciate Portland's food scene.
Don't get me wrong, I know there is amazing food here, but I have yet to try it. Strangely, I have come looking for Cognac, Bordeaux, Fois Gras, and amazing French comfort food and found only disappointment. In Lyon, the gastronomical capital of France, I had one of the worst meals of my life. Thank god Jess was there, so the company was enough to save the night :)
I also had my first French crepe....not good at all. It was soggy and the chocolate was more like cheap syrup.
The cognac I got was okay, but they are so damned stingy on the pours and it is really expensive. Actually, this is a ridiculous thing about France...they make all these amazing spirits and they come in tiny little pours for way more than I would pay for an average pour in the States. Super frustrating!
Thus, I have decided that I will make every effort to get to the source of the things I want to consume: I will go to Bordeaux and drink until I find what I want. I will go to Cognac and taste until I am satisfied. I don't know where the Fois Gras comes from, but I'm gonna go eat the hell out of it!
I'm still really hopeful...but at this point i'll take a liege waffle and a fine Belgian beer over anything I've had in France food wise.
More to come; the eating shall continue...